Either way, what matters most is that readers care deeply about your characters, both individually and as a romantic pairing. In stories that have high-stake action and complex plots, this emotional connection is really key. If readers don't care about your characters and their relationships, then they're not going to be invested in their survival or happiness. Welcome to the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast. My name is Savannah Gilbo, and I'm here to help you write a story that works. I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be overwhelming. So each week, I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple, actionable, and step-by strategies that you can implement in your writing right away. So whether you're brand new to writing or more of a seasoned author looking to improve your craft, this podcast is for you. So pick up a pen and let's get started. In today's episode, we're going to take a deep dive into the romanticy genre and I'm going to talk through what it means to write a romanticy novel that works. I'm going to cover the key differences between romantic fantasy and fantasy romance, both of which exist on the romantisy genre spectrum, and we're going to talk through some actionable strategies for world building, character development, and plot construction that will help you craft a romantisy story that readers can't put down. So whether you're hoping to write the next fourth wing or create more of an intimate fantasy romance like Radiance by Grace Draven, this episode will give you all the tools to navigate this complex but rewarding genre. Now a little warning, this is a jam-packed episode so you will want to take notes. To make it super easy for you, I created a cheat sheet that recaps the key points of this episode and you can download that by going to savannahgilbo.com forward slash romanticy. So one more time, you can download the cheat sheet that goes along with this episode at savannahgilbo.com forward slash romanticy. So let's dive in starting with a definition, shall we? What is romanticy? Romanticy is a term used to describe stories that combine romance and fantasy. They're stories that make use of magical elements, take place in imagined fantasy worlds, have various degrees of danger and life-or stakes, and most importantly feature a prominent romantic relationship. As readers, this definition makes sense, right? But many aspiring authors that I've met and talked to struggle to write romanticity well, and they often end up with either weak world building or underdeveloped relationships or plots that just don't work. And usually these writers come to me with questions like, should the plot points in a romanticy focus more on the romance or fantasy elements? Or does a romanticy story need a happily ever after ending or not? And if the story starts to focus on the romantic relationship, then when does it stop being a subplot and become more of a core piece of the story? And we're going to talk through all of this today, but essentially when writers ask me these questions, my answer is always, it depends on what kind of romanticy you're writing. So let me explain what I mean by that. You might have heard me talk about this in a previous episode, but essentially there are five different ways that we can talk about the genre of any given story. So for example, about any book, we can ask, is it literary, upmarket, or commercial fiction? We can talk about when the story takes place, so is it historical or contemporary? We can talk about genre based on how old the target reader is so is it middle grade young adult new adult or adult fiction we can talk about it in terms of setting or the reality that the story takes place in so is it set in a fantasy world a sci-fi world in our own modern day world like where does it take place and then lastly we can talk about genre in terms of the content genre of the story so is it an action story with life or death stakes, or a romance novel with a happily ever after ending, or a thriller where we're up against a ticking clock, you know, things like that. So as an example, to explain what I mean, I want you to consider Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaros. Depending on where you look, you're going to see this book described as romanticcy, epic fantasy, fantasy romance, or even just new adult or adult fantasy. Each of those labels speaks to something different and they're all technically correct. As readers, we can get the gist of what this story is about, right? It's a book that will contain elements of fantasy and romance and we know who it's for. It's for new adult or adult readers. But here's where things get really tricky. If we take another book like Radiance by Grace Draven, which is marketed using similar terms, fantasy romance, romanticy, adult fantasy, etc., but offers a slightly different reading experience from Fourth Wing, it starts to get a little confusing. The plot and stakes in Fourth Wing feel bigger and more dangerous, while Radiance feels more intimate and focused on the romantic relationship. Yet both are described using the same terms. To make matters even more complicated, you could say the same thing about The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, which includes many of these same elements but isn't marketed as romanticy. So yes, there's a romantic relationship between Kvothe and Denna, but there's no happily ever after, or at least not yet, because the series isn't complete. And this is where a lot of the confusion comes from, right? All three books take place in an imaginary world. All three feature romantic relationships. All three see the protagonist in dangerous situations. And all three deal with larger societal and or plot issues. So what gives, what makes stories like Fourth Wing and Radiance romanticcy, while books like The Name of the Wind are just fantasy with a romantic subplot? And why is the reading experience so similar yet different between books like these? Well, that is exactly what we're going to talk through in the rest of this episode, and the key thing it breaks down to is this. Romanticy stories exist on a spectrum. On one end of the spectrum, you have fantasy romance, and on the other end of the spectrum, you have romantic fantasy. So let's break down the differences between fantasy romance and romantic fantasy, and then we'll talk about how this all plays into the overarching genre of romanticy. We'll start with fantasy romance. Fantasy romance is a sub-genre of romance, so these are stories that are essentially romance novels set in fantasy worlds that follow the standard romance beats and have happily ever after or at least happily for now endings like contemporary romance novels This means the romantic relationship is the focus of the plot, and if you take that romance away, the story doesn't work. Thematically, books in the fantasy romance subgenre demonstrate the power of love or what it means to find and accept love, because that's what these stories are about. So books like Radiance by Grace Draven and The Winter King by C.L. Wilson would sit in this subcategory. Now, romantic fantasy, on the other hand, is a subgenre of fantasy. So these are stories that include a bigger external conflict, usually with life or death stakes, and feature prominent romantic subplots. So in other words, although the romantic relationship is important, it's not the core of the story. If you took out the romance, the overarching plot would still make sense to readers, and the story would still work. It might not be as entertaining, but it would still work if you took that romance out. Typically, stories in the romantic fantasy subgenre follow the key scenes and conventions of the action genre and they do not require the main couple to have a happily ever after ending. Thematically, books in the romantic fantasy subgenre demonstrate what it takes to survive and thrive, and they spotlight how the romantic relationship factors into the protagonist's ability to survive and thrive. Books like Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaros and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas would sit in this subcategory. Now, this doesn't mean that any fantasy novel with a romantic subplot is considered romantic fantasy. Publishers do distinguish romanticy as something different than a fantasy novel with a romantic subplot, and this means you must do the same. So, example, In the Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, the love story between Kvothe and Denna serves to enhance and or complicate the overall plot. Their romance is woven into the plot without making romance the ultimate goal of the story. Now, as you can imagine, if you're writing romanticcy, it's important to know where your book sits on this romanticy genre spectrum in order to write a story that works and satisfies readers. But sometimes that's easier said than done because fantasy romance and romantic fantasy seem to be separated by a pretty thin line. So I want to walk you through five steps to take if you know you want to write a romanticy novel and you're still kind of trying to determine where your story fits on that spectrum. So let's dig into step one. If you're writing romanticy, the first thing you'll need to do is determine your story's content genre. The biggest difference between fantasy romance and romantic fantasy lies in how authors mix and prioritize their content genres. If you've never heard this term content genre before, I will link to an episode where I talk about this in a lot more detail. But essentially, content genres tell us writers what kind of content we need to include in order to deliver on readers' expectations. So things like what kind of plot events need to happen, what kind of character roles need to be filled, what kind of conflict the characters will face, what's at stake or what the characters stand to lose or gain, and so much more. So if you're writing fantasy romance, your primary content genre will be romance. This means that the romance genre elements need to take precedence over any action genre or fantasy elements you choose to include because the romantic relationship is the most important part of the story. On the other hand, if you're writing romantic fantasy, you'll need to choose a content genre other than romance to represent your external plot. In most cases, the primary content genre of romantic fantasy stories is action, which means the action genre elements would take precedence over any romance elements you choose to include, even if only incrementally. The key thing to remember in romantic fantasy stories is that there needs to be something bigger at stake, so an external plot that puts a character in dangerous life-or situations and tests their ability to survive. The romantic relationship then serves to support or cause conflict to that main storyline. Again, even if it feels like the romance is an equal part of the story from the reader's perspective. Now, if you're still not sure where your story fits, consider which two to three books your story would sit next to on a shelf. If your answer is something like Radiance by Grace Draven or The Winter King by C.L. Wilson, then you're probably writing fantasy romance. If your answer is something like Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaros or A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, then you're probably writing romantic fantasy. This first step is really key because the boundary between fantasy romance and romantic fantasy does tend to blur, but readers will sometimes want one kind of reading experience over the other. So your decision in this first step will help you set the reader's expectations and then deliver a story that meets and hopefully exceeds those expectations. Okay, so that's step one. You'll want to determine your primary content genre. Step number two is to uncover and get clear on your story's theme. Most romantisy stories speak to themes of love, friendship, belonging, and survival. But depending on your subgenre, you'll want to speak to these themes in slightly different ways. If you're writing fantasy romance, your story needs to speak to the power of love. The central question of these stories is something like, will these two characters get together or stay together despite everything standing in their way? In other words, how strong is their love? Can their love conquer all? Will their love or their romantic relationship survive whatever else the plot throws at them? For example, in Radiance by Grace Draven, you could say the theme is something like, real love can exist between two very different people when each person sets aside their prejudice and keeps an open mind about what's possible. The focus of the story is on the power of love despite everything else that's included. If you're writing romantic fantasy, your story will need to speak primarily to what it takes to survive. The central question of these stories is something like, will the protagonist survive this dangerous situation, and if so, how? In other words, what does it take to survive? And how does the romantic relationship factor into the protagonist's ability to survive, whether positively or negatively? Take Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaros as an example. You could say the theme of that book is something like, surviving and thriving is possible when you embrace your strengths, even if they aren't physical, and work with others despite your differences for the greater good. The focus of this book is on Violet's survival and how her relationship with Zayden and others help or harm her ability to survive. This is a really important distinction because theme is going to influence everything in your story, from the way your characters grow and change or fail to grow and change, to how you shape your plot and how you flesh out your story world. If you're not clear on which universal theme your story speaks to primarily, whether that's love or survival, it can be difficult to prioritize what happens when, what stays in your story versus what gets edited out, and things like that. So just something to keep in mind, and that is step two you'll want to uncover and get clear on your story's theme. Step number three is to brainstorm and create a plot with appropriate stakes. Now, although fantasy romance and romantic fantasy include many of the same elements, they are fundamentally different. The plot's going to be different and what's at stake is going to be different, even though both types of stories include similar elements. If you're writing fantasy romance, the romantic relationship is going to take center stage. This means the key plot points in your story need to revolve around the romantic relationship, bringing your characters together as as possible in Act 1, and giving them their happily ever after, or at the very least, a happy for now ending. For this reason, many fantasy romance stories are built using the romance genre framework, including the key scenes and conventions of the romance genre. I will link to those in the show notes as well for easy access. Now, if you're going to include any action genre elements or any fantasy elements in your story, like escalating danger and or life and death scenarios, magic, whatever it is, just remember that these elements need to serve as a subplot or more of a backdrop to the central romantic storyline. The goal is to use these subplots or these fantasy action genre elements to complicate the couple's ability to be together for one reason or another. So as an example, if you think about Radiance by Grace Draben, the story starts with the two main characters, Ildiko and Bershen, meeting right before their wedding. Both characters are quote-unquote spare children, meaning they will not inherit the throne, and they've been betrothed to each other as part of a trade between their kingdoms. The story is about their relationship and whether it will work out, if they'll truly ever fall in love, you know, things like that. The external conflict in the story exists to complicate that relationship. So there's prejudice, there's misunderstanding between their two people, there are attacks that happen on the road and in court, and even their physical differences when it comes to being intimate provide conflict to their relationship. And all of these action genre elements or fantasy elements, they echo the type of conflict that's already existing within that relationship. And this is what helps the story feel cohesive and whole. So as an example, the prejudice and misunderstanding that exists between their two people, that also exists in the beginning of their relationship. The physical differences that exist between the humans and the Kai also exist between Ildiko and Bershen, because Ildiko is human and Bershen is Kai. So again, these action or fantasy elements in the world building, they help echo the type 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 whether or not Ildiko and Bershen get their happily ever after or not. So we are rooting for that relationship throughout the entire book. Now, if you're writing romantic fantasy, like I said earlier, there needs to be more at stake than just the relationship. This means that although the romantic relationship is going to play a very significant role in the story, the plot needs to include and be centered around a bigger external conflict, usually one with life or death stakes. It's for this reason that many romantic fantasy stories are built using the action genre framework that culminates with a dangerous life or death confrontation with the antagonist and includes very specific key scenes and conventions. Again, I will link to some articles that cover those key scenes and conventions of the action genre in the show notes. Now, in this scenario, the romantic relationship is going to be the subplot, even if it feels like it carries equal weight in the story. This means your key plot points need to be built around that bigger external conflict, and they may or may not feature significant romantic developments depending on the story you're telling and whether the romance develops over one book or multiple books. Either way, the goal is to use the romantic relationship as a way to complicate or support the central conflict, not the other way around. As an example of a story like this, I'd like you to consider Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yaros and how in the beginning of the story, Violet's on her way to join the writer's quadrant and we don't know whether or not she'll survive. Not just survive crossing parapet, but also once she gets into the rider's quadrant if she makes it in. We're initially led to believe that Zayden wants to kill Violet, but as the story progresses, they grow closer, develop feelings, and fall in love. And Violet's relationship with Zayden both puts her in danger by making her a target of people like General Melgren, who accuses her of siding with the rebels and things like that. And it also helps her survive by teaching her key skills, Zayden believing in her despite her physical ability and her family name, by sharing knowledge and things like that. By the end of the book, we are definitely rooting for Zayden and Violet to get their happily ever after ending, but we're also concerned with Violet's survival, especially in the story's climax. So if Violet doesn't survive the story's climax, then we know there's no shot at getting that happily ever after, right? So again, similar elements, but different reading experiences. Hopefully these examples are helpful. And that is step number three. You'll want to brainstorm and create a plot with appropriate stakes. Now step number four is to develop the relationship between the characters. And whether you're writing fantasy romance or romantic fantasy, the romantic relationship between your characters is critical to your story's success. You'll want to start by fully developing each character individually before bringing them together. So for each character, you can ask yourself things like, how does this character feel about love and relationships? Do they want love or a relationship? And if so, why? Do they avoid or fear love and relationships? If so, why? Do they feel they're deserving or undeserving of love or an intimate relationship? And if so, why? And then how do these beliefs change by the end of the story?