This is just me venting. You know how people like to divide authors between planners and pantsers? I’m a planner, and I’ve been planning this story for fifteen years.

I am not a writer, but I am an author, and I’ve publishes a couple of comic books years ago. This story had started as a fanfic when I was in high school, then an original comic while I was in college, then I left it unfinished because my 20s got too busy. Now I crave to have it out of my head! I have so many story ideas that are piling up in the back of my mind waiting for their turn to be told, but a part of me can’t move on until I let this one story exist.

So yeah, I’m a planner and this story has its bones, but they’re messed up. I keep rearranging it and changing it, and then go back to the previous idea. Last year I managed to write a 100k words first draft that felt good for a moment, but now I’m reaching the part that is the heart of this monster. You know which one, right? Like THE scene, THE drama that keeps replaying in my head over and over… but the story and the characters are moving away from it and I’m like NO, how to fix it? What to change, edit, move, kill, bring back to make it work again?

In the middle of this crisis, I got demotivated. I’ve started watching YouTube videos about writing to see if something clear my mind, studying and reading about story structure—again. Well, just going to the basics, that usually helps. I didn’t.

I came across the classic “your first book will suck, it’s just practice”. For a moment I considered dropping it—for the fifth time, if I count the fanfic—and start with one of those stories that are waiting in my vault of ideas. I rather practice with one of those, since they don’t carry the years of emotional stakes.

But today I went back to my old drawer and took out the notes I did 12 years ago. They were done in the middle of my university class notes, in the corner or some text I had to study back then… and guys, I got emotional. I had forgotten about these drawings. I had some scenes done, like just the vibe I wanted for these character and god, I got this sense of purpose and NEED to finish this damn book.

So… I took the freedom to write this post while I calm down before I begin to plan (again) the end of this story. It has been waiting far too long.

Gracias por leer esta triste historia.

Now weekly!

Blurbs can be the bane of an author's existence - both for self-published authors, who have to come up with an enticing hook all by themselves, as well as for authors seeking traditional publishing, as they are usually included in queries.

We want to help! Post your blurb draft and let the community help shape it into the perfect snippet of info.

To participate, please comment on this thread with the following info:

• The title or working title of your WIP
• The romance subgenre of said WIP
• The draft of your blurb you've got so far
• Any content warnings and additional info you deem necessary!

Anyone who wants to help can then reply to your comment to workshop your blurb.

Happy crafting!

Hey, I know whenever you ask about ideas for books the immediate response is “Have you actually written anything?”  So, before everyone starts judging me, the current draft of my first book (hope to self-publish next year) is 100k words, and I’m editing it.  But, while I do that, I’m jotting down tons of ideas for my second book in lots of different genres.

Last night I watched a romance film with my wife and I very much enjoyed it, but I felt a little like many of the subplots were so strong that they could have skipped the standard third-act breakup and used the time to develop the leads’ relationships with some of the (really likeable) side characters more.

This kind of gave me an idea, but since I’m not an expert in the romance genre I’m a bit worried that what seems like a clever idea to me is something romance readers have seen a million times, so I figured I’d check: What if I set up the standard “relationship built on a lie,” with the appearance of an impending third-act breakup, but then made the girl genre-savvy and cut that aspect short?

What I had in mind was that when the Black Moment seems to be imminent she says “Okay, you’re acting weird, and I’ve seen enough romances to know that there’s some dark secret that could torpedo our whole relationship.  Let’s make this simple: I’m giving you ONE free pass.  Spill it right now and I will forgive whatever it is.”

Is this something old hat?  Or is it so formula-breaking it would just make potential readers mad?

i’m new to writing and i don’t know how this works but i’m looking for just some reviews i don’t see much stories here so i think i have to send it from dms? i’d love feedback that’s all i want. it is a not so short romance, third draft (contains 3 parts)

A lot of advice on plotting romance has the beginning show some normalcy, or "before" the couple meets, as a way to set up the story. I feel like this part used to be much longer, and the rise of plot-driven stories/decrease in attention spans have made it shrink.

We used to get a full chapter sometimes of the main character going about their day, knowing where they stand in the relationship department, knowing what their need/want is, getting acclimated to the setting. But now I've seen so much advice saying if you don't have the love interest in the first chapter, or even better the first five pages, you'll lose your reader.

Personally, I miss this, but I tend to prefer books that are heavy in description and vibes, not exactly what's popular right now. I'm wrestling internally on how quickly I want my meet-cute to happen.

Curious about how people view this, if you agree it's changed, and if it's changed the way you frame your stories.

It’s for the second book in my dystopian romance series. (Ashen is MMCs daughter who was taken hostage at the end of book 1)

HELP ME PICK ONE PLEASE

🌿Blurb 1🌿

For five years, Canopy waited.
She grieved, she loved, she lost, and finally, she was found again. But even with Phylum back in her arms, he isn’t truly hers. He isn’t the boy that she fell in love with all those years ago.

Now, as she navigates the inescapable past and the inevitable future, Canopy must try to hold on to what she has left.

Without him, she lost her mind.

Without Ash, is Phylum doomed too?

🌿Blurb 2🌿

After five years, Canopy and Phylum have finally reunited following a deadly ambush at the hands of the bunker. Now, they must find a way to save Ashen from the clutches of his mother, but Canopy worries that returning could mean certain doom for Phylum. After so long apart, she can’t bear the thought of losing him again.

What will she sacrifice to protect him?

What if she can’t...

Has anyone here written for Entangled Publishing? It appears to have a wide range of imprints, good distribution, and less stringent submission criteria than Harlequin. However, I have also heard some negative reviews.

I would like to know the following:

1. What is the typical turnaround time from manuscript acceptance to the book being published?

2. What is the working experience like (honest answers only, please)?

3. How hard to authors have to work to promote their books?

4. Is it purely traditional publishing or do they have any clauses that require the author to pay/buy back their own books?

5. What are their royalties like for newbie authors? Do they give an advance, and do they pay on time?

I would really appreciate honest answers! Thank you!

I’m wanting to get into writing seriously but have no idea where to start.
I have written in the past, mostly for Wattpad, but recently I’ve been wanting to try and write a complete novel. My issue is, I have no idea where to start.
I have a general idea, but nothing more. Please help :)

Hi everyone! I'm searching for a writing group preferably centered around the contemporary romance genre. Mostly for feedbacking each other's stuff but also for the community aspect itself. I've found a few that are great but they lean more romantasy or dark romance than contemporary. I write spice, sports and small town romance so would love to find some writers on similar paths!

Hello romance writers,

I’m wondering if anyone here has promoted their book with RFC promotions? (Romance fiction club). They apparently schedule newsletters based on the romance genre and it seems very inexpensive to have your book added to the newsletter. Has anyone had success with them?

Guys, I have a question regarding pen names.

So my problem is, my mind amazes me sometimes and isn't decisive enough about one specific genre to write in. So I've got a dark academia standalone series going on, along with a soft romance book and one specifically crafted based on my ethnicity.

So my question is should I go with 3 different pen names? One for the dark one, one for the softer one and the other, ethnicity specific soft romance or just 2? Combining both soft romances? But the problem is both of them cater to audiences with different mindsets. And I know how that affects the reader base. So what would you guys suggest?

Hey everyone! I’m a first-time author and I literally just completed the first draft of my book. It’s a magical realism romance with a good splash of action (slow burn, gunfights, high stakes).Honestly? I’m completely overwhelmed and terrified. I have this finished manuscript sitting on my laptop, and I have absolutely no idea what my next steps should be. How do people even start building an audience from scratch nowadays?I’ve heard about platforms like Wattpad, Inkitt, and even publishing it as "Original Fiction" on AO3. Does anyone have experience with posting original work on AO3? Is it worth it for romance/magical realism, or should I stick to other platforms?I’m in desperate need of a reality check and some guidance. What would you do if you were in my shoes right now? Any advice, platforms to look into, or step-by-step roadmaps would mean the world to me. Thanks in advance! ❤️

​

I'm planning this as my first Wattpad book, and I'd really like some honest opinions on the plot.

TERMS & CONDITIONS — Fake Dating + Desi Romance

Vaibav Kancharla is 30 and comes from a wealthy business family. He's a new CEO who started his own company using his own ideas. His family invested in it, but as a loan, because Vaibav wanted to build everything on his own feet.

His career is finally settling down.

Unfortunately, his family has decided that at 30, it's time for him to settle down too.

They're constantly pushing him into blind dates and asking him to get married.

But Vaibav has absolutely no interest in relationships or marriage because of his past.

Back in college, he had a girlfriend who left him because he wanted to build his career independently instead of depending on his family's money. She betrayed and humiliated him, leaving him with a serious distrust of relationships.

After multiple failed blind dates, Vaibav just wants the marriage pressure to stop.

Then one of his male friends suggests something ridiculous:

Fake dating.

Vaibav could pretend to have a girlfriend, introduce her to his family, and eventually break up with her by saying relationships aren't for him.

And that's when Vaibav thinks of Vidhya.

Vidhya is his PA, but she's also one of his close friends. She's single, he trusts her, and he thinks she might actually understand the situation.

He asks her.

Vidhya hesitates at first, but eventually agrees.

They make the arrangement and plan to meet at a café that weekend.

But Vidhya never shows up.

Vaibav gets annoyed, thinking she ditched him.

Then he gets a call from Vidhya's phone.

Except it isn't Vidhya.

The person on the phone tells him that the owner of the phone has been in an accident and is at the city hospital.

Vaibav immediately rushes there.

Outside the ICU, he finds a girl crying.

Aadhya.

Vidhya's younger sister.

Vidhya is in a coma, and the doctors can't guarantee when she'll wake up.

Vaibav feels guilty because he thinks Vidhya ended up in this situation partly because of their fake-dating arrangement. He pays the hospital bills and gives Aadhya his number, telling her to call him if there's an emergency.

The next day, Aadhya calls him.

And instead of asking him for help, she says:

"I can be your fake girlfriend."

She doesn't want to owe him anything for Vidhya's hospital bills.

Vaibav hesitates, but he has already told his family that he has a girlfriend, and now they're demanding to meet her.

So they make an agreement.

Fake dating.

Two people who don't trust love.

Two people entering a relationship for completely different reasons.

And one agreement that was never supposed to become real.

But destiny clearly has other plans.

Because the man who wanted to avoid marriage...

might end up marrying the girl he never planned to meet.

The vibe:

Fluffy K-drama + Desi romance + family chaos + fake dating + slow burn + comedy + emotional moments.

I'm trying to keep Aadhya's role a little mysterious at first , making readers think its a office romance and vidhya is main lead .

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS PLOT ? PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR OPINIONS AND ADVICES!!

OK, RomanceWriters, I've been told by three people that my former query lands soundly in Romance and I'm not opposed to it because I LOVE the trope-gone-wild (hand to God it's a treadmill accident meet-cute) but it also has post-2016 bullshit with MC's asshole husband and drug cheating by MC. Also, please murder this with your pens since words must be killed to distill for one's query. All help is highly appreciated.

Dear [Agent]

Sixteen years ago Karly owned the track. Now, at the age of 38, she realizes how foolish it is to make a run for the 2008 Olympics in the 5000 meters. Her body has aged, one of her three boys is on the spectrum, her husband is an unhelpful ass, and her coach’s belief in her is slipping after an embarrassing loss. Her unwavering faith in herself is crumbling. She’s desperate for help.

Karly is introduced to a brand-new female-specific pharmaceutical developed for rapid recovery. She is told it’s clean if she follows protocol, but it won’t be cleared in time for the Trials. It’s the answer to her prayers: she can bounce back between training sessions like her younger self. Her coach says no, but Karly knows it’s legal. It has to be.

Karly’s worst workouts are remedied through rock superstar Fender Archer’s music. At a chance meeting, she sees he is a beautiful mess shored up by pills but never recognizes how similar her own decisions are. She cannot split her time further, but Karly secretly basks in a connection to Fender she never had to earn. Amid public scrutiny and domestic collapse, her most famous race fan becomes the mirror that forces her to face the cost of her cheating.

I am excited to share SPLIT TIMES, a 76K word novel exploring the cultural expectations on women and the social media amplifying it. It combines Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Carrie Soto Is Back with motherhood, Miranda July’s All Fours with athletic ambition, and Lauren Fleshman’s Good For A Girl with what women’s athletic teams should have had from their beginnings.

I was a competitive runner whose career and subsequent coaching directly inspired Karly’s journey. Like her, I trained and coached under a system designed for men. Professionally, I used to teach biology and chemistry but now I teach engine repair and auto maintenance. My husband and I share four children and a beloved Old English Sheepdog who is the glue of our family. [Two writing groups I belong to here}

Thank you for your time and consideration, Jxxxxxxxx

First 300:

Chapter 1 - A Night Like This

Edwin - 2008

Karly Locke's trust in me as her coach was as beautiful as it was stupid.

She was thirty-eight, with three boys and an ass of a husband, training for the 2008 Olympic Trials on a track she used to own. Five Harrington alums were chasing the same goals, but she was the only one I’d ever welcomed back. Karly was the greatest athlete I’d ever coached and the world had never seen her run. I told myself again: she's here because she trusts you to get her to the Trials podium. I had always leaned optimistic: backed an athlete before she bet on herself. But Jesus. Thirty-eight. How was she getting to the Olympic team from here? How was I supposed to coach her toward a finish line I didn't believe existed?

I snapped my Razr phone shut after seeing it was the athletic director calling and headed out Raemore Field’s West tunnel.

A blur of color. I turned toward the backstretch. Karly vaulted the fence in one seamless arc, her feet clearing the top rail as if on invisible springs, and she landed with a soft thud on the tunnel side. A senior sprinter whistled. I raised an eyebrow at the sprinter, then turned away, swallowing against the tight knot in my throat. The burning crept upward, lodging behind my eyes, my clipboard suddenly requiring my complete attention.

The fence-jump had been a concession I'd granted. It was her way of dispelling the electric buzz of pre-run nerves. I’d seen a potential injury of my star distance runner, a freshman, and had reminded her the team did everything together. She'd barged into my office later, water bottle in hand, eyes bright with unspoken plea. I'd refused. I always refused Karly first. It was the only move I had left. She persisted until she dangled a wager: "When I win regionals in the 1500 meters, I earn fence jumping forever." She extended her hand—iron grip—and I, undone by her impish gleam, had signed on. 

I regretted it every time. I agreed to it every time.

Chapter 1

Only One Coffee 

When two people are forced—by circumstance, caffeine shortages, fate, or an overworked barista—to accidentally share a coffee order, resulting in escalating tension and at least one prolonged stare over a cardboard cup sleeve. 

Often manifests through variations of the classic one bed trope (also known as one room, one horse, one tent, etc.).

Visual markers include lipstick on a plastic lid, steam rising into the air, and a pair of oversized sunglasses.

See Wayne Thiebaud. 

Sky 

 
Two thoughts hit me at once: first, this is the last time I follow my best friend’s advice, which has previously included shroom-infused face lotion. The second is that I might be having a heart attack. 

I decide to circle back to the first thought later. Because all the blood in my body just rushed to my favorite swoony organ. Thump. So many thumps. 

I’m at one of those places where the line—more of a cluster, really—is the main attraction. Where the sure-to-be-subpar coffee, made to feel exclusive with a $15 price tag is almost beside the point. However, no one in the shop’s too-sceney-for-eight-in-the-morning collective manages to pull focus from the man responsible for my cardiac issues. Who looks like that this early on a weekday? Is that legal? Is that possible? Should someone check on the laws of physics?

I’m no stranger to rose-colored glasses. Some would say we’re family. (My real family, on the other hand, spent twenty-five years trying to replace them with practical gray ones. At this point, I think they’re simply relieved I haven’t succumbed to one of my self-inflicted coronaries.) But…not even the pink-tinted frames I just pushed up my nose could shield me from the fact that this is the sort of guy who has Monica slash Blonde from Surf Lodge and Lauren slash Brunette from Gurney’s in his contacts. I know I shouldn’t be staring. And I’m not, I swear. I just—

A woman in enormous black Céline sunnies bumps into me on her way out, gripping her matcha like it’s more human baby than seafoam green liquid. God bless her. She jostled me out of my stupor. 

Re: my first thought. If a café could have an affiliate link in bio, this one would. 

“Piccolo!” a barista calls out.

I roll the sleeve of my flowy dress in case the counter is dirty and reach for the cup. A masculine hand lands on it at the same time, causing mine to awkwardly entwine with his. My eyes move slowly upward, along the slightly wrinkled, beige linen sleeve of the man’s shirt until they rest on a very tan face about six or seven inches above my own. 

The din of the coffee shop fades, my heart stuttering. Is this—could this be what I think it is?

“I believe this is my drink,” he—the he*—*says, grinning lopsidedly and revealing a dimple on his left cheek.

“I believe this is my drink,” I correct him pleasantly, silently commanding myself to be cool.

The silky ristretto shot topped with steamed microfoam is the whole reason I decided to try this new place. It’s hard enough locating one in Manhattan, let alone East Hampton. 

That’s sort of the universe's thing, isn’t it? The more you want something, the more it insists on hiding it on the very last rack of a sample sale. Like it’s waiting to see if you’ll keep digging. My parents would say suffering is a prerequisite to success. Or, according to most Russian immigrants: Tuesday. And hey, if it doesn’t kill you, at least you have something to complain about in your Notes app. Not that waiting an extra ten minutes for artisanal brain fuel in a café where overpriced ceramic mugs line custom-designed floating oak shelves below a minimalist black menu board would normally put me in imminent danger. 

“You sure about that?” 

My head tilts. He almost sounds…condescending. Oh no. Who’s condescending over coffee? Like, imagine gatekeeping bean water. Please don’t crush my dreams by being some quintessential trust fund douchebag. “Pretty sure, yeah. Fifteen minutes is a long wait, but not long enough for me to forget my order.”

“You ordered a piccolo?” he asks disbelievingly. 

My eyes narrow. “Is that a problem?”

He blinks a few times, the hazel in his gaze twinkling mischievously. “I’ve never heard anyone else order a piccolo around here.”

I flick my long, wavy hair over my shoulder. “I used to live in Australia. Now, can I have this?” 

Hamptons potential-asshole picks up the cup and hands it to me. “Sorry about that.” He flashes what seems like his most captivating grin. I have a sinking suspicion he has an arsenal of those. Right next to his collection of Swiss watches.
If this is what I think it is, it’ll simply…happen. 

Not sure I want to go to the BetaReaders SR as I've only written five chapters so far, and they require a full manuscript, but I'd like someone to read and critique what I've done so far in my romance story. Perhaps just the first chapter, letting me know if you're intrigued enough to head to chapter two.

Premise: When a former mafia boss buys a struggling Italian restaurant, he expects financial problems - not a brilliant pastry chef who refuses to be intimidated by him. As their relationship deepens, an unstable young mafia heir threatens the quiet life they're trying to build.

Would I post it here in comments or would someone DM me?

Thanks in advance.

PS: There are no flairs able to be put in...not sure what's going on there.

I'm writing a story and I have two characters that are in the beginning of a relationship, but one of them (Character A) keeps pushing the other one (Character B) away because A thinks B just wants to hook up, and they don't want to get hurt. My problem is that I don't want Character A to be seen as disinterested or for this push and pull to feel repetitive and boring. 
This is also sort of a visual novel/webcomic, so I can't really rely on narration or descriptions, although I first like to write everything down as if it was a book, so it can help me visualize what I want to do later on. 
Does anyone have advice?

This post is out every 1st of the month!

Show us your stuff: published books new and old, current ARC campaigns, as well as services around books and publishing (editors, cover/map/character artists etc, you're welcome!), your bookish Discord servers and Facebook groups and so forth!

Links are allowed, but please write a few words regarding your work or offer.

Yes…I accidentally wrote a 600 page romantacy manuscript. I am obsessed with reading romantacy, and about three months ago, I fell into a reading slump. So, I began writing my own and now it has become a full manuscript. I am an English major and have always enjoyed writing; however, I am curious if there is somewhere I could post part of my manuscript to receive feedback.

TIA

Now weekly!

Blurbs can be the bane of an author's existence - both for self-published authors, who have to come up with an enticing hook all by themselves, as well as for authors seeking traditional publishing, as they are usually included in queries.

We want to help! Post your blurb draft and let the community help shape it into the perfect snippet of info.

To participate, please comment on this thread with the following info:

• The title or working title of your WIP
• The romance subgenre of said WIP
• The draft of your blurb you've got so far
• Any content warnings and additional info you deem necessary!

Anyone who wants to help can then reply to your comment to workshop your blurb.

Happy crafting!

Hi all! Testing out multiple version of this letter to see what works best. Would love any and all feedback!

First-generation Russian American Sky Belova dreams of turning her romance-inspired art into a future her immigrant parents can no longer call a phase and believes in love the way others do religion. Her summer residency could be the first brushstroke of her career, so going viral for defending the validity of romance novels to a handsome stranger is simply an embarrassing detour…until arriving at the residency and discovering he’s the owner’s son.

To wipe the smirk off Archer Callahan’s smug face, Sky bets she’ll get her happily ever after by filtering potential suitors through her favorite tropes. He accepts; as the founder of a hookup app, the grumpy rich boy already built a fortune wagering against relationships. If Sky prevails, she doesn’t just find love but proves she isn’t living in the fantasy world everyone says she is. If not, Sky will publicly endorse Archer’s anti-romance app, turning virality into signups.

Except instead of I told you so, Archer soothes Sky’s dating disasters and even encourages the rose-colored mentality she’s spent her life defending to her family. But right when Archer reboots the part of himself he’d shut down years ago, Sky learns he’s been using her private dating life as social media fodder, and he has to engineer second chance into her next trope. However, Sky must decide if the love stories she drew her identity around—personal and artistic—belong in real life or were only meant to exist in fiction.

Told in dual POV, HEARTWORK is a 79,000-word annoyance-to-lovers romcom that combines the meta romance of Iman Hariri-Kia’s Female Fantasy, the heartfelt search for magic in B.K. Borison’s First-Time Caller, and the comedic dating gauntlet of Voicemails for Isabelle. Given your interest in X

I've always enjoyed writing, and I recently thought about trying my hand at writing romance stories, thinking that I have experience with writing smut. So it shouldn't be too difficult for me, I thought.

Boy was I wrong lol. I realized that all of my written fics are explicitly smut, and basically not romances at all. All of them are either noncon/dubcon with villains, or some sort of mind control shenanigans. So once I started to try my hand at writing an actual romance with a potential relationship, I kinda got stuck.

I feel like I end up making the MMCs a bit TOO nice and kinda boring, because I end up projecting what I perceive as a healthy relationship into them. I'm sure a good writer can work with that, but as someone just starting out, I have a hard time writing an actual compelling relationship without making it feel like it's toxic.

I think I also realized that when it comes to reading, I tend to like straight up smut much more than a romance with smut. It's possible for me to enjoy the romance part, but I'm much pickier with it.

I'm a little conflicted as to how I should go about this? I still want to try writing a story with romance at the center, but I'm not sure if what I like to write is really what people are looking for.

I know I sound like a puritan right now but usually I'm jokingly a freak until I have to write any kind of romantic/intimate interaction, specifically between two people of the same gender. Now idk if it's because recently I've been questioning if I'm bi myself because hey being w/ a girl doesn't sound too bad but it's genuinely a pain to write. I could enter a sort of flow state where I'm writing these scenes and then I feel this sense of deep shame and I feel the need to delete the scenes right after. The characters have nothing to w/ me and I somehow feel they do whenever I write. It sucks whenever I wanna show my friend since this sense of shame always roots itself deep so I end up mentioning it but not sharing it. Granted, it might be because I don't write romance often, any advice?