Is there a secret formula for writing a successful romance novel? Backed by research and professional expertise, The Romance Novel Formula provides everything you need to take you from idea to first draft of your breakout romance novel. Join best-selling romance author and academic researcher, Alicia Leigh, as you discover:
*How to take your love interests on the “lovers’ journey” – inclusive of ALL types of romantic relationships: ménage, alien, LGBTQI, polyamory, etc.
*A unique five-act structure to make your story easy to write and manage.
*The specific story “beats” exclusive to the romance genre (and which other books on writing typically exclude).
*The story and character arcs necessary to classify your book as romance.
*How to avoid stereotypes by focusing on archetypes.
*Popular romance tropes.
*Essential writing techniques.
*Advice on dialogue.
*The most common writing mistakes . . . and how to avoid them.
*Goal, motivation, and conflict.
*Fear, need, and flaw (what are they, and do you need them?).
*Much more!
Complete with checklists and over 30 writing exercises, The Romance Novel Formula is the new essential romance writing guide for aspiring and experienced writers, plotters and pantsers, and professional researchers.

Thank you to Bewitching Book Tours for hosting this tour. Today I’m sharing my review of Alicia Leigh’s The Romance Novel Formula. Happy reading!

MY THOUGHTS

This was an enlightening and extremely informative read. As a romance writer myself, I found this to be a tool I will undoubtedly use in the future. It breaks down all the elements of a romance novel and explains them in detail. The author guides you through writing a complete novel that includes character depth and growth, gripping conflict, enthralling romance, and satisfying resolution. I found it easy to read and understand with examples throughout for both the dos and don’ts. The author provides exercises for reinforcement, checklists as reminders, and worksheets to aid in organizing your story in all its various aspects. She shares advice on what to do when you’re “done” and some suggested reading and websites to further aid in your writing journey.

With so much detail, the book definitely feels like a bit of a long read and can feel like an overwhelming amount of information. However, it’s all broken down in a way you can pick and choose which parts you need for your own story. Read an entire section if you need help deciding on a direction, or read just the segment on the particular arc/trope/etcetera you’re going for. I expect this will become an essential guide for any prospective romance writer.

Bottom Line

Alicia Leigh provides an explicit walkthrough for writing an engaging romance novel sure to fulfill both the writer and the reader. It’s a guide I’m proud to have in my library and will refer to again and again.

Excerpt

“Romance novels are written to a specific formula.” The number of times I’ve heard this insulting and patronizing phrase throughout my career as a romance writer would fill its own book! Yet, regardless of urban legends and popular culture tales, the simple fact is this: There is no romance novel formula.

Let me repeat that with emphasis: There is no romance novel formula.

Now, it might seem like I have contradicted the title of this book by saying that. However, there is more than one way to write a romance novel. This book is intended as a guide to assist you while giving you the freedom to find your own version of a formula.

While there is no set formula per se, there is a structure you can follow that will aid you in writing your breakout romance novel. This structure isn’t used solely by romance writers. Different forms are used by all novelists (see, for instance, books such as Story, Save The Cat! Writes a Novel, The Plot Whisperer, and Story Engineering, which have a variety of formulas, guides and suggestions). In that regard, writing a romance novel is almost the same as writing any other novel. I say almost because the romance genre has necessary inclusions that are applicable to it alone. This applies to every genre. These are called genre conventions.

Whether you are a novice or a seasoned writer, this book can lead you through the quagmire of structure and help you find the unique path for your characters to follow on what I call the lovers’ journey.

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