Although writing is my first love, I also work as an editor for a small press. On this page, I’ll provide some tips that will (hopefully!) help you with your romance writing.

When I review a manuscript, there are certain things that jump out at me. All editors are different, so I can only speak for myself. But these are the things that will turn me away from a project.

1. Head hopping. This is when the POV jumps around from character to character in a scene. It is disorienting to the reader and can hinder character and plot development. Yes, I know Nora Roberts head hops, but the rest of us are mere mortals :). For new writers, I recommend sticking to one POV per scene. If you absolutely have to switch POV, use a scene break or a chapter break.

2. Lack of variety in sentence length and structure. Long sentences can add vivid colors to descriptive prose, as well as capture the essence of your writing on the page. Short’s good, too. Get the picture? :) The idea is to have variety. This goes for sentence structure as well. If you find that you’re beginning a lot of your sentences with participial phrases, try action verbs instead. They are much stronger anyway. If you see a paragraph that’s full of a certain structure (for example: Something happens AS something else happens) then reevaluate. Varying sentence length and structure will help keep your reader interested.

3. Lack of sensory detail. Sensory detail is extremely important in romance writing. The reader should be able to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell everything the character does. Don’t tell the reader that your character is nervous. Show her rapid pulse, her fluttering tummy. Help your reader get into your character’s skin; otherwise your reader won’t care as much as she should. This leads to...

4. Lack of physical and emotional chemistry between the hero and heroine. This is the backbone of the romance novel. How do their bodies physically react to each other? What thoughts are going through their minds? Descriptions of hands and tongues doing stuff is always fun, but if there’s no physical and emotional reaction, it gets boring real fast. Your reader should be as in love with the hero as the heroine is.

5. Typos and misspellings. I can forgive a few, but when they occur on every other page, it’s a turn off for an editor. I know there are writers out there (my father is one) who absolutely cannot spell. That’s okay. Just have a friend or critique partner (who can spell) read through your manuscript before you submit.

Here are some of my favorite resources for writers:

The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White (If you have only one writing resource, this should be it!)

The Writer’s Digest Grammar Desk Reference, by Gary Lutz and Diane Stevenson

Goal, Motivation and Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction, by Debra Dixon

Techniques of the Selling Writer, by Dwight V. Swain

On Writing, by Stephen King

The Romance Writer’s Handbook, by Rebecca Vinyard

Passionate Ink: A Guide to Writing Erotic Romance, by Angela Knight

The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes and Heroines, by Tami D. Cowden, Caro LeFever, Sue Viders

Empowering Characters’ Emotions, online course by Margie Lawson, http://www.MargieLawson.com

The W Plot: The Other White Meat for Plotters, online course by Karen Docter, http://www.KarenDocter.com

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