Released April 2025 Reviewed by Ian Gifford 09/27/2025
It’s been a while since I’ve penned an album review, but sometimes you just need the right album to come along to inspire the writing bug, and Tom Dunphy’s debut solo release, Everything Was New, is one such album. I’ve been thinking about it since I first dropped the needle and decided that it’s something that should be shared.
As one half of the husband and wife writing duo for London’s favourite Honky Tonk band, The Rizdales, Tom is no stranger to writing a great song. This collection features five fresh Tom Dunphy originals, as well as some reworked tracks and a single cover song. The album is a stripped-back classic country record with songs that sound like they could have been written by Marty, Merle, Hank, or Willie themselves, but with Tom’s unique vocal styling. Tom covers the acoustic guitar and upright bass duties deftly, with the added talents of Toronto session stars, Steve Briggs on electric guitar and Burke Carroll on lap steel (both of the Brothers Cosmoline/BeBop Cowboys).
This overall tone is in stark contrast to the rocking Rizdales sounds we are used to, but is reminiscent of the early writers that inspired that sound. The no drums approach, coupled with the lightly strummed acoustic guitar and twangy colourings of the Telecaster and the steel, takes you back to the early days of the Grand Ole Opry and the records that were getting the artists there! It feels like Tom could have been born in a different era, yet he writes with contemporary themes and issues at heart.
Highlights for me are the first single, the lively “You Make me Shake” or “September is Gone” which provides some vivid images of the autumn and the striking line “They say new life begins with the spring, ours will begin with the fall”; and the rework of Tom’s old band’s single The Juke Joint Johnny’s’ – “Leaving Train” which has had new life breathed into it by both Steve and Burke’s contributions.
This album is true country music that reaches the same passion and emotions as its American predecessors. While it contains the expected themes of breakups and beer drinking, it’s never hokey or kitschy, it’s just a good listen from front to back, of some well written and well executed tunes, where even the lone cover (“Song to a Dead Man” by T-Bone Burnett), which the album is named after a line of, doesn’t seem out of place.
If I had to give it a Star Rating, it would be 5 Stars, because I simply can’t find anything wrong with it. It’s a record I could play over and over again and be transported to some old diner in Nashville at 3:00 am, with the jukebox gently humming in the corner.
The gold star of bestseller lists is The New York Times Best Seller list. But trying to get on the list is tricky. Firstly, there is no one defining list. The New York Times has sixteen different lists and the same 10 – 15 books can appear on all of them at the same time.
To even make the grade, you must have sold between 5 000 and 10 000 traditionally published books in one week – Sunday through Saturday – across America through multiple retailers, mostly bookshops.
Apart from the occasional romance book, self-published books don’t stand a chance.
Is it easier to sell non-fiction books? No. The market is far more competitive, and the minimum number of sales needs to be 7500.
Surely there must be more to it than that?
There is, but what that entails, as far as The New York Times is concerned, is a very closely guarded secret.
So what’s a writer to do?
It depends. Are you wanting to stay true to your own voice and write the books you want to read? Or do you want to chase the market?
If you want to chase the market and only write the types of books that are currently selling, it’s important to remember that you must research what books are selling now, write one, find a publisher and then sell your book. Just finding a publisher could take six-months to a year. Once you’ve signed on with a publisher it could take six months to a year before your book hits the bookshop shelves. By then, the Vampire Nuns genre that was selling off-the-chart numbers when you first researched ‘what books are selling now’, has given way to variations of Scotsmen In Mongolia.
I want to stay true to my own voice
Okay then.
In terms of the writing:
Read great books in your genre. Read a lot. Never stop reading.
Join writing groups – not just to chill, but to write… a lot and get feedback as this will help improve your writing.
Have book discussions with other authors and readers. This matters because it’s while debating the merits of Darcy of Pemberley vs Geralt of Rivia, that you discover what readers understand, prefer, and want, as well as when one type of hero is needed over another.
Join writers’ groups preferably in your genre. These are great not just for the comradeship but can also help if a writers’ block falls out the ceiling and hits you on the head rendering you idealess.
Join an author crit circle. One with strict ‘kindness’ rules.
Go on writing retreats, alone or with other writers who actually want to write.
Write as much as possible.
Experiment with your writing. Don’t just stick to one genre as exploring other genres, voices, tenses, and word counts, will strengthen your writing muscles. You’re not required to publish these experiments; they are writing gym. Want to write great tension in romance? Practise writing horror stories with very short word counts.
Create memorable and relatable characters/scenes/scenarios/locations/choices etc.
Write with the audience in mind. If you’re writing romance, you must have an HEA (happy ever after) or a HFN (happy for now) ending, or it won’t qualify as a romance, and readers will be miffed. It’s hard to win back a miffed reader.
Some advice blogs will tell you to edit for clarity not perfection. I’m not one of them. Edit first for clarity, and then for perfection. In this technologically driven day and age, there is no excuse for typos or incorrect grammar, unless the incorrect grammar is a plot device.
Get alpha reader feedback. Grow a thick skin and become humble and open to hearing criticism and learn what do with it.
If you are self-publishing – Unless you are a trained graphic designer DO NOT design your own cover. Knowing how to use Canva does not make you a designer. The easiest way to tell if a book’s cover was created by a non-designer, is the typography. Hire a designer, preferably one with a portfolio that includes book covers in your genre.
(Optional) Find an excellent agent.
(Optional) Find a publisher.
(Optional) Sign a book contract.
The last three are optional as you may choose to go the self-publishing route.
In terms of ‘bestselling’:
Know that the average book sells no more than five hundred copies in the author’s lifetime.
Know that if you want your book to sell more than that you’re going to have to put in the work, and often potentially a lot of money, into making that happen.
Read as many books as possible on book marketing, Amazon marketing etc., that you can.
Learn how to recognise and avoid the book launch scams.
Hire a great publicist – get recommendations from other highly successful authors. Look for a publicist that has experience in getting authors and or books known, discussed, and sold through a variety of media.
Launch the book more than once. One book launch does not a bestseller make. Research which kinds of launches are the most successful.
Do continual book promotion and marketing – but not to your friends and family. Not if you want to still be invited to pizza and Netflix evenings.
If you’re going to write a series, write the first three books and launch them all at once. This matters more than you realise.
Keep writing. Even if it’s just one short story a month.
The Last Word
If you’d like to write for children, young adults, or adults, why not sign up for one of the rich and in-depth courses that Writers Write offers to learn how to write the best book you possibly can.
by Elaine Dodge. Author of The Harcourts of Canada series and The Device Hunter, Elaine trained as a graphic designer, then worked in design, advertising, and broadcast television. She now creates content, mostly in written form, including ghost writing business books, for clients across the globe, but would much rather be drafting her books and short stories.
Do you want to try something different in your short story? In this post, we give you 6 ways to experiment in short stories.
One of the best things about a short story is that you have the opportunity to experiment. It gives you the chance to do something you have never done before.
Here is a list of suggestions if you want to try something different. You can use them for any story – not just short stories.
6 Ways To Experiment In Short Stories
Change viewpoint: If you have been writing in the same viewpoint, try a completely different one.
Dialogue only: Flex your dialogue muscles and see if you can tell a complete story with only dialogue.
Descriptions and telling: I am a huge fan of showing, but I need to practise tellingtoo. Try rewriting your story with telling only.
Unreliable narrators and anti-heroes: Try writing a character who isn’t a perfect guy or a hero. If you always write about bad guys, try writing a story about a character with a very strong moral compass.
Different genre: Pick a genre you have never written in before.
Devices: Try adding a new element to your story. Thinks of speeches, emails, letters, diary entries, songs, and recipes.
These are only a few suggestions, and it will be tricky. You may not end up with your best story, but you will have learnt something new and done something different. This is about learning after all.
Happy writing!
Top Tip: If you want to learn how to write a short story, sign up for our online course.
Dystopian fiction is an increasingly popular genre, even though it depicts all the worst places ever! We tell you all about the genre and give some hints on how to write Dystopian stories.
What Is Dystopian Fiction?
Basically, Dystopian fiction talks about an author’s idea of hell on Earth. As a genre, it’s as old as humanity. Dystopian fiction is often considered the ugly twin of Utopian fiction. So, let’s take a brief look at this.
As a genre, Utopian fiction existed first. It takes its name from Thomas More’s novel Utopia (1516). ‘Utopia’ sounds very much like the Greek ‘eutopia,’ meaning ‘good place.’ In his book, More describes an ideal society on a secluded island, where humanity can live happily ever after. As a literary genre, Utopian fiction has its own characteristics.
Now, back to the Dystopian fiction. The Greek prefix ‘dys-‘ means ‘bad, diseased, abnormal, difficult.’ That already tells you that Dystopia is the ‘bad place.’ Dystopian fiction describes a world much worse than our own. In these stories, people live in a dangerous, oppressive, and unfair place. Let’s look at some more characteristics.
1. The Mission.
This is the most important element. Dystopian stories are all geared at showing us what could happen in the future if the current society continues on its path. It’s a call to action to stop in our tracks and to change our course. If not, we’ll go to that fictional hell described by the author.
The mission can be about our society as such (like ‘The Hunger Games’, depicting totalitarianism and media manipulation), or about a smaller aspect (climate change, for example, or the outbreak of a virus).
2. Distance to the Reader’s Present
Dystopian stories need to be set apart from our present reality. This distance lets us accept the message of the story. Without it, readers would take the criticism personally and ultimately dismiss it.
The author can create this distance by time (science fiction or historical fiction), by place (inventing a new city or even another planet), or by manner.
Distance by manner can involve fantasy, but full-blown fantasy creates too much distance. The readers would no longer transfer the Dystopian warning to their own reality. This would ruin the story’s mission.
A smart way to create distance by manner is to create an alternative history starting at a specific event in the past.
The TV show ‘The Man In The High Castle’ works like this. The alternative historical timeline starts with a different outcome of the Second World War. The story explores how the world would have been under Nazi rule. This parallel universe seems uncanny because it is so similar to our own world and yet so strikingly different.
3. Setting
The author must be meticulous about worldbuilding. Even if the Dystopian story is mostly set in our own day and age, the rules and laws of that Dystopian society need to differ from our own, and yet still form a consistent system. Inconsistency makes the story lose its magic.
4. The Guide Character
Both Utopian and Dystopian stories require a character who guides the readers into the world of the story. It is through these characters that we explore the set of rules of this new world.
Utopian novels have a strong connection to our own world. Usually, there’s a character visiting the Utopian world first, and then telling the story when back home. The guide character here is usually a witness.
A Dystopian story may have that (but doesn’t have to). Usually, it’s the main character (MC) who serves as the reader’s guide. Readers need to be able to identify with the MC, as this character either experiences or witnesses the rebellion against the oppressive system.
Central Themes Of Dystopian Fiction
Most Dystopian stories have certain themes in common. Here are a few:
1. Control/oppression
There’s always a dictator or an elitist group in charge. They control society through government, bureaucracy, and/or technology. The spectrum of control can range from mere surveillance to psychological and even physical control (birth control, or mind control through implants, for example).
2. Loss of individualism to a collective ideology
This ties in with the general totalitarian feel of most dystopias. It’s the logical consequence of the complex set of rules of oppression.
3. Hostile environment
If the environment threatens the existence of the Dystopian society, then people have nowhere to escape. This is another form of control, serving as an excuse to herd people together in confined spaces.
4. A scapegoat
A scapegoat, a universal threat, or a common enemy all serve to unite the people. It camouflages the motives of the oppressive government. It makes it easier to control the people.
5. Survival
The need for survival is how the oppressive government justifies its control. However, this is also the reason for the MC’s rebellion, as the MC needs to fight for the survival of the individual.
Let’s Write Dystopian Fiction
If you’d like to try writing in this genre, here’s a word of warning. There’s no dabbling. There’s no pantsing. As a writer, you need to plot meticulously.
Here’s your action plan:
Decide what aspect of modern society aggravates you the most. This will serve as the mission of your story. Amplify and exaggerate as much as you can.
Decide on how you can employ the element of distance in your dystopia (distance by time? By place? By manner?). Build your world. Make sure it is consistent.
Devise a protagonist. How can your MC’s experiences show the rules of this new world to the reader? Beware of too much telling.
How does your MC get into conflict with your dystopian world? Is there an area where your MC doesn’t feel at home? This is where the MC’s rebellion will start.
What’s the MC’s inner motivation? What are the MC’s strengths that might help win the conflict?
Will the MC win? Or lose? What does the MC’s rebellion do to change the dystopian world?
The Last Word
Dystopian fiction is a genre popular with authors and readers alike. It doesn’t have to include outright violence, and it doesn’t have to end up in chaos. But it’s a great way to show the troubles and conflicts of our present day. What do you think could be done about it all? Have a go and write your own Dystopian fiction!
By Susanne Bennett. Susanne is a German-American writer who is a journalist by trade and a writer by heart. After years of working at German public radio and an online news portal, she has decided to accept challenges by Deadlines for Writers. Currently she is writing her first novel with them. She is known for overweight purses and carrying a novel everywhere. Follow her on Facebook.
What are the themes in children’s stories? We discuss what a theme is and what the 10 powerful recurring themes in children’s stories are.
What do children want from a story?
Children want three basic elements in a story: suspense, characters who are believable, and characters who act to solve problems. We find our themes in the problems.
Superficially speaking, children like stories that include adventure, mystery, excitement, discovery, daring, novelty, and humour.
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I want to repeat a quotation from my first post in this series on writing for children: William Nicholson had C.S Lewis say in Shadowlands: ‘We read to know we are not alone.’
Children want to know that there are ways to cope with dilemmas. Writers must offer ideas and strategies that show children they are not alone.
What are themes in children’s stories?
I have included a list of themes that deal with issues that are important to this youthful audience. They cover the anxieties, fears, and desires that children experience. There are many plots you can choose as vehicles for these stories, but all of them need the protagonist to find a way to address a problem.
What Is A Theme?
A theme can be found by answering one, or both, of these questions:
What does the protagonist learn about him or herself in the story?
What does the protagonist learn to cope with in the story?
10 Powerful Recurring Themes In Children’s Stories
Courage.
Friendship.
Belonging/Identity.
Family.
Loss/Grief.
Growing Up.
Anger.
Suffering.
Jealousy.
Love.
Examples from popular fiction:
In Charlotte’s Web, Wilbur survives because of the love and friendship of Fern and Charlotte.
The Harry Potter series includes all these themes, but the most prominent theme is finding the courage to face evil so that good can prevail. You can read more about the other themes in the books in this post.
The main themes in The Hunger Games series are: suffering in an unequal and unjust society; loss of loved ones; and courage. Katniss has to find the courage to survive physically, to fight an unjust system, and to deal with loss and grief.
In Where the Wild Things Are, Max is sent to his room without dinner for disrespecting his mother. The author deals with Max’s anger by taking him on a trip to the magical land of the wild things.
Remember that the complexity and depth of the theme changes depending on the age level for which you are writing.
TOP TIP: If you want to learn how to write for children, sign up for kids etc. online
Children want to have fun
Remember that writing with a theme in mind does not mean that you have to preach. In fact, you should avoid it. You have to show and tell in these stories and reveal the theme through the development of the protagonist.
What is contrast in writing? We explore how to use contrast in writing with 7 different types of contrast (with examples) that you can use in your writing.
What Is Contrast In Writing?
Contrast in writing can be used as a literary device to compare. It is commonly used in many works of fiction. It is ‘the state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close association.’ (Source: Oxford Dictionary) Basically, it means comparing two things to show the differences between them.
How To Use Contrast In Writing
Back in the day, when cowboy shows were popular on afternoon television, it was easy to see who the good guys were – white hats, and who were the baddies – black hats. That kind of contrast is way too on the nose. It was then. It certainly is now. When it comes to storytelling, there a number of different ways in which you can use contrast. We’re going to look at seven of them – with examples.
1. Juxtaposition
The most famous use of juxtaposition in literature is the opening paragraph of Charles Dickens’ A Tale Of Two Cities’. Without going into any political or geographical detail, Dickens’ paragraph places the reader right into a location rife with danger, despair, upheaval, and confusion. It puts the reader on the edge of their seat right at the beginning.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all gong direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…”
If you use contrast in terms of phrases, try not to use clichés. Yes, I know Dickens used them in this opening paragraph, but a) he’s Dickens, and b) the way he used them here matters. You’re not Dickens. Try to use unexpected words, Instead of ‘light and dark’ find words that either mean the same thing or evoke the same meaning.
You can also have juxtaposition in the different characters in your book – kind vs cruel, rich vs poor, content vs restless.
In North and South by Elizabeth Gaskel, the contrast between the mill owners and the workers are brilliantly contrasted. We are taken into the world of both by the main protagonist, Margaret Hale. We see them through her eyes. We understand and have empathy for both because we can see both points of view. We want both ‘to win’. It keeps us glued to the book. Glueing your readers is good.
2. Cognitive Dissonance
The act of holding two different thoughts and beliefs as true at the same time. This often leads to inner conflict within the character. ‘She loved him, and yet would die a happy woman if she never saw him again, even though she knew she would long for him every day, miss him sitting across the dinner table each night. No, she hated him, and prayed that he would stay.’
This kind of turmoil will inevitably lead to actions that will drive the dramatic arc of the book’s plot. Shakespeare was a master craftsman at cognitive dissonance – think of Macbeth and his internal struggle against killing his friend vs attainting the throne.
If your character has no cognitive dissonance, he or she is at best a psychopath or at worst, a two-dimensional character.
3. Fish Out Of Water
Being a fish out of water doesn’t necessarily mean the entire person doesn’t belong, it could just mean that the hero would rather no one knew about his heroic deeds. When they are discovered, his discomfort, his fish-out-of-water-ness, is in the acclaim, news interviews, his picture in the paper, etc.
Another fish-out-of-water type would be a character in a time-travel story. Just think of Marty McFly in Back To The Future. A normal, average young man transported from 1985 back to 1955. To the people he encounters there’s something just a little off about him. Not in a bad way, more as if he were a stranger from another country whose experience and knowledge is based on hearsay.
Forest Gump, the titular character from the novel by Winston Groom, could have been on the autism scale. He could either be a ‘fish out of water’ or an ‘odd person out’.
4. Odd Person Out
Legally Blonde is a perfect example of an odd person out. By the end of the film, she may still not be the archetypical lawyer from Harvard, but she has earned her place and stayed true to herself. The odd person out can be a breath of fresh air.
Another ‘odd person out’ is Mr Darcy. While the world around him has more easy manners and interactions, and is prepared to be pleased, Darcy’s upbringing, his family’s expectations of him, his wealth, pride, and shyness, tend to put him on the outside of any circle in which he finds himself. This includes the circles in which he is used to move – mainly because he’s bored to tears of them all. The trouble is, he doesn’t really know how to act in the new circles of Longbourn and Meryton in Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen.
5. Internal Dichotomies
Inspector Javert, in Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, is a policeman whose passion for the law and justice is turned on its head when Jean Valjean, whom he has hunted for years, shows him mercy instead of killing him. Both are true at the same time – law and mercy. His internal dichotomy is so powerful that he can’t reconcile them and ends his life, Think of Hamlet’s need to keep Ophelia safe from the probable bloodshed in the near future vs his having to resort to breaking her heart to force her to leave. His internal struggle with this makes everyone think him mad.
Internal dichotomies, the internal arguments a character has make them interesting and more human, even if it’s just, ‘I really want chocolate cake, but I’m on diet, but I really want chocolate cake, but the wedding dress is already tight!’
6. Opposites Attract
This is an oft-used trope in novels, especially romance. It really only works in fiction. After all, she wants to go to her family in the country every weekend and he plays tennis at league level at the sports club down the road from their London home. He wants to go clubbing every night and she’s an introvert who is noise sensitive. Somethings got to give, and it’s usually the relationship.
7. Contrasting Descriptions
Citiesare replete with juxtaposition – civic buildings vs the dirty alleys. They not only juxtapositions in their looks but even more in their intent and population. In one there is great privilege, wealth, corruption, greed, and racism – a dank alley of human emotions and actions. While in the other there is generosity of spirit, an inclusivity, a kindness, a strength in the despair, a community among the outcast – an invisible palace of goodness. Nothing is as black and white as that; I use these merely as examples.
Another source is the weather. A wonderful event is taking place in your book, a wedding for example, but raging around the church is a violent thunderstorm. A ship could be caught in the doldrums. The sea is as still and silent as a sheet on an unused bed. But the men on board are slowly going insane from boredom, the heat and the lack of water, despite seeing nothing but water stretching out to the horizon.
What makes contrast in writing exciting and fun is creating something marvellous in words that didn’t exist before.
The Last Word
If you’d like to write for children, young adults, or adults, why not sign up for one of the rich and in-depth courses that Writers Write offers to learn how to write the best book you possibly can.
by Elaine Dodge. Author of The Harcourts of Canada series and The Device Hunter, Elaine trained as a graphic designer, then worked in design, advertising, and broadcast television. She now creates content, mostly in written form, including ghost writing business books, for clients across the globe, but would much rather be drafting her books and short stories.
In this post we look at what memory is and how to use memory in writing.
What Is Memory?
Memory is a wonderful thing. Many parts of your brain work together to collect, encode, store, and retrieve sensory, short-term, and long-term recall of events, people, and experiences you’ve had throughout your life. Sometimes, especially with trauma, those memories can be buried deep within your mind. Your brain is trying to protect you from those memories. At other times, a memory is such a beautiful one that even the lightest perfume, like vanilla, can trigger feel-good emotions within you.
Memories
All your memories will fall into either the ‘these are a few of my favourite things’ column. Others will be in the ‘do not open this box’ column. But all of them are useful to a writer. They are an almost inexhaustible resource. Don’t be afraid to use them. In fact, using them is almost a requirement when creating a good story.
You will have memories of:
People you loved – parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles, siblings, cousins, friends, boyfriends, spouses, children.
People with whom you were friends or enemies.
People you met once.
People you interact with everyday but don’t know personally – your local coffee shop barista, for example.
People you see everyday but don’t really interact with – the security guard outside the building you pass on the way to work.
Interiors – offices, malls, shops, doctor’s surgeries, hospitals, vet’s waiting rooms, cars, ships, trains, places of worship, pubs, restaurants etc.
Locations – cities, game parks, lumber yards, garden shops, drive-in movie theatres, ice-rinks, the beach, theatres, public swimming pools and their change rooms, university campuses, school yards, etc.
Views – out of windows, from the edge of a cliff, out of an airplane, from the beach across the desert, across a field, in a forest. Don’t forget, views are never one way. Standing on a beach looking out over the sea is one view, but so is turning around and looking back at the fishing village, port, town, forest, desert, other people on the beach.
Animals – pets is an obvious one, but there are also zoo animals, animals you saw in the wild, creatures you see every day; the frog that lives under the broken pot in the garden, the neighbour’s cat, the crow that sits on your gatepost every morning, the hadadas digging for worms on the lawn etc.
Homes – the one(s) you grew up in, your grandparents’, your friends’, the boarding school you might have gone to etc.
Food and Drink – home cooked, at restaurants, take-aways, etc.
Clothing – school uniforms, military uniforms, wool, cotton, synthetics, wedding dresses, Lycra swimsuits that didn’t fit properly, socks that kept falling down, etc.
Events – first day at junior or senior school or university, on your first job, being fired, made redundant, first date, breaking up, coming-of-age events, engagements, weddings, births, deaths, funerals, the look of delight or disappointment on a parent’s face, finding an old love letter your grandad wrote – big all small our lives are filled with events that can be translated into our writing.
Food and Drink – home cooked, at restaurants, take-aways, etc.
Clothing – school uniforms, military uniforms, wool, cotton, synthetics, wedding dresses, Lycra swimsuits that didn’t fit properly, socks that kept falling down, etc.
Events – first day at junior or senior school or university, on your first job, being fired, made redundant, first date, breaking up, coming-of-age events, engagements, weddings, births, deaths, funerals, the look of delight or disappointment on a parent’s face, finding an old love letter your grandad wrote – big all small our lives are filled with events that can be translated into our writing.
Every memory is a mine of information.
Physicality – what does the person, place, mode of transport look like?
Senses – what did it/they smell like, sound like, taste like, behave.
Surrounds – was the weather trying to kill you, or did it taste like champagne.
At the time emotions – how did you feel at the time you experienced the event?
Looking back emotions – our feelings about our memories change. How do they make you feel now.
Yes, I hear you say, but I’m writing a space adventure not a memoir! Maybe, but the memory of not being picked up from school because your parents forgot you could easily be used to describe the feeling that an astronaut may feel if their spouse isn’t there to welcome them home after a mission. Of the feeling their child feels when they can’t be there for the kid’s sports day because they’re on a mission to Mars. You don’t have to describe the feeling you felt being forgotten at school, but you can use that confused sadness and anger to inform your protagonist’s emotion.
Every memory can feed your writing, whether you’re writing a period romance, a contemporary thriller, a comedy, or a dystopian story. While it may be your memory, it can be the thing that your character is experiencing. Rummage through your memory for something similar that you’ve experienced that can help you develop believable reactions, emotions, and experiences for your characters. The plot of your book is a series of steps from A to Z. The story is the experiences, encounters, and emotions your characters go through. Use your memories to give those life.
If you’d like to write for children, young adults, or adults, why not sign up for one of the rich and in-depth courses that Writers Write offers to learn how to write the best book you possibly can.
by Elaine Dodge. Author of The Harcourts of Canada series and The Device Hunter, Elaine trained as a graphic designer, then worked in design, advertising, and broadcast television. She now creates content, mostly in written form, including ghost writing business books, for clients across the globe, but would much rather be drafting her books and short stories.
Carlos Ruiz Zafón (25 September 1964 – 19 June 2020) was a Spanish novelist known for his 2001 novel La sombra del viento (The Shadow of the Wind). The novel sold 15 million copies and was winner of numerous awards; it was included in the list of the one hundred best books in Spanish in the last twenty-five years, made in 2007 by eighty-one Latin American and Spanish writers and critics.
In this post, we provide a quick start guide to writing romance for all aspiring writers in the genre.
There’s a romance novel for everyone! My favourites include anything by Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. There are no books on my shelves with covers that fall into the category of ‘Dude, where’s your shirt?’. That’s the good thing about this genre. There are so many sub-genres that everyone; writers, and readers alike, will be happy.
A Quick Start Guide To Writing Romance
Why Write Romance?
The romance genre is the biggest selling genre on the planet. In 2021, romance book sales on Amazon reached US$1.44 billion. The closest competitor was Crime/Mystery which made US$728.2 million. Not even close.
Why Does Romance Outsell Every Other Genre?
It’s simple really, romance sells as well as it does because it gives the reader a taste of the romance for which they themselves are longing. The romance novel provides hope. Setting it in an exotic location tells the reader that their ‘own true love’ is ‘out there somewhere’.
Choose Your Sub-genre
Before drafting any book, romance or not, your genre/sub-genre will always be the first decision you make.
Imagine opening a box of Quality Street. Everything’s chocolate, right? But not all the centres are the same. With romance, even the sub-genres have sub-genres! Romance/Sweet and Clean/Alternative History/Vampires/Victorian Paris – see what I mean?
The age group of your readers may play an important part in your choice of sub-genre. Are they young adult, new adult, or adult? These options all dictate plot, language, characters, and setting.
Choose Your Heat Level
Do romance novels need sex scenes? Jane Austen didn’t have any. Whether you include them or not depends entirely on you, the age of your readers, and the needs of your story.
‘Heat level’ is the industry term for level of sensuality, a.k.a. sex in a book. There are five.
In the first, your characters will be lucky if they hold hands.
In the second there may be one or two tender love scenes but no sex. But this doesn’t mean the book will be dull. There’s no sex in any Georgette Heyer romance and they are some of the most enduring romance novels of all time.
The third and fourth have increasing amounts of sex. Finally, there is Erotic/Erotica.
If you do choose to include sex scenes, bear in mind that the scene must advance the plot or show character development. In fact, all scenes in every genre, whether they are sex scenes or not, should do this. If you can, make them do both.
HEA Or HFN?
Should a romance have an HEA (Happy Ever After), or at least an HFN (Happy For Now)? Many writers, and readers, say yes. Others that say books like Gone With the Wind are romances. And yet that book is famous for, frankly, not giving a damn if it has a happy ending or not.
Personally, I think it all depends on what sort of romance novel you want to write. The Notebook is the story of a romance, but its end (spoiler alert) is tragic. So is that of Romeo and Juliet.
There are two other foundations upon which all romance novels are built. These are the ‘meet cute’, and the ‘will-they-won’t-they’ question.
The ‘meet-cute’ doesn’t have to be the inciting incident. It also doesn’t need to be cute.
In Pride & Prejudice, the meet-cute between Darcy and Elizabeth, is neither the inciting incident, nor is it cute. Before they are introduced, Elizabeth overhears Darcy insult her. It’s not surprising then that Elizabeth is against him from the start. Their potential romance appears doomed. From the beginning, the question of will-they-won’t-they grips the reader.
This question drives all romances, including Gone With The Wind. So, make sure your novel asks it, and answers it, in a unique way.
Location, Location, Location
Do you like doing research? The era and location of your book will determine the amount of research required. A contemporary romance set in your hometown needs far less research than an historical romance set in a foreign country. The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye is a good example of this and is well worth reading.
What Do Rhett Butler, Fitzwilliam Darcy & Gabriel Oak Have In Common?
One is a rogue, one is an upper-class snob, and one is a hardworking, honest farmer. Yet, they are all completely compelling.
Have chemistry with their soon-to-be significant other.
Work for the reward of love.
he Whisper Of Sweet Nothings
Great dialogue can be one of the most difficult things to write. But it’s an essential skill. Bad dialogue is boring in life, and on the page. It will kill any romance. It must suit the characters, the era, the location, and be realistic.
There are bonus points if it is also original. It’s a tall order. But it can be done.
Compare the dialogue between Rochester and Jane in Jane Eyre to that in the TV series The Gilmore Girls between Luke and Lorelai, for example. They are both true to their era and sub-genre. One is repressed and gothic, while the other is hilarious, and fast-paced. But both ring true.
That is the ultimate test of all romance novels. Does it ‘ring true’? Does it ring true in every aspect, from sub-genre, the big questions, location, era, and character, to passion, dialogue, and ending?
by Elaine Dodge. Elaine is the author of The Harcourts of Canada series. Elaine trained as a graphic designer, then worked in design, advertising, and broadcast television. She now creates content, mostly in written form, for clients across the globe, but would much rather be drafting her books and short stories.
Cheryl Strayed born September 17, 1968) is an American writer and podcast host. She has written four books: the novel Torch (2006) and the nonfiction books Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (2012), Tiny Beautiful Things (2012) and Brave Enough (2015). Wild, the story of Strayed’s 1995 hike up the Pacific Crest Trail, is an international bestseller and was adapted into the 2014 Academy Award-nominated film Wild. (Source: Wikipedia)
