Are you ready to write your swoon-worthy story with a happily ever after but don’t know where to start? There are many “methods” to consider before beginning outlining or writing.
What is Romancing the Beat?
“Romancing the Beat” is a story structure detailed in the book of the same name written by author and editor Gwen Hayes. Specifically designed for writing romance novels, it provides a detailed framework to help writers build engaging romance stories.
Hayes’ method focuses on the romance arc and breaks it down into distinct “beats,” also called plot points, enabling writers to ensure that all the essential elements of a romance novel are included in their story.
What is a “Beat?”
In her book, Hayes introduces the concept of the “beat sheet,” a structure that helps authors craft compelling and emotionally resonant love stories. Each beat represents a specific plot point or emotional moment in the romance arc.
Hayes outlines a story structure for romance novels, divided into four phases comprising 20 beats, specific moments or events in the story that signify a shift or development in the plot or characters. These events are smaller components of the narrative structure and provide the story’s pace.
In romance writing, an author uses beats to develop the romantic relationship between the protagonists, ensuring the story resonates with the reader.
Romancing the Beat Steps
Hayes divides the structure into four steps, each phase containing distinctive beats.
Phase One: The Setup
In this first act of a romance story, this phase involves beats that help establish the characters:
- Introduce H1: This beat introduces the first hero/heroine and their external goal
- Introduce H2: Introduce the second hero/heroine and their external goal
- The “Meet Cute:” The protagonists meet, often with an initial attraction or conflict
- No Way #1: One or both of the characters form a reason to not fall in love
- Adhesion: The thing that keeps them together or prevents them from walking away
Phase Two: Falling in Love
While it might seem obvious that the characters need to fall in love, writers must show the romance developing but also throw obstacles in their path. The following beats accomplish these tasks:
- No Way #2: There are additional reasons, or a reinforcement of existing thoughts, about why they shouldn’t fall in love
- The Inkling: A chink in the armor of protecting themselves from falling in love appears
- Deepening Desire: Their physical attraction reaches new heights
- Maybe This Time: The love interests show true intimacy and more vulnerability
- Midpoint of Love: Love is in reach, but still tenuous
Phase 3: Retreating from Love
The progress made toward love in the previous phase is revealed to be false or premature. Here are the beats reflecting the struggle the love interests face:
- Inkling of Doubt: Though they may be feeling good about their budding relationship, the seeds of doubt begin to germinate
- Retreat! Retreat!: They express their fears about the relationship
- Shields Up: The fears each had in the “No Way” beats come to fruition
- Break Up: The black moment for the love interests
Phase 4: Fighting for Love
It wouldn’t be a romance without the love interests fighting to get back together. Here are the beats as they work their way back:
- Dark Night of the Soul: The love interests regret their decision to break up
- Wake Up! Smell the Coffee: One or both protagonists realize they have the power to woo the other back
- Grand Gesture: One of the love interests risks it all to convey their love
- Whole-Hearted: The story ends with a satisfying resolution and a happy ending for the protagonists
These beats help structure the romance arc, ensuring that the story includes all the essential elements that romance readers expect. If you’re interested in more details or specific examples, check out Gwen Hayes’ book for a comprehensive guide.
Alternative Romance Plot Structure Options
Consider these other great options for outlining your romance novel:
Fictionary
Fictionary’s software recommends a structured approach to romance writing that focuses on key scenes and story elements to ensure a compelling and well-paced narrative. Writers start by identifying their protagonist (single or combined) and their goal for the story. Here’s a simplified version of their recommended structure:
- Opening Image: The very first thing the reader encounters in the story
- Lead-up to the Inciting Incident: This shows the ordinary world of the protagonist(s), before the big shake-up. (This can be two scenes for stories with a combined protagonist)
- Inciting Incident: Also called the “meet cute,” this event sets the romance story in motion when the love interests encounter each other for the first time (or again after an absence)
- Reaction to the Inciting Incident: This scene gives the love interests a chance to process their feelings about meeting
- Lead-up to Plot Point 1: The last chance for the love interests to walk away from each other
- Plot Point 1: The first major turning point that deepens the romantic conflict. One or both of the love interests admit, at least to themselves, that they feel an attraction to the other
- Reaction to Plot Point 1: Gives the readers a chance to see how the love interests react to the attraction they’re feeling
- Lead-up to Middle Plot Point: This is the last scene where the characters are reactive to each other
- Middle Plot Point: The protagonist becomes proactive about the romantic relationship, showing moments of connection and tension
- Reaction to Middle Plot Point: Inner reflection has given way to action
- Lead-up to Plot Point 2: Show a growing closeness between the love interests that shows there’s something at stake
- Plot Point 2: The second major turning point that raises the stakes, complicates the romance, and is a dark moment for the pair, typically involving a break-up or a significant strain on the relationship
- Reaction to Plot Point 2: Demonstrates the emotional response to the breakup, but also reveals information to the protagonist(s) that will help them decide to reconcile
- Lead-up to Climax: Raises the anticipation of the I Love You moment to come
- Climax: The declaration of love between the main characters
- Reaction to the Climax: Reveals the characters’ emotional reaction to the declaration
- Resolution: Readers get to see how the characters will proceed as the story wraps up
- Closing Image: The story ends with a satisfying and happy resolution for the love interests
Other scenes contribute to the character arc, showing the protagonist’s growth as love changes them, and scenes that throw obstacles in the path of the love interests’ journey to their happy ending. These include protagonist goal attempts and external pressures.
Fictionary’s method helps writers create a well-structured romance novel by focusing on essential plot points and character development. This method ensures that the story remains engaging and emotionally evocative for readers.
Jami Gold’s Romance Planning Beat Sheet
Jami Gold’s beat sheet is based on the three-act structure designed to help writers plan and develop romance novels effectively. It breaks down the romance arc into specific beats, ensuring that all essential elements of a romance story are included. Here’s an overview of the key components:
- Inciting Incident: The event that sets the romance story in motion
- First Meeting: The protagonists meet for the first time
- First Kiss: The first romantic or intimate moment between the protagonists
- First Date: The first official date or outing together
- First Conflict: The first major obstacle or misunderstanding that challenges their relationship
- Dark Moment: The lowest point in the relationship, where the romance is threatened
- Separation: The protagonists separate, either physically or emotionally
- Internal Struggle: Each protagonist deals with internal conflicts and doubts
- Reconciliation: The protagonists work to resolve their conflicts and misunderstandings, moving closer to each other
- Grand Gesture: One protagonist makes a significant gesture to prove their love
- Resolution: The final conflict is resolved, and the protagonists unite for good
- Happily Ever After (HEA): The story ends with a satisfying resolution that shows the characters’ commitment
Additional elements Gold explores include the external relationship, focusing on the visible development of the relationship, including moments of commitment and challenges, and the internal relationship arc, which involves the emotional and personal growth of the protagonists as they navigate their relationship and allow love to change them.
Gold’s beat sheet helps writers organize their story, ensuring that they include all the elements needed to create a compelling and emotionally satisfying romance. It’s useful for both plotters and discovery writers, providing structure while allowing flexibility in the storytelling process.
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
This method is a novel-writing guide that adapts Blake Snyder’s popular screenwriting method “Save the Cat!” to the world of novel writing.
It offers beat sheets for different genres, including romance. The “Buddy Love” beat sheet works well for romance novels, focusing on building a love story and how love transforms the characters. Here are the beats:
- Opening Image: An introduction to the protagonist and their everyday world
- Theme Started: Introduces the main theme or story message
- Set-Up: Portrays the protagonist’s goal
- Catalyst: The disruptive event that sets the story in motion
- Debate: The protagonist hesitates to take action
- Break into Two: The protagonist shows agency and embarks on their story journey
- B Story: Introduces the love interest
- Fun and Games: The love interests enjoy spending time together
- Midpoint: A major turning point involving a misunderstanding or major conflict that changes the direction of the story
- Bad Guys Close in: Obstacles threaten the relationship
- All is Lost: The protagonist faces their darkest moment
- Dark Night of the Soul: Highlights the emotional struggles and doubts the love interests face in their relationship
- Break into Three: The protagonist shifts gears in their approach
- Finale: The final showdown with the antagonist or obstacles that resolves the romantic conflict
- Final Image: Happy ending and a glimpse into the future
The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell
While traditionally used for adventure stories, the Hero’s Journey, also known as the Monomyth, can work for romance by blending in the key beats of a romantic narrative. It comprises several stages that a hero typically goes through. Adapt it for a romance novel by tweaking the beats:
- The Ordinary World/Protagonists’ Ordinary Lives
- The Call to Adventure/Inciting Incident
- Refusal of the Call/Initial Hesitation
- Meeting the Mentor/Influence or Advice
- Crossing the Threshold: First Commitment
- Tests, Allies, and Enemies/Developing Relationship
- Approach to the Innermost Cave/Deepening Connection
- The Ordeal/Major Conflict
- The Reward/Temporary Triumph
- The Road Back/Challenges Resurface
- The Resurrection/Final Test
- Return with the Elixir/Happily Ever After (HEA)
Four-Act Structure
Similar to the three-act structure but with an additional act, the four-act structure divides the story into Setup, Complication, Climax, and Resolution. This can provide more flexibility in pacing and character development.
Here’s a breakdown of how you can apply this structure to a romance narrative:
Act One: Setup (3 beats)
- Introduction of Characters and Setting
- Inciting Incident
- First Turning Point
Act Two: Complication (3 beats):
- Developing Relationship
- Midpoint
- Increasing Complications
Act Three: Climax (2 beats):
- Crisis Point
- Epiphany and Decision
Act Four: Resolution (2 beats):
- Final Confrontation
- Resolution and HEA (Happily Ever After)
Each of these methodologies offers a different approach to structuring a romance novel, allowing you to choose the one that best suits your storytelling style and the specific needs of your story.