The Most Popular Book Genres

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I could be wrong, but most – if not all – freelance writers dream, or at least think, about writing a novel and getting it published. Whether you’re writing content for clients, doing copywriting work, or even ghostwriting, the chances are that you have a novel somewhere inside you.

We all have to start somewhere, though, and one of the ways to do so is to know what genre you want your book to fall under. Sometimes, you won’t have to decide – your ideas and characters will come alive without you having much control with regard to genre. They’ll practically give you the finger and say “F” genre! Write our story! [Read more…]

20 Creative Writing Prompts for Romance Novels

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We’ve all read romance novels at some point in our lives. Now, as writers, perhaps some of you want to enter the romance novel scene. Whether as a ghostwriter, using your own name, or using a pen name, there will be times when you face a roadblock in your writing.

There are solutions for that. You can wait till your muse comes to visit. You can force your way through the block. Or you can coax those juices with some writing prompts.

Here are some creative writing prompts for romance novels.

1. What is your favorite romantic comedy movie and why? What would change about the movie if you were inserted into one of the main or supporting roles? Talk about these changes and go into extreme details.

2. They were at the altar, about to say their vows. Suddenly, she imagined them as a couple facing issues of divorce. What happens next?

3. You’ve been in love with a high school friend for as long as you can remember but the feeling was never reciprocated – until your paths cross again decades later. Create a scene where chemistry develops between the two of you.

4. Write a romance that is developing when the main character is dealing with intense suicidal thoughts. In some ways, the romance helps her and doesn’t help her. What happens next?

5. Two strangers meeting at an addiction recovery group meeting and how they connect because of one party sharing his/her story. Write about that person’s story.

6. Write a story about two best friends who are fed up trying to find love on their own. They consider trying to start a relationship with each other since they both find each other attractive and know they are great people. However, there is no romance or chemistry between them.

7. Who is your favorite television or movie couple of all time? What is it that made them such a fantastic couple? What can you learn from them in your own life and relationships?

8. Write a romance which starts with the line “I was struck by the horrible stink that seemingly came out of her every pore”.

9. Write a scene starting with the words “He was the kind of person, despite what he thought, who never really knew what love was.”

10. “It all began when her car hit me at full speed while I was crossing the street…”

11. Write about two people meeting at an old abandoned house, getting stuck there overnight, and how they fell in love.

12. Write about two seemingly ordinary people get married only to find out later that one is a murderer.

13. Start a scene with “Dining alone, I ordered the most expensive bottle of wine they had on the menu. Little did I know that would change my life.”

14. I woke up in a surreal world without any idea where I was, and then this shadowy figure came out of nowhere…

15. Even though Jake the last of the pancakes, Leonard couldn’t find it in himself to get worked up about it.

16. He loved here. But he feared her more.

17. He did something wrong in the past, period. Although she wasn’t the victim, it was pretty bad. How can she be sure he’s changed? (Via)

18. They met on a trip almost a decade ago, and sparks flew. They live worlds apart and haven’t seen each other since then, only keeping in touch now and then on social media. Now, they’re planning on meeting up again.

19. You’re at the aquarium when your boyfriend, a diver, jumps into one of the large tanks holding a plastic sign that reads: “Will you marry me?” Just then the woman next to you shrieks and bursts into tears. (Via)

20. She walked up and down the beach every day at 6 A.M., a red shawl always wrapped around her. What’s her story?

Don’t miss: Ways to Get in the Writing Zone and Horror Writing Prompts

Sources: 1, 2, 3

Novel Ideas

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Fiction writing ain’t what it used to be.

We live in a new world, where dozens of online tools are available to make the process easier and faster, helping you organize and work your way through the process with ease. Let’s take a look at the usual steps to writing a novel, and how various online tools can simplify them.

Traditionally, the first step in writing your novel is Brainstorming. And the Internet offers plenty of options for brainstormers in the form of “mind-mapping” software. There’s MindMeister, a visual tool for mapping ideas that’s accessible via your web browser or a downloadable smartphone app. Other similar options include bubbl.us, Mind42 and Mindomo.

Depending on the complexity of your story, you may need help organizing its various elements — its ideas, characters, locations, etc. With some outside-the-box thinking, you can easily use online database apps like Zoho or Grubba to create your own free database to collect and keep track of all that information in one easy-to-access and sort location. For example, you might use Zoho’s “Contact Organizer” function as a place to store details about your characters, including their names, ages, locations, likes, dislikes, personalities, etc.

Researching is fun for some novelists and the bane of others’ existence. Either way, your best resources are going to be Wikipedia and Google Books. Another resource, if you’re feeling particularly brave, is your standard search engine. The Internet is a wild, untamed animal, but there’s a ton of great content out there that can be extremely useful. The trick is getting to it, and even the biggest search engines — Google and Bing — can make it a chore to track down the details you need. I find that any search engine returns better results the more detailed and specific the search terms you use. Put phrases in quotation marks, or go to the “Advanced Search” options page, and narrow down your search to specific words you do and don’t want it to find, timeframes, and more.

If and when you’re ready to create your outline (some writers don’t bother, but I find outlines essential), I recommend trying Loosestitch, Checkvist, or Todoist. Each of these comes with additional features that can tie into your brainstorming and cataloging of ideas.

Looking for feedback before you publish? Try a collaborative writing site like Protagonize, Book Oven, or Portrayl. These websites will allow you to write in a social environment where like-minded peers can critique and offer advice on your work — or even co-write alongside you, if you’re looking to team up.

Don’t limit your creativity to just your story — look at the tools available on the Internet and dream up ways of using them that they weren’t necessarily intended for. You may be surprised at what you can find to help you finally get that novel done.

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