Writing a historical romance is like throwing a Regency ball: you need the right setting, the right characters, and a scandal simmering just beneath the surface. But before you embark on your literary journey, let’s discuss a few rules—or, shall we say, guidelines—to ensure your historical love story doesn’t end up feeling like a history textbook in a frilly dress.
1. Choose Your Era Wisely
Sure, Regency England is the reigning queen of historical romance, but have you considered the wild intrigue of the Gilded Age? The tension of the Roaring Twenties? Pick an era that excites you—because if you find Victorian social mores exhausting, your readers will too. Just remember, accuracy matters. You can’t have your medieval heroine sipping tea and reading Jane Austen unless she’s invented time travel.
2. The Hero Must Smolder
Historical romance heroes must possess an impossible combination of brooding mystery and impeccable tailoring. Whether he’s a misunderstood duke, a dashing highwayman, or a stoic Viking, he must always have a dark past and an unsettling ability to lean against doorways in an attractively tortured fashion.
3. The Heroine: Fiery, Feisty, but Not Too Feisty
Your heroine must be “not like other women,” which, in historical romance, means she reads, rides astride, and questions the patriarchy just enough to be interesting but not enough to derail the entire social order. Bonus points if she has a signature hobby—botany, fencing, or scandalously wearing colors not suited to her complexion.
4. The Villain Must Twirl His Metaphorical Mustache
A good historical romance villain needs flair. Perhaps a wicked guardian determined to marry the heroine off to a titled cad, or a jealous rival who spreads ruinous gossip with devastating efficiency. Whatever their evil agenda, they should inspire at least one scene where the heroine barely escapes their clutches with her virtue intact—barely.
5. Historical Accuracy…ish
Your characters shouldn’t talk like they wandered in from the twenty-first century, but let’s face it—true historical dialogue would read like an obscure legal document. Strike a balance. Your hero can say “I burn for you,” but maybe not “thou art my heart’s sole desire.” And please, avoid anachronisms unless you’re writing time-travel romance (in which case, by all means, hand your Viking a smartphone).
6. A Ball Is Mandatory
If your novel doesn’t have at least one grand ball, why are we even here? A ballroom scene is your opportunity for longing glances across the dance floor, whispered insults hidden behind politeness, and, of course, the heroine stumbling into the hero’s arms after an unexpected ankle twist.
7. The Grand Misunderstanding
A historical romance isn’t complete without a perfectly preventable misunderstanding that stretches on for at least fifty pages. Ideally, this involves a secret letter, a meddling relative, or a dramatic storm that delays vital information. The reader must know the truth while the characters remain blissfully oblivious.
8. The HEA (Happily Ever After) Is Non-Negotiable
No one picks up a historical romance for gritty realism. Your heroine deserves to ride off into the sunset with her brooding hero, probably in a well-appointed carriage, both slightly disheveled but deliriously in love.
In conclusion, writing a historical romance requires equal parts research, imagination, and a deep understanding of just how much longing can be conveyed in a single glance. So, tighten your corset, polish your hero’s cravat, and get writing—your happily ever after awaits.
And….
this was written by AI and I’ve shared it unedited. I put in the prompt: Write a funny column about how to write a historical romance.
What do you think? Could you tell it wasn’t me/human? What did you think about the quality of the writing?
And, no, I do not plan to have AI write for me! But I do like keeping track of its abilities. It is getting better.