Romance Writing II
GUIDE TO FICTION COURSES
Fiction Pathways
Foundation
If you’re not sure what kind of fiction to write...
If you know what kind of fiction to write...
Fiction Writing I
Zoetrope Fiction Writing I
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing I
Mystery Writing I
Romance Writing I
Children’s Book Writing I
Or...
If you want a rather short course...
Fiction Writing Intensive
Children’s Book Writing Intensive
Middle Grade/Young Adult Intensive
Humor Writing Intensive
Comics & Graphic Novels
Next Steps
After completing a Level I ten-week course...
Short Fiction II
Zoetrope Short Fiction II
Novel II First Draft Part 1
Novel II Critique
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing II
Mystery Writing II
Romance Writing II
Children’s Book Writing II
After completing Novel First Draft II Part 1...
After completing Short Fiction II...
Also Helpful
These essential courses are great for writers of any level.
Character
Dialogue
Plot 1: Mechanics
Plot 2: Machinations
Reading Fiction
In(verse): Poetic Techniques for Non-Poets
The Writer’s Mind
The Editor’s Eye
Grammar 1: The Basics
Grammar 2: Expertise and Finesse
Social Media
For Teens
Romance Writing II is a 10-week workshop, which includes lectures, exercises, and the critiquing of student projects. The prerequisite is Romance Writing I, or the equivalent; Level II courses work best when students know the fundamentals and have experience with the workshop process. Farther down, you can view a syllabus for this course.
What’s more addictive than romance? Perhaps romance novels. They account for a hefty portion of all fiction paperback sales, with many millions of readers worldwide experiencing the thrills and heartbreaks of these ever-appealing stories. For the aspiring writer, there is ample opportunity to publish in this field.
To write successful romance novels, you must marry the skills of a fiction writer with a thorough understanding of the genre. Here you will learn about the various types of romance novels and their special requirements, as well as fiction craft and how to market your work.
Whether you seek to write historical or contemporary, sassy or suspenseful, we’ll show you how to write romance novels readers will fall in love with.
The class consists of fellow writers who understand and love the Romance genre, which makes the feedback and interaction particularly valuable.
Gretchen Markel
banking
Notes
The “romance” genre does not refer to any fictional work that contains romance; rather, it refers to novels that are usually part of established romance “lines.”
You may also work on a “romance” novel in a Fiction I or (at the advanced level) Novel II First Draft or Novel II Critique, or one of our other genre courses: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery.
If you’re working on a YA novel, you may take a Fiction/Novel course, or a “genre” course, or you may take a Children’s Book course, where the full spectrum of children’s books will be covered.
Upcoming Classes
Check back soon. You'll likely see options when we finish our next schedule.
Syllabus
This course helps you sharpen your skills at the romance genre and work toward completion of a romance novel. Writers often repeat Romance II to continue their projects. Course components:
Lectures
Workshopping of student projects (each student presenting work three times)
Week 1
Getting Started: The bones of a romance. Structuring a story. Scenes and chapters. Beginnings. Apt details. Narrative flow. Creative rule-breaking.
Week 2
Planning & Outlining: Developing plot/conflict. Plotting techniques. Outlines.
Week 3
Conflict & Plot: Conflict—problem, solution, tension. Strengthening the conflict. Backstory and hidden story. Subplots and secondary characters. Plausibility and coincidence. Cause and effect.
Week 4
Things that Stump the Best of Us: Boring backstory. Ponderous pacing. Troublesome transitions.
Week 5
Battle of the Sexes: Exploring a multitude of ways in which men and women are (generally) different.
Week 6
Love Scenes: Sweet to spicy. How much sex? Satisfying love scenes. Things to avoid.
Week 7
Writing a Series: Types of series. Building a world. Pros and cons of creating a series.
Week 8
Writing the Synopsis: The importance of a synopsis. Synopsis vs. outline. Creating a great synopsis.
Week 9
Traditional Publishing: Agents. Creating the perfect pitch. The submission process. Getting an offer. Contracts. The publishing process. The professional writer.
Week 10
Independent Publishing: Types of independent publishing. Editing. Formatting. Cover design. E-books. Printed books. Marketing and promotion.
Note: Content may vary among individual classes.
