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.
- GenresNonfictionWritingRomance
336 pages, Paperback
Expected publication December 15, 2026
About the author
K.J. Charles
71 books13.2k 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 - 9 of 9 reviews
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!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is by far the best book on writing romance I've ever read - and definitely worth reading for writers of any genre who care about building solid characters and plots. This covers everything from the nitty gritty of copy editing to the loftiest overarching structural and thematic questions, so writers at different stages of their own careers will find different sections particularly useful. I've already recommended this to one friend who's won awards in their own (different) genre and has been thinking of trying to write romance next; I'd also recommend it without question to anyone who's just starting out with writing and wants to learn everything from the ground up. Charles manages to articulate so many grounding truths about writing in ways I haven't seen elsewhere, and her own writing is warm, encouraging, and accessible throughout. Highly recommended!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m not quite sure why I’m bothering to review this book when Benjamin Dreyer (*the* Benjamin Dreyer, late of Random House and writer of Dreyer’s English) has praised it so highly. But I got a free ARC so I guess I owe my tiny opinion to Netgalley and Hay House.
I loved it—of course I did—I’ve never met a book by KJ Charles I didn’t love. I’m not a writer, but goodness I enjoyed the way KJC carefully teases apart the elements that go into writing a good romance novel, with such lucidity, grace and humour. I do think it has helped me to become a more critical reader, with a little more understanding of what makes a good novel *work*. I recommend this book highly to anyone who wants to become a better romance writer, a better novel writer, a better reader of fiction. And to anyone who enjoys reading books—frankly, it’s a delightful read.
Thanks Netgalley for review copy.
I loved it—of course I did—I’ve never met a book by KJ Charles I didn’t love. I’m not a writer, but goodness I enjoyed the way KJC carefully teases apart the elements that go into writing a good romance novel, with such lucidity, grace and humour. I do think it has helped me to become a more critical reader, with a little more understanding of what makes a good novel *work*. I recommend this book highly to anyone who wants to become a better romance writer, a better novel writer, a better reader of fiction. And to anyone who enjoys reading books—frankly, it’s a delightful read.
Thanks Netgalley for review copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is a practical craft guide for romance writers (aspiring, or otherwise). Using her experience (over 20 years) as a professional editor and an author (of over 35 successful romance novels), the author helps guide you through the creative process right from the start - the beautifully blank page.
Highlights include:
* Helping writer’s understand characters/structure etc
* Step by step stages of the writing process
* Generating ideas and shaping premises
The Pros:
1) This is definitely a book I could see you referring back to as you are in the process of actually writing a book.
2) I think there is are a lot of great topics covered including: Character arcs and plots arcs, making things worse, tips for overcoming writers block and help choosing POVs.
3) I love the fact she is prepared to say her actual thoughts on what not to do *coughsNoAIcoughs*
The Cons:
1) Please don’t expect to go into the book expecting the guidance to be A + B = bestselling book. It is a lot more nuanced than that and it has to come from you! This is merely a VERY helpful craft guide.
The Quotes:
1) Find your conflict, and you’ll find your characters. Character creates obstacles; obstacles drive the plot; plot is character in action. Obstacles - what matters and what doesn’t - are the heart of romance, just as grit is the heart of the pearl. Find them, and you’ve probably found your book.
2) The blank page is one of the scariest things a writer has to face, next to tax returns and running out of teabags.
3) Writing is, in many respects, the practice of finding where it hurts and then prodding it.
4) IMPORTANT PLOT STUFF HERE, FILL IN LATER
The Summary:
If you are planning in the future, or are currently, writing a novel, I sincerely recommend you read this book. There is some common sense advice, of course, but there were excellent ideas that I feel everyone could benefit from whilst plotting your story, that wouldn’t have occurred to me as well. Examples include when the author shows how some descriptive words can completely alter the vibe of the prose on the page, it highlights how you can shape your writing to exactly how you intend it to be. The best thing about this book is that I genuinely believe this is something you would refer back to as you were writing your book, time and time again.
I rated the book 5 stars!
A big thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Highlights include:
* Helping writer’s understand characters/structure etc
* Step by step stages of the writing process
* Generating ideas and shaping premises
The Pros:
1) This is definitely a book I could see you referring back to as you are in the process of actually writing a book.
2) I think there is are a lot of great topics covered including: Character arcs and plots arcs, making things worse, tips for overcoming writers block and help choosing POVs.
3) I love the fact she is prepared to say her actual thoughts on what not to do *coughsNoAIcoughs*
The Cons:
1) Please don’t expect to go into the book expecting the guidance to be A + B = bestselling book. It is a lot more nuanced than that and it has to come from you! This is merely a VERY helpful craft guide.
The Quotes:
1) Find your conflict, and you’ll find your characters. Character creates obstacles; obstacles drive the plot; plot is character in action. Obstacles - what matters and what doesn’t - are the heart of romance, just as grit is the heart of the pearl. Find them, and you’ve probably found your book.
2) The blank page is one of the scariest things a writer has to face, next to tax returns and running out of teabags.
3) Writing is, in many respects, the practice of finding where it hurts and then prodding it.
4) IMPORTANT PLOT STUFF HERE, FILL IN LATER
The Summary:
If you are planning in the future, or are currently, writing a novel, I sincerely recommend you read this book. There is some common sense advice, of course, but there were excellent ideas that I feel everyone could benefit from whilst plotting your story, that wouldn’t have occurred to me as well. Examples include when the author shows how some descriptive words can completely alter the vibe of the prose on the page, it highlights how you can shape your writing to exactly how you intend it to be. The best thing about this book is that I genuinely believe this is something you would refer back to as you were writing your book, time and time again.
I rated the book 5 stars!
A big thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
K.J., you are really funny. No, seriously. I was snickering throughout this book. I didn't expect to find such a light, refreshing take on romance writing, but it was a nice surprise.
I read a lot of romance. A ton, actually. And ideas have popped into my head from time to time, and I've thought I'd like to try writing a romance novel one day. I have no formal training. I have no informal training. I can barely write a paragraph with correct punctuation, for god's sake. How on earth am I gonna attempt a novel? With this book, that's how!
K.J. takes you through the process. Plot or characters first? Spicy or too spicy? Happy ever after or tragic ending? First person? Second person? She addresses it all. Now, this is not a how-to. It's more like a guide from your mentor, K.J. Charles. She helps you see things from another angle, perhaps one you hadn't thought of. I, for one, will read romance with a completely different eye. There are things I never paid attention to that I won't be able to ignore now.
I found this book really positive yet realistic. K.J. Charles, you had me at Captain Barbossa (a quote I use often). Thank you so very much to K.J. Charles, Hay House Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC.
I read a lot of romance. A ton, actually. And ideas have popped into my head from time to time, and I've thought I'd like to try writing a romance novel one day. I have no formal training. I have no informal training. I can barely write a paragraph with correct punctuation, for god's sake. How on earth am I gonna attempt a novel? With this book, that's how!
K.J. takes you through the process. Plot or characters first? Spicy or too spicy? Happy ever after or tragic ending? First person? Second person? She addresses it all. Now, this is not a how-to. It's more like a guide from your mentor, K.J. Charles. She helps you see things from another angle, perhaps one you hadn't thought of. I, for one, will read romance with a completely different eye. There are things I never paid attention to that I won't be able to ignore now.
I found this book really positive yet realistic. K.J. Charles, you had me at Captain Barbossa (a quote I use often). Thank you so very much to K.J. Charles, Hay House Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Pub. date 12/15/26
From a non-writer, KJC superfan viewpoint, this was an informative, snarky, incisive delight. KJ takes the aspiring writer through every step from blank page to The End of the final edit. It made me appreciate how hard it is to write a strong romance novel in which virtually every word is in service to plot and character. Fortunately KJ includes case studies from her own books, explaining her choices and describing her challenges. Many of the chapters are adapted from her website blog posts, but others are brand new, and reading them in order of the writing process makes them even appealing.
As a voracious (and judgemental) reader, the book helped me realize why much of today's bestselling romance novels leave me cold, e.g., sex scenes with no discernible purpose other than it's time for the MCs to f*ck, poorly integrated suspense and romance threads, characters rehashing the same dynamics over and over again ad nauseum, multiple unnecessary secondary characters...the list goes on and on. And it reminded me of why KJC is tops in her field, and why I have read everything she has published since 2014.
ARC received from Net Galley. I am a member of KJC's discord group so I really can't claim to be objective, TBH.
From a non-writer, KJC superfan viewpoint, this was an informative, snarky, incisive delight. KJ takes the aspiring writer through every step from blank page to The End of the final edit. It made me appreciate how hard it is to write a strong romance novel in which virtually every word is in service to plot and character. Fortunately KJ includes case studies from her own books, explaining her choices and describing her challenges. Many of the chapters are adapted from her website blog posts, but others are brand new, and reading them in order of the writing process makes them even appealing.
As a voracious (and judgemental) reader, the book helped me realize why much of today's bestselling romance novels leave me cold, e.g., sex scenes with no discernible purpose other than it's time for the MCs to f*ck, poorly integrated suspense and romance threads, characters rehashing the same dynamics over and over again ad nauseum, multiple unnecessary secondary characters...the list goes on and on. And it reminded me of why KJC is tops in her field, and why I have read everything she has published since 2014.
ARC received from Net Galley. I am a member of KJC's discord group so I really can't claim to be objective, TBH.
Read
October 31, 2026Think, Write, Edit, Romance: The Romance Writer’s Journey from Blank Page to Finished Novel by K.J. Charles is a practical craft guide that takes romance writers through the complete process of developing, drafting, revising, and polishing a novel.
Drawing on more than twenty years of professional editing experience and a career as the author of over thirty-five romance novels, Charles offers informed guidance grounded in the realities of writing and publishing.
Rather than relying on rigid formulas or prescribed beat sheets, the book explores how character, conflict, structure, point of view, pacing, dialogue, and emotional development work together to create satisfying stories.
Its detailed treatment of developmental, line, and copy editing also helps writers understand how to move beyond a completed draft toward a polished, submission-ready manuscript.
At 336 pages, this forthcoming paperback offers an encouraging yet candid resource for romance authors who want to strengthen their storytelling, respect their genre, and approach their writing with greater confidence and skill.
Drawing on more than twenty years of professional editing experience and a career as the author of over thirty-five romance novels, Charles offers informed guidance grounded in the realities of writing and publishing.
Rather than relying on rigid formulas or prescribed beat sheets, the book explores how character, conflict, structure, point of view, pacing, dialogue, and emotional development work together to create satisfying stories.
Its detailed treatment of developmental, line, and copy editing also helps writers understand how to move beyond a completed draft toward a polished, submission-ready manuscript.
At 336 pages, this forthcoming paperback offers an encouraging yet candid resource for romance authors who want to strengthen their storytelling, respect their genre, and approach their writing with greater confidence and skill.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley and Hay House for the eARC
Really good craft book on writing and editing a romance novel. It is also useful for other genres, especially the character’s building, characterisation and plotting parts, which are elements that will always come up with character driven stories.
KJ Charles’s explain things well, with lots and lots of examples and, also very important, humour. It covers a lot of ground too, from building the story, writing it, and then editing it as much as you can. The latter part was the thing I was looking for, as a learning tool and checklist to come back to once I am into the process. It is excellent. Well structured, easy to understand, clear, advising rather than controlling what ought to be done.
Frankly, I had a good and insightful time reading this, and isn’t that everything you want from a craft book? I will definitely come back to it to learn, throughout my writing process.
Can’t recommend it enough.
Really good craft book on writing and editing a romance novel. It is also useful for other genres, especially the character’s building, characterisation and plotting parts, which are elements that will always come up with character driven stories.
KJ Charles’s explain things well, with lots and lots of examples and, also very important, humour. It covers a lot of ground too, from building the story, writing it, and then editing it as much as you can. The latter part was the thing I was looking for, as a learning tool and checklist to come back to once I am into the process. It is excellent. Well structured, easy to understand, clear, advising rather than controlling what ought to be done.
Frankly, I had a good and insightful time reading this, and isn’t that everything you want from a craft book? I will definitely come back to it to learn, throughout my writing process.
Can’t recommend it enough.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Fabulous! Everything you want to know about writing romance, penned in such witty wise style that it made me dash to read the author's own romance novels, of which there are many. KJ Charles knows her stuff and truly, any writer, romance or not, can benefit from this fine splendid guide. Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews