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The Heart of the Start: The Romance Meet-Cute

~ Kristina Stanley ~ Leave a comment

In the world of commercial fiction, structure is your best friend. It provides the guideposts that keep a story moving and ensures readers stay buckled in for the ride. But when you are writing romance, there is one specific “guidepost” that carries more weight than almost any other: the inciting incident, better known in our genre as the Meet-Cute.

In our book, Secrets to Writing a Romance, Kristina Stanley and I do a deep dive into why this moment is the literal spark that lights the fire of your story. If you’re looking to level up your manuscript, here is how to craft a meeting that keeps readers turning pages.

1. Make it an “Active” Event

A common pitfall is placing the meeting in the backstory. You might be tempted to start the book with your protagonist reminiscing about a “gorgeous jerk” they saw yesterday. Don’t. In romance, the inciting incident must happen on the page in an active scene. Readers don’t just want the information; they want to be in the thick of it. They need to feel the pulse spike and the breath hitch along with your characters. If you skip the “good stuff” at the start, the reader loses their emotional investment before the story even begins.

2. The Power of the “Re-Meet”

While many stories focus on strangers, remember that a powerful meet-cute can also be a re-meet. This is perfect for friends-to-lovers or second-chance arcs. In these cases, the “meet-cute” is a transformative event where two people who already know each other—perhaps as lifelong neighbors, bickering coworkers, or platonic best friends—suddenly see one another in a brand-new light. This shift in perspective acts as the catalyst, launching their existing relationship onto an entirely new, romantic course.

3. Disruption is Key

A great meet-cute should flip your protagonist’s “normal” upside down. This is the moment their ordinary world goes “poof.” Crucially, this disruption should be caused by the love interest. If the world is falling apart because of a meteor strike, you’re writing an action movie. If the world is falling apart because a specific person just walked into the room (or finally looked at them differently) and challenged their status quo—now you’re writing a romance.

4. Lean Into the “Meet-Ugly”

It doesn’t always have to be sunshine and roses. In fact, many of the most memorable pairings start with a meet-ugly. Whether it’s an awkward misunderstanding, an unwanted encounter, or a heated argument, the goal is friction. The initial interaction should be characterized by high emotional intensity. Whether that is instant attraction or instant annoyance doesn’t matter, as long as the emotion is powerful.

5. Early and Intertwined

To keep the pacing tight, aim to have your characters meet (or have their “re-meet” moment) early—ideally before you are 15% into the book. Once they collide, give them a reason they must stay in close proximity. Whether it’s a shared project, a family crisis, or a forced living situation, proximity keeps the tension simmering.

6. Leave Them Wanting More

The meet-cute raises a vital question in the reader’s mind: How on earth are these two going to end up together? Keep that question alive. Let your characters resist the attraction and fight the goal. Readers love knowing what’s right for the characters before the characters do—it’s what makes them cheer for that final “Happily Ever After.”

To learn more about Happily Ever Afters and other romance topics, pick up a copy of Secrets to Writing a Romance. 

Post Written by Linda O’Donnell

Linda O'Donnell

Linda O’Donnell is a writer, certified structural editor, certified copy editor, and a writing and editing instructor. She co-authored Secrets to Writing a Romance with Kristina Stanley, and together they are working on their latest book, Secrets to Writing a Novel. Linda’s contemporary romance novel, Behind the Scenes, is coming out soon.

The Secret to Bestselling Fantasy:The Magic of Opening Images and First Chapters

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

The first page of a fantasy novel isn’t just paper and ink—it’s a portal. But how do you ensure your readers actually want to step through it? In our latest guide, Secrets to Writing a Fantasy, we pull back the curtain on the mechanics of world-building, starting with the two most vital components of your debut: the Opening Image and the Opening Chapter.

While they sound similar, understanding the nuance between them is the difference between a reader who browses and a reader who buys.

The Opening Image: Setting the Tone

The opening image is the very first visual or conceptual seed you plant. In fantasy, this often takes the form of “pre-text”—perhaps a haunting quote from a fictional ancient tomb or a snippet of a forgotten prophecy.

Its primary duty is to support two pillars: the external plot and the supernatural plot. You may want to check out Why Your Story Needs Two Story Arcs. You have a crucial choice here: does your “ordinary world” include magic from the start, or is the supernatural something that breaks into a mundane reality? Your opening image sets that expectation immediately. Here are some options for what this scene can accomplish.

  • Establish life-or-death stakes.
  • Hint at what the protagonist loves (and what they stand to lose).
  • Set the atmospheric tone before a single line of dialogue is spoken.

The First Chapter: The Engine of Engagement

If the opening image is the atmosphere, the first chapter is the engine. This is where genre-agnostic duties kick in. Regardless of whether you have dragons or starships, your first chapter can:

  1. Introduce the Protagonist: Unless there is a high-level narrative reason to wait, the reader needs someone to root for now.
  2. Define the Ordinary World: This is the status quo. We need to see your hero in their natural habitat before the inciting incident blows it all to pieces.
  3. Mirror the Closing Image: Expertly crafted novels often begin with a visual or thematic beat that finds its “answer” or reflection in the final pages of the book.

Case Study: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

In Secrets to Writing a Fantasy, we analyze bestsellers to see these rules in action. Take Fourth Wing.

Yarros utilizes a powerful opening image: a paragraph explaining that the text was transcribed by a scribe to honor the dead. This immediately signals that the stakes are lethal. She follows this with a quote from the Dragon Rider’s Codex, weaving the supernatural (dragons) into the very fabric of the world before Chapter One even begins.

When we reach Chapter One, we meet Violet Sorrengail. Her ordinary world is a library, but the inciting incident—her mother forcing her into the Riders Quadrant—has already happened. Yarros uses clever backstory beats to show us what Violet is leaving behind, proving that you don’t need a linear timeline to create an emotional connection.

Excel at the Art of the Beginning

Are you showing the ordinary world in action, or are you weaving it through backstory? Is your tone consistent from the first sentence?

Don’t leave your opening to chance. Whether you’re writing a grimdark epic or a cozy portal fantasy, the transition from the “Opening Image” to the “Opening Chapter” is your first and best chance to cast a spell on your audience.

Ready to build a world readers never want to leave? Check out Secrets to Writing a Fantasy for the full story.

Don’t leave your structure to chance. Stop guessing and start building a structurally sound novel, scene by sensational scene. 

The Secret to Bestselling Fantasy: Why Your Story Needs Two Arcs

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 1 Comment

The Power of Two Arcs

Did you know that every commercially successful fantasy novel actually contains two complete story arcs?. Discover how to weave a high-stakes external adventure together with a gripping supernatural journey to create a narrative that satisfies every reader’s expectation.

Most fantasy writers start with a spark of magic—a unique dragon bond, a complex spell system, or a world-ending curse. But somewhere between that initial idea and the finish line, many manuscripts stall because they lack the foundation to support such a complex narrative. If you’ve ever felt like your plot is a “jumbled ball of words,” the solution isn’t adding more magic; it’s writing using deep structure.  

Before you get down to the level of copy editing or proofreading, make sure your story structure is strong. You can do this while you write your novel, or you can do this during the self-editing phase.

In Secrets to Writing a Fantasy, we reveal one of the most powerful patterns found in commercially successful novels: the dual-arc system.  

The Two Hearts of Your Story

A sensational fantasy novel is a perfect balance of two distinct but intertwined plot lines :  

  • The External Plot: This is the universal adventure narrative. It is the challenge issued to your protagonist that forces them to leave their ordinary world. Without this, you don’t have a story.  
  • The Supernatural Plot: This is the unique factor that satisfies genre expectations. It tracks the protagonist’s journey from their first inkling of magic to harnessing (or losing) it in the final battle. Without this, you don’t have a fantasy.  

Weaving The Story Arc Scenes

The key to a page-turner is how you weave these two arcs together. Every story needs five core “story arc scenes” to form its spine: the Inciting Incident, Plot Point 1, Middle Plot Point, Plot Point 2, and the Climax.  

In a fantasy novel, that means you are actually managing ten pivotal moments—five for the adventure and five for the magic. When you align these scenes, you create a story that is both balanced and believable. For example, the supernatural inciting incident often happens right after the external one, proving to the reader that your character isn’t just on an adventure—they are on a magical one.  

The Guiding Light: The Combined Skeleton Blurb

How do you keep track of all these moving parts without getting lost? It starts with a Combined Skeleton Blurb. This single sentence captures your protagonist, their dual goals, and the high-stakes consequences of failure.  

Formula: [The protagonist] must [external goal] and [supernatural goal]; otherwise, [external stakes] and [supernatural stakes].  

By defining this promise early, you ensure that every scene you write—from the first goal attempt to the final resolution—works hard to support your story’s core mission.  

Don’t leave your structure to chance. Stop guessing and start building a structurally sound novel, scene by sensational scene.  Read Secrets to Writing a Fantasy and write your best novel.