Teach Yourself: Writing A Romantic Novel

And Getting Published.

What is romantic fiction? To some people, it is all clouds of chiffon and the scent of roses - but in reality, romantic fiction covers a wide range of stories, from Jane Eyre to Mills & Boon, from Georgette Heyer to Catherine Cookson. The starshine and the grit, the tragedy and the joy, can all be part of a romantic novel. Escapism or illumination - romance is here to stay.

This book takes a new look at writing romance. With tips from writers as well known as Joanna Trollope, Celia Brayfield, Iris Gower and many others, Donna Baker takes you through each step of the way, from developing your characters and structuring your plot to the most up-to-date methods of research, including the Internet. And she proves that hard work though it may be, it can still be fun. "If the author doesn't enjoy writing it", she says, "the reader won't enjoy reading it".