Romance novels are a tried and tested genre and are loved by many readers, especially teens. YA romance novels are an extremely popular genre, so it can be difficult to write a book that stands out from the crowd and draws the attention of readers. Romance novels are sought after because of their cozy and loving nature, and strong characters. Likable characters and instances of love and drama capture the hearts of many readers, which is why a well-written romance novel is sure to be admired. Love can be difficult to write about, so whether you are a first-time romance writer or a professional, here are seven tips for writing a YA romance novel.
Choose A Subgenre
Even though a teen romance novel is a specific category of romance, there are still many niches that fit into this category. Before, starting your novel it is important to choose the subgenre of your novel. The most successful romance novels can be allotted into a specific niche. When you choose a specific subgenre, you let readers know what to expect and as a writer, you can focus on specific themes in your story. But, it can be difficult and even frightening to choose a niche for your romance novel, so in order to understand the different subgenres, it is important to read. If you are stuck on what the niche of your novel is, read as many romance novels as you can to learn about different subgenres and choose the one that is right for you. Also, listed below are five popular romance subgenres:
Fantasy
Supernatural
High School
Historical
Romantic Comedy
Include Conflict
To keep readers energized and interested, there needs to be some sort of conflict. The couple in your novel shouldn't live a life free from problems, instead, you should create tension, and make something happen to your characters. When writing a romance novel, make sure to have something interfere with the characters' relationships or your novel may bore readers.
Avoid Clichés
Clichés run rampant in romance novels, but they can kill the story. Clichés are tropes or expressions that have lost their originality due to overuse. When you write it is important that you don't bulge your novel with clichés, because clichés demonstrate a lack of creativity or original thought. When writing a teen romance novel, it may be tempting to include clichés, but it is best to write in your own words and be descriptive. Also, though clichés are common they may not translate to other languages, which can create language barriers for international readers. Teens especially enjoy reading innovative and unique types of stories, so as you write a romance novel evaluate the number of clichés in your novel. If you do decide to write a novel centered around a common cliché, be sure to rewrite it and infuse your own voice and creativity. Here are the 5 most common clichés in romance novels:
Perfect Characters/Couples
Love at First Sight
Nerd Changes Themself to be Popular
Unlikeable Characters
Possesive or Stalker Behavior
Consider Setting
The setting is prevalent in almost every novel, but specifically in romance novels. Even though this may come as a surprise, when writing a romance novel, it is essential that you consider the setting. Many readers read romance novels to escape and immerse themselves in a new world, which is why the setting is important. If your setting is flat and uninteresting readers won't be engaged in the story. The setting should help create an atmosphere for your characters, while also feeling real and immersive. Make sure to be extremely specific and detailed when describing the setting of your teen romance. A teen romance set in the loud, cliquey, sweaty halls of high school will feel very different than a teen romance set in a 16th-century castle.
Create Compelling Characters
Romance novels are centered around romance and relationships, which is why characters are at the heart of romance novels. Before you consider romantic relationships, it is essential you have characters that are individually interesting. Every character in your novel should be engaging by themselves and shouldn't need a partner to be interesting. Before a character enters a relationship, it is important that readers get to know what they are like before. Characters should be compelling and complex on their own with flaws, goals, desires, and fears. When you write a romance novel, it is important the characters don't have personalities tied to relationships.
Establich Chemistry Between Characters
Only once you have created engaging individual characters, then you should craft romantic chemistry between characters. As mentioned, every character should be interesting on their own, but in a relationship, they should be interesting too. Your characters should make sense together and have traits that are compatible and similar to each other. If two characters are obviously incompatible, readers will lose interest in the story and won't be able to connect with the characters. The romance between characters should never feel forced. To create chemistry between characters, they should have complementing personality traits. Characters can complement each other either with very similar traits or traits that balance each other out. A couple with chemistry should also work with what both characters want.
* For example, a previously-homeless character may want a stable, and loving partner, while a character with anxiety may want a calming and gentle partner.
Have Natural Development Over Time
Your characters shouldn't propose to each other the moment they meet, instead, they should develop as a couple over time. The romance of your characters should logically progress and shouldn't be too quick. Don't be afraid to let your characters take their time and develop slowly. The longer you write out the relationship the more authentic and believable it will feel to readers. It is also fun and engaging for readers to see how the relationship unfurls over time, it creates a sense of reward and satisfaction.
Teens love romance novels, yet every romance writer knows that love can be very hard to write and stand out to readers, yet these tips should help! As you write a romance novel, follow and keep these seven tips in mind to create an international bestseller!