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The Romance Starter Kit
Build a romance novel that makes readers believe in happily ever after.
Created by Reedsy
New ordinary, boring life...
Write a description here...
Character(s)
Ex. @Love Interest
Setting(s)
Ex. @City
Act
Ex. 1
🧭
The canvas
A romance is a story structured around a single question: will they or won't they — and the gap in between.
This introduction should establish who they are when the story begins — what they want, what they fear, and what's holding them back. It depicts them in their Ordinary, Boring Life: establishing their personality, goals, and emotional state before the impending love story begins to shift them. Sketch this beat here, or walk through the sections below for a guided path.
💓
The mood tracker
Love Interest A
Ex. 🤑😩🥳
Love Interest B
Ex. 🤪🥴😖
🚶➡️
Love Interest A
Who is Love Interest A on the outside right now?
Let their daily routine on a normal Friday describe them.
Who is Love Interest A on the inside right now?
Write the therapist's note for them this week. Include goals and dreams.
🚶
Love Interest B
Who is Love Interest B on the outside right now?
Let their daily routine on a normal Friday describe them.
Who is Love Interest B on the inside right now?
Write the therapist's note for them this week. Include goals and dreams.
🎢
The plot
What is Love Interest A doing the first time we meet them?
How has their life organically led up to this moment?
What is Love Interest B doing the first time we meet them?
How has their life organically led up to this moment?
⏩
The road ahead
Your protagonists have now stepped onto the stage.
What factors are at play that might lead to the Meet Cute?
New love interest...
Write a description here...
Nickname
Ex. Summer
DOB
Ex. 06/01/1998
Age
Ex. 28
Height
Ex. 5’6”
Love Interest
@Love Interest
Occupation
Ex. Teacher
👤
Looks & appearance
What's the first impression they make?
Write it from @Love Interest's POV.
What's their build?
Where might @Love Interest's eye keep going?
What's most memorable about their face?
What does @Love Interest notice in the first minute? The next day? The next month?
How do they dress, and what does it say about them?
Have @Love Interest dress them up. What might be different?
What are their distinguishing mannerisms?
Which ones does @Love Interest find maddening? Which ones do they fall for?
How would a stranger describe the sound of their voice?
How would @Love Interest describe it?
🤸♂️
Personality
What kind of a person are they?
How would @Love Interest describe them in five adjectives?
What are their greatest strengths?
How do they interact with @Love Interest's strengths?
What are their deepest weaknesses?
How do they interact with @Love Interest's weaknesses?
What is their default conflict style?
Write an everyday fight scene with @Love Interest.
What is their default communication style?
Write an everyday conversation with @Love Interest in their preferred medium.
What are their...
Pet peeves? Hobbies? Routines?
🧠
Psychology
What is their biggest regret?
How does @Love Interest find out, if at all?
What is their greatest fear?
How might it impact any relationship they enter?
What do they value most?
What would they sacrifice everything else to protect?
What is their biggest goal?
How does it sit next to @Love Interest's biggest goal?
What is their greatest desire?
Is it what they truly need?
What drives them?
Outside of @Love Interest?
🧑🧒
Family & key relationships
Who are their immediate family members?
What is their relationship with them?
Who counts as chosen family?
Think friends, mentors, etc.
Who were their past romantic partners?
How did those relationships end?
Who are they at odds with?
What caused the rift?
Who depends on them?
Whose emergency contact are they?
Who is in their wider circle?
Who would be in the group chat?
📓
Backstory
Where did they come from?
How do they talk about their hometown when asked?
How was their childhood?
What would they tell @Love Interest? What wouldn't they tell @Love Interest?
What shaped them?
Think experiences, trials, etc.
Who shaped them?
Think parents, bullies, etc.
What were the turning points?
Look for the forks in the road.
Who did they think they'd become?
How far are they from that version of themselves now?
❤️🔥
Chemistry & romance
How do they love?
Who are they when they're with @Love Interest?
What is their love language?
How do they convey "I love you" before they can say "I love you"?
What is their attachment style?
How does it manifest in the relationship with @Love Interest in the beginning? The middle? The end?
What do they want from a relationship?
How does @Love Interest provide it — or fail to?
What do they fear in a relationship?
What does @Love Interest put at risk?
What bigger pattern keeps their relationships from working?
And what does loving @Love Interest help them finally see?
🎬
In practice
Put it all together now.
Given everything you've developed about them, write a summary answering: why @Love Interest, of all people?
New location...
Write a description here...
Location
Ex. @City
Type
Ex. Building, bridge, ruins, etc.
Size
Ex. 500 km²
🪜
Identity
What is the location’s primary function or role?
Think residence, business, sanctuary, crime hub, military stronghold, etc.? In what ways might this purpose shift if the world around it changes?
What makes this location distinct from all others?
Think scale, symbolic meaning, etc.?
What do locals say about the place?
How might their opinion differ from outsiders’ impressions?
What unspoken rules govern behavior here?
Consider customs, taboos, laws, etc. How do those rules shift depending on who is present?
What role does it play in the larger world?
How might losing this place change the balance of power?
🚧
Layout
What does the location look like?
What is the first thing visitors notice when entering the location?
What is the general layout?
Is it linear, circular, sprawling, vertical, etc.?
What are the key areas or zones within the location?
In terms of districts, rooms, sectors, etc.?
What sensory details define it?
What do people hear, smell, touch, or taste here?
How do travelers typically navigate the area?
Think maps, guides, landmarks, etc.?
📍
Geography
Where is the landmark located?
How do people reach it, and how difficult is the journey?
How does the location interact with or rely on its natural surroundings?
What are its boundaries?
What is the climate of the location?
Consider temperature, rainfall, seasonal changes, etc.
What secrets are hidden within it?
E.g., underground caverns, rare or valuable resources, etc.?
👥
People
Who inhabits this place, either temporarily or permanently?
How do their lives reflect the location’s function?
Who holds official power here?
How stable or contested is their authority?
Who holds unofficial power here?
How might their influence rival or undermine official rule?
Who benefits most from this place’s existence?
And who suffers because of it?
What unifies people here?
Conversely, what divides them?
🌱
Lore
When and why did this location come into being?
How might its origin affect how it is used now?
What famous historical figures are associated with it?
Why? And what happened to them?
What major historical events are tied to it?
How do different groups or eras tell the story differently?
How has its reputation changed over time?
And how might different eras use it for different purposes?
How is its story preserved?
Consider legends, rumors, mysteries, folklore, etc. How might conflicting versions of its past shape its identity?
New theme...
Write a description here...
Theme
Ex. Identity
Subtheme(s)
Ex. Gender identity, belonging, etc.
Related symbols
Ex. @Symbol
People of interest
Ex. @Character
Statement of purpose
A brief, concise statement that captures the theme's essence. Ex. The consequences of revenge on the soul.
🪶
Theme...
What does this theme mean?
Talk about the theme in your own words.
Where might this theme appear in the story?
List potential key moments critical to a reader's understanding of the theme.
If your theme were a question rather than a statement, what would it be?
Write it out here.
🧨
... and plot
How is the plot structured around the central theme?
Write an outline for the key plot points where the theme is most directly explored.
What key scenes best illustrate your theme in action?
For each, note how the theme might be shaped by the plot or characters' decisions.
How does your climax resolve the thematic question?
What is the statement or realization about the theme at this point?
How does the resolution reflect your final stance on the theme?
Does the conclusion offer a resolution to the thematic questions posed, or is it open-ended?
🗡️
... and conflict
How do the internal conflicts relate to the theme?
How do these internal struggles shape their choices and growth?
How do the external conflicts relate to the theme?
How do these external forces push or pull against the central theme?
How do conflicts reveal differing perspectives on the theme?
Write a dialogue between two characters who disagree on the central theme.
How do characters’ actions during conflict express the theme?
Do characters make sacrifices, take risks, or challenge norms in line with the theme? How do these actions drive the plot forward while revealing the theme?
👥
... and character
How does the protagonist's arc reflect the theme?
What turning points in the protagonist’s journey highlight the theme?
How does the antagonist relate to the theme?
Write a scene between the protagonist and antagonist where the theme is explicitly discussed.
How do secondary characters embody aspects of the theme?
Do they represent alternative views, subthemes, or obstacles?
How do character relationships explore the theme?
How do interactions between characters reinforce or complicate the central theme?
👁️🗨️
... and symbols & motifs
What symbols will you use to reiterate the theme?
In which key scenes will they reappear?
What motifs will you use to reiterate the theme?
In which key scenes will they reappear?
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