How to Write a Romance Novel

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Do you have an idea for a romance story but don't know where to start? How To Write a Romance Novel will show you how to get ideas, shape them into a story that's unique and how to create memorable characters. It also covers two crucial aspects of the genre, emotion and sexual tension. Whether you want to write for Mills and Boon/Harlequin or pen more erotic stories like Fifty Shades of Grey, How to Write a Romance will get you started and help you get published.

Susan Palmquist was born in London, England but now resides in the US. She's been writing since the late 80s and is now a freelance writer, short story writer, blogger, and author. Her first romance novel, A Sterling Affair was published by The Wild Rose Press. Her work has also appeared in magazines and anthologies in both the US and UK. Under her pen name, she's bestselling author Vanessa Devereaux. As well as her writing career, she's also a tutor for Writers' News Home Study Courses, and frequently teaches workshops through various chapters of the Romance Writers of America.

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Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction (p. 1)
• Reasons to Write A Romance
• What You'll Find in this Book (p. 3)
• Chapter 1 What is a Romance Novel? (p. 5)
• Types of Romance Novels
• Places You Can Sell Romances
• Finding Ideas for Romance Stories (p. 6)
• The Story and Idea Book
• What Do you Want to write? (p. 7)
• Chapter 2 Characterization (p. 9)
• What Makes a Good Character?
• Secondary Characters (p. 16)
• Character Sketches (p. 18)
• Chapter 3 Dialogue (p. 21)
• What Dialogue Does For Your Story
• He Said, He Shouted, She Screamed (p. 28)
• Accents
• Chapter 4 Point of View (p. 30)
• What is POV?
• Why Is POV vital to a story
• Types of POV (p. 31)
• What POV to Use? (p. 32)
• When To Switch POV? (p. 34)
• The Dreaded Head Hopping Syndrome
• POV and Emotion (p. 35)
• POV and Plot
• Deep POV
• Chapter 5 Emotion (p. 39)
• Reason Romance Manuscripts Get Rejected
• Characterization (p. 40)
• Plot
• Chapter 6 Sexual Tension and Sexuality (p. 45)
• Sexuality Levels (p. 47)
• Writing With All the Senses (p. 48)
• Chapter 7 Plot, Narration, Internal Thoughts and Pacing, Setting and Time (p. 50)
• Pacing
• Where to Set Your Romance Story (p. 54)
• How to Choose the Setting
• Accuracy in Time and Setting (p. 55)
• Chapter Eight-Writing The Cover Letter and Synopsis (p. 56)
• The Cover Letter
• The Importance of a Synopsis (p. 57)
• Submitting to a Publisher or Agent (p. 61)
• Synopsis Template (p. 62)
• Formatting your Synopsis (p. 63)
• Chapter 9 Romance Sub Genres (p. 65)
• Category Romances
• Women's Fiction (p. 68)
• Chapter 10 Electronic Markets (p. 70)
• Writing e-books and its Advantages
• Why Work With an E Book Publisher
• Where to sell your work (p. 71)
• What to Expect from Working with an E-Publisher (p. 72)
• Chapter 11 Time to Submit Your Romance Story (p. 74)
• Places to Sell your Story
• Main Reasons for Rejection (p. 75)
• Critique Partners and Getting Feedback (p. 76)
• Chapter 12 Finding Time to Write and Dealing With Rejections (p. 79)
• Rejections...yes they can be good for you (p. 80)
• Resources (p. 82)
• About the Author (p. 85)