Defining the Romantasy Genre
Working Title: I wish I understood the importance of genre conventions in the marketplace prior to writing a novel.
Romance and fantasy writers, would you like to work with me? Head over to Book Bound Coaching. Folks that subscribe to this Substack get 10% off their first service. Spots in my calendar are limited, as I’m also writing book two of my romantasy series.
I wrote an entire book over the course of seven years and only briefly considered the genre label that would be applied to it upon publication. Had you asked past Ivy about her manuscript, she would’ve said, “It’s fantasy? But with romance? But also the dad character was a real Anglo-Saxon warlord, so historical fiction?”
Aspiring writers: DO NOT PITCH LIKE THIS.
Despite many years as an instructor of art history in which I taught students to classify objects d’arte, and more years as an assistant librarian in which I recommended books to patrons based on their favorite authors, I never thought about the importance of genre classifications in the marketplace. Now that I’m published, my sales are lagging and I have a bunch of useless TikTok videos, which to be honest, were hell to make. I’m a writer folks, not a movie producer.
Please learn from my mistakes. Determine what genre you work fits into, and think about your marketing plan even as you continue to draft your WIP. Trust me. It will make the querying process and marketing so much easier. If you are having a hard time classifying your manuscript, please drop a question in the comments.
The idea of genre classifications has been around since Aristotle. He understood there were different types of writing, just as there are different species of animals. Over the course of over 2000 years, those classifications have evolved and will continue to change to reflect who we are at any given moment. Today, when people speak about genres in fiction, they are usually referring to the type of plot at the heart of the story. Libraries and booksellers tend to group their fictional titles by these overarching plot beats: thriller, mystery, romance, comedy, or speculative (fantasy/science-fiction/horror).
The newest—and might I add wildly successful— genre to hit the shelves has been romantasy. While both fantasy and romance have been overlooked by the big publishers in the past, the newly created Bramble imprint from Tor/MacMillian is proof this genre is both popular and profitable. But what, exactly, is it?
Romantasy combines the epic worldbuilding, melodramatic stakes, and elemental magic that features at the heart of fantasy with the emotionally satisfying (and hopefully steamy) relationships of romance. If the protagonist, who is usually a woman, has to overcome internal issues or change her worldview in the process of reaching her happily-ever-after, you could consider romantasy a blend of three genres with the addition of women’s fiction to the mix.
That is a lot for a writer to juggle!
However, if you’ve already read this far, you got this. You CAN write a story set in a world of magic with a romance that will have your readers falling in love with their newest book boyfriend. As you revise your WIP, make sure your manuscript includes the following foundational elements so you can write, pitch, and market with confidence.
Character’s Internal Arc: This should follow the rules of the romance genre, though romantasy allows you to delay the happily ever after to the final book if you are writing a series. After the main characters have their meet-cute, you should build tension through plot beats like “the inkling this could work”, the “deepening of desire“, and the “grand gesture”.
If you are not familiar with the terms above, please refer to the go-to guide that really should be called the Romance Writer’s Bible, but was instead given the title of Romancing the Beat: Story Structure for the Romance Novel by the incredible Gwen Hayes.
External Plot Beats: These should follow the conventions of fantasy and are often inspired by myth, legend, and fairy tales. The external plot usually has life and death stakes featuring battles between good and evil. In its most simplified form, the external events fit into the three act arc, in which you have a set-up, a confrontation, and a resolution.
Since the main character of romantasy is usually a woman, you may also see the narrative arc following the heroine’s journey, which leads the protagonist through a descent, a search in which her friends come to her aid, and an ascent in which a new world order is established. Gail Carriger’s book The Heroine’s Journey: For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Culture is a MUST READ if you plan on using this structure. Of course gender identity is on a spectrum, and anyone can have a heroine’s journey.
Setting: My initial understanding of romantasy was the story HAD to be set in a second-world or imaginary universe. Think ACOTAR or Fourth Wing. However, with the growing popularity of this genre, there have been a few titles set in our world that fall into the romantasy genre. The Bear and the Nightingale is a romantasy inspired by the fairytale Vasilisa the Beautiful. Arden’s lush retelling of this tale takes place in medieval Russia. Half A Soul by Olivia Atwater combines regency romance with fae (insert grabby hands). And then there is my book—shameless plug—Rowena’s Song, a romantasy set in 435 AD Denmark that features elemental wind magic.
There are a lot of opinion out there concerning romance, fantasy, and the combination of the two genres. This is my take as a published author and book coach. I’d love to hear your thoughts on my deep dive into romantasy as genre. Comment below, and happy writing!