This one-week writing course, Online: The Rules of Writing Romance with Melanie Saward, takes place online.

There’s no denying that romance is absolutely booming right now: walk into any bookshop and you’ll be confronted by a wall of fun illustrative covers and cutesy titles. But despite this, publishers in Australia are lagging in the current romance boom, which means they’re desperately seeking on-trend romance.

In this writing course, with author Melanie Saward, we will discuss the rules of writing romance: the structure, tropes, and different subgenres. We’ll then explore how to use tropes and structure to plan an on-trend Australian romance novel. We’ll look at the traditions of romance and the ways in which writers can play with these traditions to create romance for broad and diverse audiences because love and joy is for everyone!

We’ll draw from the work of Australian romance authors like Jodi McAlister, Kylie Scott, Rachael Johns, and Claire Christian as well as international bestsellers like Abby Jimenez, Ali Hazelwood, Tahlia Hibbert and Emily Henry.

Please note, this workshop can get a little spicy so it’s adults only!

Expected Learning Outcomes

In this workshop, participants will:

1. Learn about romance genre and some of its subgenres
2. Gain insights into current market and audience trends for traditionally published romance
3. Learn the basic structure, tropes, and rules of writing romance (and how to break them)
4. Begin to plan their own romance novel.

 Participant Requirements

Internet access and confidence using basic computer software are essential for this program.

Is this course right for you? Please read our FAQ> for important information before enrolling. 

If you have questions about this course, please contact us.

Reviews for Melanie

‘What a gifted teacher – articulate, smart – and sassy. Open. Listened to us. Handled questions & interruptions with humour, ease and grace. Thoughtful. Offered practical as well as theoretical insights into novel writing generally and writing romance in particular. Energetic. Made it fun.’ — Participant 2024

‘Melanie was super practical, open and approachable. She had wonderful insights and was truly inspiring!’ — Participant 2024

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