February 25, 2025 • 31 mins
Calling all Romantasy (and Fantasy) authors! Tune in to learn how to write a Romantasy novel that perfectly blends fantasy elements with romance.
Whether you're drafting your first Romantasy novel or refining your approach to an existing manuscript, this episode will help you deliver exactly what readers are looking for in this booming genre.
Tune in for a deep dive into the Romantasy genre and learn things like:
[01:35] Key differences between books like Fourth Wing, Radiance, and The Name of The Wind, and why only two of these would be marketed as Romantasy, despite having many similar elements
[05:24] What the Romantasy genre spectrum looks like—and why knowing where your story fits on this spectrum changes everything about how you write it
[10:55] How to navigate the thematic differences between “Fantasy Romance” (focused on love's power) versus “Romantic Fantasy” (centered on survival)
[18:22] How to craft character relationships that resonate differently depending on your subgenre—and why this matters more than you think
[22:15] Worldbuilding strategies specific to each end of the Romantasy spectrum that will keep readers immersed in your story and coming back for more
If you’ve ever wondered why some Romantasy novels feel like epic adventures with a dash of romance while others are more like swoon-worthy love stories with magical elements, this episode will help clear out some of that confusion.
🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:
- Ep. 145 - How To Develop Your Character's Backstory
- Ep. 7 - 5 Questions To Help You Write Better Characters
- Ep. 23 - The 6 Key Scenes Every Romance Novel Needs
- Ep. 38 - Romance Genre Conventions
- Ep. 41 - The 6 Key Scenes Every Action Story Needs
- Ep. 57 - Action Genre Key Scenes
⭐ Rate + Review + Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast!" ← If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing this show! Your rating and review will help other writers find this podcast, and they're also super fun for me to read. Just click here, scroll all the way to the bottom, tap five stars to rate the show, and then select "Write a Review." Be sure to let me know your favorite episodes, too!
Also, if you haven't done so already, make sure you're following the podcast! I'll be adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed, and if you're not following the show, there's a good chance you'll miss them. Cli
Click here to register for my FREE training: 3 Things You Need to Write Your Novel in 2025.
👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or S
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Either way, what matters most is that readers
care deeply about yourcharacters, both individually
and as a romantic pairing.
In stories that have high-stakeaction and complex plots, this
emotional connection is reallykey.
If readers don't care aboutyour characters and their
relationships, then they're notgoing to be invested in their
survival or happiness.
Welcome to the Fiction WritingMade Easy podcast.
(00:25):
My name is Savannah Gilbo andI'm here to help you write a
story that works.
I want to prove to you thatwriting a novel doesn't have to
be overwhelming, so each week,I'll bring you a brand new
episode with simple, actionableand step-by-step strategies that
you can implement in yourwriting right away.
So, whether you're brand new towriting or more of a seasoned
author looking to improve yourcraft, this podcast is for you.
(00:46):
So pick up a pen and let's getstarted.
In today's episode, we're goingto take a deep dive into the
romanticist genre and I'm goingto talk through what it means to
write a romanticist novel thatworks.
I'm going to cover the keydifferences between romantic
fantasy and fantasy romance,both of which exist on the
romantic genre spectrum, andwe're going to talk through some
(01:09):
actionable strategies for worldbuilding, character development
and plot construction that willhelp you craft a romantic story
that readers can't put down.
So whether you're hoping towrite the next fourth wing or
create more of an intimatefantasy romance like Radiance by
Grace Draven, this episode willgive you all the tools to
navigate this complex butrewarding genre.
So let's dive in, starting witha definition, shall we?
(01:33):
What is romantasy?
Romantasy is a term used todescribe stories that combine
romance and fantasy.
They're stories that make useof magical elements, take place
in imagined fantasy worlds, havevarious degrees of danger and
life or death stakes and, mostimportantly, feature a prominent
romantic relationship asreaders.
(01:53):
This definition makes sense,right, but many aspiring authors
that I've met and talked tostruggle to write romanticy well
, and they often end up witheither weak worldbuilding or
underdeveloped relationships orplots that just don't work.
And usually these writers cometo me with questions like should
the plot points in a romantasyfocus more on the romance or
(02:13):
fantasy elements?
Or does a romantasy story needa happily ever after ending or
not?
And if the story starts tofocus on the romantic
relationship, then when does itstop being a subplot and become
more of a core piece of thestory?
And we're going to talk throughall of this today.
But essentially, when writersask me these questions, my
answer is always it depends onwhat kind of romanticity you're
(02:36):
writing.
So let me explain what I meanby that.
You might have heard me talkabout this in a previous episode
, but essentially there are fivedifferent ways that we can talk
about the genre of any givenstory.
So, for example, about any book, we can ask is it literary,
upmarket or commercial fiction?
We can talk about when thestory takes place, so is it
historical or contemporary?
(02:57):
We can talk about genre basedon how old the target reader is,
so is it middle grade, youngadult, new adult or adult
fiction?
We can talk about it in termsof setting or the reality that
the story takes place in, so isit set in a fantasy world, a
sci-fi world, in our own modernday world, like?
Where does it take place?
And then, lastly, we can talkabout genre in terms of the
(03:18):
content, genre of the story, sois it an action story with life
or death stakes, or a romancenovel with a happily ever after
ending, or a thriller wherewe're up against a ticking clock
?
You know things like that.
So, as an example to explainwhat I mean, I want you to
consider Fourth Wing by RebeccaYaros.
Depending on where you look,you're going to see this book
described as romanticy, epicfantasy, fantasy, romance or
(03:42):
even just new, adult or adultfantasy.
Each of those labels speaks tosomething different and they're
all technically correct.
As readers, we can get the gistof what this story is about,
right, it's a book that willcontain elements of fantasy and
romance, and we know who it'sfor it's for new, adult or adult
readers.
But here's where things getreally tricky.
If we take another book likeRadiance by Grace Draven, which
(04:05):
is marketed using similar termsfantasy, romance, romanticy,
adult fantasy, etc.
But offers a slightly differentreading experience from Fourth
Wing, it starts to get a littleconfusing.
The plot and stakes in FourthWing feel bigger and more
dangerous, while Radiance feelsmore intimate and focused on the
romantic relationship, yet bothare described using the same
(04:26):
terms.
To make matters even morecomplicated, you could say the
same thing about the Name of theWind by Patrick Rothfuss, which
includes many of these sameelements but isn't marketed as
romantic-y.
So yes, there's a romanticrelationship between Kvothe and
Denna, but there's no happilyever after, or at least not yet,
because the series isn'tcomplete, and this is where a
(04:47):
lot of the confusion comes fromright.
All three books take place in animaginary world, all three
feature romantic relationships,all three see the protagonist in
dangerous situations and allthree deal with larger societal
and or plot issues.
So what gives what makesstories like Fourth Wing and
Radiance romanticize, whilebooks like the Name of the Wind
(05:09):
are just fantasy with a romanticsubplot?
And why is the readingexperience so similar yet
different between books likethese?
Well, that is exactly whatwe're going to talk through in
the rest of this episode, andthe key thing it breaks down to
is this Romanticy stories existon a spectrum.
On one end of the spectrum youhave fantasy romance and on the
(05:31):
other end of the spectrum youhave romantic fantasy.
So let's break down thedifferences between fantasy
romance and romantic fantasy,and then we'll talk about how
this all plays into theoverarching genre of romanticy.
We'll start with fantasyromance.
Fantasy romance is a sub-genreof romance, so these are stories
that are essentially romancenovels set in fantasy worlds
(05:54):
that follow the standard romancebeats and have happily ever
after or at least happily fornow endings like contemporary
romance novels do.
This means the romanticrelationship is the focus of the
plot and if you take thatromance away, the story doesn't
work.
Thematically, books in thefantasy romance subgenre
demonstrate the power of love orwhat it means to find and
(06:16):
accept love, because that's whatthese stories are about.
So books like Radiance by GraceDraven and the Winter King by
CL Wilson would sit in thissubcategory.
Now, romantic fantasy, on theother hand, is a subgenre of
fantasy, so these are storiesthat include a bigger external
conflict, usually with life ordeath stakes, and feature
(06:37):
prominent romantic subplots.
So, in other words, althoughthe romantic relationship is
important, it's not the core ofthe story.
If you took out the romance,the overarching plot would still
make sense to readers and thestory would still work.
It might not be as entertaining, but it would still work if you
took that romance out.
Typically, stories in theromantic fantasy subgenre follow
(06:59):
the key scenes and conventionsof the action genre and they do
not require the main couple tohave a happily ever after ending
.
Thematically, books in theromantic fantasy subgenre
demonstrate what it takes tosurvive and thrive, and they
spotlight how the romanticrelationship factors into the
protagonist's ability to surviveand thrive.
Books like Fourth Wing byRebecca Yaros and A Court of
(07:22):
Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Masswould sit in this subcategory.
Now, this doesn't mean that anyfantasy novel with a romantic
subplot is considered romanticfantasy.
Publishers do distinguishromantasy as something different
than a fantasy novel with aromantic subplot, and this means
you must do the same.
So, for example, in the Name ofthe Wind by Patrick Rothfuss,
(07:44):
the love story between Kvotheand Denna serves to enhance and
or complicate the overall plot.
Their romance is woven into theplot without making romance the
ultimate goal of the story.
Now, as you can imagine, ifyou're writing romanticism, it's
important to know where yourbook sits on this romanticist
genre spectrum in order to writea story that works and
(08:05):
satisfies readers.
But sometimes that's easiersaid than done, because fantasy,
romance and romantic fantasyseem to be separated by a pretty
thin line.
So I want to walk you throughfive steps to take if you know
you want to write a romanticistnovel and you're still kind of
trying to determine where yourstory fits on that spectrum.
So let's dig into step one.
(08:26):
If you're writing romantasy,the first thing you'll need to
do is determine your story'scontent genre.
The biggest difference betweenfantasy, romance and romantic
fantasy lies in how authors mixand prioritize their content
genres.
If you've never heard this termcontent genre before, I will
link to an episode where I talkabout this in a lot more detail.
But essentially, content genrestell us writers, what kind of
(08:49):
content we need to include inorder to deliver on readers'
expectations.
So things like what kind ofplot events need to happen, what
kind of character roles need tobe filled, what kind of
conflict the characters willface, what's at stake or what
the characters stand to lose orgain, and so much more.
So if you're writing fantasyromance, your primary content
genre will be romance.
(09:10):
This means that the romancegenre elements need to take
precedence over any action genreor fantasy elements you choose
to include, because the romanticrelationship is the most
important part of the story.
On the other hand, if you'rewriting romantic fantasy, you'll
need to choose a content genreother than romance to represent
your external plot.
(09:30):
In most cases, the primarycontent genre of romantic
fantasy stories is action, whichmeans the action genre elements
would take precedence over anyromance elements you choose to
include, even if onlyincrementally.
The key thing to remember inromantic fantasy stories is that
there needs to be somethingbigger at stake.
So an external plot that puts acharacter in dangerous life or
(09:53):
death situations and tests theirability to survive, the
romantic relationship thenserves to support or cause
conflict to that main storylineAgain, even if it feels like the
romance is an equal part of thestory from the reader's
perspective.
Now, if you're still not surewhere your story fits, consider
which two to three books yourstory would sit next to on a
(10:14):
shelf.
If your answer is somethinglike Radiance by Grace Draven or
the Winter King by CL Wilson,then you're probably writing
fantasy romance.
If your answer is somethinglike Fourth Wing by Rebecca
Yaros or A Court of Thorns andRoses by Sarah J Maas, then
you're probably writing romanticfantasy.
This first step is really keybecause the boundary between
(10:35):
fantasy romance and romanticfantasy does tend to blur, but
readers will sometimes want onekind of reading experience over
the other.
So your decision in this firststep will help you set the
reader's expectations and thendeliver a story that meets and
hopefully exceeds thoseexpectations.
Okay, so that's step one.
You'll want to determine yourprimary content genre.
(10:57):
Step number two is to uncoverand get clear on your story's
theme.
Most romanticist stories speakto themes of love, friendship,
belonging and survival, butdepending on your subgenre,
you'll want to speak to thesethemes in slightly different
ways.
If you're writing fantasyromance, your story needs to
speak to the power of love.
The central question of thesestories is something like will
(11:20):
these two characters gettogether or stay together
despite everything standing intheir way?
In other words, how strong istheir love?
Can their love conquer all?
Will their love or theirromantic relationship survive,
whatever else the plot throws atthem?
For example, in Radiance byGrace Draven, you could say the
theme is something like Reallove can exist between two very
(11:42):
different people when eachperson sets aside their
prejudice and keeps an open mindabout what's possible.
The focus of the story is onthe power of love, despite
everything else that's included.
If you're writing romanticfantasy, your story will need to
speak primarily to what ittakes to survive.
The central question of thesestories is something like will
(12:02):
the protagonist survive thisdangerous situation and, if so,
how?
In other words, what does ittake to survive and how does the
romantic relationship factorinto the protagonist's ability
to survive, whether positivelyor negatively?
Take Fourth Wing by RebeccaYaros as an example.
You could say the theme of thatbook is something like
surviving and thriving ispossible when you embrace your
(12:24):
strengths, even if they aren'tphysical, and work with others,
despite your differences, forthe greater good.
The focus of this book is onViolet's survival and how her
relationship with Zayden andothers help or harm her ability
to survive.
This is a really importantdistinction, because theme is
going to influence everything inyour story, from the way your
characters grow and change orfail to grow and change, to how
(12:47):
you shape your plot and how youflesh out your story world.
If you're not clear on whichuniversal theme your story
speaks to primarily whetherthat's love or survival it can
be difficult to prioritize whathappens when, what stays in your
story versus what gets editedout and things like that.
So just something to keep inmind, and that is step two
you'll want to uncover and getclear on your story's theme.
(13:10):
Step number three is tobrainstorm and create a plot
with appropriate stakes.
Now, although fantasy, romanceand romantic fantasy include
many of the same elements, theyare fundamentally different.
The plot's going to bedifferent and what's at stake is
going to be different, eventhough both types of stories
include similar elements.
If you're writing fantasyromance, the romantic
(13:32):
relationship is going to takecenter stage.
This means the key plot pointsin your story need to revolve
around the romantic relationship, bringing your characters
together as soonve around theromantic relationship, bringing
your characters together as soonas possible in Act 1, and
giving them their happily everafter, or, at the very least, a
happy-for-now ending.
For this reason, many fantasyromance stories are built using
(13:52):
the romance genre framework,including the key scenes and
conventions of the romance genre.
I will link to those in theshow notes as well for easy
access.
Now, if you're going to includeany action genre elements or
any fantasy elements in yourstory, like escalating danger
and or life and death scenarios,magic, whatever it is just
remember that these elementsneed to serve as a subplot or
(14:15):
more of a backdrop to thecentral romantic storyline.
The goal is to use thesesubplots or these fantasy action
genre elements to complicatethe couple's ability to be
together for one reason oranother.
So, as an example, if you thinkabout Radiance by Grace Draven,
the story starts with the twomain characters, ildiko and
Breshen, meeting right beforetheir wedding.
(14:37):
Both characters arequote-unquote spare children,
meaning they will not inheritthe throne, and they've been
betrothed to each other as partof a trade between their
kingdoms.
The story is about theirrelationship and whether it will
work out if they'll truly everfall in love.
You know things like that theexternal conflict in the story
exists to complicate thatrelationship.
(14:58):
So there's prejudice, there'smisunderstanding between their
two people, there are attacksthat happen on the road and in
court, and even their physicaldifferences when it comes to
being intimate provide conflictto their relationship.
And all of these action, genreelements or fantasy elements,
they echo the type of conflictthat's already existing within
(15:18):
that relationship and this iswhat helps the story feel
cohesive and whole.
So, as an example, theprejudice and misunderstanding
that exists between their twopeople, that also exists in the
beginning of their relationship,the physical differences that
exist between the humans and theKai also exist between Ildiko
and Bershen, because Ildiko ishuman and Bershen is Kai.
(15:39):
So, again, these action orfantasy elements and the world
building, they help echo thetype of conflict that exists
within the relationship.
Then, by the end of the story,we are of course turning page
after page to find out whetheror not Ildiko and Bershen get
their happily ever after or not.
So we are rooting for thatrelationship throughout the
entire book.
(15:59):
Now, if you're writing romanticfantasy, like I said earlier,
there needs to be more at stakethan just the relationship.
This means that, although theromantic relationship is going
to play a very significant rolein the story.
The plot needs to include, andbe centered around, a bigger
external conflict, usually onewith life or death stakes.
It's for this reason that manyromantic fantasy stories are
(16:22):
built using the action genreframework that culminates with a
dangerous life or deathconfrontation with the
antagonist and includes veryspecific key scenes and
conventions.
Again, I will link to somearticles that cover those key
scenes and conventions of theaction genre in the show notes.
Now, in this scenario, theromantic relationship is going
to be the subplot, even if itfeels like it carries equal
(16:44):
weight in the story.
This means your key plot pointsneed to be built around that
bigger external conflict andthey may or may not feature
significant romanticdevelopments, depending on the
story you're telling and whetherthe romance develops over one
book or multiple books.
Either way, the goal is to usethe romantic relationship as a
way to complicate or support thecentral conflict, not the other
(17:06):
way around.
As an example of a story likethis, I'd like you to consider
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaros andhow, in the beginning of the
story, violet's on her way tojoin the writer's quadrant and
we don't know whether or notshe'll survive Not just survive
crossing parapet, but also onceshe gets into the writer's
quadrant, and we don't knowwhether or not she'll survive
not just survive crossingparapet, but also once she gets
into the writer's quadrant, ifshe makes it in.
We're initially led to believethat zayden wants to kill violet
(17:28):
, but as the story progressesthey grow closer, develop
feelings and fall in love, andviolet's relationship with
zayden both puts her in dangerby making her a target of people
like General Melgrin, whoaccuses her of siding with the
rebels and things like that, andit also helps her survive by
teaching her key skills, zayden,believing in her despite her
(17:49):
physical ability and her familyname, by sharing knowledge and
things like that.
By the end of the book we aredefinitely rooting for Zayden
and Violet to get their happilyever after ending, but we're
also concerned with Violet'ssurvival, especially in the
story's climax.
So if Violet doesn't survivethe story's climax, then we know
there's no shot at getting thathappily ever after, right.
(18:10):
So again, similar elements, butdifferent reading experiences.
Hopefully these examples arehelpful, and that is step number
three.
You'll want to brainstorm andcreate a plot with appropriate
stakes.
Now step number four is todevelop the relationship between
the characters and, whetheryou're writing fantasy, romance
or romantic fantasy, theromantic relationship between
(18:32):
your characters is critical toyour story's success.
You'll want to start by fullydeveloping each character
individually before bringingthem together.
So for each character, you canask yourself things like how
does this character feel aboutlove and relationships?
Do they want love or arelationship?
And if so, why Do they avoid orfear love and relationships?
(18:52):
If so, why Do they feel they'redeserving or undeserving of
love or an intimate relationshipand if so, why?
And then how do these beliefschange by the end of the story?
If you haven't done the work todevelop your character's
backstory already, then I willlink to a blog post and podcast
episode in the show notes thatwill help you uncover where each
character's beliefs and innerobstacles around love and
(19:15):
relationships came from.
So that'll be linked in theshow notes if you need help
doing this Now.
If you're writing fantasyromance, your story will show
how characters grow and changein their beliefs about love.
Since these are romance stories, first, the romantic
relationship needs to be theprimary catalyst for that
internal conflict and growth.
The action and fantasy elementscan definitely contribute to
(19:38):
the character development, butthat romantic relationship needs
to be the primary catalyst forthat change.
If you're writing romanticfantasy, on the other hand, your
story will demonstrate how lovehelps change your protagonist
and how that change either helpsor harms their survival.
And what this means is thatboth the external conflict and
the romantic relationship shoulddrive your character's growth
(20:01):
and change.
And it's this dual catalyst forgrowth and change that
distinguishes romanticy,particularly romantic fantasy,
from a standard fantasy novelwith a romantic subplot.
Okay, I'm going to say that onemore time because it's really
important.
It's this dual catalyst forgrowth that distinguishes
romanticy, that distinguishesromanticist novels, particularly
romantic fantasy novels, fromstandard fantasy books with
(20:25):
romantic subplots.
So in a regular fantasy storylike the Name of the Wind by
Patrick Rothfuss, kvothe'srelationship with Denna isn't
the primary driver of his growth.
His education, his experiencesand his confrontations with the
external conflicts and sourcesof antagonism play a much larger
role, challenging him andencouraging him to grow and
(20:47):
change.
Okay, so that's an example of aregular fantasy novel that
includes a romantic subplot.
But in true romantic novels,whether that's fantasy, romance
or romantic fantasy, the loveinterest or that romantic
subplot must significantlycontribute to or cause the
protagonist transformation.
Now back to romantic fantasy.
(21:08):
When it comes to therelationship in your romantic
fantasy novel.
Remember that readers aren'tnecessarily expecting or
guaranteed a happily ever afterending, especially in a book
series.
Your story might feature moreof a slow burn romance that
develops gradually over books,or it might even feature a
protagonist who has multipleromantic partners across a book
(21:29):
series.
So think of someone like Aelinin Throne of Glass or Tori in
Zodiac Academy.
Right, both characters havemultiple romantic partners
across a series and theyeventually get their happily
ever after.
Either way, what matters mostis that readers care deeply
about your characters, bothindividually and as a romantic
pairing.
(21:49):
In stories that have high stakeaction and complex plots, this
emotional connection is reallykey.
If readers don't care aboutyour characters and their
relationships, then they're notgoing to be invested in their
survival or happiness.
So this step is reallyimportant.
You'll need to develop therelationship between your
characters, of course, startingwith their individual
development and then theirrelationships development once
(22:11):
you bring them together.
All right, moving on to stepfive.
Step five is to build a storyworld that supports your story's
plot and character growth.
Depending on where your storyfits on the romanticist genre
spectrum, readers will haveslightly different expectations
for your world building.
Obviously, you will need to dosome world building either way,
because we are talking aboutromanticist after all.
(22:34):
Right, but how much worldbuilding you do is up to you and
up to what you think readersmight expect from your subgenre.
So here are some things to keepin mind.
If you're writing fantasyromance, consider how the story
world impacts the centralromantic relationship.
Think about things like anysocietal rules that relate to
marriage or courtship that couldeither get your couple stuck
(22:56):
together or create obstacles forthem being together.
You could also think aboutthings like the physical needs
or powers of one character thatcould pose a threat to the other
if they're not controlled andthey're in a romantic
relationship.
You know things like that.
If you think about Radiance byGrace Draven as an example,
brishen and Ildiko are betrothedas a way to bring their two
(23:16):
kingdoms peace.
So they are forced togetherthrough this marriage and Ildiko
must travel to Brishen'skingdom where she's going to be
one of only a handful of humansto live out the rest of her life
.
Once she gets there, thesetting or the world building
both harms and helps theromantic relationship develop.
So, for example, because Ildikois one of only a few humans in
(23:43):
the Kai kingdom, bershen becomesa familiar and safe presence to
her, which helps therelationship blossom, but on the
other hand, because he's Kai,he's physically stronger and
more powerful than her.
So once they are together andthey are intimate with each
other, that poses a problem aswell.
So think about creative waysyou can use your setting or your
worldbuilding to both help andharm the relationship.
Now, if you're writing romanticfantasy, readers will expect
(24:04):
more of an emphasis onworldbuilding and fantastic
elements than they might from afantasy romance book, romance
book and where I suggest youfocus is creating a story world
that's ripe for life or deathconflicts and that puts your
protagonist in dangeroussituations, while also
developing a place where theromantic relationship can thrive
and or be challenged.
(24:24):
So, as an example of this,think about Fourth Wing by
Rebecca Yaros.
The characters are literally ata war college preparing to go
to war.
When they reach a certain pointin their training, they learn
how to wield dangerous signets,fight each other in physical
combat and ride on the back ofpowerful dragons that could kill
you without blinking.
The world is ripe for dangeroussituations and life-or-death
(24:47):
conflicts, and this is just apart of what helps bring Zayden
and Violet together, as well aswhat initially keeps them apart.
All right.
So that is step number five.
You'll want to build a storyworld that helps you develop
your plot and your characters.
Now, like I mentioned earlier,whether you're writing fantasy,
romance, where love conquers all, or romantic fantasy, where
survival is the primary goal,understanding where your story
(25:09):
sits on the romanticist spectrumis crucial for crafting a
satisfying reader experience.
So, on that note, let me recapwhat we went over today.
I'm going to share five keypoints and then I'll wrap up the
episode.
Key point number one is thatRomantasy exists on a spectrum,
with fantasy romance on one sideand romantic fantasy on the
other, each offering distinctreading experiences despite
(25:32):
containing similar ingredients.
Remember that fantasy romancecenters on the romantic
relationships, with fantasyelements to support and enhance
that journey, and romanticfantasy focuses on the external
conflict and survival, withromance adding depth to the
character's growth.
Key point number two is thatthe most important decision for
(25:53):
Romantic writers is determiningtheir primary content genre
either romance for fantasyromance or action for romantic
fantasy and whatever you chooseis going to help you shape your
plot structure, characterdevelopment and readers'
expectations.
Key point number three is thatfantasy and romance explore
themes centered on the power oflove and relationships that
(26:15):
fantasy and romance explorethemes centered on the power of
love and relationships, butromantic fantasy primarily
examines themes of survival andhow romantic relationships help
or hinder that survival.
So really important differencethere.
Key point number four is thatthe plots in fantasy romance
books revolve around the centralrelationship, with external
conflicts serving ascomplications.
On the other hand, romanticfantasy requires higher external
(26:38):
stakes, usually life or death,with romance serving as a
subplot that impacts theprotagonist's journey.
And finally, key point numberfive is that both subgenres
require worldbuilding, butfantasy romance focuses on how
the world impacts therelationships.
So remember thinking thingslike social rules, arranged
marriages, things like that,while romantic fantasy demands
(27:00):
more comprehensive worldbuilding that creates dangerous
situations and life or deathconflicts.
And as a bonus takeaway, I'lljust reiterate that being clear
on your subgenre is going tohelp you deliver that emotional
experience that your readers arelooking for.
Remember that fantasy romancereaders are primarily seeking
that emotional journey and thatguaranteed happily ever after,
(27:22):
while romantic fantasy readerswant high-stakes adventure with
romantic elements that enhancethe story.
The line that divides thesesubgenres might be thin and you
might find your series shiftingalong this spectrum as it
develops.
That is perfectly fine, as longas that shift is natural and
makes sense within your worldand for your characters.
What matters most is creatingan authentic world where both
(27:44):
the fantasy and romance elementsfeel necessary and meaningful
to your story.
So it is my hope that byembracing these distinctions and
by applying the principleswe've discussed in this episode,
you're going to craft aromantic novel that finds its
perfect readers and keeps themcoming back for more, and
everything we went over intoday's episode will hopefully
help you do that.
(28:07):
So that's it for today's episode.
As always, thank you so muchfor tuning in and for showing
your support.
Thank you so much for tuning inand for showing your support.
If you want to check out any ofthe links I mentioned in this
episode, you can find them inthe show notes listed in the
description of each episodeinside your podcast player or at
savannahgilbocom forward slashpodcast.
If you're an Apple user, I'dreally appreciate it if you took
(28:28):
a few seconds to leave a ratingand a review.
Your ratings and reviews tellApple that this is a podcast
that's worth listening to and,in turn, your reviews will help
this podcast get in front ofmore fiction writers just like
you.
And while you're there, goahead and hit that follow button
because there's going to beanother brand new episode next
week, full of actionable tips,tools and strategies to help you
(28:49):
become a better writer.
So I'll see you next week anduntil then, happy writing.
Either way, what matters most is that readers
care deeply about yourcharacters, both individually
and as a romantic pairing.
In stories that have high-stakeaction and complex plots, this
emotional connection is reallykey.
If readers don't care aboutyour characters and their
relationships, then they're notgoing to be invested in their
survival or happiness.
Welcome to the Fiction WritingMade Easy podcast.
(00:25):
My name is Savannah Gilbo andI'm here to help you write a
story that works.
I want to prove to you thatwriting a novel doesn't have to
be overwhelming, so each week,I'll bring you a brand new
episode with simple, actionableand step-by-step strategies that
you can implement in yourwriting right away.
So, whether you're brand new towriting or more of a seasoned
author looking to improve yourcraft, this podcast is for you.
(00:46):
So pick up a pen and let's getstarted.
In today's episode, we're goingto take a deep dive into the
romanticist genre and I'm goingto talk through what it means to
write a romanticist novel thatworks.
I'm going to cover the keydifferences between romantic
fantasy and fantasy romance,both of which exist on the
romantic genre spectrum, andwe're going to talk through some
(01:09):
actionable strategies for worldbuilding, character development
and plot construction that willhelp you craft a romantic story
that readers can't put down.
So whether you're hoping towrite the next fourth wing or
create more of an intimatefantasy romance like Radiance by
Grace Draven, this episode willgive you all the tools to
navigate this complex butrewarding genre.
So let's dive in, starting witha definition, shall we?
(01:33):
What is romantasy?
Romantasy is a term used todescribe stories that combine
romance and fantasy.
They're stories that make useof magical elements, take place
in imagined fantasy worlds, havevarious degrees of danger and
life or death stakes and, mostimportantly, feature a prominent
romantic relationship asreaders.
(01:53):
This definition makes sense,right, but many aspiring authors
that I've met and talked tostruggle to write romanticy well
, and they often end up witheither weak worldbuilding or
underdeveloped relationships orplots that just don't work.
And usually these writers cometo me with questions like should
the plot points in a romantasyfocus more on the romance or
(02:13):
fantasy elements?
Or does a romantasy story needa happily ever after ending or
not?
And if the story starts tofocus on the romantic
relationship, then when does itstop being a subplot and become
more of a core piece of thestory?
And we're going to talk throughall of this today.
But essentially, when writersask me these questions, my
answer is always it depends onwhat kind of romanticity you're
(02:36):
writing.
So let me explain what I meanby that.
You might have heard me talkabout this in a previous episode
, but essentially there are fivedifferent ways that we can talk
about the genre of any givenstory.
So, for example, about any book, we can ask is it literary,
upmarket or commercial fiction?
We can talk about when thestory takes place, so is it
historical or contemporary?
(02:57):
We can talk about genre basedon how old the target reader is,
so is it middle grade, youngadult, new adult or adult
fiction?
We can talk about it in termsof setting or the reality that
the story takes place in, so isit set in a fantasy world, a
sci-fi world, in our own modernday world, like?
Where does it take place?
And then, lastly, we can talkabout genre in terms of the
(03:18):
content, genre of the story, sois it an action story with life
or death stakes, or a romancenovel with a happily ever after
ending, or a thriller wherewe're up against a ticking clock
?
You know things like that.
So, as an example to explainwhat I mean, I want you to
consider Fourth Wing by RebeccaYaros.
Depending on where you look,you're going to see this book
described as romanticy, epicfantasy, fantasy, romance or
(03:42):
even just new, adult or adultfantasy.
Each of those labels speaks tosomething different and they're
all technically correct.
As readers, we can get the gistof what this story is about,
right, it's a book that willcontain elements of fantasy and
romance, and we know who it'sfor it's for new, adult or adult
readers.
But here's where things getreally tricky.
If we take another book likeRadiance by Grace Draven, which
(04:05):
is marketed using similar termsfantasy, romance, romanticy,
adult fantasy, etc.
But offers a slightly differentreading experience from Fourth
Wing, it starts to get a littleconfusing.
The plot and stakes in FourthWing feel bigger and more
dangerous, while Radiance feelsmore intimate and focused on the
romantic relationship, yet bothare described using the same
(04:26):
terms.
To make matters even morecomplicated, you could say the
same thing about the Name of theWind by Patrick Rothfuss, which
includes many of these sameelements but isn't marketed as
romantic-y.
So yes, there's a romanticrelationship between Kvothe and
Denna, but there's no happilyever after, or at least not yet,
because the series isn'tcomplete, and this is where a
(04:47):
lot of the confusion comes fromright.
All three books take place in animaginary world, all three
feature romantic relationships,all three see the protagonist in
dangerous situations and allthree deal with larger societal
and or plot issues.
So what gives what makesstories like Fourth Wing and
Radiance romanticize, whilebooks like the Name of the Wind
(05:09):
are just fantasy with a romanticsubplot?
And why is the readingexperience so similar yet
different between books likethese?
Well, that is exactly whatwe're going to talk through in
the rest of this episode, andthe key thing it breaks down to
is this Romanticy stories existon a spectrum.
On one end of the spectrum youhave fantasy romance and on the
(05:31):
other end of the spectrum youhave romantic fantasy.
So let's break down thedifferences between fantasy
romance and romantic fantasy,and then we'll talk about how
this all plays into theoverarching genre of romanticy.
We'll start with fantasyromance.
Fantasy romance is a sub-genreof romance, so these are stories
that are essentially romancenovels set in fantasy worlds
(05:54):
that follow the standard romancebeats and have happily ever
after or at least happily fornow endings like contemporary
romance novels do.
This means the romanticrelationship is the focus of the
plot and if you take thatromance away, the story doesn't
work.
Thematically, books in thefantasy romance subgenre
demonstrate the power of love orwhat it means to find and
(06:16):
accept love, because that's whatthese stories are about.
So books like Radiance by GraceDraven and the Winter King by
CL Wilson would sit in thissubcategory.
Now, romantic fantasy, on theother hand, is a subgenre of
fantasy, so these are storiesthat include a bigger external
conflict, usually with life ordeath stakes, and feature
(06:37):
prominent romantic subplots.
So, in other words, althoughthe romantic relationship is
important, it's not the core ofthe story.
If you took out the romance,the overarching plot would still
make sense to readers and thestory would still work.
It might not be as entertaining, but it would still work if you
took that romance out.
Typically, stories in theromantic fantasy subgenre follow
(06:59):
the key scenes and conventionsof the action genre and they do
not require the main couple tohave a happily ever after ending
.
Thematically, books in theromantic fantasy subgenre
demonstrate what it takes tosurvive and thrive, and they
spotlight how the romanticrelationship factors into the
protagonist's ability to surviveand thrive.
Books like Fourth Wing byRebecca Yaros and A Court of
(07:22):
Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Masswould sit in this subcategory.
Now, this doesn't mean that anyfantasy novel with a romantic
subplot is considered romanticfantasy.
Publishers do distinguishromantasy as something different
than a fantasy novel with aromantic subplot, and this means
you must do the same.
So, for example, in the Name ofthe Wind by Patrick Rothfuss,
(07:44):
the love story between Kvotheand Denna serves to enhance and
or complicate the overall plot.
Their romance is woven into theplot without making romance the
ultimate goal of the story.
Now, as you can imagine, ifyou're writing romanticism, it's
important to know where yourbook sits on this romanticist
genre spectrum in order to writea story that works and
(08:05):
satisfies readers.
But sometimes that's easiersaid than done, because fantasy,
romance and romantic fantasyseem to be separated by a pretty
thin line.
So I want to walk you throughfive steps to take if you know
you want to write a romanticistnovel and you're still kind of
trying to determine where yourstory fits on that spectrum.
So let's dig into step one.
(08:26):
If you're writing romantasy,the first thing you'll need to
do is determine your story'scontent genre.
The biggest difference betweenfantasy, romance and romantic
fantasy lies in how authors mixand prioritize their content
genres.
If you've never heard this termcontent genre before, I will
link to an episode where I talkabout this in a lot more detail.
But essentially, content genrestell us writers, what kind of
(08:49):
content we need to include inorder to deliver on readers'
expectations.
So things like what kind ofplot events need to happen, what
kind of character roles need tobe filled, what kind of
conflict the characters willface, what's at stake or what
the characters stand to lose orgain, and so much more.
So if you're writing fantasyromance, your primary content
genre will be romance.
(09:10):
This means that the romancegenre elements need to take
precedence over any action genreor fantasy elements you choose
to include, because the romanticrelationship is the most
important part of the story.
On the other hand, if you'rewriting romantic fantasy, you'll
need to choose a content genreother than romance to represent
your external plot.
(09:30):
In most cases, the primarycontent genre of romantic
fantasy stories is action, whichmeans the action genre elements
would take precedence over anyromance elements you choose to
include, even if onlyincrementally.
The key thing to remember inromantic fantasy stories is that
there needs to be somethingbigger at stake.
So an external plot that puts acharacter in dangerous life or
(09:53):
death situations and tests theirability to survive, the
romantic relationship thenserves to support or cause
conflict to that main storylineAgain, even if it feels like the
romance is an equal part of thestory from the reader's
perspective.
Now, if you're still not surewhere your story fits, consider
which two to three books yourstory would sit next to on a
(10:14):
shelf.
If your answer is somethinglike Radiance by Grace Draven or
the Winter King by CL Wilson,then you're probably writing
fantasy romance.
If your answer is somethinglike Fourth Wing by Rebecca
Yaros or A Court of Thorns andRoses by Sarah J Maas, then
you're probably writing romanticfantasy.
This first step is really keybecause the boundary between
(10:35):
fantasy romance and romanticfantasy does tend to blur, but
readers will sometimes want onekind of reading experience over
the other.
So your decision in this firststep will help you set the
reader's expectations and thendeliver a story that meets and
hopefully exceeds thoseexpectations.
Okay, so that's step one.
You'll want to determine yourprimary content genre.
(10:57):
Step number two is to uncoverand get clear on your story's
theme.
Most romanticist stories speakto themes of love, friendship,
belonging and survival, butdepending on your subgenre,
you'll want to speak to thesethemes in slightly different
ways.
If you're writing fantasyromance, your story needs to
speak to the power of love.
The central question of thesestories is something like will
(11:20):
these two characters gettogether or stay together
despite everything standing intheir way?
In other words, how strong istheir love?
Can their love conquer all?
Will their love or theirromantic relationship survive,
whatever else the plot throws atthem?
For example, in Radiance byGrace Draven, you could say the
theme is something like Reallove can exist between two very
(11:42):
different people when eachperson sets aside their
prejudice and keeps an open mindabout what's possible.
The focus of the story is onthe power of love, despite
everything else that's included.
If you're writing romanticfantasy, your story will need to
speak primarily to what ittakes to survive.
The central question of thesestories is something like will
(12:02):
the protagonist survive thisdangerous situation and, if so,
how?
In other words, what does ittake to survive and how does the
romantic relationship factorinto the protagonist's ability
to survive, whether positivelyor negatively?
Take Fourth Wing by RebeccaYaros as an example.
You could say the theme of thatbook is something like
surviving and thriving ispossible when you embrace your
(12:24):
strengths, even if they aren'tphysical, and work with others,
despite your differences, forthe greater good.
The focus of this book is onViolet's survival and how her
relationship with Zayden andothers help or harm her ability
to survive.
This is a really importantdistinction, because theme is
going to influence everything inyour story, from the way your
characters grow and change orfail to grow and change, to how
(12:47):
you shape your plot and how youflesh out your story world.
If you're not clear on whichuniversal theme your story
speaks to primarily whetherthat's love or survival it can
be difficult to prioritize whathappens when, what stays in your
story versus what gets editedout and things like that.
So just something to keep inmind, and that is step two
you'll want to uncover and getclear on your story's theme.
(13:10):
Step number three is tobrainstorm and create a plot
with appropriate stakes.
Now, although fantasy, romanceand romantic fantasy include
many of the same elements, theyare fundamentally different.
The plot's going to bedifferent and what's at stake is
going to be different, eventhough both types of stories
include similar elements.
If you're writing fantasyromance, the romantic
(13:32):
relationship is going to takecenter stage.
This means the key plot pointsin your story need to revolve
around the romantic relationship, bringing your characters
together as soonve around theromantic relationship, bringing
your characters together as soonas possible in Act 1, and
giving them their happily everafter, or, at the very least, a
happy-for-now ending.
For this reason, many fantasyromance stories are built using
(13:52):
the romance genre framework,including the key scenes and
conventions of the romance genre.
I will link to those in theshow notes as well for easy
access.
Now, if you're going to includeany action genre elements or
any fantasy elements in yourstory, like escalating danger
and or life and death scenarios,magic, whatever it is just
remember that these elementsneed to serve as a subplot or
(14:15):
more of a backdrop to thecentral romantic storyline.
The goal is to use thesesubplots or these fantasy action
genre elements to complicatethe couple's ability to be
together for one reason oranother.
So, as an example, if you thinkabout Radiance by Grace Draven,
the story starts with the twomain characters, ildiko and
Breshen, meeting right beforetheir wedding.
(14:37):
Both characters arequote-unquote spare children,
meaning they will not inheritthe throne, and they've been
betrothed to each other as partof a trade between their
kingdoms.
The story is about theirrelationship and whether it will
work out if they'll truly everfall in love.
You know things like that theexternal conflict in the story
exists to complicate thatrelationship.
(14:58):
So there's prejudice, there'smisunderstanding between their
two people, there are attacksthat happen on the road and in
court, and even their physicaldifferences when it comes to
being intimate provide conflictto their relationship.
And all of these action, genreelements or fantasy elements,
they echo the type of conflictthat's already existing within
(15:18):
that relationship and this iswhat helps the story feel
cohesive and whole.
So, as an example, theprejudice and misunderstanding
that exists between their twopeople, that also exists in the
beginning of their relationship,the physical differences that
exist between the humans and theKai also exist between Ildiko
and Bershen, because Ildiko ishuman and Bershen is Kai.
(15:39):
So, again, these action orfantasy elements and the world
building, they help echo thetype of conflict that exists
within the relationship.
Then, by the end of the story,we are of course turning page
after page to find out whetheror not Ildiko and Bershen get
their happily ever after or not.
So we are rooting for thatrelationship throughout the
entire book.
(15:59):
Now, if you're writing romanticfantasy, like I said earlier,
there needs to be more at stakethan just the relationship.
This means that, although theromantic relationship is going
to play a very significant rolein the story.
The plot needs to include, andbe centered around, a bigger
external conflict, usually onewith life or death stakes.
It's for this reason that manyromantic fantasy stories are
(16:22):
built using the action genreframework that culminates with a
dangerous life or deathconfrontation with the
antagonist and includes veryspecific key scenes and
conventions.
Again, I will link to somearticles that cover those key
scenes and conventions of theaction genre in the show notes.
Now, in this scenario, theromantic relationship is going
to be the subplot, even if itfeels like it carries equal
(16:44):
weight in the story.
This means your key plot pointsneed to be built around that
bigger external conflict andthey may or may not feature
significant romanticdevelopments, depending on the
story you're telling and whetherthe romance develops over one
book or multiple books.
Either way, the goal is to usethe romantic relationship as a
way to complicate or support thecentral conflict, not the other
(17:06):
way around.
As an example of a story likethis, I'd like you to consider
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaros andhow, in the beginning of the
story, violet's on her way tojoin the writer's quadrant and
we don't know whether or notshe'll survive Not just survive
crossing parapet, but also onceshe gets into the writer's
quadrant, and we don't knowwhether or not she'll survive
not just survive crossingparapet, but also once she gets
into the writer's quadrant, ifshe makes it in.
We're initially led to believethat zayden wants to kill violet
(17:28):
, but as the story progressesthey grow closer, develop
feelings and fall in love, andviolet's relationship with
zayden both puts her in dangerby making her a target of people
like General Melgrin, whoaccuses her of siding with the
rebels and things like that, andit also helps her survive by
teaching her key skills, zayden,believing in her despite her
(17:49):
physical ability and her familyname, by sharing knowledge and
things like that.
By the end of the book we aredefinitely rooting for Zayden
and Violet to get their happilyever after ending, but we're
also concerned with Violet'ssurvival, especially in the
story's climax.
So if Violet doesn't survivethe story's climax, then we know
there's no shot at getting thathappily ever after, right.
(18:10):
So again, similar elements, butdifferent reading experiences.
Hopefully these examples arehelpful, and that is step number
three.
You'll want to brainstorm andcreate a plot with appropriate
stakes.
Now step number four is todevelop the relationship between
the characters and, whetheryou're writing fantasy, romance
or romantic fantasy, theromantic relationship between
(18:32):
your characters is critical toyour story's success.
You'll want to start by fullydeveloping each character
individually before bringingthem together.
So for each character, you canask yourself things like how
does this character feel aboutlove and relationships?
Do they want love or arelationship?
And if so, why Do they avoid orfear love and relationships?
(18:52):
If so, why Do they feel they'redeserving or undeserving of
love or an intimate relationshipand if so, why?
And then how do these beliefschange by the end of the story?
If you haven't done the work todevelop your character's
backstory already, then I willlink to a blog post and podcast
episode in the show notes thatwill help you uncover where each
character's beliefs and innerobstacles around love and
(19:15):
relationships came from.
So that'll be linked in theshow notes if you need help
doing this Now.
If you're writing fantasyromance, your story will show
how characters grow and changein their beliefs about love.
Since these are romance stories, first, the romantic
relationship needs to be theprimary catalyst for that
internal conflict and growth.
The action and fantasy elementscan definitely contribute to
(19:38):
the character development, butthat romantic relationship needs
to be the primary catalyst forthat change.
If you're writing romanticfantasy, on the other hand, your
story will demonstrate how lovehelps change your protagonist
and how that change either helpsor harms their survival.
And what this means is thatboth the external conflict and
the romantic relationship shoulddrive your character's growth
(20:01):
and change.
And it's this dual catalyst forgrowth and change that
distinguishes romanticy,particularly romantic fantasy,
from a standard fantasy novelwith a romantic subplot.
Okay, I'm going to say that onemore time because it's really
important.
It's this dual catalyst forgrowth that distinguishes
romanticy, that distinguishesromanticist novels, particularly
romantic fantasy novels, fromstandard fantasy books with
(20:25):
romantic subplots.
So in a regular fantasy storylike the Name of the Wind by
Patrick Rothfuss, kvothe'srelationship with Denna isn't
the primary driver of his growth.
His education, his experiencesand his confrontations with the
external conflicts and sourcesof antagonism play a much larger
role, challenging him andencouraging him to grow and
(20:47):
change.
Okay, so that's an example of aregular fantasy novel that
includes a romantic subplot.
But in true romantic novels,whether that's fantasy, romance
or romantic fantasy, the loveinterest or that romantic
subplot must significantlycontribute to or cause the
protagonist transformation.
Now back to romantic fantasy.
(21:08):
When it comes to therelationship in your romantic
fantasy novel.
Remember that readers aren'tnecessarily expecting or
guaranteed a happily ever afterending, especially in a book
series.
Your story might feature moreof a slow burn romance that
develops gradually over books,or it might even feature a
protagonist who has multipleromantic partners across a book
(21:29):
series.
So think of someone like Aelinin Throne of Glass or Tori in
Zodiac Academy.
Right, both characters havemultiple romantic partners
across a series and theyeventually get their happily
ever after.
Either way, what matters mostis that readers care deeply
about your characters, bothindividually and as a romantic
pairing.
(21:49):
In stories that have high stakeaction and complex plots, this
emotional connection is reallykey.
If readers don't care aboutyour characters and their
relationships, then they're notgoing to be invested in their
survival or happiness.
So this step is reallyimportant.
You'll need to develop therelationship between your
characters, of course, startingwith their individual
development and then theirrelationships development once
(22:11):
you bring them together.
All right, moving on to stepfive.
Step five is to build a storyworld that supports your story's
plot and character growth.
Depending on where your storyfits on the romanticist genre
spectrum, readers will haveslightly different expectations
for your world building.
Obviously, you will need to dosome world building either way,
because we are talking aboutromanticist after all.
(22:34):
Right, but how much worldbuilding you do is up to you and
up to what you think readersmight expect from your subgenre.
So here are some things to keepin mind.
If you're writing fantasyromance, consider how the story
world impacts the centralromantic relationship.
Think about things like anysocietal rules that relate to
marriage or courtship that couldeither get your couple stuck
(22:56):
together or create obstacles forthem being together.
You could also think aboutthings like the physical needs
or powers of one character thatcould pose a threat to the other
if they're not controlled andthey're in a romantic
relationship.
You know things like that.
If you think about Radiance byGrace Draven as an example,
brishen and Ildiko are betrothedas a way to bring their two
(23:16):
kingdoms peace.
So they are forced togetherthrough this marriage and Ildiko
must travel to Brishen'skingdom where she's going to be
one of only a handful of humansto live out the rest of her life
.
Once she gets there, thesetting or the world building
both harms and helps theromantic relationship develop.
So, for example, because Ildikois one of only a few humans in
(23:43):
the Kai kingdom, bershen becomesa familiar and safe presence to
her, which helps therelationship blossom, but on the
other hand, because he's Kai,he's physically stronger and
more powerful than her.
So once they are together andthey are intimate with each
other, that poses a problem aswell.
So think about creative waysyou can use your setting or your
worldbuilding to both help andharm the relationship.
Now, if you're writing romanticfantasy, readers will expect
(24:04):
more of an emphasis onworldbuilding and fantastic
elements than they might from afantasy romance book, romance
book and where I suggest youfocus is creating a story world
that's ripe for life or deathconflicts and that puts your
protagonist in dangeroussituations, while also
developing a place where theromantic relationship can thrive
and or be challenged.
(24:24):
So, as an example of this,think about Fourth Wing by
Rebecca Yaros.
The characters are literally ata war college preparing to go
to war.
When they reach a certain pointin their training, they learn
how to wield dangerous signets,fight each other in physical
combat and ride on the back ofpowerful dragons that could kill
you without blinking.
The world is ripe for dangeroussituations and life-or-death
(24:47):
conflicts, and this is just apart of what helps bring Zayden
and Violet together, as well aswhat initially keeps them apart.
All right.
So that is step number five.
You'll want to build a storyworld that helps you develop
your plot and your characters.
Now, like I mentioned earlier,whether you're writing fantasy,
romance, where love conquers all, or romantic fantasy, where
survival is the primary goal,understanding where your story
(25:09):
sits on the romanticist spectrumis crucial for crafting a
satisfying reader experience.
So, on that note, let me recapwhat we went over today.
I'm going to share five keypoints and then I'll wrap up the
episode.
Key point number one is thatRomantasy exists on a spectrum,
with fantasy romance on one sideand romantic fantasy on the
other, each offering distinctreading experiences despite
(25:32):
containing similar ingredients.
Remember that fantasy romancecenters on the romantic
relationships, with fantasyelements to support and enhance
that journey, and romanticfantasy focuses on the external
conflict and survival, withromance adding depth to the
character's growth.
Key point number two is thatthe most important decision for
(25:53):
Romantic writers is determiningtheir primary content genre
either romance for fantasyromance or action for romantic
fantasy and whatever you chooseis going to help you shape your
plot structure, characterdevelopment and readers'
expectations.
Key point number three is thatfantasy and romance explore
themes centered on the power oflove and relationships that
(26:15):
fantasy and romance explorethemes centered on the power of
love and relationships, butromantic fantasy primarily
examines themes of survival andhow romantic relationships help
or hinder that survival.
So really important differencethere.
Key point number four is thatthe plots in fantasy romance
books revolve around the centralrelationship, with external
conflicts serving ascomplications.
On the other hand, romanticfantasy requires higher external
(26:38):
stakes, usually life or death,with romance serving as a
subplot that impacts theprotagonist's journey.
And finally, key point numberfive is that both subgenres
require worldbuilding, butfantasy romance focuses on how
the world impacts therelationships.
So remember thinking thingslike social rules, arranged
marriages, things like that,while romantic fantasy demands
(27:00):
more comprehensive worldbuilding that creates dangerous
situations and life or deathconflicts.
And as a bonus takeaway, I'lljust reiterate that being clear
on your subgenre is going tohelp you deliver that emotional
experience that your readers arelooking for.
Remember that fantasy romancereaders are primarily seeking
that emotional journey and thatguaranteed happily ever after,
(27:22):
while romantic fantasy readerswant high-stakes adventure with
romantic elements that enhancethe story.
The line that divides thesesubgenres might be thin and you
might find your series shiftingalong this spectrum as it
develops.
That is perfectly fine, as longas that shift is natural and
makes sense within your worldand for your characters.
What matters most is creatingan authentic world where both
(27:44):
the fantasy and romance elementsfeel necessary and meaningful
to your story.
So it is my hope that byembracing these distinctions and
by applying the principleswe've discussed in this episode,
you're going to craft aromantic novel that finds its
perfect readers and keeps themcoming back for more, and
everything we went over intoday's episode will hopefully
help you do that.
(28:07):
So that's it for today's episode.
As always, thank you so muchfor tuning in and for showing
your support.
Thank you so much for tuning inand for showing your support.
If you want to check out any ofthe links I mentioned in this
episode, you can find them inthe show notes listed in the
description of each episodeinside your podcast player or at
savannahgilbocom forward slashpodcast.
If you're an Apple user, I'dreally appreciate it if you took
(28:28):
a few seconds to leave a ratingand a review.
Your ratings and reviews tellApple that this is a podcast
that's worth listening to and,in turn, your reviews will help
this podcast get in front ofmore fiction writers just like
you.
And while you're there, goahead and hit that follow button
because there's going to beanother brand new episode next
week, full of actionable tips,tools and strategies to help you
(28:49):
become a better writer.
So I'll see you next week anduntil then, happy writing.
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