r/RomanceWriters

Hello Romance Writers,

I know we have every level of writer in this community! I am formally inviting you all to r/romancewritingprompts

The prompt categories are broken out into the following sub-genres (self-explanatory):

1. Dark
2. Contemporary
3. Fantasy
4. Historical
5. LGBTQ
6. Spicy
7. SCIFI
8. Sports
9. Horror
10. Paranormal
11. Image

I'd like to think it's the perfect place to practice your skills, get inspired, build community, get feed back, or just share your light bulb moments of: you know what would make an interesting romance book.

Currently, we are a 50 members, but not much participation. I can only think of so many story && I am deeply biased toward fantasy. So, I am running out of ideas, I need help!!

Let me know if you have any questions, thank you!

I wanted to start my story with the character moving to another place. In his small hometown, my character has problems with his mother, which caused him to develop traumas and psychological issues since childhood, about how arrogant and mean the people there are. He never had reliable friends and always suffered horrible comments about his sexuality; he feels lonely and tired. He intends to study in another city with the goal of overcoming his pain and having a new life, becoming a new person. My difficulty is the first chapter. I wanted to introduce the character's life in his hometown, his desire to leave, and his moving plans. I wanted to show him leaving in the first chapter, packing his bags, saying goodbye to the city. My fear is that it will be tiresome for the readers, that it won't spark curiosity, and that it will be too cliché, but I also think it's necessary to introduce the moving process so the reader understands the character and how he lived in that city before moving, at least to give a little of the character's story. The rest will unfold in small flashes in the following chapters. Should I start this way?

I’m a native Spanish speaker and fluent in the language. All of the main characters are fluent as well and I would like to incorporate important portions of dialogue in Spanish, but the book is primarily in English. So how do I incorporate Spanish words into the dialogue? do I provide the dialogue in Spanish and immediately provide the English equivalent? Such as,

Last night over coffee, he reluctantly confessed, “Valentina, necesito desahogarme, he estado un poco, no sé, inquieto.” Valentina I need to vent/unburden myself, I have been a bit, I don’t know, restless.

the MC is speaking to his mentor, Valentina, who is a much older woman.

thoughts?

Like if the first book is where the MC's meet and fall in love, then the next books follow them as they travel together (while building their relationship)?

Hey! I’m past my need beta readers but not ready for ARC readers, so what I’m looking for is a secret third option where all I really want is a handful of good testimonials I can post on my website and social media.

If you’re interested in giving my manuscript a read and providing a 1-2 sentence reaction, lmk in the comments!

Word Count: 110k

Sub Genre: Rock Star

**Blurb **
Shelly Kowalski is a childfree, freelance graphic designer of a certain age, with a flexible schedule and just enough fun money to live her best life rocking out at concerts and collecting stamps in her passport.

One fateful night, she meets a member of her favorite band, and electricity sparks, but the moment passes when reality cuts short Cupid’s arrow. A reattempt at romantic overtures becomes out of the question when they run afoul of social media, so they resolve to keep their attentions platonic. However, you can’t stop the music, and once their long-distance friendship threatens to develop into something more, they must overcome public perception and their own baggage.

With so much going against them, Shelly and her wary musician must decide if what they feel is worth the scrutiny they’ll fall under and the self-reflection they must undergo.

Book 1 of the Basslines of the Heart trilogy.

I’m currently writing a fantasy romance slow burn. I picked up writing as a hobby while being stuck in the house post partum but I’m really into now.

The problem that I’m having that I’ve been writing in 3rd person limited to the FMC. But my reading buddies say that first person POV and Dual POV are all the rage right now. I like how the story sounds so far but there isn’t any intimate scenes yet. Reedsy suggested that if I’m going to do intimate scenes then they might seem better from first person. My question is, has anyone written third person intimate scenes before? I’m not sure how to even start.

Also I know Dual POV are in right now. I actually can’t stand the Dual POV it like destroys the mood setting for me but is that something I should be considering for a romantasy?

TIA

Heya! Im a writer like most everyone else here and im hoping to make some friends so we can talk about our characters, worlds and plots aswell as maybe share some recs!

To preface this, i am autistic. Im very picky about what i read and write. I like few things and like them ALOT. like alot alot. Like talking for hours about it nonstop alot. I would love it if somone could match my energy on that, like my friend and co-author who i write with :)

Im into contemporary romance, dark and gritty settings, fleshed out world building aswell as slow burn character focused/driven stories with an emphasis on psychology and trauma. I have a weakness for a splash of action, like for example if maybe one of the characters were a hitman, in the military or maybe just a rough-around-the-edges scary individual with a nack for fighting. I love me some hurt/comfort, angst/fluff, tragic backstory/found family as well as other fun contrasting tropes!

Avid defender of smut in all of its forms, especially when its plot relevant and pushes character arcs forward.

Id say im into most things omegaverse as long as its treated earnestly and well written. I care when you care about your story. When you adore your characters and all their intentional flaws. When you write pages of lore that will never make it into the actual book itself but you do it anyway because dammit you just cannot stop thinking about new concepts and ideas that simply must be part of your world.

Please reach out if any of that sounds like you might be interested, dm me, comment, follow me home and hide in my walls, anything is fine by me, just please someone talk to me about writing or i will implode.

Thanks!

P.s. one of my characters was heavily inspired by Simon Ghost Riley from cod aswell as John Price, so if you know either of those two and like em, you'll probably love the tragic little walking worm-can that is my oc Thane!

So im working on writing an alien romance series where its a like tribe of alien woman and a transport or human who crash land on their planet and im wondering if there is a genuine market for this? like a romance series where basically the woman are like the hunters and gathers and the dote on a take care of the men think they are precious and the men like stay home and do the house stuff like its a care based matriarchal society. Like this isn't some reverse gender role thing like they have their own society that's entirely like care based the bigger and stronger and tougher you are, the more ability and responsibility you have to care

im just wondering if people might actually be interested in it and drawn to it though

What are your thoughts on the protagonist getting pregnant unexpectedly near the end of the novel? Is it bad? Is it the thing that kills your entire book? And is it cliche?

Basically, the title. Which one would be more compelling?

So I’m writing a really emotional rollercoaster of a story - kinda right person wrong time. I really tried to make it happy ending but to make it happen I would need to write another 400 pages (I’m a big details, needs to realistically lead towards next taken steps to work. My story will be length enough without the extra 400 probably pages or at least 200 🙈

My story will be heavy with angst and personal development journey for both mmc and fmc bc I love complex, flawed characters that grow with time. I noticed that some more “I prefer fantasy over reality” readers may dislike some of moments in their relationship as it wasn’t the healthiest as the beginning and prefer not to have them together.

I was thinking of working a sequel for those who want them together when I’m done with the main story. I’m just torn bc I see many saying romance need to have happy ending, but I can’t force the story when my characters at the end of long journey in the book aren’t there yet.

(I’m sorry to talking so around but the “bittersweet” ending is a actually a spoiler as I wanna show all sides of love, and prefer for readers to not know, but at the same time I’m scared it will get heavily criticized and downvoted for not begin “happy ever after”).

Update: Thank you everyone for your feedback and honest opinions.

So I do have idea for sequel or part 2 of the story with mmc trying to make the things right after his unintentional (as they both are experiencing love for the first time) fuck up which lead to traumatic experiences. It probably will be shorter than book 1 (tho I can’t say for sure as I’m known for long stories).

After reading your opinions and one of my cousins who who knows the story personally, I came to conclusion to write duology by keeping book 1 as it is (it ends with epilogue of promise they may or may not start over which leaves open door for sequel aka part 2 which I kinda have idea how it could go).

Thank you for your honesty, I appreciate it with all my heart. I didn’t wanna fool or push my book to best place to “gash grab” I just am big romance fan myself but read many other genres and have no problem with different ending even within romance genre.

I personally don’t see reason why stories should be labeled as one and need to fit strict rules, can’t be flexible, but I respect that it’s the way how it is, and I will obey the rules 🫡 I never wanted to disrespect romance readers, that’s why I asked here to learn 🫶🏻

Hello all!

I've written a novel that is currently in beta reads, with agent queries starting around the end of the summer, and the latter brings up a crucial question: genre classification. I originally conceived of it as a contemporary romance, but there are certain elements that are now part of the story that complicate this question, and my partner and I have been having animated (but friendly) discussions over whether it is still a romance, or if it has crossed into the realm of "literary/upmarket fiction."

Here are the main points of debate:

1. FMC morally grey moments: grew up in evangelical "purity culture," as well as hyper-vigilant moral policing by church, parents, extended family. When she is asked to housesit for a new friend in act 1 (who becomes love interest in act 2), she walks into his bedroom, fantasizes about him for a moment before leaving, feels regretful. Later, acting compulsively out of her fear of losing the freedom she has found alone in his house, she undresses in his room, again feels regret. She discovers how she has been manipulated by "purity culture" after these episodes (near the end of act 1), though she delays telling him about her violations of his space until midway through act 3 (they are romantically together at this point), after crossing a significant threshold of self-actualization.
2. Is the romance itself is the center of the story, or her "coming-of-age/self"?: he is introduced at the beginning of the story, she is interested in him from the beginning (though she denies it throughout act 1, thinking he is just tied up in her fantasy of freedom), they get together halfway through the book, and the rest of the novel focuses primarily on them trying to get their families to accept them. But significant focus (i.e., whole chapters) is given to her building a life for herself, including escaping the moral repression of her old world, getting past the "temp job phase of life" (not to a "dream job," just something solid), establishing a real, non-romantic friendship with a co-worker at her new job, and negotiating a more functional relationship with her parents. Also, during the Act 1 "self-liberation" sequence, he moves mostly "offstage" for about 6-7 chapters while he is at a work conference (for which which she is housesitting), except for a handful of text exchanges; this is done so that the initiation of her self-liberation arc is unmistakably hers, and in no way interpretable as "inspired by" or "thanks to" him. And to answer the most important question, it does have a HEFN ending, with their front-porch wedding with their new "found community" as the setting of the final two chapters, though their hope of reconciliation with family is partial, with his father rejecting them outright, one of her grandmothers "blessing" the wedding but refusing to attend, the other grandmother rejecting them, but not stopping the main character's favorite cousin (her grandson) from attending.
3. Romance tropes, repurposed: this one concerns me the least, since romance authors do it regularly, but still... Examples include her seeing his "warm eyes" when they first meet, which she finds more disconcerting than enticing, because she feels like she cannot "read" them/him; a "secret underwear" scene that is about her desire to feel good about something she knows no one else will ever see, rather than feeling ready to entice her romantic interest; and more generally, her use of classic romance tropes as part of her dissociative tendencies to escape into fantasy to escape reality, especially by continually reminding herself that she is "no one's main character" (i.e., not the love interest in her own story, because she feels unworthy of that kind of love).

Any thoughts you would like to share will be deeply welcomed and appreciated!

Hello everyone! I am writing a romance novel on a hope and a prayer. Concept is simple. Cam girl hires live in security. Live in security falls helplessly in love with her. The first couple of chapters show how he found her streams before becoming her security so there is some spicy content. In both POVs. Is that bad? Should I have a more establishing chapter for each first? I just really feel like it starts the book out nicely. There’s other content laced throughout. I’m writing chapter 39 right now and they have yet to actually do the deed. It’s pretty much self gratification on both sides.

This is a slow burn for feelings. The spice is thoughts of each other and actions on themselves. Nothing done to each other.

Give me your honest thoughts!

Thank you!

TL;DR: Can you market/sell a book as a romantasy if the main couple do not end up together at the end of the first book, but the plan is that they will eventually end up together later on.

Hi all! I've finally finished a manuscript draft and I'm powering through a second draft before it goes to an editor. Originally, it was supposed to be a dark romantasy, but *spoilers for the book you've never read or heard of* I've wound my way to no 'happily ever after' (does this subreddit flag the abbreviation for that? It gave me an angry message) as the manuscript has found itself. TL;DR it ends in tragedy. (Not really, just . . . the MMC thinks the FMC is dead.)

Anyway! Ze plan is that the main couple end up together, just after, you know . . . several bloody wars and such.

My question is about marketing. I've seen discourse about readers feeling betrayed when something is marketed as a romance when the main couple do not have, at minimum, a 'happy for now'. Which, in this case, they have a 'not so happy for now, but happy later'. Can I market this as a romantasy, or would it be safer to market it as a romantic fantasy/fantasy with heavy romance sub-plot? It is probably 65% romance, 35% fantasy. There is, to borrow BookTok lingo, spice. Open door, peen and all.

My issue is that the story could exist without the romance, I guess, but the main relationship does drive a significant portion of the plot — it would exist if they were just friends, but wouldn't be as powerful. The relationship between the FMC and MMC really is the cause of the inciting incident, since it's friends to lovers background, enemies to lovers(?) present. Okay, this has just become a rant. Thanks in advance!

I got locked out of all of Meta today, they even banned my personal facebook of 17 years, I have no idea why, but according to them I am a bot. I can't make new accounts because through Evil Meta Powers they know it's me (trust me, I tried on both my spare emails).

How the fuck do I market my novel? I was planning on putting it out in September. I'm incredibly upset right now and also all of my family is texting me trying to figure out why I disappeared. Like what do I even do? I can't reach out to anyone, I can't get followers, I have no idea how to even get follows on twitter or bluesky. Am I just fucked? Incredibly depressed right now.

hi !! im brianna (21f) and ive been writing my YA contemporary romance novel for over a year.

im looking for other contemporary romance authors to buddy up with and become accountabilibuddies and, read eachothers work, help eachother, ETC!!!

its been really hard for some reason finding other contemporary romance authors interested, so let me know!

I'm an experienced writer, but romance is not my forte. I've been working on an idea and finally got a draft of the first chapter written. I don't have any avid romance fans in my usual circle of readers.

Would someone be interested in taking a look and sharing their thoughts? I'm looking for a critique of the romance aspect and whether or not the first chapter has enough of a hook.

It's only 1200 words...if I need to pivot the genre because it's awful, I don't want to go too much further.

I've just finished the 3rd draft of a dual POV sapphic political drama/romance based on the 2024 election, and I would love some thoughts on something I’ve been struggling with since drafting a query/thinking about marketing. I've seen reasoning that if you can take the romance out of the book and it still has a driving plot, it's not strictly a romance. Fair! I think mine would fall under that, since the main objective of my two leads is the same: for one to help get the other elected as President (which succeeds, spoilers for a book you might never read lol), and they happen to fall in love during the course of the campaign (and get a happily ever after ending).

Now here's where I'm not sure: the romance directly impacts the plot because their relationship gets used towards to climax of the book as an attempt to blackmail/derail the candidate's presidential campaign. Their relationship development also takes center stage in most scenes, it just happens to also lend to the plot well because they are working torward the same goal, make a great team, and generally don't have time to NOT be working toward their goal (the main plot lol). I would also say that the romance helps one of the FMC complete her character arc. She is a very rigid professional with an "ends justify the means" perspective on politics, but inside she feels very deeply about it all, she just believes showing it or tapping into it won't help her candidate. She softens a lot throughout the course of the campaign, both personally and on what she’s willing to do to get her candidate elected.
 
Anyway, I have two main questions: will it still be genre with romance elements? And general question, does it sound like a compelling story/romance? Next step is beta readers, so if anyone is interested, please let me know!

Thank you!

I'm trying to learn to write romance for future writing, but I don't know where or how to start. What are some ways I can study and learn?