Romance tropes are the heartbeat of what makes romance novels feel like cozy sweaters you want to snuggle into.

To write a romance you need to manage three separate arcs: your main character, your love interest, and the romance itself.

Today we’re going to look at story beats to help craft your romance novel. Beats are specific points of significance that occur in stories that a) help keep the tension up and b) help drive the story forward. They can also be extremely useful in helping you map out your story before you dive into your first draft.