Writing Romances: A Handbook by the Romance Writers of America

Rating:
Summary: Misleading title
Review: I bought this because I want to be a romance writer, and I was looking for information that would help me in this market as well as give me writing tips. It does a good job on the first count, but it was not very useful for me, a beginner, who did not know anything about writing romances. So the title is misleading.

Rating:
Summary: Misleading title
Review: I was honestly surprised by how much I liked this book. Of all the different "how to" books I've read about writing genre fiction, this one was the most helpful and informative on issues of marketing, publicity, and self presentation as an author.

No, this book does not take you by the hand and explain how to plot a story, how to develop a character, or how to format your manuscript. There are, however, many others that do, as a quick search for "writing reference" will show you. This book credits the reader with a certain amount of experience and know how. You do not need to be a succesful writer to enjoy this, simply an observant reader.

Not to give anyone the wrong idea, the book also contains a lovely chapter by Jude Deveraux about the common mistakes new writers make - complete with advice on how to avoid them. There are chapters that discuss the structure of a romance, what the audience expects from heroine and hero, how to do (and then incorporate) research for historical romances, writing the regency romance, long vs. short form, including the paranormal (time travel, magic, etc), and the evolution romance writing has gone through over the years.

I highly recommend this book, not only to romance writers, but to all aspiring writers. After all, many mysteries, westerns, and science fiction stories do have a touch of romance in them, and vice versa.

Rating:
Summary: Useful and Enjoyable
Review: I was honestly surprised by how much I liked this book. Of all the different "how to" books I've read about writing genre fiction, this one was the most helpful and informative on issues of marketing, publicity, and self presentation as an author.

No, this book does not take you by the hand and explain how to plot a story, how to develop a character, or how to format your manuscript. There are, however, many others that do, as a quick search for "writing reference" will show you. This book credits the reader with a certain amount of experience and know how. You do not need to be a succesful writer to enjoy this, simply an observant reader.

Not to give anyone the wrong idea, the book also contains a lovely chapter by Jude Deveraux about the common mistakes new writers make - complete with advice on how to avoid them. There are chapters that discuss the structure of a romance, what the audience expects from heroine and hero, how to do (and then incorporate) research for historical romances, writing the regency romance, long vs. short form, including the paranormal (time travel, magic, etc), and the evolution romance writing has gone through over the years.

I highly recommend this book, not only to romance writers, but to all aspiring writers. After all, many mysteries, westerns, and science fiction stories do have a touch of romance in them, and vice versa.

Rating:
Summary: Useful and Enjoyable
Review: I was honestly surprised by how much I liked this book. Of all the different "how to" books I've read about writing genre fiction, this one was the most helpful and informative on issues of marketing, publicity, and self presentation as an author.

No, this book does not take you by the hand and explain how to plot a story, how to develop a character, or how to format your manuscript. There are, however, many others that do, as a quick search for "writing reference" will show you. This book credits the reader with a certain amount of experience and know how. You do not need to be a succesful writer to enjoy this, simply an observant reader.

Not to give anyone the wrong idea, the book also contains a lovely chapter by Jude Deveraux about the common mistakes new writers make - complete with advice on how to avoid them. There are chapters that discuss the structure of a romance, what the audience expects from heroine and hero, how to do (and then incorporate) research for historical romances, writing the regency romance, long vs. short form, including the paranormal (time travel, magic, etc), and the evolution romance writing has gone through over the years.

I highly recommend this book, not only to romance writers, but to all aspiring writers. After all, many mysteries, westerns, and science fiction stories do have a touch of romance in them, and vice versa.

Rating:
Summary: More for the published author than a beginner.
Review: This book is a wonderful collection of works by experts in the Romance genre. As a first-time published Romance author, I can hardly claim to be an expert in the field...I have a long way to go before I become proficient. This book is ideal for me. It provides me with support from women who have fought battles long before I dreamed of writing. I am grateful for their wisdom.

It also assumes a certain amount of writing ability and knowledge of the genre; again, ideal for me in that it is not so much a beginner's how-to as it is a forum for romance lovers to share their opinions and pointers about the wonderful genre.

It's a delight to read. A great source of encouragement!

Rating:
Summary: Wise, well written, thorough. Well worth buying!
Review: This book is a wonderful collection of works by experts in the Romance genre. As a first-time published Romance author, I can hardly claim to be an expert in the field...I have a long way to go before I become proficient. This book is ideal for me. It provides me with support from women who have fought battles long before I dreamed of writing. I am grateful for their wisdom.

It also assumes a certain amount of writing ability and knowledge of the genre; again, ideal for me in that it is not so much a beginner's how-to as it is a forum for romance lovers to share their opinions and pointers about the wonderful genre.

It's a delight to read. A great source of encouragement!

Rating:
Summary: More for the published author than a beginner.
Review: Unfortunately, this book deals mainly with the business-end of romance writing. While that's fine, it shouldn't be marketed as a writing book. It does have some tips for a beginner, but mostly you'll find advice for marketing, promotion, and other non-writing topics.