Tag: advice-from-the-editors

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Illustration of five people having a conversation, with colorful speech bubbles above their heads.
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How to Write Convincing Dialogue & Banter

Strong dialogue should engage your readers, drive the plot forwards, and bring your characters to life. Dialogue done poorly, however, […]

Posted on: September 6, 2024
Blue to black background with coral curved elements. Text says Write for Harlequin: Writing Advice: Understanding a Villain's Motivation (And How to Write It!). There is a photo of a man in silhouette staring out at the dark ocean.
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Understanding A Villain’s Motivation (and How to Write It)

Of course, your heroes and heroines have clear goals and motivations that resonate with readers. But what about your villains? […]

Posted on: April 17, 2024
A pink and yellow graphic which reads Romance Glossary: The Synopsis
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A Romance Glossary Deep Dive: The Synopsis

Synopsis “An outline or summary of the story, including plot and character development, from the beginning to the end. Most […]

Posted on: April 8, 2024
An open notebook on a desk. A pen, highlighters and post sticks around the notebook.
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Staying within Series Parameters without Losing the Creative Spark

There are three main components in the recipe for a perfect Harlequin romance: establishing the characters’ motivations from the beginning, […]

Posted on: March 20, 2024
Red and yellow text on white background reads Romance Glossary On Query Letters
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A Romance Glossary Deep Dive: Query Letters

Query Letter “A letter accompanying a manuscript submission to a publisher. The query (or cover) letter should showcase the book […]

Posted on: March 18, 2024
A selection of festive items on a table, including a Christmas jumper, a candy cane, a book, pine cones, a glass of eggnog and some holly leaves.
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‘Tis the Season: How to Incorporate the Holidays into Your Story

There’s something so magical about the festive season; twinkly lights strung up everywhere you look, the smell of warming spices […]

Posted on: December 15, 2023
A two-tone purple graphic with Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity written on the left. A photo of two people hugging is on the right
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Trope Spotlight: Forced Proximity

The much-loved forced proximity trope is all about giving two people the chance to fall in love, despite all of […]

Posted on: September 27, 2023
Banner image of two cats fighting next to two cats snuggling. The text in the top left corner reads Trope Spotlight: Enemies to Lovers
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Trope Spotlight: Enemies to Lovers

Romeo and Juliet. Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Tracy Lord and C.K. Dexter Haven (from one of my favorite romances, The […]

Posted on: August 30, 2023
Young girl sitting in a library, reading a book.
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What Gen Z Readers Are Looking to Find in Romance Novels

In the past, reading romance books would have been regarded as a guilty pleasure, but the Gen Z generation and […]

Posted on: July 19, 2023
Two chili peppers intertwined on a black background. There are flames rising from the bottom. The text in the lower right reads How Spicy Is Your Story?
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Heat Levels: How Spicy Is Your Romance?

It’s usually simple to decide where you should place your story with Harlequin. If you’ve written a book about Vikings, […]

Posted on: June 14, 2023