Romance Beat Sheet for Swoonworthy Emotional Stories

[@laoaganlester1728]

I am a 42 year old writer. Not been in a relationship for a long time. Living with my mom and autistic brother here in the Philippines. I've written my debut novel based on my brother and our family and my second is a self-help book on how a family deals with a family member with autism (mostly from the compiled research and outline of my first book). I completed a three short story romance novel in on manuscript and currently working in another novel, an epic fantasy with elements from my culture (Igorot: one of the major indigenous group of the Philippines from the mountainous north of the Cordillera region). I am still discovering my voice and I observed that there are always romance element on all what I've written and still writing. "A single 42 year old man who isn't usually romantic ( common in Igorot culture) writing romance?" It's the reason why I am watching your videos as part of my continuing learning as a writer.

[@jennaharteauthor]

It sounds like you have many stories waiting to be told. Congrats on writing them down. I hope the videos are helpful! Thank you for watching.

[@zandraphunk5542]

This has helped me so much. I have had my three act beats but couldn’t wrap my head around where my romance fit until this. I have morphed and grown off of this BUT thank you! ❤

[@jennaharteauthor]

Yay! I'm so happy this helped. I've always struggled with plot beats and I'm glad my tips and tools helped. Thank you for letting me know. You've made my day!! 💖

[@Seraphina-Rose]

A great explanation. Thank you!

[@jennaharteauthor]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching.

[@fionamclean6533]

Thank you for this, very insightful and by far the best indepth explaination i've heard. Will be reading your other guides over the next few days!.

[@jennaharteauthor]

Thank you! I hope you find it all helpful!! Enjoy!

[@asiabuchanan1068]

I wanna say Ive been trying to find a easy breakdown for romance outline guides for months and this is top tier! Thank you!!!

[@jennaharteauthor]

I'm so glad you found it helpful!! Thank you!

[@nicoled9756]

Thank you for this! I’m starting my first romance and have found this tremendously helpful. I also really appreciate how you share how you like to move the "HEA within reach" to fit your personal taste more- that really encourages me to follow my story’s needs as it develops. Thanks!

[@jennaharteauthor]

You're welcome. I find beat sheets helpful but don't consider them to be etched in stone. While there are some expectations in romances, you can allow your story to guide you as well. Good luck!

[@PeteMagsProductions]

This is great, thank you!!

[@jennaharteauthor]

Thank you for listening!

[@martina_verde3D]

Thanks for the examples!

[@jennaharteauthor]

I hope they helped! Thank you for watching!

[@henryindiah]

Great video, Jenna. I've watched part of it and plan to come back for the rest. Can't wait for our next writer's group Zoom. Yay!

[@jennaharteauthor]

Thank you Henry!! I'm so glad you find it helpful.

[@vCoralSandsv]

Thanks for this beat sheet!!

[@jennaharteauthor]

You're welcome! I hope you find it helpful!

[@ariesmarsexpress]

My thing is in real life if boy or girl loses girl, the story is over and starts again with someone else. In real romance, x gets girl, there is a lot of sex, over time both people change, and then have to find each other again (or they break up). This finding each other again is gold, but most people writing this cheat. That is much harder to write (and do in real life) than, they broke up for some stupid reason no one ever breaks up for and then get back together which never happens at all.

[@jennaharteauthor]

There are some rules about romance that readers expect, although there a few readers who enjoy some of the rule breaking (e.g. cheating). I think part of the appeal of romance novels is it's real-life-adjacent. Often backstories might have past romances, but it's true that a romance always focuses on a single couple (or thruple/quadruple in RR cases...lol). Romances that are truest to life, usually fall in women's fiction.

[@maikekhomisch2061]

I need to ask this, because it bothers me for some time now... does Pantser come from the German word Panzer (tank in English, with the z in German probably sounding like ts for a native English speaker), because they plow through the story with brute force?

[@jennaharteauthor]

I've always understood "pantster" to be someone who writes by the seat of their pants, a saying that refers to doing something without a plan, simply using instinct. Some people call it discovery writing. I've never heard it related to panzer, although I will say, sometimes I feel like I'm bulldozing through a story by sheer force :)

[@jennab176]

Do you have percentages for where each beat should happen within the story the way Romancing the Beat and Save the Cat do? Just curious, because I'm attempting to line your beat sheet up with those two

[@jennaharteauthor]

I don't have percentages per beat and that's mostly because I move from opening to inciting event (stuck together on my sheet) really fast. I'm one of those readers/writers that doesn't like to spend as much time in act 1. My beats are close to Gwen's beats (I think I have fewer) and that would be the one I think might match up best.

[@ZachScottB]

Where is the download you talked about? Great job on your content 👍🏻

[@jennaharteauthor]

Hi! The link is in the description. You can get it here (PDF) geni.us/wwhbeatsheet

[@moviemelody2210]

Would this work for a tragic Romance?

[@jennaharteauthor]

I'm not sure what you mean by tragic romance. Romance ends well. Do you mean something more like general fiction or "women" fiction? This sheet is designed to focus on the relationship so if that's important to your story, then it should work until the HEA part if yours will end in tragedy. I hope that helps!

[@moviemelody2210]

@@jennaharteauthorone the romantic leads dies at the middle point of my book so I can’t complete the beat sheet

[@alishaf6395]

@@moviemelody2210 from my understanding, technically in the book publishing world a book can only be categorized as “romance” if the ending is happy