There's a lot of talk about the "rules" of writing romance novels -- largely because romance is often perceived as being formulaic. (Not true -- but that's a subject for another post, I think.)
But there are a few rules that it's not safe to break, if you want to be published.
1. Remember that you are writing a romance. Not a mainstream novel. Not a travelogue. Not a textbook.
2. Create a likeable heroine. Not Poor Pitiful Pearl. Not stupid. Not a victim.
3. Present an attractive hero. Not a brute. Not a wimp. Not an abuser. Not a stalker.
4. Make the initial attraction and initial conflict plausible. Not an instant hormone attack. Not instant hatred on first meeting.
5. Construct a believable conflict, a real problem between the hero and heroine. Not a misunderstanding. Not interference by malicious other characters.
6. Write a commercial novel, one that readers will enjoy. Not a book they should read for their own education or the improvement of the world, but one they want to read.
Follow those six commandments, and your story will stand a much better chance of reaching the bookstore shelves and the reader’s hands!
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