The ultimate guide to Romancing the Beat

Gwen Hayes has written 33 romance novels (and has edited a ton more). She wrote her classic book on story structure for romance novels — Romancing the Beat — in 2016, and it’s used by many bestselling authors to plot out the scaffold of their romance novels.

We're going to explore the Romancing the Beat plot structure in detail, with a step-by-step overview of the elements you need to include in your story. If you want to know how to write a slow burn romance, think of it as the romance novel template of your dreams! ❤️ Let's fall in love →

How long is a romance novel?

A romance novel is usually between 50,000 – 90,000 words (We unpack how long a book should be here). This guide has been written for a 70,000-word novel.

Before you start writing

Every scrivener, scribe and storyteller will tell you the same thing: before you start writing any story, you need to have a solid handle on your genre conventions.

The great news is that if you read a lot of romance, your story brain will already be attuned to these conventions, and many of them will come naturally to you.

Conventions of the romance genre

If you’re aiming to write a genuine romance story, you should ensure that it includes the following elements:

• Need — The internal goal of the protagonist (the thing they need to complete their character arc) is connection.
• Quest — There must be something outside of the romance that your characters will come together to fix (this is the thing that creates adhesion).
• Triangle/Blocking Belief — There might be a romantic rival involved with one of the heroes, or there might be a moral/ethical reason that one hero can't be the other (ie: they believe them to be morally corrupt).
• Helpers & Hinderers — Secondary characters for/against the relationship will either help the two get together, or will try to keep them apart.
• Secrets — The heroes might keep secrets from each other, they might be lying to themselves about something, they might be hiding something from everyone else or everyone else might be hiding something from them.
• Polar Opposites — The heroes have different approaches to just about everything, but as they become closer they will learn from each other.
• Proof — The climax of the story is a scene where we experience proof of the love the heroes share. This is usually evidenced by a grand gesture, or uncovering a secret.
• Happy Ending — A happy ending is a convention of romance — so readers expect it. Gwen Hayes calls this beat of the story "wholeheartedness". It means that your main character’s achieve their internal goal: connection.

How to write a slow burn romance using this approach

When writing a slow-burn romance novel using Gwen Hayes's method, focus on developing a detailed relationship between your characters. This means showing how they grow individually and together, facing and overcoming both their personal issues and challenges that come their way.

Instead of having them fall in love instantly, plan out their interactions carefully, showing their flaws and strengths over time. This approach encourages a more believable and gradual buildup of their relationship.

Hayes also advises on using scenes where characters experience both closeness and distance to highlight their developing feelings. This strategy ensures that when your characters finally get together, it feels realistic and rewarding, and that captures the complexity and depth of a genuine relationship.

The Romancing the Beat romance novel template

Phase 1: Set-up

This is the first 25% of the book (about 17,500 words). It covers the set-up, catalyst, and debate.

Introduce your first hero (3,500 words)

Spend about 5% of the story introducing your first hero (your main protagonist).

• Show your reader a glimpse of your hero in their everyday life.
• Show us what's holding them back from love.
• Introduce your hero's external goal – attaining an object, getting a promotion, or reaching a destination.
• Hint at what your character needs (their internal goal) – finding love, or learning that a weakness can be a strength.

Introduce your second hero (3,500 words)

Spend about 5% of the story introducing your second hero (the love interest).

• Show your reader a glimpse of your hero in their everyday life.
• Show us what's holding them back from love.
• Introduce your hero's external goal – attaining an object, getting a promotion, or reaching a destination.
• Hint at what your character needs (their internal goal) – finding love, or learning that a weakness can be a strength.

The meet-cute (5,600 words)

Spend about 8% of the story introducing your heroes to each other. They could meet by chance, as a result of a life event, or because of some external force. They might be attracted to each other immediately, or instantly dislike each other.

• An inciting incident must lead to the meet-cute.
• The meet-cute should be memorable.
• Hint that they might just be perfect for each other (and why now is not the right time).
• Hint at a conflict between the protagonist.

"No way," says your hero (1,400 words)

Spend about 2% on the important moment when your first hero denies that they will ever fall in love (and especially not with your second hero). They may voice this out loud, or as part of their internal dialogue.

• Be clear about the reason the hero thinks they won't fall in love.
• Make the argument compelling.

Adhesion, or coming together (3,500 words)

Spend about 5% of your story on the event or situation that pulls your heroes towards each other and sets them on a path to solve a problem or achieve a goal together. The goal may be related to the heroes' external goals.

• The event needs to be significant, and undeniable. It cannot be resolved on its own.
• The heroes can't walk away from each other, they have to see this through.

Phase 2: Falling in love

This is the second 25% of the book (about 17,500 words). This section of the story covers the promise of the premise: our two heroes will fall in love.

"No way," repeats your hero (3,500 words)

The spark between your heroes grows, but your protagonist shies away from love once again.

• Restate the argument against love.
• Show that the protagonist is too dedicated to their external goal.
• Establish how the external goals of the protagonist are in conflict with their internal goal.

An inkling of desire (7,000 words)

Your heroes begin to admit their feelings for one another, and your protagonist's \"no way\" begins to be challenged.

• Include little moments that show your heroes' growing connection as they continue to work towards their shared objective.

Deeping of desire (3,500 words)

The heroes begin to show each other glimpses of who they really are, as their desire continues to deepen.

• Consider which external and internal actions will best demonstrate your heroes' true selves.
• Continue to show moments that erode the "no way" previously expressed by your protagonist.

Maybe this could work? (3,500 words)

Both heroes begin to question their previous opinions of each other. The "no way" argument is in doubt.

• The heroes are still working towards their external goals, but the growing idea of a relationship begins to cause tension.
• Show them falling in love.
• Provide a glimpse of the opposition between the protagonist's internal and external conflict.

Phase 3: Retreating from love

This makes up the second to last 25% of the book (about 17,500 words).

Midpoint of love (3,500 words)

This is the false high. Your heroes begin to feel like they can attain both their internal and external goals at the same time.

• Restate the internal and external goals.
• Show the protagonists everything they want.
• Put their goals just within reach.
• Give the impression that all will end well, goals achieved.

An inkling of doubt (3,500 words)

Past doubts come back, and your heroes slide back into their old ways (they aren't quite ready for a relationship).

• Craft a situation that creates doubt that is specific to your hero's earlier misgivings (i.e. something that seems to prove that the early doubt was justified).
• Your protagonist begins to pull back from the relationship but is still committed.

Deepening of doubt (5,600 words)

The relationship grows, but the seed of doubt is germinating.

• Show the growing relationship.
• Expand on the events that planted the seed of doubt.

Retreat (1,400 words)

Your heroes speak their fear (either in internal or external dialogue).

• What do they fear and how are they going to protect their hearts?
• There is an event that causes trust to be broken.

Shields up (3,500 words)

The worst has happened. All your protagonist's fears seem to have become true. The relationship is breaking down.

• The "no way" fear/belief has come true.
• When shields go up, your protagonist has a "I should have known better/I don't deserve love" moment.

The break-up (3,500 words)

All is lost. The relationship is over. There seems to be no going back.

• The reader cannot tell if the heroes will find their way back to each other.
• The opportunity to transform was there, but your protagonist chose not to open their heart completely. They could not be vulnerable.
• Make the event dramatic enough to get buy-in from the reader.

Phase 4: Fighting for love

This is the final 25% of the book (about 17,500 words).

Dark night (3,500 words)

The protagonist begins to realise that they may have made a mistake. They should feel better, but they feel much worse.

• They begin to relive happy memories.
• Hint at a way back for the heroes, however challenging it may be.

Wake-up (3,500 words)

The protagonist chooses love over their fear. They realise they've been an idiot, and they need to fix this.

• Show the event that triggers the the protagonist to choose love over fear.
• Make it clear what challenge they must over come, or what sacrifice they will have to make to save the relationship.
• Build tension and excitement as the protagonist decides to fight for love.

Grand gesture (3,500 words)

The protagonist must be willing to put it all on the line now, or risk loosing love. They must make a great sacrifice, but will it be enough?

• The grand gesture must be big enough to make up for the errors of the past.
• They may have to do a little more to earn forgiveness (don't let them off the hook too easily with a quick acceptance of the gesture).
• Show the reconciliation.

What whole-hearted looks like (2,100 words)

Show your reader what it looks like now that the protagonists have reconciled.

• Show how the heroes have each changed.
• Resolve the internal and external conflicts.
• Show how happy they are now, and make sure it's a sweet enough payoff for your readers.

Epilogue (1,400 words)

They have returned back to the ordinary world, both changed for good, and fitting into the world a little differently.

• Have a moment of celebration.
• How do other characters react to the relationship and transformation?