Top Resources for Aspiring Romance Writers

For many women, reading romance novels is a guilty pleasure. And some take that guilty pleasure to the next level by becoming romance writers. Romance is perhaps the easiest genre to break into for an aspiring novelist. Many authors of romance novels started writing romance merely as a hobby, and later had their work published as a mass market paperback. If you are a lover of romance novels and are interested in penning one of your own, you may find the task much simpler than you thought. Here are the top resources for aspiring romance writers.

First, pick up a copy of On Writing Romance by Leigh Michaels. Michaels is the author of more than eighty contemporary romance novels and several nonfiction books. In On Writing Romance, she takes you through the entire process of writing the romance novel and seeking an agent or publisher. With her guidance, you will be able to avoid cliches and stereotypes, develop compelling characters, write convincing dialogue, craft sexy love scenes, and devise a gripping plot. You will also learn how to write the all-important query letter, cover letter and synopsis. Harlequin Books has printed more than thirty million copies of Leigh Michaels' books, so she must be doing something right! Grab a copy of On Writing Romance and find out exactly what it is.

If you are contemplating writing erotic romance, your next mission is to purchase a copy of Passionate Ink: A Guide to Writing Erotic Romance by Angela Knight. Knight is a best-selling and award-winning author of erotic fiction. In Passionate Ink, she lets you in on her dirty little secrets to writing compelling erotic drama. She offers techniques on crafting heroes, heroines, and villains; how to begin and end an erotic romance; how to write exciting action scenes (in and out of the bedroom); how to write a steamy sex scene; and how to "talk dirty without sounding dumb." Passionate Ink is a must-have for any serious writer of erotic fiction.

For a truly comprehensive, step-by-step look at the process of writing romance, pick up a copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Erotic Romance. This volume takes you deep into the billion-dollar romance genre industry, and shows you just what publishers of erotic fiction are looking for in today's market. Written by Alison Kent, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Erotic Romance includes interviews with top editors in the field, and a forward by Kate Duffy of Kensington Publishing.

With these top resources for aspiring romance writers and a reliable word processor, you can't fail. Just be sure to read plenty of successful romance novels before you set out to pen your own.