According to the Romance Writers of America (RWA), the romance industry is worth over a billion dollars per year. Romance novels regularly make bestseller lists, and the core audience tops out at about 29 million people, with other genre readers dipping their toes in regularly.
What is it about romance novels that keeps readers hooked? What do you need to know if you want to write in this genre? Here are some things to think about:
1. The love story is central.
This may sound obvious, but many other genres have romantic threads woven throughout the story and they aren’t considered romance. Han and Leia’s relationship doesn’t make Star Wars a romance. In a romance, the relationship is the point of the story. How the lovers meet, overcome their struggles, and ride off into the sunset together is what readers expect.
2. Choose a sub-genre.
There are so many choices! Think about where you’d like to set your story and what the main conflict will be. This will help you decide which sub-genre works best for your story. Here’s a comprehensive, but by no means exhaustive, list of romance sub-genres.
- Historical Romance: You’re fascinated with World War II and want to write a sweeping romance about a soldier who meets the love of his life in occupied France. The romance is central, but you’ll need to do your homework to make the setting feel authentic.
- Romantic Suspense: Your main character is being hunted by a serial killer. Meanwhile, she falls for the police detective working her case. This type of romance features a heavy dose of danger, suspense, mystery, and intrigue!
- Contemporary Romance: Set in the modern world, the character drama stays front and center. Think office romance, meet cutes, and vacation flings!
- Small Town Romance: Perhaps your leading lady comes back to her hometown to care for a sick parent and falls in love with the local park ranger. Over time, she realizes everything she’s ever wanted was closer to home than she realized. Just as the title indicates, the story is set in a small town filled with colorful residents. The town might feel like a character itself.
- Fantasy or Paranormal Romance: This romance might feature dragons, fairies, shifters, and magic!
3. The lovers must overcome conflict.
Without any stakes or conflict, the story will be anemic. And, if there’s no conflict, the reader won’t experience that moment of deep satisfaction when everything works out in the end. It’s worth it to look at some popular tropes in romance to see how you can add an element of conflict to your novel, so…
4. What about tropes?
A trope is defined as a significant or recurring theme. In romance, tropes may feel cliché, but honestly, when done well, they work, and they’re recurring for a reason! Here are a few common romance tropes:
- Friends to lovers: They were childhood friends until he enlisted. Now he’s back and she’s all grown up. He’s the guy she cries to after every breakup, until one night they discover they’re attracted to each other.
- Enemies to lovers: Snarky rivals, two FBI agents are teamed up to solve a case. He’s an arrogant football player, she’s the rehab therapist assigned to get him back on the field.
- Forbidden lovers: She’s the sister of a rival gang leader, or the widow of his former teammate, or the client he’s hired to protect.
The possibilities are endless, but you can see how these popular scenarios create instant stakes and conflict for our lovers.
5. What about the steamy scenes?
Romance is different from erotica. With erotica, readers expect sex. With romance, they expect a relationship. In a romance novel, the emotional intensity of intimate scenes should be the focus. You can absolutely write explicit sex scenes if you’re so inclined, but it’s not necessary. The bedroom door can remain slightly ajar or wide open.
6. A happy ending is essential.
No matter the struggles our lovers have had to face, whether misunderstandings, plot twists, or evil villains, they have to have their happy ending. It’s satisfying and it’s what readers expect from romance.
7. Don’t insult your readers.
I say this last because the romance genre has been sneered at by writers and readers alike, considered by some to be a ‘less-than’ genre. Yet, statistics say otherwise. The romance industry is laughing all the way to the bank, and this group of readers is voracious. As a writer, you have an opportunity, but don’t insult your readership. Honor them by giving them what they expect in a romance novel. Add your own fresh twist. Pay attention to your writing craft. Make sure your work is well edited. Most of all, have fun!
