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2nd out of 9 books
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7 voters
On Writing Romance: How to Craft a Novel That Sells
by
Leigh Michaels (Goodreads Author)
Sweep Readers Off Their Feet With a Romance They'll Never ForgetIn "On Writing Romance," award-winning romance novelist Leigh Michaels talks you through each stage of the writing and publishing process. From the origins and evolution of the romance novel to establishing a vital story framework to writing that last line to seeking out appropriate publishers, everything you...more
Paperback, 264 pages
Published
February 1st 2007
by Writers Digest Books
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This is a great book for beginning romance authors who need some helpful hints on how to craft their story. I picked it up for free on the Nook, and I'm glad I did. Michaels gives advice on crafting the perfect heroine and hero, how to get your plot moving, how to keep your plot from being too contrived, and even ends with tips on how to sell your manuscript.
I don't write a lot of romance novels, but I found this book extremely helpful in other aspects as well. For one thing, it will also help...more
I don't write a lot of romance novels, but I found this book extremely helpful in other aspects as well. For one thing, it will also help...more
Yay! Cucumbers!
Cucumbers!
Perfect!
The language and layout of this book make it fun to read, yet, by reading this, a person could spare themselves a thousand headaches if they plan on writing any sort of fiction -- not just romance.
While still covering everything from Show Don't Tell to POV, this book goes beyond the basics and includes helpful advice on how to recognize and avoid First-Meet Cliches no editor wants to see, good ways to ruin a great relationship (too many secondary characters, to busy a background plot, &c),...more
The language and layout of this book make it fun to read, yet, by reading this, a person could spare themselves a thousand headaches if they plan on writing any sort of fiction -- not just romance.
While still covering everything from Show Don't Tell to POV, this book goes beyond the basics and includes helpful advice on how to recognize and avoid First-Meet Cliches no editor wants to see, good ways to ruin a great relationship (too many secondary characters, to busy a background plot, &c),...more
Overall, I liked this book. However, while it does contain some original tips, many if not most of them are also covered in the (myriad) other romance writing books I own. And the sections on characters and story development seemed aimed towards less-edgy, more inspirational-toned authors. There is nothing wrong with this whatsoever, I just don't write in that voice, so there wasn't much for me there.
The big selling point for me? Her section on endings.
It's actually why I bought the book, beca...more
The big selling point for me? Her section on endings.
It's actually why I bought the book, beca...more
I don't read or write romance, but I still found this book useful.
A good chunk of the first part of the book is spent defining the romance genre and its subgenres but then it moves into subjects which are applicable to any writer. This book has a lot of useful information and techniques for writing inter character relationships and creating tension and drama between them. There's a lot of advice on how to show what characters are thinking/feeling without out explicitly saying so as well as advic...more
A good chunk of the first part of the book is spent defining the romance genre and its subgenres but then it moves into subjects which are applicable to any writer. This book has a lot of useful information and techniques for writing inter character relationships and creating tension and drama between them. There's a lot of advice on how to show what characters are thinking/feeling without out explicitly saying so as well as advic...more
On Writing Romance is great for beginners who've just dreamed up their romance novel ideas. This book covers all the bases, from research to love scenes, plot and the query letter and everything in-between.
I've read several "How-to-Write" books from Writer's Digest. In this book, Leigh Michaels includes examples from the novels of other romance writers (Nicola Cornick, Lyn Cote, Annette Blair, Julia Quinn, etc) which I found helpful. Leigh Michaels not only tells the reader what to do, she shows...more
I've read several "How-to-Write" books from Writer's Digest. In this book, Leigh Michaels includes examples from the novels of other romance writers (Nicola Cornick, Lyn Cote, Annette Blair, Julia Quinn, etc) which I found helpful. Leigh Michaels not only tells the reader what to do, she shows...more
I'll be keeping this book on my desk. As a beginning writer, I found it quite helpful. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject of writing romance novels: from descriptions of various romance sub-genres to the elements of salable romance novels to information on how to go about getting a novel published. The revision checklist, which lists a number of points to consider when revising a manuscript, seems particularly useful - I expect that the pages with this checklist will soon be...more
4.5*s Covering the writing of romance novels from prologue to epilogue, this is the go-to book for those aspiring to be romance writers. While there are books that cover characterization and plotting in more depth, On Writing Romance: How to Craft a Novel That Sells explains these topics--and more--as they relate specifically to romances. It's required reading.
I used this book to help me through the romance novel I wrote for NaNoWriMo, but also because I've been writing more romance and would like to stay on that path. It's full of good advice (by a woman who's written over 80 romance novels) on plot, characters, love scenes, sex, resolution, avoiding cliches, and more. She provides loads of examples from real books, which is very helpful, though I would have liked to have seen more BAD examples, or cringe-worthy ones, if only for the fun of it. She a...more
This is an exceedingly well-done book by one of the (few) romance writers I enjoyed reading years ago when I began to toy with the idea of writing romance books, but stuck with literary for a while. (And of course, I may as well have done it back then . . . I would be so much richer.) But a very good book on writing by one of the best romance (or otherwise commercial) authors around.
Great book for this beginning writer! Very specific how-to info. I found the sections on conflict, point of view and dialog especially helpful. Lots of great examples from a variety of romance writers. I loved Chapter 13, Building a Believable Plot. Fantastic information about motivation, creating suspense, pacing and foreshadowing. I borrowed this book from a friend, but I'm going to buy my own copy, and read it again.
For whatever reason, I enjoy reading books about writing books.
I thought this book was full of a lot of useful information. At the end of each chapter (and in some areas within the chapters) there are questions to sit down with and use to either study other people's books, or to critique your own writing. In the appendices, there are examples of cover letters, query letters, and other items editors might ask for when requesting information about your book.
If I ever sit down to write a book, I...more
I thought this book was full of a lot of useful information. At the end of each chapter (and in some areas within the chapters) there are questions to sit down with and use to either study other people's books, or to critique your own writing. In the appendices, there are examples of cover letters, query letters, and other items editors might ask for when requesting information about your book.
If I ever sit down to write a book, I...more
My friends left this out for me as a gag when I cat-sat for them, but it was actually a pretty fun read. It seems like it would be a useful resource for anyone writing their first romance, and it was interesting to read as a non-romance reader trying hard to understand what romance lovers look for in a book.
Read this as a quick reference for one plotline in a non-romance, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it useful beyond that. There's a lot to strengthen any love plotline, but I found the information on planting subplot hints and foreshadowing most useful.
Well I read romance every once and awhile. Have I been interested in writing it? A little, but I'm mostly interested in other genres. Still I have to say this is a very helpful book for anyone who is interested in writing romance books.
No, I'm not planning on writing a romance novel. I just think it looks interesting as background knowledge... plus it's free on kindle right now :)
Rather dated - could do with a bit of tweaking now but an excellent primer for any writer not just those looking to write a romance.
4.5***** The beauty of this book is that it covers writing topics as they relate to writing romance. In that respect, it's unlike any other book on plotting, characterization, etc., out there. It's indispensable for aspiring romance writers.
A very informative book for romance writers. I think I used a whole highlighter. A book to keep on hand for future reference.
Highly recommended for fledgling romance writers.
This was a great, comprehensive guide for anyone starting out writing romance. Clear, easy-to-understand, and spot-on. A nice resource!
Very basic, but thorough.
give some helpful inforamtion
While this book contained excellent information, I believe the writer intended her audience to be beginning writers. If you've been writing seriously for any given period of time, the information conveyed here is repetitive. In fact, most of the information could be found on the Internet. If you're an intermediate or advanced writer searching for perspective, I'd suggest looking for another manual.
Apr 17, 2013
Rebekah
added it
Awesome book. Great help, fast moving with awesome examples. I wish all how to books where this good. I actually found myself looking forward to reading it, as opposed to dreading it like I do most help books.
Ms. Michaels' advice is so savvy and clear. It was one of the first books I purchased because I'd heard great reviews about her work. It gives the novice writer, as well as any published writers, a great starting point to develope your skills. I love the way she offers specific instruction for creating the perfect romantic couple.
This book is immensely helpful. Michaels gives examples of every suggestion she makes, and everything she says makes perfect sense. She provides an eye-opening picture of the romance publishing industry and even gives a behind-the-curtains tour of the publishing process. This book would be an asset to any romance writer.
A truly useful book for beginning and intermediate writers of romance novels and novels with romantic sub-plots. By useful, I mean that the book has both the theory and practical advice to write a tight, well-plotted, well-characterized novel.
I wish I wouldn't have missed the free seminar on this. The books was a great walk-through though. It focuses on the elements that make a romance, a romance.
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Leigh Michaels is the pseudonym used by LeAnn Lemberger (b. July 27 in Iowa, United States), a popular United States writer of over 85 romance novels. She published her novels in Harlequin Enterprises Ltd since 1984. She also teaches romance writing.
Michaels was born in Iowa, United States. She received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, after three years o...more
More about Leigh Michaels...
Michaels was born in Iowa, United States. She received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, after three years o...more
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“For readers worldwide, the attraction of romance novels seems to be that they provide hope, strength, and the assurance that happy endings are possible. Romance makes the promise that no matter how bleak things sometimes look, in the end everything will turn out right and true love will triumph -- and in an uncertain world, that's very comforting.”
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Feb 17, 2012 08:01pm