I'm familiar with the 12 step outline process for heroic fantasy novels, but is there an equivalent outline structure for Romance novels? By this I mean novels like those produced by Nicholas Sparks, not highly erotic adult novels.
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A and B meet. A and B fall in love. Optional: A and B enjoy snugglebunnies. Obstacle gets between A and B. A and/or B overcome obstacle. Omnia vincit amor.
(since it was requested that I turn this into an answer)
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I found a good structure for Romance novels in the book Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes. It's available on Amazon. She lays out a four-part structure with five key beats per section. I've found it useful in thinking through all the in-betweens of boy-meets-boy, boy-loses-boy, boy-gets-boy-in-the-end.
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Firstly you should have in my mind what you want to write about. Try to imagine the characters; their names and how they look like. Try to imagine what type of individual each character it is. Start with a few topics that later will be developed into many why, where, how and what and because. Don't be afraid to google synonyms. Try to write small sentences or paragraphs. And read other heroic fantasy novels. Imagine some sort of conflict. There is no perfect formula for this. Try to build details about your story. You should also find a writing routine that works for you. Do some research. Use the library. When you feel ready, sit down and begin writing the first draft of your novel. Set small goals to keep yourself motivated. Practice self-editing. Print out your novel and read it aloud :) Consider trying to publish your novel.
