r/RomanceWriters

So a little context. I started writing back in 2014. Initially started on Wattpad but took things offline sometime around the pandemic. Life happened so I never actually got to finish my works back then. I’d be writing and rewriting and just like that it took me 10 years to wrap up. I planned on editing it so I could think about publishing, but due to personal circumstances I’d to drop that plan. Been away for the past two years. Haven’t written a thing. Or edited. What do I do now? Shall I pick up the editing or write something brand new? Maybe on Wattpad and build readers because I read on so many forums that unless you’ve got a huge social popularity and large number of readers, no publishing house or agent would touch your work. I don’t have any social following because I never thought of it, plus I’ve been to consumed dealing with my job and keeping life stable that it never was my priority. Please suggest.

I'm deep in revision on my sapphic sports romance, and debating how readers would respond to one of my MCs sleeping with other people during the DNOTS phase of the book. The couple is fully broken up at that point, and this person is definitely the One Who Got Hurt during the breakup, not the One Who Did The Hurting. The sex is more montagey/implied than explicit and on the page.

My goal is to query this project for tradpub, so thoughts specific to that would be particularly useful. TIA!

Now weekly!

Blurbs can be the bane of an author's existence - both for self-published authors, who have to come up with an enticing hook all by themselves, as well as for authors seeking traditional publishing, as they are usually included in queries.

We want to help! Post your blurb draft and let the community help shape it into the perfect snippet of info.

To participate, please comment on this thread with the following info:

• The title or working title of your WIP
• The romance subgenre of said WIP
• The draft of your blurb you've got so far
• Any content warnings and additional info you deem necessary!

Anyone who wants to help can then reply to your comment to workshop your blurb.

Happy crafting!

Need help brainstorming for a dark romance. What are some creative bullying ideas for the MMC? I'm a bit stuck on where to start. I'd also love ideas for high-tension romantic scenes that fit the story.

Thanks! I'm new to Reddit, so apologies for any mistakes.

So I’m looking to write a novel where MC and FC meet each other at a destination wedding in Europe. They’ve been in and out of each other’s lives over the years but it’s the first time they’re in a place where they could be legitimately options for each other. Aside from kissing and fantasising what’s some ways I can build anticipation.

Hi everyone! So I’m struggling to write a draft.

I didn’t know if anyone might have any tips for completing a draft because girl is suffering from major imposter syndrome, like I’m bad at writing.

I know my first draft is meant to be sub-par and I can re edit it later but my all or nothing mentality is screaming at me.

This is my first time writing something original that I want to professionally publish so I think it’s just pressure but I would love some help.

Thank you <3

Hi everyone!

I'm getting ready to launch my debut novel soon, and I'm trying to build my email list before release.

I'm looking for recommendations for an email landing page/email marketing service that's either free or affordable, but still reliable and easy to use.

I'd love something that lets readers sign up through a clean landing page and can grow with me as my audience expands.

What do you use, and what would you recommend for a first-time author? Any pros, cons, or personal experiences would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Hi all!

I'm new here, and hoping for perspective from anyone who's turned a fanfiction into an original self-published novel.

Here's my situation. I wrote a long AU of a beloved novel. I moved it roughly two centuries forward, changed the setting and the characters' whole world (jobs, class, community), added characters, gave everyone fuller backstories, and deep-dove into themes the original only brushed. There's a lot of original material. But the overall plot still follows the same general map as the source.

I'm torn on what to do with it. I'm deeply attached to the story and the characters as I've written them. They don't feel like the source's characters to me anymore, so "just write something completely original instead" doesn't sit right, even though I know that's the clean answer. At the same time, I don't want to publish something that's really just the original wearing a costume.

So my actual questions:

- If you transformed a fic into an original novel, how did you know when it had become genuinely *yours* vs. still too close?

- At what point did it make more sense to keep transforming vs. start fresh—and how did you make peace with that call if you were attached to the fic?

- For those who've self-published—where do people actually publish these days, and how did you get started? (Total beginner here.)

- Is talking to an IP lawyer something people in this situation usually do, or is that overkill? Genuinely don't know

Would love to hear how others navigated the attachment side of this, not just the legal side.

Thank you!

The length of the story is about five thousand words, the genre is historical romantic fantasy of the Ancient Greek variety. I'd like specific feedback on the writing style, what works and what doesn't and the relationship between the two lovers.

The story is about a sentient statue who falls in love with the lowborn woman who cleans him. There's some political intrigue as the Peleponnesian War rages on around them.

Content warning: There are two scenes with some violent actions as well as some consensual romantic stuff in there (I mean the main character is a sexy statue of the god Apollo with a rocking bod, so why wouldn't there be?) and one villain who makes a sexual threat.

Any feedback would be welcome, thanks a lot!

I'm looking for some advice from authors who write modern romance or romantic comedy.

My background is writing traditional fantasy novels, yet I have an idea for a modern, dialogue heavy romantic comedy. The story relies on character interactions, humor, awkward situations, and relationship development.

Since I can't draw nor afford to commission a manga, manhwa, or graphic novel, I'd be writing it as a standard novel.

Are there any novels or authors you would recommend that do this style particularly well? I'd like to study the formatting they use before I start writing.

Any advice would be appreciated!

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Hi everyone! Just for some context, I have had the fully fleshed out plot for this book since I was 15, obviously as Ive kept notes on it and grown as a person it has grown and changed with me. I was bullied a lot as a kid for my writing and my looks and fell out of my hobbies and just kept everything inside until now (22). What worries me is I could’ve just lost my gift? The moment I started writing again I was severely concussed by a client in my field of work and have been truly honestly struggling with even remembering how to speak and type let alone finally accomplish my dream and find the words I need. Even trying to be creative for my own mental healths sake gives me headaches and makes things difficult for me. I refuse to give up on these characters and their story and I am asking for simplistic easy to understand advice.

I have taken many writing courses, been to writing conferences, and have hundreds of notebooks with notes on this subject but the more I read other authors works, learn from them, and siphon through my notes the more lost and truly frustrated I feel. These are characters I have known with my whole heart since I was a lonely teen, I know where their story ends I know the trials they go through but now that I am to the point of fully fleshing them out I am at a loss and feel extremely disappointed in myself and my ability.

Can anyone please help a girl out?

Hello there!

I'm going to preface this by saying Romance is not my genre of writing. I'm a Scifi/Fantasy guy, though the B Plot of the Scifi is a romance and drama that's a bit more fun than the A Plot. I exclusively write in 3rd person Omniscient.

I got a pair of ideas in my head, randomly, for standalone romances. One is best as a 1st person POV that changes between the MMC and FMC as needed, which my wife tells me is actually common

The other one is the issue. It works best in 3rd Person, which I've been told is uncommon. but the vibe, to me, seems to work best in present tense. I work better, descriptively, that way. It gives off a more mellow vibe than the past tense version does.

Does anyone here have thoughts or opinions on 1st over 3rd and past vs present? This isn't a genre I'm familiar with, outside of the tropes I learned from writing and from the wife talking about her recent reads and to her, Present tense and 3rd person are DNF for her.

I broke down the three documents a good developmentel editor actually hands you. The one that got the least love in the comments was the reverse outline, and I think that's backwards. So here's a longer take on just that one. Reader expectations is the lens I look through, so that's the angle. I'm not here to tell anyone how to write.

Fast version of what a reverse outline is, in case it's new: after the draft is done, you go back and write down what each scene actually does. Not what you meant it to do. What's on the page. Where the beat lands, whose head you're in, what changed by the end of it. You come out the other side holding the skeleton of the book you really wrote, which is almost never the book you think you wrote.

Plotter and pantser is a spectrume and nobody sits all the way at either end. But roughly: a plotter walks in with the map, so they can already see their structure whenever they want. A pantser flies without one. That freedom is where a ton of the best, most alive writing comes from and I'm genuinely not knocking it. The catch is that when you pants, you're inside the story the entire time. You never get to stand outside it and look at its shape. You finish the draft as the one person who can't see what you built.

Here's the part I keep chewing on. Nora Roberts is a pantser. She's said she just sits down and writes to find out what happens, straight through, and fixes it later "through a lot of experience." That last bit is the whole thing for me. She can pants safely because 200-something books have already put the reader's expectations in her head. She doesn't have to check the contract against the page, because the contract is already in her. Tia Williams plots. Different method, also works. Point is they both already know, cold, what their reader expects.

A newer writer pantsing the same way isn't doing anything wrong. They just haven't had the decade yet that turns that into instinct. So they're flying blind on a reader contract that lives in nobody's head, theirs included. And romance has a real contract. Readers expect certain beats to hit around certain places, and when they don't, the reader doesn't send you a tidy structural critique. They just quietly DNF and go find the next book.

This is the line I actually wanted to write the whole post around: the reverse outline is where a pantser gets to see how far they drifted from what readers expect. Not to beat yourself up over the drift. Some of your drift is the best thing in the book. But you cannot tell which part is the good kind and which part just wandered off, until you can see the shape, and the reverse outline is the cheapest way to see it without giving up pantsing at all. Write free. Then map what you made. Then you get to decide.

So don't skip it. And honestly, if you believe your best stuff comes out of pantsing, that's even more of a reason to embrace the reverse outline, because it's the thing that lets you keep writing that way and still catch the misses before a reader does.

That's my take. Editors, pantsers, plotters, tell me where I've got it wrong.

Hi Everyone, I've posted a couple of times in the last week. I am currently writing a three part standalone but linked series. Following three siblings as they find love. This is Chapter one of the first book. Elliott and Lucas. If you were giving this Chapter would you want to keep going?

Elliott

The music in the bar is sat at that annoying level, too loud for a good conversation, too quiet to use it to block out the world. I’ve propped myself in the corner, the worn red velvet seat is making my arse ache.

At least Charlie is working tonight. He never tries to force an awful conversation my way. Just stands on the other side of the counter, arms folded, occasionally checking to see if I’m watching him “subtly” flex his arms. Thankfully, I think I’ve gotten quite good at hiding how much I do check him out.

You can’t blame me. He gives pure lumberjack energy, green flannel folded over his arms, forearms strong and covered in intricate tattoos. Sandy‑blonde beard perfectly coiffed, worn denim jeans pulled tight over his bum. The faint scent of ale and aftershave wafts over from him.

Charlie sees something in me that most people don’t. Most gay men can clock me a mile off, whereas the straight ones just remember the last woman I showed off on my arm. I never used to believe in Gay‑Dar, not until I moved to London. I’ve often wondered if it’s pheromones, but I think it’s more likely I’m not as subtle as I think I am.

Straight men are just… oblivious? Self‑centred? I’ve known I was bisexual ever since I discovered porn at a far too early age. It’s just not anyone’s business. I haven’t even told Ella, and we shared a womb.

Across the bar I can see Brad — my long‑time, very straight best friend. And boss, annoyingly. He’s dancing with a woman he met mere moments ago while ordering shots at the bar. He spots me and his face breaks into a very crooked smile. I’m tasked with making sure he gets home in one piece.

I’m always tasked with making sure he gets home in one piece.

“Drink up, Smelliott,” he slurs as he makes his way over, shaking his hips terribly to the music.

I sigh. “I am. Just not a lightweight like you.”

His expression shifts, I think he’s going for mock annoyance, but he lands squarely at a convincing pisshead.

“We’re celebrating! I got my dad a brand‑new client.” He throws his hands into the air, drink spilling over the glass, his shirt pulling out of his trousers and revealing a small amount of his very pink stomach.

“Brad, I got your dad a new client,” I say.

“Yeah, and you work under me. Your successes are mine!” he jabs his finger into my chest, I assume playfully but it was a lot harder than I expected.

“Alright, mate. You’re about to lose that bird you’ve been working on.” I point to the woman he was dancing with, and he saunters back off, whispering something in her ear before they slip away to do something I don’t even want to think about.

Ahh, Brad. Your successes are mine. Spoken like a true Nepo‑Baby. When he’s not drunk he’s mostly okay, if you ignore the sexism and casual homophobia. He means well. I’m just still working on a general respect for women and removing the word “fag” from his lexicon. Old private‑schoolboy lingo is the hardest to unpick.

The bar is mostly empty, but it is still early on a Friday. There is a couple sitting in the dark corner, whispering in each other's ears, physically unable to pull themselves away from each other. Three guys from the firm are sitting with the friends of the girl Brad wandered off with, all trying their hardest to chat them up. None of the women interested in the slightest. 

In the booth by the door there are around six women all wearing pink satin sashes, that I am almost certain say “Birthday Bitch”. No, they’re not all women, there is one broad shouldered man, perched backwards on a chair, looking over his shoulder at me, the sash slipping off his shoulder. 

He’s laughing at something one of the women is saying, but his eyes keep flicking back to me. Or to Charlie. I’m not sure what I’d prefer right now. 

Brad is back in the room, lipstick smudged all over his neck, the three men stare up at him as if he might share his secrets and let them in on it. I don’t have the heart to let them know it’s normally Daddy’s credit card, and the millionaire’s makeover he got at twenty.

He slides onto the bar stool next to me, “So, I’m taking Bianca back to the flat.”

Brilliant, I either go back with him and try to ignore the performance echoing through the walls or pop him in a taxi and risk him forgetting our address, again. A sigh leaves my chest before I can attempt to hide it. 

One of his eyebrows raises, so slightly, before the thought he tried to have leaves his mind entirely. 

“Bianca, let's go,” he turns to the woman, who, by the look on her face, is definitely not called Bianca. 

“It’s Jessica, you’re such a dick Brad,” the vitriol absolutely laces her words. 

With a swift turn, her and the three friends are already half way out of the bar and Brad is standing, his mouth agape, watching the four of them disappear throughout the door. 

Heat crawls up my neck. I hate being associated with him when he’s like this, slack-jawed, drunk, and convinced he’s irresistible. He looks like a kicked puppy and I resist the urge to applaud her.

I rub my forehead. “Go sit with the lads before you embarrass yourself again.” He doesn’t argue, just shuffles off, already forgetting Jessica’s name.

A small chuckle startles me and I’m reminded of Charlie propped up next to me, “Can I have another mate,” I say, pinching the bridge of my nose. 

“Sure,” he says, tipping a fresh glass under the tap, the smell of the cider filling my nostrils.

Taking a large gulp of the sweet, bubbly liquid my eyes instinctively search the room before landing where they really want to, the sash table but he’s no longer sat there. I scan the booth again, stupidly hoping he’s just shifted seats.

But he hasn't. And I don’t know why I care, we didn’t even share any eye contact. I don’t know anything about him. Other than that he has a lot of female friends. Maybe he’s just someone’s boyfriend. He was probably just staring at which pints they have on tap.

The bar swells and suddenly Charlie is no longer the chilled lumberjack, he’s loudly cursing the other bartender for being late, looking at his watch and shaking his head. I can’t see the booths anymore. Brad has moved on from Jessica very quickly, a tall, leggy blond pretending to hang on his every word. 

I turn into the bar, watching Charlie have a little panic far outweighs keeping an eye on Brad. He’s quite cute when he’s flustered, his strong hands pushing a piece of wayward hair back into place. 

A broad shoulder brushes mine as someone takes the last seat at the bar, his hand waves in Charlie’s direction but it’s gone unseen. I glance over, it’s him. Sash man. Except the sash is no longer over his shoulder it’s shoved into his jacket pocket, the word Bitch still visible. 

His cheeks are flushed from laughing, and he holds his eyes on mine for just a moment. His eyes are the most incredible shade of blue, the sort of colour I’ve only seen in the clear sea of Greece. He’s smiling at me, white teeth perfectly framed by his full lips, just one tooth slightly crooked.

“Who’s the bitch,” I say, internally cringing as I point at the sash in his pocket.

He laughs, it’s a wonderful sound. Hearty, warm, inviting. “Carla, it’s her thirtieth.” 

“Good friend?” I ask, hoping it comes out as cool as I’m intending.

His hand rubs the top of his shaved head, the sound of his stubble making a great noise against his palm.

“The best,” he smiles, again, and I swear my stomach flips on the spot. 

Finally the other bartender has arrived, Charlie slams his finger into his watch as though he’s reminding her how time works. I’ve not seen her before, her long dark hair is pulled into a ponytail, chunks of purple throughout. Around twenty piercings in her face, every inch of her body smothered in tattoos. 

I raise my hand to Charlie and he saunters over, much to the annoyance of the crowd by the bar. 

“Three bottles of Champagne please,” I say, “shove it on Brad’s tab.” 

He nods, pushing his way through the beaded curtain behind the bar, returning a few seconds later, a bottle in each hand and one under his arm. 

“Happy Birthday Carla,” I grin in the handsome stranger’s direction.

His mouth drops slightly and I can’t take my eyes off it, “I can’t accept that,” he says, but his mouth stays open like he’s not sure he means it.

“Daddy Warbucks has got it, trust me… he’ll never notice.” 

He won’t, he’ll tap his card, waltz off, his father picking up the tab as usual.

He grabs two of the bottles, and turns to step away, quickly turning back to issue me a quiet thanks before getting swallowed by the crowd. I watch the spot where he went, hoping it’ll be no time before he’s back. 

I finally let go of a breath I didn’t realise I’d been strangling and turned back to the bar, Charlie and the new girl are working in unison, ebbing and flowing with military precision. I can feel my chest rising and falling a lot quicker than normal. My anticipation for the stranger's return grows with each passing moment.

A warm hand presses into my shoulder and hope bubbles in my chest. His face soon returns next to mine and I swear he’s gotten more handsome in the two minutes he’s been gone. 

“Lucas, by the way,” he says, his hand outstretched to mine.

Lucas. He looks like a Lucas. “Elliott,” I smile, as my hand slips into his.

It feels like I’ve been hit by lightning, as we stand here, hands clasped together. He pulls away first, I’m not sure I would. 

“I need some glasses,” his face searching for the attention of either bartender. 

Above his head I can see the flutes, swaying slightly with the movement of the crowd. I lean across him to reach them, my arm brushing against his shoulder. He smells like warm skin and something clean, woody. I am sure his breath catches for just a moment. 

The space between us feels incredibly small, his shoulder warm under my arm as he looks up at me through his lashes. His hand bracing himself against the bar top. For a moment I consider leaving the glass and taking his face in my hands. 

Shaking the thought from my head I place the final glass in front of him and return to my seat. We sit in silence for a moment, before he starts to collect the glasses in his hands, holding them by the base. 

“Fancy grabbing the bottle for me,” he says finally, “Carla wants to thank you.”

The crowd parts just enough for us to slip through, Lucas leading the way, seven glasses tucked between his fingers. The booth is loud close up, their laughter ricocheting off the walls, perfume and sweet cocktail hanging thick in the air.

Six women turn toward us both at once, their eyes bright, cheeks flushed, all talking over one another in a chorus of drunk, birthday affection.

And I freeze, the cool champagne dripping condensation down my arm. 

It’s too much, too warm. I am suddenly aware of my hands, the way I’m standing, the champagne held awkwardly in my hand. One of the girls beams at me, Carla I’m assuming, her sash glittering under the light. A small silver crown sat on her head, bright pink feathers around the bottom, a flashing three and zero dancing at the top.

Before I can react she throws her arms around my shoulders in a hug that knocks the breath out of me.

I don’t hug strangers. I barely hug friends.

Lucas laughs softly and the sound makes my stomach twist. I can feel the heat of him at my side. He fits so easily into the group, they lean towards him as though he is the centre of their orbit. 

I don’t belong here. I am a guest star in another sitcom.

Carla pulls back, hands still on my arms. “You’re Elliott, right? My champagne angel?”

My face burns. I try to laugh but it comes out in a weird way, like a cat attempting to sing an opera. I can feel Lucas’ eyes on me and somehow it makes my laugh worse. 

I’ve never wanted to disappear and stay in the same place at the same time.

This is driving me nuts and I’ve posted versions of my query in other subs, figured maybe I can get some fresh eyes on it if this is allowed. I’ve edited this thing over 50 times and at this point feel like I’m beating a dead horse.

Questions:

do you get the overall impact of the manuscript?

Does it feel too long?

How is the metadata?

Is it too vague, or too detailed?

Any additional feedback would be greatly appreciated.

________

I am seeking representation for my novel, THE ROAD BACK TO YOU, a dual-POV and dual timeline contemporary romance complete at 73,000 words. It will appeal to readers of Ashley Posten’s The Dead Romantics for its exploration of grief and complicated family dynamics, and Carley Fortune’s Meet Me At The Lake for its emotionally charged second-chance romance. With an emotional impact similar to YUNGBLUD’s Zombie, the novel explores the weight of profound grief and asks whether love is enough to help someone find their way back to themselves after loss.

Grief counselor Grace Kennelly is still reeling three months after a whirlwind night with Nick, the man who almost made her believe in soulmates; that is, until he ghosted her. What Grace doesn’t know is that, on the very same night they met, Nick’s father tragically dies—the real reason for his disappearance. Determined to move on, Grace accepts an invitation for a weekend away with a new man who holds the promise of the fresh start she’s looking for. There’s just one catch: his siblings will be joining them.  

The problem? The man is Nick's younger brother. 

Nick is not the same man he was three months ago; he’s perfected the art of shutting people out while battling with the all-consuming guilt that his father’s death may have been his fault. Already drowning under insurmountable grief and the weight of inheriting the family business, the last thing he expects is his younger brother to bring Grace—the woman who reminds him of that tragic night and all that he lost—along for the weekend.

Forced into close proximity, Grace and Nick must navigate the weekend together while ignoring the undeniable pull between them. Grace must decide whether to pursue the charming man that she was meant to spend the weekend with, or open up her heart again to the man who once broke it. Nick must decide whether protecting his relationship with his brother is worth losing Grace a second time, or risk everything for the chance to reclaim both the love—and the life—he abandoned to grief.

I am a debut novelist and longtime romance book lover from Long Island, New York. When I’m not writing happily ever afters, you can find me spending time with my beautiful family or pursuing other creative passions, such as cake decorating. 
Thank you for your time and consideration,

Angela Adams

I’m writing with a pen name, is it something I should disclose on my profile/about pages? How important is the illusion of a backstory, and if so how detailed do I need to go?
Or am I overthinking :)

I love learning how different writers write in different orders and build their stories in a multitude of ways. It's so inspiring and helps me approach projects I have in different ways. I'm unlearning the rigid ways of writing that we learn about it higher learning, especially as an essay writer. Now that I'm getting into more creative, niche, romance, prose, etc. writing, I just love to hear about how you guys craft your story ideas into something whole and nice.

-My favorite way is "reverse engineering". I will take a small concept or feeling that I'm craving to get when reading, and build a story around that. So for instance, I'll think something like "How would a innocent, morally good, spiritualist young woman find herself in a toxic dark romance, if she's so intuitive? How would a story like that even become?" And from there I start adding ways a person like that could be caught off guard, they're not easily gullible and they have means of "protection". Then from there I craft the type of dark person that would be able to pull that off, so now an entire character is created around that. Then I just build and build the story up until it makes sense.

-Very rarely can I just start from the very beginning and continue on and build the story that way. Writers who can do that, I think you're so freakin cool!

What do you do? Do you take the story rewritten approach, working backwards, working from the middle and blooming out, do you get inspired by a certain scene, alternate endings, etc? I'm curious to know!

I want to publish with Harlequin afterglow. And I have some free time over the next three months. How much should I be writing a day and what kind of chapter count am I looking at. I’ve always imagined writing a book but I’ve never taken it seriously. Also any resources and advice about Harlequin afterglow would also really help.

How do you guys go about researching the ins and outs of an occupation for a quasi-workplace romcom. I don’t plan on the workplace being a majority of the book but it is how the MCs meet and I don’t want their agency to be unrealistic to the reader.

I am considering reaching out in some way on socials to see if anyone has experience in this type of work setting, but wanted some input from other writers.

Thanks so much in advance!