Name:

Hometown: Hays, Kansas

Book Title: Battingham Castle

Genre: Romance/Mystery

Dorrance Publishing (DP): Describe your book in 10 words or less.

Susan Kosinski (SK): A young man becomes a man from lessons of life.

DP: What made you want to write your book?

SK: For many years I have had stories in my mind. One day I started writing and I couldn’t stop. My husband was amazed that I could spend every day writing almost continuously.

DP: How long did it take you to write your book?

SK: It took me two to three months to write this book.

DP: How do you choose the names of your characters?

SK: I would just think of names and hope I didn’t name someone who is an actual person.

DP: What do you do when you have writer’s block?   

SK: I have an extra addition to every book I write. I call it Characters of (name of book). There I write down all the characters in the book especially if I use the character just a few times so I can remember all the names. I also write what I want the book to have in it or where I want my book to go. I write any and all thoughts down so I can figure out what I want to say or what direction I want to go in. I must say even if I have a certain direction I think I want to go in, many times my characters get a mind of their own and go in a totally different direction than I thought I wanted to go.

DP: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

SK: I loved Troy always being told he was upsetting to women. I also loved his innocence and boyishness and then him becoming a real, gentle, and caring man.

DP: If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why:

a. One character from your book:

SK: I would like to be stuck on an island with the main character Lord Troy Bowling, Earl of Battingham because he is a caring person who has the desire to accomplish things in his life. I feel he would be someone who would want to help me find a way off the island.

b. One fictional character:

SK: Leroy Jethro Gibbs from NCIS. I always admired the character. He was all business but there was a hint of humor to his ways. He was demanding of his underlings only because he knew they could do the work and he wouldn’t let them slack in their duties to solve the crimes.

c. One famous person (living or dead):

SK: I would like to be stuck on an island with JF Kennedy. I was in high school when he was President. I thought he was not only good looking but he seemed brilliant to my young mind. It was truly my first encounter with politics and I admired him because of his stamina and policies. I would have liked to learn more about his ways of how he saw the US and the world.

DP: Besides writing, what are your other interests?

SK: I like to crochet and read lots of books (almost one a day). I like to volunteer and I also teach third grade Sunday School.

DP: Do you keep a journal?

SK: Not really. I have looked up other authors and one, Jeff Goins, made a comment that stuck with me. He said, “Write something every day,” and I try to but sometimes don’t get the chance.

DP: How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

SK: I was very happy to see it in print. However, it was overshadowed by my daughter being very ill from cancer. She just recently passed away.

DP: If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters?

SK: I’m not into actors and actresses of today. I am very disappointed in the Hollywood of today who are so political.

However, I do like Cameron Mathison from the Hallmark Channels. I think he would make a wonderful Lord Troy Bowling. Cameron never gets any older, he has stayed young forever. Sally Fields would make a pretty good Aspen. Betty White would make a good Lady Matilda Bowling. All three of the first ones named keep their young looks. Last but not least, Jennifer Aniston would make a nice Penny.

DP: What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing?

SK: I liked working with Dorrance because they seemed attuned to my desires. They let me be involved in the process of publishing my book.

DP: Five favorite books of all time?

SK: Exodus by Leon Uris, Battle Cry by Leon Uris, The Angry Hills by Leon Uris, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.

DP: One sentence of advice for other writers:

SK: Let your book flow, go with it and let the characters take you wherever they want to go.

Are you ready to publish your book? Contact us today!

The post Author Spotlight: Susan Kosinski appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Setting a scene amidst the pouring rain can create an extra layer of drama. Your protagonist is cold and soaked and uncomfortable, but they’re still out there because what is happening in the scene is so important that they don’t care. Because of both this character motivation layer combined with an audience’s previous experience with these scenes, setting a scene in the rain can give it some extra drama combined with a truly stunning visual for your readers.

What would the protagonist of your novel be doing out in the rain? Did they undergo an insurmountable loss, run out into the rain, kneel down, and let out an earth-shattering scream? Did they get caught in the rain on their way home from a party, walking home in the darkened wet streets, the sound of rain pounding loud against their ears, and they have the eerie feeling that they’re being watched… being followed… are they?

A ‘getting caught in the rain’ scene can be molded to fit any genre and to match virtually any character or situation.

Writing Prompt: Either make up a new character or choose a character from your manuscript. Write a scene where the character gets caught in the rain. What important event happens to them while they’re caught in the rain? Make sure the event matches both the genre and character about whom you’re writing. Finally, how does the character change or grow based on what happens in this scene?

The post Writing Prompt: Caught in the Rain appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Name:

Hometown: Dexter, NY

Book Title: Written in the Stars

Genre: Fictional Romance

Dorrance Publishing (DP): Describe your book in 10 words or less.

Lorie O’Brien (LO): A story about love and loss.

DP: What made you want to write your book?

LO: I have always dreamed of being a writer. As I got older, I would come up with characters and ideas and write things in a journal. In September 2018, a dear friend of mine passed away unexpectedly at the age of 47. His passing made me realize how short life was and that I needed to make my dream come true.

DP: How long did it take you to write your book?

LO: It took about six months to write the book. If I had been able to write full-time I would’ve been able to finish it sooner.

DP: How do you choose the names of your characters?

LO: A few of the names of the characters in Written in the Stars are actually the names of several people I went to high school with.

DP: What do you do when you have writer’s block?

LO: I am an avid runner. I love it because it helps me to leave everything behind and clear my mind. It’s great for writer’s block. I’ve gotten some of my best ideas worked out while running.

DP: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

I think my favorite part was Part 2 with some of the twists that were thrown into the story. The ending was fun to write as well.

DP: If you were stuck on an island and had to have one person from each category with you, who would they be and why:

a. One character from your book:

LO: I would definitely pick Mac. Although he wasn’t one of the main characters from the book, to me he was the sweetest and most caring of them all.

b. One fictional character:

LO: Honestly, probably Marley from Marley and Me because I love dogs more than people!

c. One famous person (living or dead):

LO: I would probably want to spend my time on an island with Matthew McConaughey because I love the sound of his voice and his accent.

DP: Besides writing, what are your other interests?

LO: I’m an avid runner, and I just ran my first half marathon in September 2019.

DP: Do you keep a journal?

LO: Sometimes I do, but mostly I’m so busy on the road with my job that I just send myself voice emails throughout the day when I have things I need to remember.

DP: How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

LO: My husband and I went out to dinner with our two daughters.

DP: If your book was made into a movie, who would play the main characters?

Mac… Adam Gregory
Lindsey… Analeigh Tipton
Dylan… Luke Benward
Michael… James Maslow
Melissa… Eleanor Tomlinson

DP: What did you enjoy most about working with Dorrance Publishing?

LO: Dorrance gave me the freedom to pretty much make the book what I wanted it to be without much tweaking on their end.

DP: Five favorite books of all time?

1. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccoult
2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
4. Every Fifteen Minutes by Lisa Scottoline
5. The Pact by Jodi Piccoult

DP: One sentence of advice for other writers:

The best advice I could give is to be patient and let the story come at its own pace, don’t force it.

Are you ready to publish your book? Contact us today!

The post Author Spotlight: Lorie O’Brien appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Meet Cute

Every romance needs a good old fashioned ‘meet-cute’, right? For those unfamiliar with the term, this refers to the way in which people who are destined to be romantic interests meet one another. It also happens to be one way to show or indicate to your readers that a romance is about to blossom. Because we’ve seen so many of these over the course of our book and movie consumption, even if we didn’t know the terminology, we’re already primed to notice one when it happens and to know immediately that the two characters participating in the meet-cute will find love.

Writers who struggle with showing rather than telling will make the mistake of making the meet-cute too big, cliche, and cheesy. These are the writers that have the characters lock eyes from across the room and tell us that ‘the planet shifted on its axis and they could see the entire universe in their eyes.’ Not only is this super cheesy eye-roll-worthy writing, but that just isn’t what happens in real life. Even for people who claim to experience love at first sight, it really just means they were attracted to or drawn to that person at first sight in a way that they didn’t understand. Planets weren’t moving in the sky.

When you’re writing your meet-cute, try to make it both memorable and realistic. Maybe they’re going for the same book at the library or (if you’re going for the hate-to-love angle) maybe she buys the last donut right out from under him at his favorite donut shop. We shouldn’t be hearing about how your protagonist’s whole world has been altered by this interaction, but rather we should just witness a memorable interaction between these two characters- that’s more enough to go on.

Meaningful Interactions

Any great romance can’t be immediate, it needs to be built up. If you start off your characters already having all of these feelings for each other then it makes them both appear shallow and basic- their love needs to have substance if you want it to be something readers will root for. So, rather than directly telling your reader that your character is starting to feel a certain way, show us scenes between them playing out.

Perhaps, after their initial meet-cute, one character walks into their next class and recognizes the first from their initial interaction- realizing they go to school together. And, oh no, the only seat left is the one right next to them, whatever will your character do? Boom, you’ve created another setting for them to interact. And, of course, they get paired up for a group project and are forced to work with one another in closer proximity.

Once you’ve created a space for them to interact, you’ll need to create meaningful conversations between them. How do people get to know one another? Don’t jump straight to deep dark conversations, maybe start by having them talk about what’s going on in class, maybe they stumble upon a mutual interest they share. Instead of directly telling the reader ‘I feel this way about this character’, focus on how things that the love interest says makes your protagonist feel.

Physical Response

Going along with the previous step, instead of showing the protagonist’s feelings through telling you should be showing it through physical responses. Perhaps one thing he says makes her roll her eyes, or maybe another thing he says makes her smile or laugh- showing the beats of their conversation through body language and mannerisms works just as well as telling the reader how your character feels each step of the way.

Pursing lips, raising brows, widening eyes, scrunching brows, biting lip, crinkling nose, stretching, nail-biting, sitting upright, crossing legs, grunting, coughing to cover a laugh, cracking knuckles, tapping foot, scratching chin, smoothing hair- these are just a few mannerisms that can express various degrees of attraction, annoyance, confusion, or boredom. Brush up on your physical language, figure out what types of mannerisms fit each character in each state or mood they’d express, and then use these to show their feelings throughout their interactions.

Perceptions Changing

As your story progresses, there should be beats in your scenes where your characters’ perceptions of one another either change or grow. The learn unexpected things about one another, perhaps your biker cool-guy love interest secretly plays the piano or your lawyer workaholic woman has a rough family life. We should see certain moments where eyes widen or they get big smiles on their faces and one of them asks “What?” and the other says something along the lines of “Nothing, I just… wouldn’t have guessed…” while staring at them intently. These bigger moments, we know, are the moments where they’re slowly falling in love. But you don’t need to say this to us; if you focus on their mannerisms and the dialogue and substance behind these moments, your reader will fill in the blanks.

The Trigger & The Epiphany

All of these little interactions and moments that you create between your two love interests should culminate in a single moment- THE moment. That’s right, it’s the moment that your protagonist realizes they’re either in like or love with the love interest. We, of course, have known for quite some time, we’ve just been waiting for our protagonist to catch on. This moment could be big or heroic like the love interest comforting the protagonist after they opened up to them. Or it could be small and sweet like in the sitcom The Office when Pam says she knew she liked Jim when he told her that her yogurt was about to expire. Either way, the realization should come from a meaningful moment, not just from your protagonist sitting around ruminating.

The post Show Don’t Tell: Romance appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Intensity

If there’s anything all YA books have in common, it’s that the writing is intense. When you’re in the headspace of a teenager, your hormones and emotions are racing, and that adds an extra weight to the events of the story. Every moment feels like it has this endless sense of possibility where anything could happen. As a YA writer, it’s your job to capture those feelings and write about them in a genuine way.

Romance

Even in a non-romance book, YA readers want some element of romance to be present. If your YA book isn’t strictly in the romance genre, then this element will be in the background of the story as the plot and character development unfolds around it. But just because it’s happening in the background doesn’t mean you can get away with a generic or stereotypical romance. Even if this isn’t the reason readers are picking up your book, YA readers live for those ‘swoon-worthy’ moments where your character’s love interest brushes against her arm or touches her cheek. Make sure you’re creating two specific characters and giving them unique moments to fall in love.

Escapism

Since YA books have both a young adult and adult following, you have to write in a way that satisfies both age groups. And one thing that applies to both groups? They go to YA novels for an escape. Adult readers enjoy escaping into YA books because it’s such a vastly different, and arguably simpler, lifestyle than the one they currently lead. No bills or student loans or job applications; the largest problems in YA novels are emotion-based ones. And young adults themselves like to escape from their own lives and into the life of someone they can relate to and learn from. It’s like they’re going to a new school and reinventing themselves, if only for an hour a night.

Mature Characters

We can’t stress this enough: no one wants to read a book about a whiny teenage stereotype. Both the YA and adult audience of young adult books finds these characters annoying and offensive. Emotions should be heightened in YA books, but young adults themselves have mature feelings about real problems. Adult readers want to be able to empathize with the protagonist’s struggles, even though they may be more self-contained than their own. And teens want to read about a character they can relate to, empathize with, look up to, and learn from.

Diversity

Modern YA books are some of the most diverse reads, so make sure when you’re going into writing your YA books you include diverse characters. Even if your book isn’t about the issues or plights of diverse characters, make sure you’re still making a place for them in your book. Take the series To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before: the protagonist of the series is an Asian-American teen. The series has very little to do with being Asian American, it’s primarily about a teenage girl. Though it’s not about racism, it’s still such a positive source of diversity in YA books because it normalizes the teenage experience for Asian American girls.

Complex Themes

Again, since a wide range of ages reads YA books, you don’t want to dumb down your content or themes. YA readers want complex and relatable themes that they can learn from, regardless of their current age. They want to see themes like self-discovery, family conflict, coming of age, morality–themes that you’d often find in adult lit, just in a more self-contained environment with young adult triggers. So, for example, maybe your character comes home every day and has to overhear her parents fighting. This is the trigger that leads him/her to examine what they want in a relationship and what they think their parents are doing wrong it theirs.

The post Writing for Your Audience: Young Adult appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Magic

Fantasy readers want some element of magic to be present in their books. This could come in the form of witchcraft or sorcery, it could be similar to Game of Thrones where the main element of magic is otherworldly creatures like dragons, or it could be akin to V.E. Schwab’s Vicious series or X-Men with characters developing supernatural abilities. Regardless of what you choose, it’s important to establish how the magic in your world works as well as its limitations. Though you don’t need to explain in as great of detail as you would in a science fiction novel, fans of this genre crave intricate world-building and that involves thoroughly detailing the world’s magical system.

Maps

As stated previously, readers of this genre crave complex world-building and one of the best ways to show that off is through maps. Maps are present in some of the most renowned fantasy series of our time, including Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Six of Crows, etc. In fact, it’s getting increasingly more difficult to spot a modern fantasy book without this inclusion. Including a map a) shows the readers that you did your homework in terms of world-building and b) makes it easy for your reader to follow the course of your protagonist’s journey. It will also likely lend you a hand in the writing process and allow you to assure continuity throughout your story.

Romance

Though this most certainly shouldn’t be the central focus of a fantasy novel, most fantasy readers want at least one romantic element present in their books. Though fantasy and romance are very different, fantasy as a genre is rather romanticized. It’s all about magic being real, the world being bigger than we think, or us having more power than we realize. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that readers who crave these messages will similarly desire romance. But again, this shouldn’t be the forefront of the story. Depending on your own desires for the trajectory of your story, it could be a driving force behind your plot or as simply a background storyline as it was in the Harry Potter series.

History & Real-World Themes

We’ve talked previously of how important it is to construct a bible for your fantasy book, but this is because fans of this genre crave a rich history in their fantasy worlds. They want this world to feel as real as possible so that they can get lost within it for a while. Similarly to how our world has a long history that informs our choices and who we are in the present, so should your fantasy world. In addition, though readers of this genre definitely want an escape, they want to see small parts of our world reflected in your pages through specific themes and motifs. People are people, regardless of if they’re humans or elves, so your readers will want to see themes that show specific things (good and bad) that are relevant to our human nature.

Foreshadowing & Payoffs

Another major element to the fantasy that is actually similar to the mystery genre is they want to see seeds planted early on and harvested later with a huge payoff. For example, let’s take the Harry Potter series, which is famous in part for its continuity and payoffs (WARNING: SPOILER ALERT AHEAD). In book five, when Harry is hiding the Half-Blood Prince’s potions book, he notices the statue of a wizard with a tiara sitting on top. At the time, he thinks nothing of it so neither do we. It isn’t until a full book later that it’s revealed to us that this tiara was both Rowena Ravenclaw’s and also one of the final Horcruxes. This is exactly what fantasy readers crave: that ah-ha moment showing just how thoroughly an author planned out their series.

The post Writing For Your Audience: Fantasy appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

ThreeDimensional Female Characters

Given that (statistically) the vast majority of romance readers are women, they obviously want to be portrayed in a realistic and respectful manner. Whether you’re writing from a male or female protagonist, the last thing readers want to see is an annoying, whiny, one-dimensional female character. And the stereotypical ‘manic pixie dream girl’ protagonist isn’t going to cut it either. Female readers don’t want to see themselves portrayed as simply plot points furthering a man’s character development and story- they want to be shown as complex, interesting, relatable, strong characters in and of themselves. Whether a female lead is a protagonist, love interest, or close friend- readers want to be able to love and root for them.

Swoon-worthy love interests

Romance readers aren’t picking up your book to get an action hero style gray, dark, cynical character. They want someone who they can gush over, that they fall in love with and constantly grow to love more and more throughout the story. If you’re doing the hate to love trope like in Sally Thorn’s The Hating Game, you have to be careful. You’ll have to craft the love interest so that he doesn’t do anything absolutely cruel or unforgiving in the beginning stages; otherwise, the character will cause more controversy than swoons. And, if this is the trope you’re going with, your readers will crave that moment where (plot twist) you find out he/she was only mean because he/she was attracted to your protagonist and didn’t know what to do with their feelings. Make sure you give your readers that moment.

Real Conflict

Emphasis on real here, fellow writers. A common mistake among romance writers is spending so much time focusing on the love story that the conflict feels disingenuous. Your readers may enjoy the romance in this circumstance, but there needs to be something keeping your characters apart to build up the tension. And there’s nothing more annoying than reading a romance about two people who have no good reason to not be together. Don’t make the mistake of the conflict just being words taken the wrong way or misunderstood- this isn’t real conflict. Use something external- like the protagonist’s parents disapprove of the love interest or one of them is sick.

Tension/Build-up

Romance readers crave a buildup of tension. They don’t want your characters to be hooking up on page two of the book, they want a gradual build-up of the characters’ feelings toward one another. They want to see their relationship grow; they want the characters to have little adorable moments where their hands touch and they feel sparks. They want them to question their feelings for each other, experience confusion when they feel things they didn’t expect and maybe don’t want initially. Make sure you build up the romance for your readers with little moments throughout the story until the characters (finally) get together.

Relatable/Average Characters

Gone are the days where readers crave these characters with rich, lavish lifestyles. When it comes to contemporary romances, they want to see characters with student loans who get gum stuck on their shoes. That may sound very unromantic, but the closer the character feels to themselves and the more relatable he/she is, the more a reader can imagine themselves in the protagonist’s place.

Happy Endings

We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again- romance readers want happy endings. You can spend the entire book tormenting your readers with super sad and tragic scenarios, but they want to be happy when they finish the book. Yes, there are romance novels that have sad endings and sometimes they work, but it’s not what the readers are looking for when they pick up a book in this genre. They want to leave with warm and fuzzy feelings inside–but that doesn’t mean it has to be unrealistically happy. The love interests should end up together, but maybe a character didn’t get their dream job–that’s still OK. It may even feel more realistic and, as long as the characters have each other, the reader still gets their happily ever after.

The post Writing For Your Audience: Romance appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Imagine you’re walking around a bookstore looking for something new to read. Usually, you pick up a book when you’re intrigued by a cover that looks like it’s from a genre you’re interested in reading. As an author, that means if you choose a cover that differentiates from the genre of your book, the wrong readers will be picking up (most likely putting back down) your book.

So how do you know what kind of book cover would match your book? Obviously, you should do your own research by looking up other books in your genre and imagine similar covers for your book. But we’ve compiled some suggestions for you as well:

1) Contemporary

Typically, contemporary covers are rather simple. Many have little cartoonish illustrations of one or two of the characters or an object that’s significant or symbolic in the book. Others will have actual photographs, whether stock photo images or perhaps the author hires models to pose as their characters. Another common contemporary cover would be a photo of a landscape. Figure out what is most relevant to your content and highlight it keeping these ideas in mind.

2) Fantasy

This is a more imaginative genre and your cover should reflect that while still remaining relevant to the content of your book. A tell-tale indication that it’s a fantasy book is if the cover has one of the following: a crown, a sword, a helmet, a throne, or a dragon (Oh and don’t just stick with dragons–illustrations of animals like lions or phoenixes are also popular for fantasy books).  Another common choice is to have an artist hand-draw characters or a relevant scene from your book. This choice is very popular, especially for adult fantasy books…just make sure it relates to your content.

3) Science Fiction

The majority of science fiction works are dystopian and many have dark overtones. Typically, the covers reflect this. It’s also common for a science fiction book cover to depict some of the technology that a reader should expect to find within the book. Whether that’s a hand-drawn illustration of a spaceship, a space gun, a spacesuit, or even a circuit board. If your book takes place another planet, it’s common to depict that on the cover. You may even design the entire city landscape on the cover. Just remember that, while contemporary novels may be light and romantic, your city would need a darker overtone and the illustration would need to clearly show a technological difference between this city and one we’d be able to find in our world today. If none of this appeals to you, check out some old science fiction covers like Dune or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and create a cover with a similar vintage feel. This is an especially good design route to take if you think your book would appeal to similar readers.

4) Romance

Obviously, these covers vary, but if you want readers to know right away that they’re picking up a romance novel, the easy solution is having a couple on the cover. There are various ways you can do this, whether it’s with an illustration or a photograph, so do your research and figure out what works best for your book. Another common choice is a girl in a beautiful, flowing dress (often running). Finally, a third good indicator of a romance novel is to have something either stereotypically romantic or relevant to the couple within your book. This could mean a picture of flowers, a butterfly, or (if your book involves letters) perhaps a set of letters. Think about what items are important to the couple in your story to help you draw some inspiration.

5) Nonfiction

When it comes to nonfiction book covers, less is more. A lot of covers depict simply the title and author in a nice font. They may play around with the actual color of the cover and font, but they will often not include an image or, if they do, it is very small. Any image or photograph that you include in the cover should be directly and clearly significant to the content. Whereas with fiction books these items can be elusive, with nonfiction they need to very clearly deal with the content. So, if the book is about the history of a city, having a photograph of the city as the cover would work. Or, if the book is about how to play the guitar, include a small photo or illustration of a guitar. You can play around with how modern or vintage it looks, but make sure the images are relevant. This isn’t the time to be imaginative. Just be simple, clear, and concise. Otherwise, you’ll have fiction readers picking up your book instead.

6) Suspense/Mystery

This genre’s cover is relatively easy. All you need is a bold font choice that takes up almost the entire cover and perhaps a backdrop of an item or place that relates in some way to the plot or title of the book. If your book involves someone drowning in a lake, throw in a photo or drawing of an eerie lake. Or, if your book involves a pocket watch, include one in the center between the title and author name. Keep in mind, though, not to accidentally give away a clue through the item you choose. For example, if the pocket watch is going to end up being the key to the mystery, choose a different item. Whatever is on the cover, astute readers will be on the lookout for it. Make sure you choose an item or location that’s relevant without being the key to solving your mystery.

The post Choosing the Right Book Cover appeared first on Dorrance Publishing Company.

Make your story different

This is a good rule of thumb for any novel, but especially with the romance genre. There are a lot of stereotypical tropes embedded in this genre. There’s the ‘bad boy’ who is broody and snarky, but really has a heart of gold. There’s the ‘unique’ or ‘quirky’ protagonist, where a novel constantly reiterates how special she/he is. There’s the plain girl who transforms into a beauty, suddenly gaining the attention of suitors. When you’re writing a romance novel, do your research and figure out what overused devices there are in the genre. Otherwise, you risk repeating what hundreds of authors have already done before you. Don’t get us wrong, avid romance readers won’t necessarily hate this. But, if you’re not (at the very least) taking a new spin on an old trope, your book won’t necessarily be cemented into the genre or gain very much attention.

So, if you’re writing a book with a love triangle between the broody bad boy and the sweet dorky guy- make sure to try to take a different spin on it in some way or another. Maybe the broody boy is just shy (like a Mr. Darcy type)? Or maybe the sweet dorky boy turns out to be a master manipulator?

Avoid Insta-Love

This is one of the most common tropes of romance novels. Insta-love is exactly what it sounds like- love at first sight. We’re not saying your character can’t immediately experience butterflies or have his or her attention drawn to their eventual partner. You can have infatuation at first sight, just not love. The sensation of falling in love in a fiction novel should feel as real as possible. Therefore, it should parallel the sensation of falling in real love as much as possible. And in real love, there is build up- different things your person says or the way they treat others or the way they make you laugh causes feelings to grow over time. If you start a relationship at the pinnacle of passion, then there’s nowhere to go but down. Readers want to feel the build-up and the pay-off of a love story and they won’t be able to if every moment is written with an equal amount of strength and feeling. Start in a reasonable place, where the characters are merely attracted to and flirtatious with one another, and then work your way toward love. It’s a big word and shouldn’t be taken lightly- even within the context of fiction.

Write imperfect characters

As previously stated, you want your story to feel as much like a real love story as possible. And guess what doesn’t exist in the real world? A perfect person. There’s nothing that will take your readers out of the story more than if your protagonist and his/her love interest are seemingly flawless.

There must be internal and external conflicts in every good story. It won’t be interesting for your reader if they’re just two perfect people that outside forces are trying to keep apart. They need to have their own issues and baggage because everyone does. Maybe they have a bad relationship with their parents, maybe they have had bad relationships in the past, maybe they were bullied and lack self-confidence. Either way, they need their own obstacles to overcome within the confines of the relationship. This leads to a better payoff when they, eventually, end up happy.

Follow the formula

The genre lends itself to creativity, but it also follows a very broad guideline that romance novel readers have come to expect. The key elements are a) A protagonist and romantic interest they’ll love and root for b) a believable conflict and c) a happily ever after. The first point is fairly self-explanatory, but a believable conflict is harder to understand. This is, essentially, a conflict that readers can sympathize with. It means that if you’re writing about your characters getting into a fight over a dumb misunderstanding that could be cleared up in five seconds if they just talk to each other…you’re doing it wrong.

In regards to your ending, romance readers tend to expect and want a happily ever after in some capacity. Tragic endings work best when the book is primarily another genre (like fantasy or sci-fi) with a romantic element on the side. Feel free to break their hearts if you want, but not every romance novel reader will be happy about it. And this doesn’t mean you need to have the stereotypical happy ending. Take The Notebook, for example. The ending is very bittersweet (spoilers). Noah and Ally end up together but, eventually, Ally gets Alzheimer’s and they pass away together in their sleep. So their end is fairly tragic, but they do get a long life together of love and happiness- which is their own unique version of a happily ever after.

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