Category romance is a precise art. With such a small word count, writing the perfect category romance is a little like writing a haiku. But how do you write a book in seventeen syllables? How can you cram compelling conflict, satisfying character development, and toe-curling romantic tension into less than sixty thousand words? In Crafting Category Romance, two-time RITATM-nominated author of … nearly one hundred books Amy Lane describes the rules of engagement, traps to watch out for, and how to leverage common tropes to create conflict, craft a character, develop a plot, and leave readers with a happy ever after that’s different every time—all in a tidy package. With practical exercises in plot, conflict, and character development, Crafting Category Romance will teach you how to use the rigid rules and expectations of the genre to your advantage and win a loyal readership following for life.
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I’d heard of romance tropes before, but Amy takes them to a whole new level! Turns out the tropes I’d been thinking of are just a small piece of the romance-writing pie. In this book, Amy discusses character tropes, conflict tropes, narrative tropes, and even how occupations fit into tropes. But it’s not just about the tropes, there’s so much more included in this quick read. Learn key plot points as well as what not to do in your category romance. I’ll be referring to this book for years to come. Thank you, Amy!
This book is very informative, as an avid romance reader I have become a connoisseur of the genres, this book helped me Identify why I like certain authors more than others. What worked and didn’t work in the books I have read. I feel like the book would be an excellent way to develop one’s craft and bring your writing to the next level. In fact, would it be rude to send this to some of the authors I’ve read?
This is an unexpected release from one of my favorite authors. With how 2020 is going I have more time to do my favorite solo pringle activity and that is reading. I decided to go on a journey with this author’s works. I’ve committed to reading any books that come my way by this author. I’ve been reading books by Amy Lane for nearly a decade and now in 2020, I’m willing to admit that they are one of my favorite authors. This book really is eye-opening in the many parts that take to write a category romance. It highlights that they understand their craft and willing to impart some guidance.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I honestly didn’t know this was coming and I’m glad I had the opportunity to read it. As a reader, I enjoyed the behind the scene look of possible avenues an author can/may take to craft a category romance. I related so much to the criticism one gets for enjoying the books that I enjoy. Kudos to everybody who encourage Amy Lane in writing this book.
4.5 stars
*This book was provided to me for free by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I will start by saying I am not a writer. As an avid reader and confessed fan of Amy Lane I wanted to take a peek behind the curtain of her mind to see her writing process. I was unsurprised to find that her nonfiction writing is as engaging and informative as her fiction writing. Writers in all stages of their careers from beginners to long published and established will find ideas they can apply to their writing process. What a valuable tool this book should be in the hands of someone bursting with plans for writing a book but no idea how to get started or continue the process to a completed book. From initial idea to fleshing out characters to planning the layout this book will show you everything you need to get busy writing.
This is unlike any Amy Lane book I have read so far. As I am not an author just a romance reader, it was interesting to learn all the nuances of the craft. This is a non-fiction book that would be very informative to an author.