Dash of Love: Romantic Subplots for Novels of Any Genre

Mysteries, thrillers, fantasy, sci-fi, historical, contemporary - novels of any genre can appeal to more readers (who beg for a sequel) with a solid romantic subplot (see "romantasy"). Learn tips and tricks from the romance genre to make sure your romantic subplot is enhancing the story, adding tension, and not landing flat.

This presentation includes:

1.          What is the romance genre and how that is different than a love story without a happy ending.

2.          Hallmarks of the romance genre, including story beats and common tropes.

3.          How to use tropes (and why they aren’t a bad thing) in your romantic subplot.

4.          The importance of interiority and conveying characters’ feelings and not just their actions for a convincing love story.

5.          Identifying the love interests’ emotional wounds and the character growth arc they need to be ready for love.

6.          Writing romantic tension, the story beats, and the essential “push and pull” that keeps readers turning pages wondering “will they or won’t they.”

7.          Shut the door – heat levels in romance and tips for writing “clean” or platonic romance to slightly steamy closed door and all-out sexy subplots.

8.          The concept of the 12 stages of physical intimacy and how to write sex scenes without ending up on the list of “worst sex scenes” published each year – the earlier stages apply regardless of your “heat level.”

9.          Romance genre endings versus cliffhangers or breakups (or death), audience expectations for your genre.

10.        Examples of successful romantic subplots in every genre from recent bestsellers - what worked for these stories.