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11 Romance Writing Courses Online – Free and Paid

4/18/2021

 
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If you’re looking for online courses to help when writing a romance novel, here are 11 romance writing courses online free and paid. These courses, classes and workshops are for all levels of creative writers wanting to learn contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense, and more.

​The following online romantic fiction writing courses aim to explore writing techniques and styles, enhance your writing skills, and write a book or short story in one of the bestselling genres globally with its own particular requirements. Learn how to write a romance novel with published authors, professional distance learning providers, and tutor-led writing workshops.

So if you want to know how to write a romance novel and would like to find online romance fiction writing courses or free romance writing courses online, check out these 11 best romance writing courses online, free and paid.
​
Grammarly Writing Support

1. How to Write Romance [FREE] – Reedsy

Reedsy is a UK online author services company that works with writers and self-publishers across the world. This course is a great option if you would like learn how to write for your particular subgenre of romance, understand the behaviour and qualities that make a strong romantic hero/heroine, which themes to use and ways to keep them fresh, tips on writing gripping conflict in romance, and why secondary characters are important and how they can enhance the plot.
 
Taught by writer and editor Kate Studer, this is one of the few free romance writing courses online to set you on the road to writing romance via distance learning, in your own time and at your own pace.
 
This online romance fiction writing course is delivered by email each day for 10 days, and the 10 modules are “quick 5-minute lessons”.

If you want to learn how to write a romance novel, why not try this free, self-paced introduction to writing romance! 

View course: How to Write Romance [FREE] – Reedsy

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2. Romantic Writing Diploma – New Skills Academy

The Romantic Writing Diploma course has “all of the knowledge required to break into the romance writing industry in the United Kingdom. This training course is filled with all you need to know to become a successful writer and to push yourself to create books and stories”.

Do you know what is needed to become a romance writer? Would you like to learn how to create the plot of your romance story? If so, this online writing course aims to help.

The course offers a comprehensive introduction to writing romance stories, and offers guidance on becoming a successful writer in the romance genre.

Among the many aspects covered in this course, you will learn:
  • Selecting a target readership and which POV (first person, third person, etc.) to use
  • How to establish the setting for any romance storyline
  • Ways to use a backstory (without being boring)
  • Writing dialogue that helps the story to flow
  • How to work with publishers and sell romance novels

There is no time limit to complete this self-paced online romance writing course, there are short modules to work through, students will gain the knowledge required to start crafting their own romance-themed novels, and a certified diploma is awarded upon completion.
 
View course: Romantic Writing Diploma – New Skills Academy

3. How to Write a Romance Novel – MasterClass

This is an informative article detailing 5 top tips for writing a successful romance story with links to online writing courses from the hugely popular and extensive e-learning streaming platform MasterClass, which provides instant-access and self-paced video lessons from bestselling authors.

The article provides free advice and tips which cover:
  • Choosing your romance subgenre
  • The importance of setting the scene
  • Making your main characters compelling and strong
  • Being comfortable incorporating common romance tropes (themes) and making them your own
  • Striking a balance when using love scenes so they move the story forward or tell you more about the characters

The course links include the online writing video lessons from David Mamet, Judy Blume, Malcolm Gladwell Teaches, and James Patterson.

View article and links to courses: How to Write a Romance Novel – MasterClass

4. How to Write a Romance – Writers Write

If you need help to develop story ideas into a plot, how to decide which subgenre and what is required within that subgenre, creating great heroes and heroines, how to show not tell in romantic fiction, help with choosing the setting for your story, how to structure the scenes, creating sensual tension, and advice to make your story attractive to editors, this online romance writing course could be a great choice for you.
 
The coordinator for this course is Mia Botha, who is an established writer and teacher, and the winner of the Mills and Boon Voice of Africa competition.

Writers Write offers comprehensive writing resources for creative writers and provides motivating and practical online writing courses.

Students receive instant access to the course material, which comprises 18 modules, and a printable PDF and workbook.

View course: How to Write a Romance – Writers Write

5. Creative Writing Romantic Writing Diploma – Reed.co.uk

A CPD accredited and online self-paced romance writing course where a diploma qualification is awarded upon completion.

Aimed at all levels of writers, the 13 modules cover all the aspects required to set you on your path to mastering the art of writing in the romance genre, including the following:
  • The basics of romance writing
  • An example outline of a typical romance novel
  • What tools you need to become a romance writer
  • Review the profiles on successful romance writers
  • How to select your target audience and point of view
  • How to write a fabulous first page
  • Why the setting is important
  • How to create romantic heroes your readers will love
  • The plotting of your romance novel
  • Tips when creating an interesting backstory
  • Writing dialogue to keep your story flowing
  • How to build your confidence as a writer
  • Creative writing prompts for romance novels
  • Dealing with publishers and selling your romance story
  • Plus much more

This course comes with lifetime access, tutor support, an online certificate, and the exam is included in the price.

So if you would to obtain a qualification while learning romantic story writing, this course could be the one for you.
 
View course: Creative Writing Romantic Writing Diploma – Reed.co.uk
 
See also Certificate in Romance Writing Online Course from Reed.co.uk to learn how to write romance in 6 weeks at your own pace and in your own time.

6. How to Turn Up the Heat in Your Romance [FREE] – Reedsy

Another free romance fiction writing course from Reedsy focuses on how to write intimate scenes, erotic writing, and creating sexual tension – all the essentials of “hot writing”.
 
The course is offered by bestselling author Kelly Palmer who writes for romance giant Harlequin, a publisher of hugely successful and popular romance and women’s fiction titles.
 
This online romantic fiction writing course covers:
  • How to create sexual tension
  • The best ways to write conflict with erotic potential
  • Developing lovable characters whose personalities add to the sexual tension
  • The conventions in erotic writing
  • How to write realistic sex scenes, and establish a cringe-free vocabulary for body parts
 
The 10 lessons are delivered by email each day, and take just 5 minutes to read through.
 
So if you’re struggling to turn up the heat on your romance story, writing this style of content is out of your comfort zone, or you don’t know where to start, what details to include, how far to go, or when a sex scene is warranted, this free course may help you.
 
View course: How to Turn up the Heat in Your Romance [FREE] – Reedsy

7. Writing a Romantic Novel – The London School of Journalism

If you’re willing to put in the time and commitment to write a romance fiction novel, this online course takes 12-18 months, comprises 14 lessons and 26 exercises, and aims to help you find out what kind of romantic fiction will be right for you, how to construct a story, creating believable characters, understanding narrative viewpoint, writing great dialogue, how to keep motivated, and much more.

This course states “If you are new to writing fiction, writing a romantic novel offers the beginner an achievable challenge, and also provides this beginner with a framework in which to practise and to develop narrative skills, which can then be applied to any kind of fiction”.
 
The lessons on this online romance writing course include:
  • Plotting your novel
  • Great characterization, and writing believable dialogue
  • Choosing the fight viewpoint for your story
  • How to structure a romantic novel
  • How to write an engaging opening to hook readers
  • Drama, style, and humor
  • Pace and tension, and how to deal with the common problems when writing the middle section
  • How to write a good and satisfying ending
  • How to find a literary agent or publisher, and information on cover letters, synopses and the presentation of a submission package.
 
There is also the option to continue working with your tutor if you complete the course before finishing your novel. Course extensions can be bought which allow you to continue submitting additional chapters to your tutor.
 
View course: Writing a Romantic Novel – The London School of Journalism
 
An alternative course on another subgenre of romantic fiction, Erotic Novel Writing, is also available from The London School of Journalism.

8. Writing the Romance Novel – Writer’s Digest University

This online creative writing course “explores why romance is the same, yet different. Some essential components of romance are unique to the genre, while some romance requirements are identical to those of any good fiction story”.

A workshop-based course, it will enable you to recognize the particular aspects that make up the specialized genre of romantic fiction.
 
Whether you want to learn about the genre of romance and how it differs from mainstream novels, how to develop your main and secondary characters, what is and isn’t acceptable when creating your characters, how to write conflict, the importance of change in your characters, and how to write intimacy, this online romance writing course has you covered.
 
Other factors such as learning how the hero of a romance story differs from that of an action novel, and mastering the tricky business of your hero and heroine getting together but then keeping them together-yet-apart until the story is finish are also taught.

Any level of writer and whether you want to write short stories or a novel can benefit from this course.

View course: Writing the Romance Novel – Writer’s Digest University

9. Writing Romance – City Lit ​

This 6-week online writing romance course has set start dates and guides students through the essential points when creating a modern romance story.
 
This is an interactive and fun course where you will be “encouraged to toy with the tropes and structures established in Jane Austen's most famous romances and twist them to create an epic love story of your own design. Dream up a central couple that readers can't help but fall for and learn how to overcome the greatest obstacle romance writers ever face: cliché”.
 
The sessions cover:
  • Understanding the romance genre conventions
  • The common clichés and how to break them
  • How to write romance settings with a twist
  • Tips when creating your central couple
  • Plots and manipulations.

If you want to be able to plot your own modern romance with a twist, write your main couple going on a believable romantic journey, and how to avoid romantic clichés, this course could be the ideal option for you.

This is an intermediate course suitable for students who have already completed an introductory creative writing course at City Lit. Check out Ways Into Creative Writing and Creative Writing Introduction courses for more information.

View course: Writing Romance – City Lit

10. Writing Romance – Professional Writing Academy​

On this romantic fiction writing course students will “develop romance writing skills with USA Today bestselling author, Heidi Rice”. Heidi has 10 years’ experience writing romance novels and has sold over 2 million books worldwide.
 
This is a 7-week writing course where you will learn about the various romance subgenres, including historical, hot, and modern romance.

Writing your opening hook can be hard to master, but this is covered on this course along with building emotional (and sexual) tension, understanding the relationship between internal and external conflict, realistic dialogue, the secrets of what goes into a bestselling romance novel, as well as fixing the common mistakes made when writing in this genre.
 
If you would like to write a book in one of the biggest selling genres in the adult fiction market or finish your draft manuscript with guidance from an established author in this hugely popular genre, this course aims to help you. The modules cover:
  • Your protagonists and antagonists
  • The first meeting scene
  • Plotting a romance, and creating an emotional turning point
  • Creating engaging yet believable dialogue
  • Writing compelling intimate scenes
  • Writing 2000-3000 words using techniques learned on the course to further your writing progress
 
View course: Writing Romance – Professional Writing Academy

11. Romantic Fiction Writing – Learndirect​

Check out this self-paced online writing course where you will “indulge your passions and enter the intriguing world of the romance writer - and enjoy the rich reward of being a published author. All you need is the desire - and the course in Romantic Fiction Writing”.

Learn an overview of the romance genre, laying the foundations for your story, creating characterization, writing dialogue effectively, and creating tension, vivid imagery, and emotion in your storytelling.

Learndirect is based in the UK and a large provider of courses and qualifications, training, as well as employment services. Students are awarded the Learndirect Certificate of Completion of Training in Romantic Fiction Writing.

There is full tutor support, after each lesson there will be an assessment of your learning so far, and support is provided as required. You can fit the course around your commitments and complete at your own pace for up to 2 years.

View course: Romantic Fiction Writing – Learndirect


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