Writing Romance

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian studies at
Concordia University, and the author of Kurlek, Margaret Laurence: The
Long Journey Home, and As Though Life Mattered: Leo Kennedy’s Story.

Many women enjoy reading romantic fiction, and a surprisingly large
number dream of writing their own. Written by a successful essayist, a
popular lecturer, and the author of 25 romance novels, Writing Romance
is a thoroughly professional guide to a business that generates close to
$1 billion a year.

Vanessa Grant gives workshops on romance and the process of writing
fiction, and her text is well organized and lively. In Part 1, she
covers planning, the ingredients of a successful romance novel,
characters, conflict, and plotting. Part 2 deals with such basic matters
as computers, research, priorities, goals, and “the garbage can
test.”

Writers are advised to soften the blow that accompanies a publisher’s
rejection by keeping a “warm, fuzzy album” of compliments on hand.
Grant also has advice on developing the initial spark of a storyline,
injecting suspense and emotional intensity into the plot, and—the acid
test—selling the manuscript.

Beyond its obvious practical applications, this clear and thorough
guide provides an indirect explanation as to why the romance genre
continues to fascinate so many women.