The Novelry on Writing Podcast: 5 Tips to Turn Up the Heat in Romantasy

Whether you’re a devoted reader of romantic fantasy or just a fan of magic and makeouts, writing coaches Bea Fitzgerald and Ella McLeod are here to unpack the keys to turning up the heat in your story in this extra spicy episode of The Novelry on Writing. Read on for the episode transcript.

BEA: Because you have those heightened stakes, you get those glorious sort of... You know, when a man says he’s going to kill for you, he actually could in romantasy.

ELLA: I love it!

Introduction

[Bea Fitzgerald] Hi everyone, I am Bea Fitzgerald and I’m a writing coach here at The Novelry. I write YA fantasy. My debut book, Girl, Goddess, Queen, was the bestselling YA hardback debut of 2023 and won Fantasy Romance Book of the Year at the RNAs. So I’m really excited to be here today talking to Ella McLeod.

[Ella McLeod] Hi Bea.

[BF] Ella, do you want to introduce yourself?

[EM] Sure. My name’s Ella McLeod. I’m also a writing coach here at The Novelry. I also write YA fantasy. My debut, Rapunzella, or, Don’t Touch My Hair, was Branford Boase shortlisted and was an Irish Times Book of the Year. And this year I published The Map That Led to You, which is also a romantasy. So I’m excited to talk about this.

[BF] I’m really excited to talk. Today we are going to be chatting our five top tips for turning up the heat in romantasy.

[EM] Nice.

[BF] Okay. Are we ready?

[EM] Yeah. What’s your first top tip?

Tip No. 1: Raise the stakes

[BF] Okay. Tip number one: the stakes. I want them to be as high as possible.

[EM] Agreed.

[BF] I think— I think, actually, let’s recap what romantasy is. So romantasy is romance meets fantasy, and I think some things are going to be different for romance as they will be for fantasy, as they will be for romantasy.

[EM] Agreed.

[BF] And I think when you tie them all together, you want those stakes to be as high as possible in a way that you maybe can’t have with contemporary romance.

[EM] Yeah, I agree. I think that with contemporary romance, the obstacles are often things like societal pressure or, kind of, outside perspectives or things to do with career or geography. Whereas with romantasy, the fun is that it can be world-ending.

[BF] Yeah, I want the world to end if these two don’t end up together.

[EM] Absolutely.

[BF] I want the stakes to be monumental.

[EM] Yeah. I so agree. I think that it really lends itself to, like, yearning and sexual tension.

[BF] Absolutely.

[EM] When it’s like, oh my God, he just kissed her despite the two centuries of curses on his family that mean that whoever he kisses turns into a frog. You know what I mean?

[BF] You just don’t get that in an office romance. It’s like, I have... My second book, The End Crowns All, comes out this year. And in it, Cassandra and Helen are very deeply in love but a war is literally being fought over who Helen is supposed to be with. Again, you don’t get that in an office romance. So really, like, heightening those stakes within the romance. What could possibly be the consequences of these two ending up together? That they have to overcome to be together? And the consequences, potentially, of them not ending up together too.

[EM] And that’s the thing that I love, is like the consequences of them not ending up together and like, how their relationship will save the world.

Romantasy is romance meets fantasy, and I think some things are going to be different for romance as they will be for fantasy, as they will be for romantasy... And I think when you tie them all together, you want those stakes to be as high as possible in a way that you maybe can’t have with contemporary romance.
—Bea Fitzgerald

[EM] Because like in Rapunzella—spoilers!—but Baker, the main kind of male love interest, it’s not that he saves the day, but it’s that his love saves the protagonist. You know what I mean?

[BF] And that’s hot.

[EM] It’s so hot!

[BF] That’s turning up the heat.

[EM] It’s so hot that like, you know, all else seems to be— The world’s crumbling around her. Everything that she thought she could rely on, she can’t rely on. Like, is she going to make it? And then it’s like, Baker calling her name, reaching to her through the darkness.

[BF] Oh, absolutely, I mean.

[EM] That brings her back from the brink of magical death, you know?

Tip No. 1.5: When a man is down bad for a woman

[BF] This is not a different tip. I’m going to call this 1.5.

[EM] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[BF] I love when a man is down bad for a woman.

[EM] Oh, I love it so much.

[BF] And I think in romantasy as well, because you have those heightened stakes, you get those glorious sort of... You know, when a man says he’s going to kill for you, he actually could in romantasy.

[EM] I love it! And the thing is, if a man said that in real life...

[BF] You would call the police!

[EM] Immediately!

[BF] Immediately.

[EM] But that’s why Edward Cullen got away with so much, Bea, because in Twilight, if your Average Joe climbed up into your window and watched you sleep, you’d be like: there are some serious issues with this man.

[BF] I’m not going to lie, Ella, if that happened to me in a romantasy I’d also be concerned. So I think there is definitely a line.

[EM] We were raised on... Like, I’m really glad that romantasy seems to have moved on, because that was like low-key toxic.

[BF] Meanwhile, you have Peeta in the middle of the Hunger Games, camouflaging himself and—

[EM] Oh my God.

[BF] —everything that man does to keep the two of them alive, that is romantasy.

[EM] Peak romantasy. Like, the thing of Peeta faking loving her because he loves her. So he has to fake loving her.

[BF] Yes.

[EM] Immaculate.

Tip No. 2: Use tropes wisely

[BF] Okay. On that note, I’m going to bring us onto our second tip, which is the tropes.

[EM] Yes.

[BF] Because if we’re talking faking love, obviously fake dating is a huge one. But there are also these tropes that are specific to the romantasy genre. So you have tropes that don’t exist outside of romantasy, things like soulmates or fated romance, but you also have tropes that do exist outside of romantasy that just pop off better in romantasy, in my oh-so-humble opinion—like enemies to lovers, as we say.

[EM] Yeah.

[BF] Sometimes it’s just not that deep if it’s just like your rival reporter or the co-worker that glares at you.

[EM] Yeah.

[BF] However, the enemy prince of a nation that your country’s been at war with for 5,000 years, like: that’s enemies to lovers. Dagger to the throat?

[EM] Oh! All of those tropes. I’m reading Jennifer Delaney’s Tales of a Monstrous Heart, which is out later this year. It’s so good. He tends her wounds.

[BF] Oh, I love a wound-tending scene.

[EM] He tends her wounds!

[BF] Which, again, it doesn’t hit the same when he’s had proper first aid training from a course.

[EM] Right! When he’s done St. John ambulance training because she sprains her knee.

[BF] No, it’s not the same! Give me stitching him upon a battlefield.

[EM] Not when they get out, like, antiseptic wipes. I’m like: that’s not sexy.

[BF] Antiseptic wipes are not sexy.

There are also these tropes that are specific to the romantasy genre. So you have tropes that don’t exist outside of romantasy, things like soulmates or fated romance, but you also have tropes that do exist outside of romantasy that just pop off better in romantasy in my oh-so-humble opinion, like enemies to lovers... Sometimes it’s just not that deep if it’s just like your rival reporter or the co-worker that glares at you. However, the enemy prince of a nation that your country’s been at war with for 5,000 years, like: that’s enemies to lovers.
—Bea Fitzgerald

[BF] I actually... I can’t speak about it too much, but PanTHREEon, which is the code name for my third book, has a wound-tending scene.

[EM] I can’t wait.

[BF] And I was doing proper research into like, ancient Greek medicinal practices for it. I’m like: damn, boiling red wine and vinegar?

[EM] But that’s what I mean, that’s what we mean by ‘down bad.’ Like, that is what we mean.

[BF] In pain for her.

[EM] Another one that isn’t necessarily specific to romantasy, but I think I agree pops off best in romantasy is: there’s only one bed.

[BF] Oh my God. Yes.

[EM] Love it so much.

[BF] Also, you have so many options available. So again, PanTHREEon? Only one tent.

[EM] Right! I love an only-one-tent scene.

[BF] I have an only-one-bed scene in Girl, Goddess, Queen and it ties into the fake dating because they’re still not, like... They’re not admitting they’re in love with each other. So there’s a point where they’re literally jumping up and down on the bed to try and convince the gods outside that they’re having sex.

[EM] Love it.

[BF] Because I fundamentally believe that first and foremost, falling in love should be a very fun thing to do. And I think fake dating really facilitates that.

[EM] I agree. I have like a...

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[BF] You can lean into the tropes in romantasy.

[EM] Totally.

[BF] Like, do it with care. Think about it. You can also subvert tropes. Like for example, The End Crowns All, my second book, is a subversion of a fated romance. This is two characters literally reweaving fate to be together.

[EM, with feeling] Mm-hmm.

[BF] So you really just, you... You can’t go hard enough with them. Think about them, use them cleverly.

[EM] Agree.

[BF] But like, the tropes...

[EM] I think it’s okay to feel like you’re not reinventing the wheel. I think it’s all in the execution.

[BF] Absolutely.

[EM] Like in The Map That Led to You, I have like a ‘there’s only one bed/also wound-tending’ combined scene, but it’s so romantasy because it’s like this character’s had a painful physical transformation and then this other character is trying to heal him and only this character can heal him because it’s—oh my God, and it’s also kind of fated matesy.

[BF] Perfect.

[EM] Because only one can... Like if you find a way to combine them uniquely and your characters are unique, that’s the stuff that makes it sing.

[BF] And I think tropes can get tossed around and they have a bit of a bad reputation. Every single genre has tropes. Romance is just one where we are leaning in heavily into the tropes in terms of marketing, and publishers are really making the most of them. Which I think, in turn, has people talking about them in a negative light. But tropes exist for a reason and you don’t... You can make a successful romantasy without leaning into them.

[EM] Yeah.

[BF] But don’t be afraid of them. People are coming to the genre because they expect certain things.

[EM] I think so. Yeah.

If you find a way to combine (tropes) uniquely and your characters are unique, that’s the stuff that makes it sing.
—Ella McLeod

[BF] And I think you should be— Romantasy is such a brilliant genre to have fun with.

[EM] For sure. I also think that it is about being self-aware. Like a thing I loved so much in Girl, Goddess, Queen is like, they’re so aware of the silliness of this fake dating thing.

[BF] Yeah.

[EM] They’re so aware that it’s so stupid. But that’s why the flirty banter pops, because they know they’re being silly.

[BF] Yeah. Yeah. I just... It’s great and I love it. I just really, really love romance and I love when people are just leaning into the silliness.

[EM] Yeah, for sure.

[BF] And joy of romance.

Tip No. 3: Romance beats

[BF] Right. Onto our third top tip, and those are the beats.

[EM] Yeah.

[BF] So there’s a lot of debate about what romantasy is. Me, in my personal opinion, which we’ve established is oh so humble...

[EM] It’s the only one that matters.

[BF] I would argue that romantasy is a fantasy book whose beats and plot follow the traditional beats of a romance book.

[EM] Yeah, I agree with you.

[BF] So it’s a fantasy setting, but the plot is driven by the romance. If there’s a romance within a fantasy setting, but the plot is driven by something else, I would argue that’s a romance subplot. I think romantasy has to be driven by the romance.

[EM] I agree with you. Yeah.

[BF] But I think what’s really fun with that, if you’re looking at a sort of traditional romance, is that you can sort of lean into and subvert and just have fun with those tropes. So, for example, within a romance you might have a third-act breakup. In a fantasy romance, you can have a third-act curse that tears these two apart. You know, like you can really look at what fundamentally is happening there. A breakup—the two characters are being driven apart by a force of something.

[EM] Absolutely.

[BF] And I think:

• How do I make that work for a fantasy setting?
• How do I pull that to its extreme?
• How do I make this the worst possible thing that could possibly happen?

[EM] Yeah. Or in the beginning, when you’ve got the two characters who are like: ooh, there’s obviously an instant attraction here, but we can’t be together for whatever reason. And the reason is like—they’re a different species. You know what I mean?

[BF] Yeah. Like, I’m so here for that. I just think it’s a really fun opportunity to experiment with the genre and have fun with the genre itself. And I guess, as you say, in a way that’s a little bit self-aware.

[EM] Yeah.

[BF] But just really look at the traditional beats of romance, because that is what your romantasy book should be resting on. And just think: how do I really use the elements of fantasy to shine a light on what this is doing for the story?

[EM] Yeah. And I think that playing in the fantasy space with, like, magic powers and how those lend themself to the romance is what makes this genre so unique and so fun. Like, if we get to... You know, what’s the rule like, at what point should your two characters kiss? Or is it like...?

[BF] I’m a queen of a slow burn, so...

[EM] You do love a slow burn. That’s true.

[BF] I like the pining!

[EM] Yeah. So, but even that itself, nothing ramps up slow burn like a character being like, magically portaled far away.

[BF] Yeah, exactly. And that... Okay, let’s take another romance. Let’s take the meet-cute. In a fantasy, in Girl, Goddess, Queen, the meet-cute is Persephone creates a flower in dedication of Hades and then immediately destroys it, is like: we need to talk. And then he summons her to his realm to have words.

[EM] So good.

[BF] You don’t get that in an office romance.

[EM] You don’t, it’s so good.

[BF] When will a man summon me to his realm to have words?

[EM] But even if you’re thinking about the tropes in terms of the characters, like the things that we come to expect from a female lead, a male lead, regardless of whether it’s a queer love story or a straight love story, the thing that I’m really enjoying at the moment is the shadow daddy boom.

[BF] Ah...

[EM] So we had your tall, dark, and handsome. We had your Mr. Darcys. Right. And then we have Rhysand and ACOTAR, we have your Hades, like... These men that literally wield darkness in a sexy way. Like, I see your Mr. Darcy, I raise you a Hades. Do you know what I mean? Like, nothing beats it.

[BF] If he wanted to, he would. And the ‘would’ in question is: give you an entire realm to be queen of.

[EM] And why don’t they always, is my question!

The thing that I’m really enjoying at the moment is the shadow daddy boom. So we had your tall, dark, and handsome... These men that literally wield darkness in a sexy way. Like, I see your Mr. Darcy, I raise you a Hades.
—Ella McLeod

Tip No. 4: Lean in

[BF] Alright. And I think we’ve discussed this a little bit, but tip number four is: lean in.

[EM] Yeah.

[BF] I think that really is the biggest piece of advice we can give for any romantasy, and obviously, it’s going to be dependent on the world that you’ve created, the fantasy world that we are exploring within your book. But I think you should be asking at every turn:

• How do I pull this to its extreme?
• How do I make this worse?

Think about it in terms of your character and what they want and what is the worst possible thing that could happen. Torture them—torture your characters.

[EM] Sure.

[BF] What is the worst thing that could happen to them and how do they overcome it? And I think in terms of the romance, especially, it’s like:

• What is stopping these two being together?
• And how do they overcome that?
• And how do we make that worse?

[EM] For sure. I would quote our great Natasha Bedingfield and say: release your inhibitions. Like that’s the... If there’s something really weird or bizarre or unusual that you want to try, this is the space to do it in because you can have all manner of creatures, all manner of personalities, all manner of powers. So don’t hold back.

[BF] And I think if we are really talking at, like... Romantasy exists on a scale. Obviously, we are both YA romantasy writers, but the other end of that is very spicy romantasy, which is doing very well at the moment. And ‘lean in’ in that regard is: these men with antlers and tails.

[EM] So here for it.

[BF] These tails are getting involved with things.

[EM] I’m so... I’m just so here for like—God bless the likes of Ali Hazelwood and her Bride.

[BF] Yeah, the Omega!

[EM] The Omegaverse...! Raised on AO3. For giving us, like, magical erogenous zones. I said it, I said it.

[BF] I think you should say it. I think I’m tired of apologizing for books that are popular because people enjoy reading them.

[EM] Fact! Like, listen. In Sarah Hawley’s books, there are demons, and their ears— No, their horns, they’ve got like magical horns. And those magical horns turn them on. That is peak romantasy for me. Like, that is what I want in my romantasy.

[BF] I mean, do I have some questions about like the wings and the positions? Yes. I will admit that I do.

[EM] It’s not science, Bea!

[BF] Exactly. With romantasy, we can suspend our disbelief.

[EM] And we do, willingly.

Tip No. 5: Romance arcs

[BF] Okay. And onto our final top tip, which again, we’ve already slightly covered, but—and this is quite a complicated one, so bear with me. Consider romance in a dual form.

So, as I say, we’re talking about romantasy, but we’re also talking about the beats of a romance arc. So, for example, your most formulaic romance story is going to be: character X has an issue that stops them from being with character Y, and within romantasy you can kind of see that in a fantastical way with the fantasy elements. You know, the reason could literally be, as with The End Crowns All, that there’s a war being fought. But it could also be, as is more traditional in romance, an emotional issue that’s stopping them be together, like they’ve been hurt before in the past. And I think what’s really crucial for romantasy is to not neglect the emotional weight in favor of the fantasy elements.

[EM] Agree.

If there’s something really weird or bizarre or unusual that you want to try, this is the space to do it in because you can have all manner of creatures, all manner of personalities, all manner of powers. So don’t hold back.
—Ella McLeod

Example: My Lady Jane

[BF] Now, I have a story for you.

[EM] Tell me your story.

[BF] Have you heard of a little show called My Lady Jane?

[EM] Everyone is recommending this show to me. I’ve not yet watched it. Do I need to watch it?

[BF] My household is low-key obsessed. So, I will now explain my point, because I think it’s quite a complicated one, in the context of My Lady Jane. So, spoilers ahead. So, in My Lady Jane—Ella, are you ready?

[EM] I’m so ready.

[BF] We have fantasy Jane Grey...

[Ella] Obsessed.

[BF] Living in a world where characters are called Ethians. And they have magical powers, and the magical powers are that they can turn into animals. She ends up in a kind of arranged marriage situation and she finds out that her husband turns into a horse. Yes, she’s married to a horse. But he doesn’t have full control over his Ethian powers. He turns into a horse during the day and then he’s a man at night.

[EM] What?

[BF] So the element that Jane—

[EM] What?!

[BF] —and Guildford have stopping them being together is that he’s a horse [Ella laughing], which is quite a romantasy [Bea laughing] sort of... Again, it’s the sort of thing that doesn’t fly in contemporary.

[EM] It’s so perfect.

[BF] I know this is a podcast, but I do want to flag to the listeners that Ella is indeed shedding tears at this point.

[EM] It’s really weeping. That’s so good.

[BF] So we have the physical fantasy element of him turning into a horse. But get this, Ella—we also have the emotional weight because he’s traumatized by the fact that he turns into a horse.

[EM] Of course he is! He’s turning into a horse!

[BF] Because the Ethians killed his mother right in front of him. So how can he possibly—

[EM] What, so other horse people?

[BF] Not necessarily horses, they can turn into anything.

[EM] Okay, I see.

[BF] There’s turtles, there’s dogs, there’s birds.

[EM] So there are people that are just low-key turning into pets?

[BF] It’s not really the point of this podcast, but he has this emotional weight that’s connected to the fantasy elements, is my point. I’ve obviously used quite an absurd example because it’s brilliant and everyone should watch it.

[EM] Absolute genius. Thank you so much.

[BF] I really do think that show, if you are interested in watching romantasy, I know it’s a book as well. So definitely check that out as well. I think if you’re interested in romantasy, I think it really leans into everything people enjoy about romantasy. I think that’s why it’s quite popular.

[EM] Yeah.

[BF] So, in terms of crafting this sort of situation where two characters want to be together but can’t, because if they were together, that would end your book really, really quickly. You’d get like, 3k in—done. They’re together, happily ever after.

No. There has to be some conflict. You want to be bringing in fantastical elements into that conflict. Give them curses to break or dynasties to protect. But you also want that emotional weight. You want the backstory and how that’s affecting them. Why are they reluctant to enter this new relationship, beyond the mere physical blocks?

[EM] Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s important that you... That we remember the world that they live in, the fantasy world that they live in, is very real to them. I know that sounds really obvious, but that’s very much—

[BF] No, that’s said so well.

[EM] So all of the stakes of their world, all of the things that make them real characters, can’t be separated from their powers or like the magical laws that they exist within.

[BF] Which I think is another really interesting point.

Bonus tip: Why this character?

[BF] So forgive us, we’re going to throw in a cheeky little sixth point here, but I think with a story, any story, you have to think: why is my protagonist my protagonist?‍

• Why is this person in this story the right person to be telling this story?
• Why the princess and not her maidservant?
• Why this character?

[EM] And I think similarly with the relationship, what is it about these two characters within the context of this world that makes them interesting to follow? Which is why we get so many Chosen Ones in fantasy, right?

[BF] Yeah.

[EM] Because it’s like—that tends to be where the drama lives. It follows the person that’s on the big quest or has to solve the big riddle or slay the dragon or topple the empire. Not always, but that is often one where the drama lives.

[BF] Well, and I think often when it’s not, they... I love a good subversion of a Chosen One.

[EM] Yeah, but it has to be intentional.

[BF] Where it’s like, you know, the bard that’s following them around, all the better. I love that. I love a good subverted trope.

[EM] For sure. But that in itself gives a reason for...

[BF] And it’s still hinged on that idea of the Chosen One.

[EM] Yeah, absolutely.

[BF] I think something that I really enjoy in my own writing, because I write these sort of Greek myth-inspired fantasies, and what I really love about Greek myth is each story is a sort of snapshot of a wider world. So the stakes feel very all-encompassing for the individual characters. But then when I move on to the next story, it’s something that maybe hasn’t touched them. They’re in their own world, they’ve got their own things going on. And they can really, really vary.

[EM] Yeah.

[BF] But to them it’s everything.

[EM] Of course. Yeah. Absolutely. I think that... I mean, thinking about particularly The Map That Led to You, we’ve got quite a lot of romance stories that are happening within.

[BF] And that’s dual romance within that book.

[EM] Yeah, it is. So you have Reggie and Maeve, who are...

[BF] The best.

[EM] The best, truly the best.

[BF] Truly the best.

[EM] I love them so much. So they live in a world where they don’t think magic exists. So they’re coming to the knowledge that it might.

[BF] They don’t realize they’re in a romantasy book.

[EM] They don’t realize they’re in a romantasy book! Even though they’re doing all the tropiest, tropey things as two little lesbians.

[BF] I love that.

[EM] And they don’t know. And then we have Levi and Kano, who very much know they’re in a romantasy book and are wrestling with, like: what does fate mean? And what does it mean that we have these expectations placed on us by this world that we live in? So it’s fun to see those two interact, but I think that, as you say, it’s important to know why your protagonist is your protagonist and what it is about their love interest that makes them so perfect for each other—or, indeed, not perfect for each other.

[BF] There’s real fun to be had in that tension too. And I think there’s also something in romantasy about that idea of not realizing you’re in a romantasy book because obliviousness is a big part of any romance book. Like, we as readers want to be picking up on cues that the characters are missing.

[EM] Yeah, the dramatic irony is such a fun part of reading a romance.

[BF] It’s such a fun part. I think in The End Crowns All, Cassandra is very aware of the fact that she’s in a fantasy book and there’s romance happening around her, but it takes her a while to realize that she’s having her own romantic journey.

[EM] Yeah, yeah.

[BF] She was hoping it has the happily-ever-after. But she’s too focused on the war and the fantasy, and I think it’s important to not skimp on those fantasy elements. I think even if you are writing the coziest little witchy romantasy, where maybe most of the plot is really, really centered, there should still be a sort of overarcing arc, you know?

ELLA: It’s important to know why your protagonist is your protagonist and what it is about their love interest that makes them so perfect for each other—or, indeed, not perfect for each other.

BEA: There’s real fun to be had in that tension too.

[BF] Take Legends and Lattes, where there’s this coffee shop. I know that’s slightly less romantasy than it is cozy fantasy, but even when the stakes are low, there still need to be stakes that are incredibly personable and high to those characters. Even in the grand scheme of things, it’s not, you know, a war between all of Greece and all of Troy. Sometimes it is just, you know, your father wants you to do something you don’t want to do. I mean, that downplays Girl, Goddess, Queen! They’re quite high stakes.

[EM] Or, yeah, when your father’s Zeus it is quite high stakes, to be fair.

[BF] Yeah. All of my writing is just to really make people aware that Zeus is the worst.

[EM] The absolute worst.

[BF] But yeah. You know, even if the stakes are low in the grand scheme of things, say it’s a family bookshop that’s going out of business and that bookshop sells spell books. That’s still an incredibly high stake to the person it’s happening to.

[EM] For sure. And then again, the fantasy is often what raises the stakes.

[BF] Exactly.

[EM] Like, when I was reading Payback’s a Witch, which is so much fun, that’s very much a kind of domestic town drama, like with families kind of vying for local power, but what raises the stakes is the centuries-old spell that means they have to compete in a magical competition, you know?

[BF] I love that.

[EM] Yeah. I love a centuries-old competition. So good.

Even when the stakes are low, there still need to be stakes that are incredibly personable and high to those characters.
—Bea Fitzgerald

[BF] Right. Ella, before we wrap up, quick question. Any more questions about My Lady Jane?

[EM] Um, yes. Two. Okay. Firstly, does Lady Jane ever turn into an animal?

[BF] I’m only on episode 6, so not yet. Okay.

[EM] Who is the sexiest person that turns into an animal? Is it the horse?

[BF] I’m asexual. Next question.

[Both laughing]

[BF] And that’s all we have time for! Happy writing. Thank you for joining us. We really hope that that was useful to you as budding romantasy writers. I think as you can tell, we’re really, really passionate about this genre. We think it’s a really, really fun and great space to be writing in. So we wish you the best of luck writing your stories.

Closing words

[Louise Dean] Thank you for joining us today. We are so pleased to have you along for the writing journey and we hope to see you on another episode of The Novelry on Writing.

If you’d like to learn more, visit us at thenovelry.com. From first draft to finished manuscript, at The Novelry you’ll enjoy one-to-one coaching from bestselling authors, live writing classes with award-winning authors and literary agents, and you’ll work with a publishing editor all the way for submission to literary agents toward a publishing deal.

All writers learn from other writers, even the greats. Write your novel in good company. Join us at The Novelry.

We’ll show you how to start, coax your story into shape, and cheer you on to type The End.

More about the podcast

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