Writing coach Jessica Page Morrell uncovers the secrets of the romantic fiction industry...

The guidelines for romance writing are absolutely specific, and each publishing house will happily send them to you. There is a formula behind it, but it also leaves lots of room for creativity. It's a voracious market, quite profitable and growing all the time. Also, new sub-genres or categories are being added all the time. Harlequin is one of the publishers that takes unagented novels, and some series are done by book packagers - they come up with a concept and then hire a group of writers to carry out the theme.

Let's talk about some of the basic elements of romance.

First, of course, it's character. So let's dispel some of the myths about romances - like the heroines are wimps. Modern romance heroines are lively, appealing and in control of their own destiny. The heroine's personality is the foundation for the book. She's not being rescued, can't live without the hero. The old line about writing romances is that the heroine is someone that readers relate to and the hero is someone they can fall in love with. Usually they have their own venue - are often entrepreneurs and professionals. I think making them a flesh-and-blood presence is essential.

Sometimes romances are written from both points of view - but be careful of adding other viewpoints. Romance readers want to concentrate on the relationship, not on what other characters think. Also, romances are sometimes considered mainstream, like LaVyrle Spencer.

Frequently asked questions:

Do romance novels ever cross genre - for instance, fantasy, horror, Christian, sci-fi?

Writing coach: Yes - there is romantic suspense, Christian romance, inspirational romance, paranormal is quite hot. Ghosts are big - Marilyn Campbell, Christina Skye. Also sci-fi romances are definitely a sub-genre. Romantic suspense is the hottest, right now. In romantic suspense the heroine has to be in danger somehow, the element of suspense has to permeate every scene.

I think the genre that is a bit weak is glitz - the setting is exotic, the characters are usually wealthy, the conflict is usually about the control of a business. Romantic suspense is a good idea because it has crossover appeal - not necessarily always sold in romance section of the bookstore.

Gothics are still viable - again the heroine is in danger. They're recognisable by the cover: very dramatic with a maiden fleeing a dark-and-stormy-night kind of setting. In this case, a young woman is somehow in a house she really shouldn' be in. She's the governess, a visiting relative, the housekeeper. She immediately finds out that there is something creepy going on and becomes tangled in a web of intrigue and romance with the handsome owner/relative/master. Usually in the Gothic there is nothing supernatural going on, although it might appear there is. The danger is usually coming from some family enemy or family secret.

Again, let's stress that while conflict is at the heart of every yearning romance, the reader wants a heroine who' plausible. She needs to be strong and willing to take matters into her own hands. And the hero doesn' need to be a brooding, cold brute.

What about humour in romance?

Writing coach: Humour is becoming more of a commodity all the time. There has to be a series of misunderstandings that screw things up between the couple. The love interest can be unaware of his true feelings for the heroine for a good part of the story. Remember that you want inner and outer conflict; they both need to have compelling reasons that keep them apart.

What about time-travel romance?

Writing coach: Time-travel romances are a separate category; Time and Again by Jack Finney is an example. It seems to me that the genre is wide open; if you have an interest you can find a fit for the kind of story you want to tell.

Must a modern romance novel include graphic or semi-graphic sex?

Writing coach: The publisher's guidelines will describe how much sex it wants. In general, sex is underplayed in lieu of sexual tension. There are books with no sex - called 'sweet' in the industry. And passion and writing are linked, right?

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