This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Alicia Leigh will be awarding a paperback copy of The Romance Novel Formula to 3 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
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.
Read an Excerpt
How do I start the first act?
As a general rule, start your story with the person you want the reader to identify with the most. Readers tend to sympathize with the first character they are introduced to, so make sure you choose wisely. In the romance genre, it should be one of your love interests. Once you’ve decided on this character, you can write your first sentence. Use your first sentence to hook the reader into your story––this is called the opening hook. There are several ways to write a successful opening hook. For example:
Leave an unanswered question
An example from William Goldman’s fairytale romance, The Princess Bride: “This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it.” Tell me that opening doesn’t have you asking questions and wanting to read more! Why is it his favorite book … and how does he know if he has never read it? Questions, questions, and more questions.
Hint at the theme
You can do this in a playful, serious, or even an ironic manner, such as the famous opener from the classic romance novel, Pride and Prejudice: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” This hints at the theme of marriage that will permeate the novel.
State an interesting character opinion
This differs from a hint at the theme because it gives us a glimpse into the character’s personality rather than the theme. In Boyfriend Material, Alexis Hall opens with Luc’s opinion: “I’ve never seen the point of fancy-dress parties.” This works because those who agree with this viewpoint will want to know if his reasons for hating them align with their own and those who love fancy dress will want to read on to find out how someone can’t see the point of them.
About the Author:
She uses her postgraduate degrees in counseling from the Australian College of Applied Psychology and editing from Macquarie University to create believable, three-dimensional characters. Her certificates in forensic science and forensic anthropology from the University of Strathclyde add layers to the realistic crime elements in her stories. She has completed her master’s degree in writing at Swinburne University and is currently embarking upon her PhD in Creative Arts (writing) at Central Queensland University.
When not writing, reading, coaching, studying, or enjoying nature, she can be found having fun with her three gorgeous children (plus one laid-back dog and one hypersensitive guinea pig).
She is active on social media and encourages readers and writers to interact with her there. She writes romantic fiction novels under the pseudonyms A.K. Leigh and Leigh Hatchmann.
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*Fall in love … with Leigh*
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