Romance Writing Tips

A Fine Romance
It’s stating the obvious, but romance is vital to any romantic fiction and needs to be central to your story. You can mix in other themes and genres, such as a mystery to solve or a pointed commentary on modern living, but it’s the passion between two (or more!) people which takes precedence. Don’t short-change your readers by starting out with what appears to be a romance, but ends as a political thriller.

Market Research
If you want to submit your stories to magazines, do your research. Read your target publications to see what kind of material they print, and contact the magazine itself to ask for their guidelines. You will undoubtedly get some rejections at first, but take note of any advice they provide in the rejection letter – if they’ve taken the time to give you a personal response, the chances are you’re on the right lines!

Spicing Things Up
Clichés are a fact of life, but try to avoid them at all costs. Play with the words to make them fresh and even a creaky line like, ‘He kissed her tenderly on the lips,’ can be spiced up with some imagination. Alternatively, make something unique about the setting or whatever happens next so that your work stands out. Be careful with comedy though – it needs to be carefully administered and a misplaced gag can ruin the romantic effect you’re trying to create.

Writing tips found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/getwriting/module26p.

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