Five Tips for Writing a Romance Novel that Editors Will Love

Have you ever read a romance novel and thought, I could write one of these? You're in good company! Most successful romance novelists started this way. Here are five tips to writing a romance novel that editors will love.

Tip #1--The Cute Meet--Have your characters meet in a unique way. This initial meeting should set the stage for your story. When you go to the book store and pick up a romance novel, you will inevitably turn to the first page and read a bit to see if you want to purchase the book. Keep in mind that your readers need an opening that grabs their interest and pulls them into the story. Editors will look for this quality in your work, as well.

Tip #2--The Characters--Your characters must be vivid and believable. This means they will have strengths and flaws that will affect the story you are telling. If you make one character too perfect or another very controversial and flawed, the story will be too one sided. It (the story) won't work and the editor will discard it as too confused. Know your characters and make them clear and concise by defining their strengths and their flaws.

Tip #3--Facts Matter--Do your research and know the time period you are writing about. If your story is set in the old west of the 1820's then you can't have someone arriving on a train as the railroads hadn't been built into that area yet. Get your facts straight. Never make the mistake of thinking that an editor won't check them-- they will! Also, don't get carried away with your history and research info in your story. Remember, your writing a romance, not a history lesson. Less is more when it comes to background information on the era you're writing about.

Tip #4--Past, Present, Future--Pay attention to tense when writing for the romance market. Present tense is very hard to stay in and even harder to sell in this genre. Write in past tense for best results with the editors. Later on, when you are more experienced, you can play around with present tense. Just remember that present tense is hard to write and even harder to sell in the romantic fiction market.