Sign-In
Cart
Secrets to Writing a Romance
Paperback
Series: Write Novels That Sell, Book 5
General ReferenceWriting Instruction
ISBN13: 9781738022168
Publisher: Fictionary Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 408
Weight: 1.04
Height: 0.91 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
Unlock the Secrets to Writing Bestselling Romance
Go beyond the meet-cute! This essential guide reveals the intricate structure specific to commercially successful romance novels, showing you the elements that make these stories captivating and unforgettable.
You will learn the specific scenes readers expect, allowing you to perfect your pacing, build tension, and portray authentic character growth. Drive your story forward by mastering external and subplot story arcs.
Through this process, you will:
- Identify your protagonist's inner wound, flaw, or misconception that prevents them from finding love
- Anchor your story using the five crucial romance story arc scenes
- Develop your plot using genre-specific patterns
- Learn how secondary plots and subplots create support and obstacles for the main relationship
- Deepen reader engagement by using and subverting established tropes
- Structure the story by choosing the right POV strategy to control tension and manage knowledge gaps
- Show internal and external victories as the love interests navigate their journey
Like all books in the Write Novels that Sell series, we provide the foundational theory-the why-alongside actionable advice. Use this book as your ultimate reference, and you'll write every romance novel with confidence.
Secrets to Writing a Romance is a valuable tool with an arsenal of actionable advice for seasoned and novice romance writers alike. Stanley and O'Donnell leave no stone unturned when dissecting the genre so readers feel confident and in control at every step of the writing process. I'll definitely have this guide on hand for many years to come. -Jenna Moreci, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of The Savior's Champion
Also from
Stanley, K.
Also in
Writing Instruction
1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round
Attenberg, Jami
Hardcover
Publication Manual (Official) 7th Edition of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
Paperback
The Well-Spoken Thesaurus: The Most Powerful Ways to Say Everyday Words and Phrases
Heehler, Tom
Paperback
Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story
Le Guin, Ursula K.
Paperback
Empire of Ink: The Printers, Rogues, and Radicals Who Invented the American Newspaper
Wright, Alex
Hardcover
The Language of the Night: Essays on Writing, Science Fiction, and Fantasy
Le Guin, Ursula K.
Paperback
Take It from Me: An Agent's Guide to Building a Nonfiction Writing Career from Scratch
Habib, Alia Hanna
Hardcover
Verb Your Enthusiasm: How to Master the Art of the Verb and Transform Your Writing
Kaufman, Sarah L.
Hardcover
The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression (Second Edition)
Ackerman, Angela
Puglisi, Becca
Paperback
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You'll Ever Need
Brody, Jessica
Paperback
The Writing Rope: A Framework for Explicit Writing Instruction in All Subjects
Sedita, Joan
Paperback
Sit Write Here: 6 Mindfulness Practices to Help You Write More and Suffer Less
Dávila, April
Paperback
Paying for College, 2027: Everything You Need to Maximize Financial Aid and Afford College
Martz, Geoffrey
The Princeton Review
Chany, Kalman
Paperback
Scriptnotes: A Book about Screenwriting and Things That Are Interesting to Screenwriters
August, John
Mazin, Craig
Hardcover
Page One to Done: Finish Your Novel in 30 Days with the Fast Drafting Method
Brody, Jessica
Paperback
Publication Manual (Official) 7th Edition of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
Paperback
Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less (Revised and Updated)
Allen, Mike
Schwartz, Roy
Vandehei, Jim
Hardcover
Plot Twist: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft: A Memoir on Writing (Large Print Edition)
Coben, Harlan
Paperback
How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking
Ahrens, Sönke
Paperback
The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents: From Rejection to Representation in 8 Steps
McDonald, Patrick
Matesic, Alyssa
Paperback
Publication Manual (Official) 7th Edition of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
Hardcover
Korean Stories for Language Learners: Traditional Folktales in Korean and English (Free Online Audio)
Damron, Julie
You, Eunsun
Paperback
Read These Banned Books: A Journal and 52-Week Reading Challenge from the American Library Association
American Library Association (ALA)
Paperback
Seberson Method: New Sat(r) Vocabulary Workbook: Over 700 High-Frequency Words to Master
Seberson, Katya
Paperback
The Vocabulary Builder Workbook: Simple Lessons and Activities to Teach Yourself Over 1,400 Must-Know Words
Magoosh
Lele, Chris
Paperback
Learn Russian with Beginner Stories: Interlinear Russian to English
Hyplern, Bermuda Word
Gettys, Serafima
Van Den End, Kees
Paperback
Handwriting Practice Book for Kids Ages 6-8: Printing workbook for Grades 1, 2 & 3, Learn to Trace Alphabet Letters and Numbers 1-100, Sight Words, 10
Hippidoo
Lalgudi, Sujatha
Paperback
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Ninth Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers
Turabian, Kate L.
Paperback
Libro de caligrafía para adultos: Explorando la belleza de las letras - Mi primer cuaderno de caligrafía creativa
Style, Life Daily
Paperback
AP English Literature and Composition Premium, 2027: Prep Book with 8 Practice Tests + Online Practice
Schanhals, Michael
Paperback
Writing Fiction, Tenth Edition: A Guide to Narrative Craft
Stuckey-French, Elizabeth
Stuckey-French, Ned
Burroway, Janet
Paperback
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print
Browne, Renni
King, Dave
Paperback
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook & Dictionary
Janes, Michael
Carillet, Jean-Bernard
Masclef, Jean-Pierre
Paperback
The Vocabulary Workbook for 7th Grade: Weekly Activities to Boost Your Word Power
McLellan, Kelly Anne
Paperback
AP English Language and Composition Premium, 2027: Prep Book with 8 Practice Tests + Online Practice
Schanhals, Michael
Paperback
Paying for College, 2026: Everything You Need to Maximize Financial Aid and Afford College
Martz, Geoffrey
The Princeton Review
Chany, Kalman
Paperback
Princeton Review AP English Language & Composition Premium Prep, 21st Edition: 8 Practice Tests + Digital Practice Online + Content Review
The Princeton Review
Paperback
The Ultimate RPG Villain Backstory Guide: Prompts and Activities to Create Compelling Antiheroes, Enemies, and Bad Guys
Apelyan, Dillin
D'Amato, James
Paperback
Write a Novel in 100 Days: The Busy Writer's Guide to Finishing Your Book Fast
Purcell, Kim
Paperback
How to Write Romantasy: Blending Fantasy and Romance into One Heart-Stopping Adventure
Moreci, Jenna
Paperback
Word Power Made Easy: The Complete Handbook for Building a Superior Vocabulary
Lewis, Norman
Paperback
Print and Cursive Handwriting Workbook: 35 Lessons to Improve Your Penmanship
Sanders, Sally
Paperback
Violent Phenomena: Essays Toward the Future of Literary Translation
Bhanot, Kavita
Tiang, Jeremy
Paperback
The Structure of Story: How to Write Great Stories by Focusing on What Really Matters
Hartmann, Ross
Paperback
Blasting Through Blocks: An Artist's Way Guide to Unleashing Your Inner Creativity
Cameron, Julia
Paperback
The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need, Updated Edition: Your One-Stop Source for Mastering English Grammar
Thurman, Susan
Paperback