Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Writing a Romantic Novel | 1997 | Lilian Harry | Buy |
Writing a Romantic Novel (1997) is a how-to guide based on Lilian Harry’s two decades of experience writing and publishing romance fiction. By the time the book appeared, she had published more than thirty novels as Donna Baker for Harlequin, Mills & Boon, and other romance imprints. The guide covers the practical side of the craft, from plotting and creating believable characters to writing convincing dialogue and handling the submission process.
The book was published during the same period when Harry was making her transition from category romance to longer historical fiction. It captures the working knowledge she had built up over years of writing to the specific requirements of romance publishers, and remains useful as a snapshot of the genre’s conventions in the 1990s.