So you want to write romance fiction 

• Editors want a 'fresh new voice' 
• Steps along the road to being a romance Author 
• What is romance fiction? 
• Romance sub-genres 

Romantic research and sub-genres 

• Why research? 
• Every genre has its conventions 
• Popular psychology 
• Seven useful tips 

Leading man, leading lady 

• Study the guidelines 
• Naming your characters 
• Getting to know your characters 
• Character motivation 

Conflict, pace and tension 

• Motivation and source of conflict: review 
• How to maintain tension and conflict throughout your novel 
• Playing on emotions: anticipation and fear 
• Building suspense by shifting point of view 

Plotting your romance novel 

• The character-drive plot 
• The mechanics of plotting 
• Essential ingredients in a romance plot 
• The advantages of a character-driven plot 

Writing the romantic short story 

• The structure of a short story 
• Planning your story 
• Where to get story ideas 
• Beginnings, middles and ends in the short story 

First chapter, first meeting 

• What does a first chapter have to do? 
• Where do you start? 
• Use the 'Five Ws' 
• The lovers' first meeting 

Style and humour 

• What is style? 
• Build your own humour library 
• What makes a character humorous? 
• Developing your own style 

Setting and sensuality 

• Setting: where lovers meet 
• Editorial guidelines 
• The work environment 
• Keep organised files 

The final polish 

• Is your novel ready to send away? 
• A general editing checklist 
• When you need to redraft 
• Does your book suit the target market? 

A deft touch with dialogue 

• Characters who sound like real people 
• The role of dialogue 
• What is 'good dialogue?' 
• How do you write effective dialogue 

As you move towards success 

• The waiting game 
• Dealing with rejection 
• 'Good' rejections and 'bad' rejections 
• Self-promotion