How to write a romantasy novel

If you’re wondering how to write a romantasy novel, you’ve come to the right place. This article will look at the essential ingredients of a well-written romantasy novel, from fantasy worldbuilding to developing a believable romance, and from plot outlines to writing steamy scenes.

Before we get into all the juicy writing tips I’ll be giving you, let’s answer a question: what is romantasy anyway?

If you’ve spent any time in the online book world over the past couple of years, you will have seen the term ‘romantasy’ popping up everywhere from Goodreads to TikTok. Combining the words ‘romance’ and ‘fantasy’, a romantasy blends these two popular genres.

Books that combine romance and fantasy have actually been around for a while, and some people divide them into two camps:

• Romantic fantasy – a sub-genre of fantasy that has a fantasy main plot and a romantic subplot or strong romantic elements to the story. A happily ever after (HEA) is not guaranteed.
• Fantasy romance – a sub-genre of romance where the romance forms the A plot and the fantasy elements form the B plot; a romance in a fantasy setting, where a HEA is guaranteed.

There is some debate about which of the two is really a romantasy. In reality, books that fit both of the descriptions above are now being marketed and sold as romantasy.

One thing is for sure: romantasy appeals to readers who are fans of both romance and fantasy, so if you are writing a romantasy novel, ideally you want both elements to be strong.

Within the romantasy genre, there are subgenres such as historical, epic, dark and cosy, and they can feature all manner of fantastical, mythical and fairytale beings – think fae, dragons, vampires, minotaurs, mermaids, witches and more. Some are set in fantasy worlds, while others combine a setting more grounded in the real world with fantasy elements.

In terms of word length, they can vary from 80,000 to 120,000 words. For context, this falls somewhere between a faster paced romance novel (around 50–90,000 words) and a fantasy novel that requires more set-up and world-building (up to 150,000).

The readership of romantasy is adult and predominantly female, and there is some crossover with fans of young adult fantasy.

Every writing journey beings with reading. If you want to write a romantasy novel, there is no better place to start than by reading books in the genre. And trust me, with this genre you’re going to have a lot of fun along the way – from dragon riders (The Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros) to dangerous faerie realms (A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas), and from vampires battling it out Hunger Games style (The Serpent and the Wings of Night, Carissa Broadbent) to deadly demon games with a lot of spice (Throne of the Fallen, Kerri Maniscalco).

By getting to know the genre you will gain an insight into what fans expect and enjoy. It will also help you to understand how your book might fit in alongside existing titles, which will be important when it comes to marketing your book or submitting it to agents and publishers for consideration.

As you read, think about the following:

• What makes the writing style and tone engaging?
• What fantasy elements and beings have been included?
• Are there any fantasy or romance tropes?
• Which plot structure (more on this below!) has been used?
• Is the main romantic relationship believable?
• What adds tension to the relationship?
• How explicit are the romance scenes?

For a list of romantasy books, check out: https://bookriot.com/romantasy-books or go to Goodreads and take a look at their romantasy lists.

At the heart of your romantasy must be a couple whose romantic relationship will captivate your readers. And for this to happen, you need to make sure there is plenty of tension – both dramatic and romantic.

One way of doing this is to set the characters up as enemies, who despite themselves and/or their situation become attracted to one another (see enemies to lovers trope below!).

You could create a power imbalance – maybe one character has something the other character needs, or one character is in a position of power over the other. (This one may be of particular interest if you are writing a dark romantasy.)

Or, a tried and tested technique in romance writing, it could be that the characters are opposite in some way – perhaps one character loves rules and the other likes to break them, or one avoids violence at all costs and the other is quick to try to solve things by starting a fight.

Importantly, you also need to consider what common ground your characters have – what will eventually bring them together?

In a romantasy, the fantasy world-building is equally as important as the romance aspect. Before you even begin to write, dedicate some time to envisaging your fantasy world and write down all the details. That way, you can make sure that your characters’ actions and the story events are all informed by the world they take place in. Here is a list to get you started:

• Geography
• Architecture
• History
• Folklore and myths
• Societal and cultural rules
• Religion
• Fantastical races or beings and their attributes and powers
• Magic system

Since romance will feature prominently in your story, think about how your fantasy world elements could affect how a romance plays out. For example, are there any societal rules, such as those relating to marriage, that could create an obstacle to a couple being together? Could the physical needs or powers of one character pose a potential danger to the other character if not controlled?

Spending time figuring out your basic plot structure before you begin writing can really help you to stay focussed and to avoid common problems with first drafts, such as the dreaded ‘saggy middle’, where there are pacing problems in the middle section of a manuscript. There is no shame in using a tried and tested story structure, especially if you are new to novel writing. After all, successful writers have been using them almost since novel writing became a thing.

There are many different story structures out there, but it makes sense to choose one that will work best to serve both the romance and the fantasy elements of your romantasy novel. Here are a couple of examples to consider: 

Three-act story structure

This is one of the most commonly used story structures. It can be used for writing a fantasy novel, and it is particularly popular in the romance genre. The three-act structure is broken down into:

Act One: The inciting incident and the first plot point (or ‘end of the beginning’)

Act Two: Rising tension building towards the midpoint, the crisis (or ‘all is lost’ moment)

Act Three: The climax and resolution

In many romance books, this typically translates into a meet-cute, rising tension, the couple getting together, breaking up, fighting for their love and a HEA.

Gwen Hayes’ Romancing the Beat plot structure

Created by romance writer Gwen Hayes, this one is particularly useful if you want to create a slow-burn romance. It breaks down into four phases:

Phase 1: Set-up

Phase 2: Falling in love

Phase 3: Retreating from love

Phase 4: Fighting for love

When working on your plot outline, it’s also important to think about the interplay between your main plot and subplot. This is where you can look at how to bring the romance and fantasy elements together in a way that feels satisfying to readers who love both romance and fantasy.

An example of how this might work is if the romance between the two main characters forms the A plot, while a B plot focuses on an external problem connected to fantastical elements of the story brings them together and they have to solve it.

Every genre of fiction has its own conventions that readers like to see. For example, in romantasy, strong heroines, fairytale retellings and found family are all things that crop up regularly. Tropes play a big part in this. A trope can be a recurring theme, image, plot device or scenario in which characters interact in a way that is expected.

‘Trope’ is sometimes seen as a negative word in writing because it can suggest a lack of originality, but when it comes to genre fiction, tropes are part of the fun. Fans who enjoy reading a certain trope will often seek out books that feature it –  tags such as ‘enemies to lovers’ and ‘only one bed’ are often highlighted in marketing copy for romantasy books, so that readers know exactly what they have in store for them.

By all means, do lean into tropes that readers love, but remember that relying too heavily on tropes can feel unoriginal or formulaic – so if you are using them in your romantasy writing, do so intentionally.

Think of the trope as a starting point – it’s up to you which way you take things. Using a trope and giving it your own twist or even turning it on its head is a fun way to play with genre expectations.

Below are some popular ones, with a focus on scenario tropes. Many are drawn from romance fiction and also work well in a romantasy setting:

• Enemies to lovers – an enduring favourite, as popular in romantasy as it is in romance.
• Marriage of convenience – this one works well in the context of political alliances in fantasy worlds.
• Perilous proposal – there’s nothing like a character declaring their undying love during a fraught battle scene to get the pulse racing.
• Just one bed – characters have to spend a night somewhere and discover there is only one bed. A good opportunity for adding some steam!
• Soul mates or fated mates – the characters feel inexplicably drawn to one another and at some point in the story figure out the connection.

And now we get to the saucy bit. You can’t have a romantasy without some romantic scenes. Just how raunchy you make them is up to you.

It’s a good idea to decide in advance what ‘spice level’ or ‘steam rating’ you are going for. If you are clear about the steam rating, it can help sellers to market the book and it means your readers will know what to expect and whether it caters to their tastes or not. Remember that books are a safe space for readers to live out their fantasies and not to have to feel embarrassed about them.

It’s important to pick a spice level appropriate for your sub-genre. For example, if you’re writing a cosy romantasy, you probably want more cuteness and cuddling, less ravishing.

As with any scene, a romantic or sexy scene should serve to progress the action in some way. Think about what changes as a result of the scene – how does it affect the characters, the way they see one another and their relationship? How does it tie in with other events in the plot? It should feel integral rather than superfluous to the story.

A romantic scene can cover everything from a first date to a romantic confession, and from a first touch or kiss to sex. The key to writing a gripping romance is building tension, so don’t give too much away at once. Think about how you want the characters’ physical relationship to develop in tandem with the plot.

When writing a sex scene, avoid cliched, cringey language and remember that less can sometimes be more. The emotional connection is just as important as the physical, so for each sex scene think: What does it mean to the character(s)?

And finally, think about how the fantastical elements of your story might contribute to the dynamics of a love scene – this might be through setting or physical attributes of your fantastical characters. 

Combining the best of two escapist genres, romantasy is a whole lot of fun to read and can be just as fun to write. It’s important to understand the conventions and tropes of the genre, and to remember that your readers love romance as much as they do fantasy. With a compelling romance between your main characters, a detailed fantasy world for it to play out in, a strong plot structure tying it all together and the right amount of spice, you have the recipe for a romantasy novel that will have your readers hooked.

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