Writing Romantasy: Three Tips for the Overarching Plot

On Saturday (23 November), we are hosting a new workshop on Writing Romantasy with publisher and editor Tara Loder. Tara has worked on Sunday Times bestsellers, as well as chart topping digital bestsellers, and is experienced in taking a novel from an idea to a published masterpiece.

In this 3-hour Saturday workshop, participants will discover what ‘makes a romantasy?’ by exploring key elements of this popular genre and learning how to incorporate these elements into their own writing. Can’t wait until Saturday? See below a small taster of the types of tips shared in next week’s workshop.

Tara offers three tips for building an overarching plot for each of your Romantasy books. Romantasy is almost never a one and done. These books can have complex plots that run over several books. Each book has its own plot, leaving the reader satisfied but wanting more.

Tara recommends following these three tips:

1. The character’s journey. Does your character start out weak and grow? Do they fight for the emperor and become a rebel or are they a dethroned princess fighting their way back to power? A character’s journey can take several books to solve, and that’s before you look at your other characters.
2. The war to be won. They can win a battle, but can they win the war? Pace yourself in the journey to winning the war. Small skirmishes can be almost as important as the final battle if you’ve built a world peopled with characters your reader cares about. Defending the home village, the only place where a species lives or a key pass in the mountains can all be part of one series.
3. The romance. Will they/won’t they is just the start. Once they’re together can their love survive the external, and internal pressures their situation presents? Can they forget the people they came from, forgive the enemy that is now a lover or might someone or something come between them? There are so many sides to the romantic journey that it can fill hundreds of thousands of words and still be interesting.

Itching to read a good romantasy this weekend? Here are three novels Tara has read and enjoyed recently:

House of Earth and Blood
by Sarah J Mass

The first instalment of the EPIC Crescent City series from multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas.

‘Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan’ Time ‘Think Game of Thrones meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer with a drizzle of E.L. James‘ – Time Magazine

Curse of Shadows and Thorns

by LJ Andrews

A rebellious princess. A cursed rogue. A forbidden love that will bring a kingdom to its knees.

As niece of the king, Elise Lysander cares about two things: sneaking into gambling dens, and avoiding an advantageous marriage at all costs.

King of Battle and Blood

by Scarlett St Clair

“Outstanding…St. Clair has a masterful hand with the couple’s slow burn, balancing banter, contention, and highly charged moments. Readers will be chomping at the bit for the next installment.” – Publishers Weekly STARRED Review

Their union is his revenge.

Isolde de Lara considers her wedding day to be her death day. To end a years-long war, she is to marry vampire king Adrian Aleksandr Vasiliev, and kill him.

 For more advice on this genre, read Tara Loder’s blog on

What is Romantasy? Three Tips on What to Include.

If you’re interested in attending Tara’s online workshop on Saturday 23 November find the full workshop details here.