Libraries run on knowledge.
To make Trope Theory the free romance writing resource library our genre deserves, we need your know-how. All the expertise you’ve gained over the years, the nuggets of advice you’ve collected, those quotes you’ve highlighted but never quite figured out what to actually do with them.
Deep down, you’ve always known you’d be asked to save the day. Well, the day needs saving. The time of the tidbit hoarder has finally come.
It’s time to make your romance knowledge accessible.
Urgently needed: Everything
We're building a shared library of romance writing knowledge from the ground up. Even your most basic, obvious insight is welcome. It can be a link, a screenshot, a quote, a tip, a tool, a scanned article from 1993, an opinion, a hot take, an old take, a private take, a general willingness to have your brain picked because it’s been slowly simmering in romance sauce for so long, you’re unsure which bits might still be useful. (They all are.)
Trope Theory’s goal is to collect and curate all that information so that it’s accessible to all current and future romance writers who are looking for answers.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a writer, a reader, a scholar, or a mysterious benefactor who prefers to remain in the shadows. If you love romance, your opinion counts. Your experience counts. And we’re counting on you to pass it on, so that it can benefit us all.
Where should I send it to?
Send me an email:
greta (at) tropetheory (dot) com
I'll reply to every message, but it might take me a while.
What are we looking for concretely?
Anything that helps romance writers understand their craft better.
You don't have to be 100% sold on the idea, either. Insecurity is a given in a field that doesn't really exist yet. Don't sweat it if whatever you’re passing on is a little (or a lot) messy. We gain nothing from perfecting and sanitising and polishing. Hesitation shows us where we have work to do.
If you feel like you need more guidance or concrete prompts, I've put together a wish list in four categories.
1. Craft & Technique
Craft Knowledge
Articles, posts, videos, comments, threads that go beyond the what and explain how and why to do a certain thing in romance writing. They can be as niche and specific or as broad and general as you like. They can be half or fully formed theories or new concepts you've come up with, they can be scholarly articles broken down into TLDRs for writers, they can be first drafts versus finished product. It can literally be a picture of a sticky note that helps you in some way.
Really, the world is your oyster here.
Subgenre-Specific Craft Knowledge
Resources that dive into the unique craft challenges of specific romance subgenres.
Stuff like:
- World-building without losing intimacy (PNR, fantasy)
- Techniques for managing multiple relationships (poly, RH)
- Historical authenticity vs. emotional authenticity
- Dark romance craft mechanics
Practical Problem-Solving Resources
Advice that addresses a specific, common romance writing problem.
Things like:
- An actual solution to one problem. Step by step, with examples
- A framework you've developed and don’t mind sharing
- A process or formula or beat sheet that works for you, and why it does
- Romance-specific fixes that you don't find in general writing advice
Craft Analysis Of Successful Romance
Breakdowns of why certain romances or scenes or dynamics work on a craft level.
⚠️ I’m not interested in what doesn’t work. I believe we can teach craft entirely without punching down. If we ever do need a bad example to show how it can be fixed, I've got a whole archive of them, trust me.
These could be story or scene analysis with craft insights, concrete examples of masterful emotional escalation, close reading that examines craft, and quotes, quotes, more quotes. Did I mention quotes?
Psychology
Any resources that expand our understanding of psychological concepts behind romance writing craft.
Like:
- What writers can learn from the neuroscience of attraction/falling in love
- Trauma-informed approaches to romance arcs
- How readers emotionally process romance
- The psychology of common romance fantasies
2. Your Unique Perspective
Identity-Based Craft Perspectives
Resources that expand our understanding of how identity informs romance writing. We’re talking cultural approaches to romance narratives, disability and neurodivergence in romantic arcs, LGBTQIA+ specific romantic tensions, age-diverse romance craft considerations. The more specific, the better.
⚠️ We need resources from writers whose identities bring unique craft perspectives to romance writing, not just about them.
Cross-Pollinating Insights
Craft knowledge from all romance formats and adjacent genres. We’re interested in romance manga/manhwa storytelling techniques, romance narrative mechanics in gaming, fanfic innovations, theatre, screenwriting, songwriting, comic, or poetry techniques for romance.
Vocabulary
If you have the perfect way of describing that very one specific thing romance does, even if you don’t have all the answers yet for why or how or when it works, share the word. Giving something a name is such a hugely important step towards making it visible in our discourse, and we don't do it nearly enough yet.
3. Writer Life
Writer Support
Everything related to how romance writing works on a personal level for writers and how to build up mental resilience when you do a large amount of emotional labour.
Your tips, your coping strategies, your constant worries.
Not limited to: dealing with imposter syndrome, managing the emotional labour of writing love stories, how to nurture creativity when writing to market, and how to build sustainable writing practices while building a backlist at the speed of sound.
Insights From Your Writing Group
Quick reports, feedback, insights or resources from your writing group. What's on everyone's mind, what are they struggling with?
I'm more than happy to give your group a permanent shout-out spot if you're open to new members.
Your Process
Anything at all that documents your writing process and craft education, such as outlines or files or routines you're willing to share, attitudes you've built over time, tips or methods that changed your writing system.
And please, if your process basically amounts to endless cycles of being tentatively excited about your work and then questioning yourself to the brink of going insane, share that. Don't discount how much it will help others to see the reality of romance writing.
4. Problems & Questions
Questions That Haunt You
The romance writing craft questions that make you want to pull your teeth out, and which you’ve been researching to exhaustion, with no luck.
It’s difficult to set priorities when we really need everything, everywhere, all at once. Sharing your greatest writing nemeses means we can focus and direct this work of theory building to where it’s most urgently needed.
The Things That Just Aren't Good Enough
Sometimes the most validating thing is knowing that other people deal with the same problems and are frustrated, too. So if you've got a rant you need to get off your chest or need to process BS attitudes that come your way, share it, or share a link to it.
Requests
Theory shouldn't exist in a vacuum, so I'll do my best to accommodate your requests.
🚧 Also check out the WIPs. Don't hesitate to request specific angles in upcoming projects.
Miscellaneous
- Workshop materials (if they are your own and you're willing to share)
- Ancient resources from way back when. We've collectively forgotten a lot of great stuff.
- Literally anything else you'd want to pass on about the craft of romance writing and about the reality of being a romance writer.
There is no deadline on any of this, it's an ongoing project that I'm sure will take over my life in no time.
To everyone who is sharing, on behalf of romance writers everywhere: thank you ❤️