FAQ: How does one get started writing romance novels?

This is a question most often asked by non-romance readers. Probably because in so many author bio's you hear a slight variation on the same thing over and over: It starts with a love of reading romance novels. And then the thought: "I can do that."

The next tricky bit is actually writing the darn thing. What got my first book written was a looming deadline with an awesome incentive. My agent, from my non-fiction book It's My Pleasure, said over lunch one day that I needed to be writing romance (due to my love of the genre; see above) and that I ought to do it right now. I casually inquired if she would represent a romance novel, should I write it. When she said yes I boldly told her I'd have a manuscript for her three months. I started writing The Heir And The Spare that afternoon. For the next few weeks I did nothing but drink coffee, walk the dog, do yoga and write, write, write.  And three months later…I had a complete manuscript and an agent.