What do you think?
Rate this book
Think, Write, Edit, Romance: The Romance Writer's Journey from Blank Page to Finished Novel
Not yet published
Expected 15 Dec 26A practical craft guide for romance writers from KJ Charles, former editor and author of over 30 novels—including The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen—focused on writing, revising, polishing, and publishing emotionally satisfying romance novels.
Think, Write, Edit, Romance is a smart, practical, and deeply reassuring guide to writing romance novels from one of the genre’s most respected voices.
Drawing on more than 20 years as a professional editor and the author of over 35 successful romance novels, KJ Charles takes readers through the entire creative process, from the blank page to a clean, submission-ready manuscript. This is not a book of rigid formulas or beat sheets. Instead, it focuses on how stories actually work, helping writers understand character, conflict, structure, and revision at a deep, usable level.
Organized as a “Writer’s Progress,” the book moves step by step through the stages of writing. Early chapters address generating ideas, shaping premises, and developing character and conflict. The middle sections focus on drafting, including point of view, pacing, dialogue, sex scenes, and getting unstuck when a project stalls. The final section offers unusually detailed guidance on revision, covering developmental, line, and copy editing with clarity and candor.
Written with Charles’s signature wit, authority, and no-nonsense compassion, Think, Write, Edit, Romance respects the intelligence of romance writers and the genre itself. It is a craft book for authors who take romance seriously and want to produce work that is emotionally satisfying, structurally sound, and professionally polished.
Think, Write, Edit, Romance is a smart, practical, and deeply reassuring guide to writing romance novels from one of the genre’s most respected voices.
Drawing on more than 20 years as a professional editor and the author of over 35 successful romance novels, KJ Charles takes readers through the entire creative process, from the blank page to a clean, submission-ready manuscript. This is not a book of rigid formulas or beat sheets. Instead, it focuses on how stories actually work, helping writers understand character, conflict, structure, and revision at a deep, usable level.
Organized as a “Writer’s Progress,” the book moves step by step through the stages of writing. Early chapters address generating ideas, shaping premises, and developing character and conflict. The middle sections focus on drafting, including point of view, pacing, dialogue, sex scenes, and getting unstuck when a project stalls. The final section offers unusually detailed guidance on revision, covering developmental, line, and copy editing with clarity and candor.
Written with Charles’s signature wit, authority, and no-nonsense compassion, Think, Write, Edit, Romance respects the intelligence of romance writers and the genre itself. It is a craft book for authors who take romance seriously and want to produce work that is emotionally satisfying, structurally sound, and professionally polished.
- GenresNonfictionWriting
336 pages, Paperback
Expected publication December 15, 2026
About the author
K.J. Charles
70 books13.1k followersKJ is moving to Storygraph.
KJ is a writer of romance, mostly m/m, historical or fantasy or both. She blogs about writing and editing at http://kjcharleswriter.com.
She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
Join the lively Discord group at https://discord.gg/fmPTWSZfT6
Sign up to the (infrequent) newsletter at http://kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter
Please **do not** message me on Goodreads. I won't read it.
KJ is a writer of romance, mostly m/m, historical or fantasy or both. She blogs about writing and editing at http://kjcharleswriter.com.
She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
Join the lively Discord group at https://discord.gg/fmPTWSZfT6
Sign up to the (infrequent) newsletter at http://kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter
Please **do not** message me on Goodreads. I won't read it.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
Read
September 14, 2026In which I attempt to distil twenty years as an editor, thirteen years as a romance author, literally hundreds of blog posts about writing and editing, and the experience of being published by Big 6, indie presses, and myself, into one book. It took a while.
The idea is that this book gives you a place to start, a lot of advice on the plotting, characterisation, actual romance and general writing, a helping hand when you get stuck, and finally some self-editing advice that will help you produce the cleanest MS you can.
I hope it works for you!
The idea is that this book gives you a place to start, a lot of advice on the plotting, characterisation, actual romance and general writing, a helping hand when you get stuck, and finally some self-editing advice that will help you produce the cleanest MS you can.
I hope it works for you!
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review