Category: Writing Advice

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A green and white graphic with large black letters in the top left corner, GMC. 5 book covers sit on the right, and written on the left is
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Goal, Motivation, Conflict: Blackwell Belles Style | Part Two: Motivation

Hi, everyone! The Blackwell Belles authors are back, continuing our trio of articles focusing on one of our favorite writing […]

Posted on: September 10, 2024
Illustration of five people having a conversation, with colorful speech bubbles above their heads.
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How to Write Convincing Dialogue & Banter

By Jenny Macey Strong dialogue should engage your readers, drive the plot forwards, and bring your characters to life. Dialogue […]

Posted on: September 6, 2024
A green and white graphic with large black letters in the top left corner, GMC. 5 book covers sit on the right, and written on the left is
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Goal, Motivation, Conflict: Blackwell Belles Style | Part One: Goals

We’re so happy to be back on the Write for Harlequin blog–and to celebrate the release of our newest Blackwell […]

Posted on: August 14, 2024
A dark purple graphic reads The Roadmap to Writing Romance with a pink and yellow illustrated sign post to the left.
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The Roadmap to Writing Romance: 5 Ways to Hone Your Story Idea

By Editor Jenny Macey Got an idea for a new Harlequin romance? Fantastic! Now that inspiration has struck, I’m sure […]

Posted on: August 2, 2024
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Trope Spotlight: Marriage of Convenience

By Editor Natalia Castano Marriage of convenience might be, among all the popular romance tropes, the most traditional of all. […]

Posted on: July 29, 2024
A two tone purple graphic which reads on the left side Trope Spotlight: Fake Dating. On the right, a photo of two people shaking hands
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Trope Spotlight: Fake Dating

By Deirdre McCluskey The fake dating/fake relationship plot device has been around at least as long as William Shakespeare and […]

Posted on: June 17, 2024
A photo from The Princess Bride on the right side is overlaid with a piece of paper graphic which reads Writing a Synopsis that Works: The Princess Bride (A Case Study) with editor Kathleen Scheibling
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Writing a Synopsis that Works | The Princess Bride: A Case Study

A few months ago, we broke down the Synopsis in a Romance Glossary Deep-Dive.   Today, Executive Editor Kathleen Scheibling […]

Posted on: June 12, 2024
A dark purple graphic reads The Roadmap to Writing Romance with a pink and yellow illustrated sign post to the left.
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The Roadmap to Writing Romance: 5 Things a Harlequin Romance Novel Cannot Be Without

By Editor Caroline Timmings So, you’ve done your research. You’ve planned out a novel. You’ve found the best Harlequin line […]

Posted on: May 29, 2024
Harlequin Author Spotlight, purple spotlight on pink background.
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What Sparks Chemistry? Harlequin Authors Explain

Whether your romance novel is spicy, tender or wholesome, creating palpable chemistry between your characters is the heartbeat of the […]

Posted on: May 22, 2024
A purple and pink graphic with a white notebook and pencil on the left side. To the right reads Editor Frequently Asked Questions: How Long Should my Manuscript Be?
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Editor Frequently Asked Questions: How Long Should My Manuscript Be? Word Count Explained.

This post has been updated from its previously published version. One thing our editors get asked about frequently is word count requirements for […]

Posted on: May 8, 2024