Writing a romance novel is hard. It takes a lot of time, energy, determination, discipline and patience. Sometimes writers (especially new writers) get overwhelmed by the number of tasks that they need to do, or get lost in their story without knowing how to approach their story idea or what steps to take to finish their story.

This blog article is intended to help all romance writers develop a straightforward process to successfully outline and write their romance novel in 5 simple steps.

Step 1: Subgenre and tropes
Step 2: Main character(s) and create character profiles
Step 3: Story structure and chapter outlines
Step 4: Setting and main locations
Step 5:  Start writing

Step 1: Subgenre and tropes
Before you decide your romance subgenre and tropes, it’s important to define what a romance story is.

Romance is a very broad category and one of the most popular genres in fiction.  A story is considered to belong to the romance genre when the romantic relationship between the main characters takes the centre of the story, and the story has a happy ending. If the story doesn’t have these 2 requirements, then it is not a romance story.

The romance genre can be divided into many subgenres. Some of the most popular genres are contemporary romance, YA romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, romantasy, romantic suspense, LGBTQ+ romance, romantic comedy, and regency romance.

If you are not sure which subgenre your story is or how to write a book in a specific subgenre, read books in that subgenre. The best way to learn more about how to write romance books is to read romance books.

When you decide your romance sungenre, it’s time to choose the tropes of your romance story. A trope is a plot device that is used to create stories familiar to readers. Combine 2-3 main tropes in fresh ways to create an engaging story with compelling characters.

 Some of the most popular tropes for romance stories are:

• sports romance
• workplace romance
•  billionaires
• enemies to lovers
• friends to lovers
•  marriage of convenience
• pretend relationship/marriage
• forced proximity
• second chance romance
• fated mates
• shapeshifter romance
• grumpy vs sunshine
• forbidden romance
• love triangle
• small town romance

Now, it’s time to decide the theme of your story. The theme is the message of your story. It is the lesson that the main character(s) learns at the end of the story that changes their perspective about themselves or the world around them. The theme must be universal, so that people regardless of age, gender, location and culture can relate to it. 

​The main theme of romance stories is “love conquers all”, where the main characters must overcome their internal flaws and external obstacles to be happily together by the end of the story. 

​What does “love conquer” in your story? Romance stories usually have specific themes related to the specific flaw the main character needs to overcome and learn by the end of the story. For example, does the main character need to forgive themselves for a traumatic past event, trust that others won’t betray them or fight against an injustice? The possibilities are endless, and it’s up to you to decide the specific theme of your story.

Step 2: Main character(s) and create character profiles
How many main characters does your story have? How many pov characters does your story have? The pov characters in romance stories are usually one or both of the main characters (love interests) of the story. Make sure to decide your main characters and pov characters before starting to write your story.

Once you decide on your main characters, write down some important information about your characters.  Create character profiles and include all the necessary information about all the characters of the story.

Include your characters’ 3 most important elements:

• goal, motivation and flaw. The main character(s) needs to have an important and tangible goal that they want to achieve by the end of the story. Think about why this goal is important for them, what will happen if they don’t achieve their goal(motivation) and what are the internal flaws and external obstacles that prevent them from achieving their goal.

In your character profiles, you can also include their:

• name and age
• occupation
• nationality
• location
• personality
• physical appearance
• important past events
• relationship with other characters

 Character profiles are a great way to help you write consistent, meaningful and fleshed-out characters. If you want to learn more about them, read why authors need character profiles.  

Step 3: Story structure and chapter outlines
Once you find who your main characters are, create a separate document and start brainstorming the structure of your romance story.

I highly recommend using Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes while you are outlining your romance story.  Romancing the Beat is a popular story-structure guide that shows writers how to structure their romance story in 15 beats using the three-act structure.

If you want to learn more about how to outline your romance story using Romancing the Beat, read the blog article on how to write a romance novel using the three-act structure.

After you write down the story structure of your story, you can further outline your story by creating chapter outlines. Your chapter outlines can be as short or long as you want. For example, your chapter outlines can include only the main events of each chapter in bullet points, or each chapter can include long paragraphs with detailed descriptions and story events. Do what is more comfortable and helpful to you.

Step 4: Setting and main locations
Decide on the general setting of your story and write as many details as possible. Does your story take place in a big city, a small town or another planet? Is it a real or a fictional place? The choice of your setting depends on the subgenre of your story. 

After you decide the general setting of your story, you also need to decide specific locations. For example, some story events may happen in the main characters’ houses and their workplaces, or in cafes, restaurants and shops, depending on what kind of romance story you are writing. Make sure to note down any important elements of your setting and locations so that you can consistently describe them throughout your story.

Step 5:  Start writing
Once you have decided your genre and tropes, main characters, story structure and setting of your writing project, it’s time to start writing your story. 

Find the best time of day for you to sit down and write your story. Note down on a calendar your work hours, obligations and appointments and look at the available time you have left each day. Note the available time in your calendar as your writing time.  

Try to write for at least 1 hour a day, but don’t discourage yourself if unexpected obligations keep you away from your allotted writing time. 

You can also create a timeline by writing down all the writing, editing and publishing tasks of your writing project and estimating how much time each task will take.

​Schedule monthly and weekly tasks and regularly check your writing progress to stay on track. If you want to learn more information, read how to create a consistent writing routine and finish writing your story. 

Conclusion
Finishing writing and publishing a book can take months or even years. Don’t discourage yourself and don’t give up. Writing is a skill that takes practice and time to improve. Experiment and find your writing style. Be flexible and build habits that work for you. Write every day. Keep the momentum going and make your writing goals come true! Happy writing!

​Conclusion
Why authors need character profiles
How to write a romance novel using the 3-act structure
How to create a consistent writing routine
Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes

Trope is a plot, character or theme that is often used in (romance) stories. Romance readers often look at the cover, title and blurb of a romance book to see which tropes the story includes.

Tropes come with specific expectations about how the story progresses. They provide familiarity, satisfaction and anticipation about how a specific plot or character unfolds in new and exciting ways to create a compelling story.

Some of the most popular tropes that readers love to read are the:
Billionaire trope
Enemies to lovers
Friends to lovers
Reformed playboy
Fake relationship/ marriage
Second chance romance
Sports romance
Workplace romance

Billionaire trope
In the billionaire trope, one of the main characters is rich and the other one comes from a more modest background.

This trope includes a confident and powerful main character who can still show their valuable side to their loved ones and it shows how love can bridge the gap between the differences of the main characters.

This trope can be combined with other romance tropes such as enemies to lovers, fake relationship, forced proximity, marriage of convenience, workplace romance or reformed playboy. 

Enemies to lovers
The enemies-to-lovers trope is one of the most popular romance tropes. Authors who want to write a successful enemies-to-lovers story need to establish which character hates who and the reason. Do both main characters hate each other or one hates the other and why? 

As the characters spend more time together, they overcome their differences and misunderstandings about each other, they become friends and ultimately fall in love. 

Friends to lovers  
Friends to lovers is one of the most beloved romance tropes and explores how two friends develop romantic feelings for each other.

The friends-to-lovers trope can be found in YA stories where the main characters are childhood friends, neighbors (or both) and they start developing feelings for each other in their teenage years. The main characters try to manage their romantic feelings while dealing with issues of identity, family, society, school, and friendship.

This trope can also be found in stories with adult characters in their twenties or thirties. In one of my favorite romance stories, the main character realises that he is in love with his best friend when he sees her trying wedding dresses for her marriage with someone else.

​Reformed playboy
The reformed playboy consists of one of the most commonly used tropes in romance stories. The bad boy can be a high school or college student with a troubled past, a bossy CEO or a mafia lord.

The bad boy may seem mean, bossy or rude on the exterior but he hides a polite personality and a huge heart. His backstory, internal struggles and external conflict play a crucial role for the readers to understand why he behaves in such a way.

There are different levels of “bad” boys depending on the genre you are writing: YA romance (light), romantic comedy (funny) and dark romance (sexy).

Fake relationship/ marriage
The main characters make a beneficial agreement to pretend to be in a relationship or a marriage to get the family inheritance, boost their career or make their ex jealous.

Both main characters have their own reasons for entering this agreement and they often make rules or sign an official contractual agreement that is valid for a specific period of time.

The main characters are forced to spend a great deal of time together to successfully convince everyone around them that they are a real couple. 

​The fake relationship/ marriage trope emphasises the variety and evolution of the main characters’ feelings: jealousy, doubt, intimacy and true love.

Second chance romance
The second-chance romance describes the story between two characters who broke up and meet again after quite some time. The main characters might have been separated by external circumstances or misunderstandings and now they are given the opportunity to heal their wounds.

The second-chance trope explores themes of separation, reconciliation, forgiveness, redemption and emotional growth. It depicts how the main characters can successfully overcome the obstacles that previously separated them and have their happily ever after through the power of love.

Sports romance
The sports romance trope is one of the most popular tropes of romance stories. One of the characters is a famous athlete or a former athlete. The other main character can also be an athlete, a sports journalist or working for the same team. Sports romance stories show how the publicity, the intense training, and the demanding schedule can affect the athlete’s dating life. 

This trope can be combined with other romance tropes such as enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, fake relationship, forced proximity or reformed playboy.

Workplace romance
The workplace trope is one of the most beloved romance tropes. The main characters can be a boss and an employee, coworkers or professional rivals. The main characters can work together towards a common goal or they can sabotage each other for their own personal benefit.

The main characters are forced to spend a lot of time together because of their job. As they work together, they get to know each other true selves and they eventually fall in love. Their relationship can be public or secret if there is a work policy that forbids dating at work.

Conclusion
While tropes are not genres themselves, tropes can be found in multiple romance genres such as contemporary romance, YA romance, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, romantasy or historical romance.

​Romance readers love reading romance stories with specific tropes because of the familiarity and the satisfaction they provide. Authors should successfully combine different tropes in new and refreshing ways to create compelling characters and interesting plots.

​Further reading
8 romance genres authors can explore this year
How to write the genre and the main characters of a romance novel
How to write a romance novel using the three-act structure

What are your favourite romance tropes that you enjoy reading the most? Comment below!
Share the blog article on your favourite social media!

The romance genre is the most popular book category. All romance stories have 2 things in common:
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1) The romance between the main characters comprises the central focus of the story. Romance stories narrate the emotional journey between these two people and how they overcome external obstacles and internal doubts to be together at the end of the story. 

2) A happily ever after. All romance stories need to have an emotionally satisfying and rewarding happy ending (or happy for now.) If the romance story doesn’t have a happy ending, then it is not a romance story.

The romance genre is a very broad fiction category and can be divided into many subgenres. This blog article explains 8 romance subgenres that authors can explore this year.



The blog article explains the following romance subgenres:
Contemporary romance
YA romance
Romantic suspense
Paranormal romance
Fantasy romance
Romantasy
Historical romance
Science fiction romance
Conclusion
Further reading

Contemporary romance
Contemporary romance is the largest subgenre of the romance genre and involves stories set from the 1950s to the present.

Contemporary romance stories usually include a diverse cast of relatable characters with different beliefs and backgrounds. The characters come from small towns or big cities with different cultures and traditions.

Contemporary romance stories deal with current social and cultural issues such as career goals, family conflicts and friendships.

Readers are specifically drawn to this genre because they read about characters from different places that overcome the issues that keep them back from finding love and they  emotionally grow and change throughout the story and have their own happily ever after!  

YA romance
Young adult romance shows the lives of young people, usually teenagers from 13 to 18 years old.

Young adult novels usually include diverse characters that face the external obstacles and the emotional conflicts of growing up while also being romantically attracted to someone (maybe for the first time).

Young adult novels deal with themes of identity, adventure, emotional exploration, school, family, friendship and technology.

Romantic suspense
Romantic suspense is a subgenre of romance genre that blends romance, action, thriller, mystery and suspense elements.

The two main characters are tasked to solve a crime or uncover a deadly secret together. Usually, in romantic suspense stories, one of the main characters needs to protect the other from some kind of danger. While the main characters are working together to eliminate the threat, they come closer to each other emotionally and they fall in love.

Romantic suspense stories have a diverse cast of characters and include themes of murder, kidnapping, drugs, and abuse.

Paranormal romance
Paranormal romance is a subgenre of romance genre that contains otherworldly characters such as vampires, wolves, witches, demons, angels, zombies, dragons, ghosts or humans with psychic abilities.

Paranormal romance stories include themes of science fiction, fantasy or time travel and blend elements of suspense, mystery and horror. 

Paranormal romance stories require extensive worldbuilding since they can take place on other magical or technological planets.

Fantasy romance
Fantasy romance stories focus on political, social and romantic relationships and the fantasy aspect of the story takes the central stage rather than the romance.

The main plot of fantasy romance stories includes battles, quests, political relations, mystery, or magic, while romance plays a secondary role.

Fantasy romance stories include a diverse cast of characters such as witches, kings, princes, dragons, elves, fairies and other fantasy races that live alongside humans.

Fantasy romance stories require extensive worldbuilding since they can take place in the past or an alternative version of our world.

Romantasy
Romatasy is another popular subgenre of the romance genre. Romantasy is a combination of the words “romance” and “fantasy” and it blends elements from these two genres.

The difference between the fantasy romance and romantasy subgenres is that in romantasy the romance between the main characters takes center stage of the story and the fantasy elements (setting, creatures) exist to serve and elevate the romance story.

Romantasy stories include fantasy races and require rich worldbuilding.

Historical romance
Historical romance stories are set before the 1950s. Historical romance stories highlight the cultural and social issues of the era in which the story takes place.

The author needs to research the time and the place their romance story takes place to give their story realistic settings and in-depth characters faithful to the particular era of the story. Historical romance readers usually have deep knowledge of history and they will notice egregious mistakes.

Science fiction romance
Science fiction romance combines elements from the science fiction and the romance genre. 

Science fiction romance stories include elements of adventure, suspense, mystery, fantasy, horror, and a variety of romance tropes blended in.

They feature a diverse set of characters such as humans, aliens, and robots and can take place on other planets, in dystopian/utopian societies or in parallel or futuristic worlds.

Conclusion
The romance genre is the most popular genre of fiction. Readers look forward to reading romance stories that feature captivating characters and can transport them to other places and times.

Romance readers embark on an emotional journey to discover how the main characters overcome the obstacles that keep them from finding love and how they grow and change throughout the story and have their happily ever after. 

What is your favourite romance genre to read and write? Comment below!
Don’t forget to share the blog article on social media!

Further reading
What is developmental editing vs other kinds of editing
How to write the genre and main characters of a romance novel
How to write a romance novel using the 3-act structure
How to create a consistent writing routine
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You want to write a romance story. You might already have an idea, a character description or a plot point in your mind. Before you start writing the first chapter of your story, you need to brainstorm and decide on some of the most important elements of your story: genre and main character(s).

​In this blog article, you will learn how to brainstorm and decide your story’s genre (and tropes) and the 3 most important elements of your main character(s).
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This blog article includes:
Definition of genre 
Questions to ask yourself about genre
Definition of tropes
Main characters 
Conclusion

Definition of genre
Genre is the category that your story belongs to and it defines the tone, content, length and conventions of your story. One of the most popular genres is romance. All you need to remember about romance is that the romantic relationship between the main characters should be the centrer of the story and that romance stories have a happy ending. If your story, doesn’t have a happy ending, then it is not a romance.

Romance is a very broad category and can be divided into many genres. Some of the most popular genres are contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, romantic suspense and YA (Young Adult) romance.

Contemporary romance is set from the 1950s to the present.

Historical romance stories are set before the 1950s and highlight the issues of the culture and society of the story’s historical period. 

Paranormal romance contains supernatural elements such as vampires, wolves, witches, dragons etc.

Romantic suspense contains thriller, mystery and suspense elements.

YA (Young Adult) romance focuses on teenage characters and it can be combined with any of the genres mentioned above.

Questions to ask yourself about genre
The first thing you have to decide about your story is the genre. It is important to remember that you don’t have to choose only one genre, but rather that you can combine elements from different genres to create your story.

 Ask yourself and write down the answers to the following questions:

•  Is my story set to the modern world or in a historical period?
• Does my story include supernatural or paranormal elements?
• Does my story include thriller, suspense or crime elements?
• Are the main characters of my story teenagers or adults?
• Does my story include elements from different genres?
• Is the development of the romantic relationship at the center of the story?
• Does my story have a happy ending? 

​Definition of tropes
Trope is a plot device that is used to create stories familiar to readers but authors should be able to combine familiar tropes in unexpected and fresh ways to keep the story interesting to the readers.

 Some of the most popular tropes for romance stories are:

•  the marriage of convenience, 
• sports romance,
• best friend’s older brother,
•  billionaires, 
• boss and employee, 
• enemies to lovers, 
• friends to lovers,
•  coworkers, 
• pretend relationship/marriage, 
• forbidden love, 
• forced proximity, 
• secret or mistaken identity. 

This is by no means a completed list of tropes. I am sure you can think of many more tropes that you can include in your story. The list above is intended to make you start thinking about possible tropes that you can include in your story.

If you are not sure what tropes to include in your story:

• Think of the tropes of your 3 most favourite stories. 
• Observe how the authors use the tropes in these stories. 
• Note down your favourite tropes from these romance stories and any other tropes you want to include in your story.
• Write down how you will use these tropes in your own story. 
• Combine three or more tropes in unexpected and new ways to make the story more compelling to the readers.

Main characters
The most important element of your story is your main character (s). In a romance story, you will need two main characters that will be the love interests of the story. Remember that the development of their romantic relationship will be the central part of the story.

You can brainstorm and write down as much or as little information as you want about your main characters’ in their character profiles. You can include your main character’s physical appearance, personality, backstory, home and work life. 

If you want more information about what is a character profile and why you need one to write consistent and meaningful characters (+download a free character profile template), click here to read the article. 

The 3 most important elements of your story: the main character(s) goal, the main character’s flaw and the story’s theme.

1) Think about your character’s goal (and motivation).  Your character’s goal must be tangible, important for your character and big enough to sustain the whole story. The main character (s) should have a goal beyond the romantic relationship. For example, the main character (s) might want to get a job promotion that comes with a higher salary so that they can rent a bigger apartment. Think about what will happen if your character achieves their goal. Think about the consequences if your character fails their goal.

Keep in mind that the main characters (love interests) need to have equal and opposite goals to create the central conflict of the story and to prevent them from easily achieving their respective goals.

For example, two coworkers might be competing for the same job position that comes with a significant salary raise. One might want a higher salary to pay for their student loans and the other one to financially help a sick relative. Wanting the same job position creates the central conflict of the story. The two characters might even sabotage each other or they might be forced to work together until their boss decides who will eventually get the job. Things become more complicated when they realize they start having feelings for each other.

2) Think about your character’s flaw. 
A  flaw is a  misbelief that your character falsely believes about themselves or the world around them and prevents them from achieving their goal. Both of your main characters need to have their own internal and external flaw that takes over all aspects of their life (home, friends, work). The external flaw is the literal bad guys that prevent the main character from achieving their goal e.g family, friends, coworkers. The internal flaw is the internal beliefs and goals that the main characters need to fight.

3) Think about the story’s theme. 
​The theme is the message of your story. It is the lesson that the main character(s) learns at the end of the story that changes their perspective about themselves or the world around them. The theme must be universal, so that people regardless of age, gender, location and culture can relate to it. 

​The main theme of romance stories is “love conquers all” where the main characters must overcome many obstacles and complications to be happily together by the end of the story but your story can have a more specific theme as well.

​The “love conquers all” theme can be combined with other themes to show the internal obstacles and flaws the main characters need to overcome. For example, the main character (s) might need to forgive themselves for the death of a relative in a car accident that wasn’t their fault (but they feel guilty about it).

Conclusion
Brainstorming your story before you start writing down your first chapter is an important step of the writing process. Brainstorming your story can help you clarify the genre and tropes, strengthen the theme and create compelling and consistent characters. Take a notebook or open your writing software and write down as much information as you need about the genre and the main character(s) of your romance story. Happy writing!

Further reading
Learn why authors need character profiles to write consistent and compelling characters (+ free character profile template)
Learn how to outline your novel using the 3-act structure
​How to create a consistent writing routine