The Novelry on Writing12 Nov 2024

How to Turn Up the Heat in Romantasy

Romantasy is a genre that has taken the publishing world by storm with titles like Fourth Wing and ACOTAR flying off bookstore shelves. Whether you’re writing romantasy or just a fan of magic and make-outs, authors and The Novelry writing coaches Bea Fitzgerald and Ella McLeod are here to unpack the keys to turning up the heat in your story. In this extra spicy episode of The Novelry on Writing, learn how to raise the stakes, create characters who yearn deeply, and how to wisely use tropes to write a book readers will fall in love with.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction

01:44 - Tip #1: Raise the stakes

05:05 - Tip #2: Use tropes wisely

09:02 - Tip #3: Romance beats

13:14 - Tip #4: Lean in

15:17 - Tip #5: Romance arcs

Guest Bios

Bea Fitzgerald

Bea Fitzgerald is a Sunday Times bestselling, award-winning author. Her debut novel, Girl, Goddess, Queen, was published to rave reviews including five-star write-ups in the Telegraph, Glamour and Culturefly. It went on to become the bestselling YA hardback debut of 2023. Girl, Goddess, Queen won Romance Novel of the Year 2024 at the RNAs and has been shortlisted for numerous other awards including the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Young Adult Book Prize, and the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards.

Ella McLeod

Ella McLeod is a Branford Boase-nominated author whose debut novel, Rapunzella, Or, Don’t Touch My Hair, was published in July 2022 with Scholastic and in June 2024 with Little Bee in the U.S.A. Rapunzella received rave reviews in Kirkus, the Irish Times, the Guardian, and a star review in Foreword Magazine. Her second novel, The Map That Led to You, was published in June 2024 and is a pirates-and-mermaids swashbuckling adventure story full of queer romance and radical self-acceptance.

Resources

Check out these blog posts for more insight on how to write a gripping romantasy novel:

What is Romantasy?

Get Writing With These Inspiring Fantasy Writing Prompts

Seven Best Fantasy Settings For Your Novel

Read the full episode transcript here!

For one-on-one help writing your novel, join us on a creative writing course at The Novelry today. Sign up for courses, coaching and a community from the world’s top-rated writing school.

Share this episode!

Have a question? Email us at hello@thenovelry.com.

All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel with motivation and support from The Novelry. Sign up! Your story starts here...

Connect with The Novelry

Official Site: https://thenovelry.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenovelry

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenovelry/

Twitter: https://x.com/thenovelry

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNovelry

Show description

Learn how novels work from publishing’s top experts at The Novelry, the world’s #1 school for writers. Hosted by our bestselling writing coaches and publishing editors, this podcast is a practical, helpful guide to writing novels for every genre. Enjoy inside tips and tricks to make your writing a joyful experience while building your expertise in writing craft.

With new topics every week, there is always something to learn at The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school with more 5* reviews from writers than any other creative writing course.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(22)

From First Draft to Book Deal: Debut Author Anna Brook-Mitchell and Agent Jemima Forrester on What It Takes to Get Published

Anna Brook-Mitchell had just been made redundant when she decided to write her first novel. Three years later, she had six agent offers and a publishing deal with Pan Macmillan for her debut novel, Mo...

17 Jun 57min

How I Got Published – Writing My First Novel with The Novelry

Do you dream of publishing a book?Join editor Josie Humber and author Brisa Carleton for this very special bonus episode of The Novelry on Writing. Find out how Brisa turned an idea into her debut nov...

4 Nov 202540min

The 5 Ps: Prose: Writing Good Prose in Fiction

Writing prose in fiction is all about using your unique voice. In this final bonus episode of The Novelry on Writing, authors Tara Conklin and Urban Waite dive into:✍️ How to avoid overwriting✍️ Tips ...

9 Jul 202515min

The 5 Ps: Plot - Writing Plot Structure

While you can’t get the whole plot of a novel in the first three pages, those initial pages need to set up a foundation for writing plot structure. The plot is the journey your main character goes on ...

2 Jul 202511min

The 5 Ps: Place - How to Write the Setting of a Story

Setting or Place in a story is a crucial component of a novel. In this bonus episode of The Novelry on Writing, author Gina Sorell and editor Sorcha Rose dive into:✍️ What is place or setting, and why...

25 Jun 202521min

The 5 Ps: Problem - Writing Conflict in a Story

Writing conflict in a story is crucial to hook your reader in the first three pages of a novel. If you’re submitting an entry for The Next Big Story prize, you must jump into the problem quickly and g...

18 Jun 202516min

The 5 Ps: Person – Writing Characters Who Come to Life

Need some tips on writing characters? Join us for this bonus episode of The Novelry on Writing podcast to celebrate The Next Big Story prize, where you could win $100k for the best first 3 pages of a ...

11 Jun 202514min

How to Add Drama and Raise the Stakes in Your Story

Want to learn how to raise the stakes in a story? Are you eager to keep your readers on the edge of their seats? If you’ve ever worried that your story is too quiet, The Novelry editor Josie Humber an...

18 Mar 202523min