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Romancing the Beat: Story Structure for Romance Novels (How to Write Kissing Books Book 1)
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What makes a romance novel a romance? How do you write a kissing book?
Writing a well-structured romance isn’t the same as writing any other genre—something the popular novel and screenwriting guides don’t address. The romance arc is made up of its own story beats, and the external plot and theme need to be braided to the romance arc—not the other way around.
Told in con ...more
Writing a well-structured romance isn’t the same as writing any other genre—something the popular novel and screenwriting guides don’t address. The romance arc is made up of its own story beats, and the external plot and theme need to be braided to the romance arc—not the other way around.
Told in con ...more
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Kindle Edition, 98 pages
Published
April 19th 2016
by Gwen Hayes
(first published April 2nd 2016)
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Start your review of Romancing the Beat: Story Structure for Romance Novels (How to Write Kissing Books Book 1)
I bought this book because I'm a writer looking to expand into the romance genre, but I haven't read many books in it. I wanted some insight into how to better write romance plots. Beat didn't deliver.
Oh sure...the text was cutesy funny (I laughed several times), and the author's obsession with 80s rock tunes was endearing - I share her love of them. But at the same time I found myself wondering why I had paid money to read what in the end was an overlong blog with advertisements for the author' ...more
Oh sure...the text was cutesy funny (I laughed several times), and the author's obsession with 80s rock tunes was endearing - I share her love of them. But at the same time I found myself wondering why I had paid money to read what in the end was an overlong blog with advertisements for the author' ...more
Yes! a clear(ish) plot map for romance novels. I've tried to smash my stories into the framework of standard novels and it doesnt work. This should work.
The writing style is fun, if a bit flip, but I highly recommend it for burgeoning writers of Kissing Books ❤️❤️ ...more
The writing style is fun, if a bit flip, but I highly recommend it for burgeoning writers of Kissing Books ❤️❤️ ...more
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
What makes a romance novel a romance? How do you write a kissing book?
Writing a well-structured romance isn’t the same as writing any other genre—something the popular novel and screenwriting guides don’t address. The romance arc is made up of its own story beats, and the external plot and theme need to be braided to the romance arc—not the other way around.
MY TAKE
If you're expecting a long read, this isn't it. The description mentions it being a "recipe" book. In its simplicity ...more
What makes a romance novel a romance? How do you write a kissing book?
Writing a well-structured romance isn’t the same as writing any other genre—something the popular novel and screenwriting guides don’t address. The romance arc is made up of its own story beats, and the external plot and theme need to be braided to the romance arc—not the other way around.
MY TAKE
If you're expecting a long read, this isn't it. The description mentions it being a "recipe" book. In its simplicity ...more
I cannot express how much this was a life saver. It really helped me plot my Nanowrimo project, and the way the information is delivered feels like a story in itself. I literally read this in a matter of hours. I also highlighted the crap out of it. The examples that were given were really helpful because it was all relatable to a romance book. If you are wanting to write a romance book or incorporate a bit of romance into your story go ahead and pick this book because I promise you it will guid
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This did give a solid beat sheet for a romance novel... But like many others have said, this was blog post worthy and not long enough to really be a book on the subject. I wish the explanation sections had been more than a page each and had more explanations/examples.
Very helpful, story structure with lots of other info.
I was tooling about in Twitter, as you do, when someone mentioned this book. I don’t even remember who, and I beetled off to check it out on Amazon.
Hmmm… well that sounds like me.
I buy it and I keep reading… and have a blinding revelation.
I’ve read a dozen books on story structure and plotting. I am currently trying to squish a romance into Sha ...more
“Who this book is for: Romance writers who know something is missing from their book, but are not sure where to look to find it.” (Kindle Locations 85-87)
Hmmm… well that sounds like me.
I buy it and I keep reading… and have a blinding revelation.
I’ve read a dozen books on story structure and plotting. I am currently trying to squish a romance into Sha ...more
This was a good, concise romance writing manual that delivered on its promise: to transcend other story frameworks by providing specific instruction for romance. Romance novels, indeed AREN'T structured like many other kinds of story and while other manuals (such as Save the Cat, which is a favorite of mine, and which Hayes mentions) don't mention some of the particularities that are unique to romance--Hayes certainly tackles them.
Her comments on romance formulas are helpful, if not formulaic. T ...more
Her comments on romance formulas are helpful, if not formulaic. T ...more
I've heard a lot on how useful this book is for writing romance, and as someone who's tentatively trying to write a romance story themselves, I was intrigued and decided to read this book. And it was amazing. Just reading this in public transport, I had around 15 different revelations pertaining the story I'm writing, so I can't wait to see what I come up with when I actually do sit down and plot properly. It constantly made me want to stop reading and start writing and that's something. Absolut
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Whether planning to write a romance novel of your own, or like me, and simply a lover of the genre and want to understand the mechanics that go along with the craft, I think this book is such a good resource. It is a tiny gem, just under 80 pages, but jam packed with so much information. A Game changer. It has me reading romances in a totally different way, with a lot more clarity and understanding.
This was exactly what I needed right now and this book didn't only give me a lot to work with when it comes to my own writing. It also gave me tons of inspiration. That's all you want from a book like this, right?
I really do recommend Romancing the beat if you have dreams of writing a romance or if you just need more tools for your writing. ...more
I really do recommend Romancing the beat if you have dreams of writing a romance or if you just need more tools for your writing. ...more
Giving it a 5 because it was very easy to read through quickly and apply and should be helpful. But maybe I should base my score on how well I actually use it? LOL. Nope, 5 stars for now!
This was a nice quick easy to read and understand book to help with my writing. Couldn’t decide whether to base my score on how much I actually use it or not, but that’s not fair. So I had to give it 5 stars because of how easy it was to read and now to hopefully put to use. If I actually get to writing. For NaN ...more
This was a nice quick easy to read and understand book to help with my writing. Couldn’t decide whether to base my score on how much I actually use it or not, but that’s not fair. So I had to give it 5 stars because of how easy it was to read and now to hopefully put to use. If I actually get to writing. For NaN ...more
Well, I got a good amount of the way through this before I realized that it won't work completely for my current WIP. But it's definitely good information that I'm glad to have in my pocket for future writing, and I will still use some elements in what I'm currently doing. Gwen's style is easy to read and implement -- simple, direct language that is easy to directly apply when one is writing.
...more
A simple but helpful guide to writing romance! I wish it had given more in-depth examples for each beat, but otherwise this will be my go-to reference to make sure romance shines in my stories.
Simple, straightforward, and extremely helpful.
I've had this book on my Kindle for ages and had even started it. I finally read the entire book. It's a really simple, fun read that takes an easy-to-understand and execute approach to writing a romance that hits all of the necessary beats. I love that this technique is adaptable to plotters, pantsers, and plotsers. Yet, it will also nicely complement other popular plotting methods like GMC. I highly recommend this book for both new writers and exp ...more
I've had this book on my Kindle for ages and had even started it. I finally read the entire book. It's a really simple, fun read that takes an easy-to-understand and execute approach to writing a romance that hits all of the necessary beats. I love that this technique is adaptable to plotters, pantsers, and plotsers. Yet, it will also nicely complement other popular plotting methods like GMC. I highly recommend this book for both new writers and exp ...more
Three things I loved about ROMANCING THE BEAT...
1. Truly helpful structural tips. Both for romance writers, and those hoping to thread romance into stories of other genres.
2. Quick, easy read. Also, encouraging! Romancing the Beat left me eager to dive back in to my troublesome WiP.
3. Humorously and irreverently written. Bonus — eighties song references!
1. Truly helpful structural tips. Both for romance writers, and those hoping to thread romance into stories of other genres.
2. Quick, easy read. Also, encouraging! Romancing the Beat left me eager to dive back in to my troublesome WiP.
3. Humorously and irreverently written. Bonus — eighties song references!
A well-written book on how to write a satisfying romance.
I've been wrestling with the ending of a contemporary I've been working on for a while. Reading Romancing the Beat made me realize why it wasn't working and successfully finish the d**n book! ...more
I've been wrestling with the ending of a contemporary I've been working on for a while. Reading Romancing the Beat made me realize why it wasn't working and successfully finish the d**n book! ...more
It wasn’t bad, but not what I was looking for. Can be useful if you don’t know the basic of structuring a romance book.
Excellent guide to story structure from a romance POV. Mostly info I already knew, but expanded on the usual structure I follow (8 point arc). Some new tools for my toolbox to help me get unstuck & in revision process.
Highly recommended for beginning writers in the romance genre.
Highly recommended for beginning writers in the romance genre.
Quick read, great little book that defines what is needed to create a romance manuscript. Nothing extra, straight to the point. Almost if someone took notes at an 8 hour conference and simplified them so you are able to reference it as you outline.
Original review posted on the Wordy Speculations blog on September 5, 2017
Romancing the Beat is a concise book on story structure for the romance novel by author and editor Gwen Hayes, who herself confesses to loving "kissing books."
As an editor, I read a lot about writing, so when I picked up Romancing the Beat, I sat down with paper and pen, ready to take notes. What I did not expect to find was a funny little book that made me laugh out loud while still actually learning something.
I Loved It, ...more
Romancing the Beat is a concise book on story structure for the romance novel by author and editor Gwen Hayes, who herself confesses to loving "kissing books."
As an editor, I read a lot about writing, so when I picked up Romancing the Beat, I sat down with paper and pen, ready to take notes. What I did not expect to find was a funny little book that made me laugh out loud while still actually learning something.
I Loved It, ...more
Finally! A book that makes explicit the romance formula beyond the HEA. I know "formula" is a dirty word, but to my mind, genre expectations in fiction are no more constraining than the various forms in poetry. We don't think Shakespeare's sonnets were "formulaic," just because he used a recognized meter and rhyme scheme, do we? It's all about what you accomplish within the constraints of your chosen form/genre. That's where the art lives, and where the reader's enjoyment comes from.
If you're fa ...more
If you're fa ...more
This is a short book and I'm going to give it a very short review. Probably my shortest yet.
To sum it up: it's good. And by "good", I mean "useful".
It's written in a very accessible language, with an easy going tone, yet that doesn't take away from the lessons. On the contrary: it feels like you are chatting with a friend or colleague you've known for a while and who you actually enjoy speaking with.
The advice is simple, but the "Why didn't I think of this?" type of simple and at the same time i ...more
To sum it up: it's good. And by "good", I mean "useful".
It's written in a very accessible language, with an easy going tone, yet that doesn't take away from the lessons. On the contrary: it feels like you are chatting with a friend or colleague you've known for a while and who you actually enjoy speaking with.
The advice is simple, but the "Why didn't I think of this?" type of simple and at the same time i ...more
Concise, practical, and funny! Lots of very useful tips and it was fun to use this structure to analyze some of my favourite romance novels.
I only postpone reading the example outline because the description of the set-up sounded exactly like my cup of tea and I want to give the novel a go (sans spoilers!) before reading the working outline of it.
I only postpone reading the example outline because the description of the set-up sounded exactly like my cup of tea and I want to give the novel a go (sans spoilers!) before reading the working outline of it.
I completely loved this wry little craft book -- and as the middle section of my WIP reads "ROMANCE GOES HERE," I desperately needed it. Hayes lays out the recipe for writing a romance arc in clear, firm and personable terms, and you can read the whole book in a single sitting. Must-read.
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I borrowed this from a friend and knew immediately I'd need my own. Easy, well put together, and kind of fun. The story beat guide is a great check point before developmental edits begin. This is one for my read again reference shelf.
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Very useful. This book (and feedback from beta readers) helped me a lot in revising my draft. I recommend it to every aspiring romance writers out there.
Very useful information that's given in a pretty concise way. She gets right to the point, making it a nice, quick read.
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This is exactly what it says on the tin. It's short, pithy, and helpful and lays out exactly what you need to know to create a strong romance plot or subplot.
I was particularly struck by Hayes' observation that the theme of romance novels is "Love conquers all." That took me back to all the times I've heard people object to romances (whether smutty or otherwise) based on precisely the idea that love shouldn't conquer at all, particularly not the love of a woman (obligatory disclaimer: no, love d ...more
I was particularly struck by Hayes' observation that the theme of romance novels is "Love conquers all." That took me back to all the times I've heard people object to romances (whether smutty or otherwise) based on precisely the idea that love shouldn't conquer at all, particularly not the love of a woman (obligatory disclaimer: no, love d ...more
I just finished listening to the audiobook of this book for the second time in a couple weeks. When I first downloaded it, I was worried by how short it was. I thought "There's no way this can teach me anything in only an hour!" HAH I was wrong. This book is so great! It's the perfect little companion to all the rest of your craft books (though I wouldn't suggest it as the first book on writing you read--I think a basic knowledge of beats, plotting, and pacing is necessary to get the most out of
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