What makes a romance novel a romance? How do you write a kissing book? Writing a well-structured romance isn’t the same as writing any other genre—something the popular novel and screenwriting guides don’t address. The romance arc is made up of its own story beats, and the external plot and theme need to be braided to the romance arc—not the other way around.
Told in conversational (and often irreverent) prose, Romancing the Beat can be read like you are sitting down to coffee with romance editor and author Gwen Hayes while she explains story structure. The way she does with her clients. Some of whom are regular inhabitants of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists.
Romancing the Beat is a recipe, not a rigid system. The beats don’t care if you plot or outline before you write, or if you pants your way through the drafts and do a “beat check” when you’re revising. Pantsers and plotters are both welcome. So sit down, grab a cuppa, and let’s talk about kissing books.
Hey! Here's my review.
| Short, sweet and to the point. Plan to reread frequently. I had this book recommended to me and loved it. It takes the popular concepts from other writing craft books and applies them to romance writing. I'd been struggling for a while, trying to figure out how popular story structures fit the romance story I'm writing. Gwen spelt it out clearly for me while amusing me with all the 80s music references.
★★★★★
 |