Write a Romance Novel
Plan Ahead for Writing Success in Romance Fiction
Writing romance fiction can be a lucrative, satisfying career if you plan carefully, write quickly, and know how to market yourself.
Wanted: Imaginative and intelligent women and men dissatisfied with their current job, who want to make money from their own home in a satisfying career.
Anyone who saw that advertisement in the ‘Help Wanted’ column of their local paper would jump for the phone and try to get an interview, but in truth, it accurately describes what many romance authors felt before embarking on their career. What they found ultimately was that as difficult as it can be to gain a toehold in the publishing world, it’s infinitely worth it.
Romance authors:
- Work from home - or the park, or a café, or wherever they can use a laptop or pen and paper.
- Make their own hours – consistent output is important, but writing is something that can be fit in around an otherwise busy life.
- Report a high level of satisfaction with their chosen profession.
Not an Easy Road
But it’s not easy to gain success in any publishing field, and romance fiction is no different. You must see your goal as attainable, but not immediate. Though romances account for a large percentage of mass market novels on bookshelves today, most titles are from experienced multi-published authors capable of writing two or three books a year. A first time author is competing against these established authors.
Hobby or Career?
First, the aspiring author must ask themselves, is this a career path or a rewarding hobby? If it’s a hobby, it can be a fulfilling pastime, but if it’s going to be a career choice, writing must be handled in a business-like manner. A career author has to balance market popularity with creative writing. Though large payments are legendary in the field, most romance authors toil for much less. Making a living takes time and commitment.
Most vital, though, in considering writing romance novels as a career, is that the aspiring author doesn’t look down on romance fiction as formulaic, trite or ‘hack writing’, while keeping romance fiction traditions in mind. Being respectful of your audience, and mindful of their expectations is the only path to success in romance writing.
Make a Plan
So, how should the aspiring romance author start?
- Research: know your audience! Loving and understanding romance fiction will make your path easier.
- Genre: where do you belong in romance fiction… inspirational, suspense, historical, erotica?
- Plot: pay attention to TV, newspapers, magazines, real life gossip, and then write your thoughts down, consciously turning your mind to using those thoughts as starting points for plots.
- Characters: pay attention to people around you, even if you’re writing a historical. People are people, and readers appreciate detail in characterization.
Practice Makes Perfect
It’s very likely that your first novel won’t get published; in fact, it probably won’t even be ‘publishable’, meaning it won’t satisfy even the most rudimentary requirements for a publishable romance novel. Even so, it must be a learning experience.
When you’re done, ask these questions:
- What worked? Did you outline and find it helped?
- What didn’t work? Did you fail to outline the plot and end up wandering aimlessly? Or did you outline, only to find it stifled your creative flow?
- Did you enjoy the experience? Enjoying what you write is absolutely vital, the one inviolable rule.
Starting Over
Then begin writing again, a new novel, using what you have learned. Most romance authors have at least one unpublished manuscript tucked away somewhere, either on their hard drive or collecting dust in a closet. Don’t let your first failure discourage you. Writing romance fiction for a career is about producing clear, well-written, well-plotted novels in a consistent manner, and that takes practice. Every novel you write is a learning experience, so no writing is ‘a waste of time’.
And most importantly, enjoy what you write!
