Definition – Examples – How to Write

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Hello Lovelies, and welcome back to the blog. Last week, I gave you an introduction to the fifth Pillar of Genre, Fiction. We went over a definition, and we briefly talked about the loads of Fiction subgenres. This week, I want to dive deeper into the first of those subgenres, that of Romance. Let’s get started.

Romance Definition

The romance genre in literature focuses on the idea of love and relationships of the characters. While it may absolutely have mystery, adventure, and other elements, it is the romantic plot that runs the strongest through the piece and is the most heavily focused upon.

Examples

There are so many examples for Romance, and because I personally have watched so many YouTube videos from so many romance authors that have taught me a ton about the writing craft, I want to take some time to give back and acknowledge some of those channels here:

• Lyra Parish (Pen Name) of The Courtney Project
• Sarra Cannon of Heart Breathings
• Emily Bourne
• Kate Cavanaugh

How to Write Romance as a Literary Genre

So you want to know how to entertain an audience with your words alone? There are several strategies to do just that, but one of the best comes from fellow author Gwen Hayes in her book, Romancing the Beat: Story Structure for Romance Novels. I’m going to outline the beats here as Gwen talks about them, but I highly recommend checking out the free resources on her website, and more than that, to go buy the book if you’re interested.

1. Part I – Setup
   1. Intro H1 
   2. Intro H2 
   3. Meet Cute 
   4. No Way 1 
   5. Adhesion Plot Thrust 
2. Part II – Falling in Love 
   1. No Way 2 
   2. Inkling this Could Work 
   3. Deepening Desire 
   4. Maybe this Time
   5. Midpoint of LOVE Plot Thrust 
3. Part III – Retreating from Love 
   1. Inkling of Doubt 
   2. Deepening Doubt 
   3. Retreat 
   4. Shields Up 
   5. Break Up
4. Part IV – Fighting for Love 
   1. Dark Night of the Soul 
   2. Wake Up/Catharsis 
   3. Grand Gesture 
   4. What Whole-Hearted Looks Like 
   5. Epilogue

Next Week

Next week, we are moving through the Fiction Pillar of Genre, and talking about the Crime Genre. There are a ton of subgenres that fall under the fiction category and I am so excited to go over them all and find out your favorites. Stay tuned for fiction next week and throughout the rest of the year!

Discussion Questions

1. What is your favorite work of fiction?
2. Do you have a favorite type of fiction subgenre?
3. What genre is your favorite to read in, and do you write in the same genre or a different one?
4. What is the most important reason writers should be aware of genre and its conventions?
5. What questions would you like to see me answer in a blog post or podcast episode?

Leave your answers in the comments section for this post!

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