Log In
Or create an account ->
Imperial Library
Home
About
News
Upload
Forum
Help
Login/SignUp
Index
Title
Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I : Welcome to the World of Romance Writing
Chapter 1: Romance Writing at a Glance
Tuning in to the Market
Practicing Your Craft
Submitting Your Manuscript
Chapter 2: Romancing the Marketplace: Identifying Your Options
Knowing Your Reader
Starting from Square One: Reading
Getting to Know Your Genre
Choosing Your Path
Chapter 3: Setting Up for Stardom
Finding the Perfect Place and Time to Write
Building a Writer’s Tool Kit
Accessing Resources for the Would-Be Writer
Part II : Laying the Foundation: The Building Blocks of a Great Romance
Chapter 4: Creating Compelling Main Characters: Alpha Males and Fiery Females
Depending on Your Characters
The Key to Every Romance Is the Heroine
Creating Your Hero
Keepin’ It Real: Secondary Characters
Laying Concrete Strategies for Creating Characters
Chapter 5: Crucial Ingredients for Every Plot: Conflict, Climax, and Resolution
You Can’t Have a Novel without a Plot
Suspense: Every Story Has It
Making Sense Matters
Emotional Conflict and Tension: The Only Reason to Turn the Page
Handling Conflict Effectively
And They Lived Happily Ever After
Chapter 6: Setting the Scene
Deciding Where Your Story Takes Place
Telling Time
Using Your Setting to the Fullest
Chapter 7: Outlining Your Romance
What’s an Outline?
Mapping Your Way to “The End”
Using Your Outline Effectively: Write, Write, and Then Rewrite (Maybe)
Part III : Putting Pen to Paper
Chapter 8: Finding Your Own Voice
Speaking Up for Yourself
Putting the Show in Show and Tell
Telling It Like It Is
Chapter 9: Hearing Voices: Letting Your Characters Speak
Giving Your Characters Voices
Writing Great Dialogue
Point of View: How to Choose and How to Use
Chapter 10: Pacing: The Secrets of Writing a Page-Turning Romance
Pacing Doesn’t Mean Racing
Pacing and Plotting: Two Halves of a Whole
Avoiding the Dreaded Sagging Middle
Show It, Don’t (Always) Tell It
Prose That Goes and Prose That Slows
Chapter 11: Taking It All Off: Writing Love Scenes
Comparing Sex and Romance
Knowing Where and When
Writing the Scene
Part IV : Putting It All Together: Mechanics Count, Too
Chapter 12: Starting and Stopping
Starting with a Bang: Mastering the Winning Beginning
Putting Theory into Practice
Constructing Can’t-Miss Chapters
Moving from Scene to Scene
Chapter 13: Getting Your Story Straight: Doing Research Right
Getting It Right: Priority Number One
Making Research Work for You
Getting Down to Business
Finding the Facts
Getting Permissions
Chapter 14: Neatness Counts — and So Does Grammar
Minding Your P’s and Q’s
Formatting for Success
Reviewing the Manuscript Preparation Checklist
Part V : Submitting Your Manuscript — and Making the Sale!
Chapter 15: Targeting the Right Publisher (and Editor)
Researching the Market
Submitting Made Simple
Deciding Whether You Need an Agent
Chapter 16: Rejection and Revision: Don’t Let Them Get You Down
What Are They Really Saying?
They Like It, But . . .
One Editor’s Insight into Common Editorial Comments
Does No Always Mean No?
Chapter 17: Closing the Deal
Getting “The Call”
Coming Up with Questions
Sizing Up the Contract
Strategies for a Win-Win Negotiation
Chapter 18: Tracing the Steps from Page to Press — and Beyond
Working with Your Editor
From Manuscript to Bound Book
Living in a Post-publication World
Part VI : The Part of Tens
Chapter 19: Ten Plots Every Editor Knows — and Why They Still Work
Marriage of Convenience
Stranded with a Stranger
Runaway Bride
Secret Baby
Reunion Romance
Back from the Dead
Mistaken Identity
Woman in Jeopardy
The Dad Next Door
Even Sketchier Setups
Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Coming Up with a Successful Title
Speaking the Reader’s Language
The Long and the Short of It
A Few Words about Single-Word Titles
Matching Title and Tone Perfectly
Hooking Up
All about Alliteration
Coining a Cliché
Naming Names
Making Connections
Following in Others’ Footsteps
Chapter 21: Ten Common Writing Mistakes Beginners Make
Remember the Reader’s Expectations
Don’t Overwrite
Ya Gotta Love It
Characters Are Key
Effective Conflict Comes from Within
Make Sure You Have Enough Plot
Keep Your Story on Track
The Name of the Game Is Entertainment
Don’t Forget the Details
Keep It Moving
Chapter 22: Ten Reasons Why a Manuscript Gets Rejected
Bad Writing
Arrogant Heroes and Unlovable Heroines: Unsympathetic Characters
Cardboard Cutouts: Unrealistic Characters
B-o-r-i-n-g Spells Boring
A Tsunami in the Alps and Other Lapses in Logic
Outdated Story Line and Characters
Inaccurate (Or No) Research
When Your Romance Isn’t Really a Romance
Wrong Editor/Publishing House
Incorrect Formatting
Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Beat Writer’s Block
Working Your Way Through It
Selecting a Different Scene
Looking at the Last Scene You Wrote
Writing a Scene That You Won’t Use
Viewing the Scene from a Different Angle
Forgetting about Perfection
Looking Forward — Not Back
Analyzing Your Outline
Re-energizing Your Creative Instincts
Starting Another Project — If All Else Fails
Chapter 24: Ten Questions Every Romance Writer Needs to Ask Herself
Should I Write Romance Novels?
Why Can’t I Get Started?
What Can I Do When the Ideas Don’t Come?
How Can I Focus and Stay Positive When Things Go Wrong?
When Is It Research and When Is It a Waste of Time?
When Should I Send My Manuscript into the Big, Scary World?
Do I Need an Agent?
How Do I Handle a Friend’s Manuscript Selling First?
When and How Do I Follow Up on My Book’s Status?
When Do I Let Go of a Book?
← Prev
Back
Next →
← Prev
Back
Next →