The art of writing a modern romance novel
Posted on
A queer romance novel written by a Canberra author, set at the Australian Open? Gimme gimme.
Love and tennis. These are the two central themes of Love and Other Scores, Canberra author Abra Pressler’s first novel with Pan Macmillan, released this summer. But scratch the surface and a myriad of complexities thicken the plot.
Queer identity, celebrity, family ties, addiction and the balance between greatness and happiness, small dreams and big dreams allow the reader to fall in love with not only the central characters of Gabriel and Noah, but fall into world they inhabit.
Inspired by her own experiences at the Open as a barista, her love of the ‘fun’ of romance as a genre and drawing on her love of tennis, Abra’s evocative writing instantly transports you to the heady days of a Melbourne summer – and we couldn’t get enough of it.
We sat down with Abra to delve into the process of writing romance and why readers worldwide just can’t seem to get enough.
Tell us about the process of writing Love and Other Scores – where did you draw inspiration from?
Around 2014, I worked at the Australian Open as a barista, making coffees and milkshakes across a sweltering two weeks. I’d always loved tennis so being able to experience it up close and personal was fantastic. The story pretty much grew from that moment; a tennis player in town to compete at the Australian Open meets a ‘normie’ who changes his life completely.
I began drafting the novel in earnest around 2020-21. I based a lot of Noah’s life on my own experiences working in Melbourne (of course, he works in an awful bar, and I had a rather nice café experience!) but Gabriel was much more researched – I was conscious of representing his experience accurately. Gabriel is a gay man who hasn’t ‘come out’—at the time of writing this interview there were no openly gay male tennis players – so I knew I wanted to explore what that meant for his career, relationships, and identity.
Why romance? What drew you to this exploring this genre?
I was a voracious fanfiction reader for most of my teens. I discovered a love and knack for writing through fanfiction, but when I was serious about becoming and author and getting a degree, I tried my hand at a lot of different genres: crime, literary, spy thriller. None of them fit or felt as ‘fun’ as romance.
When I wrote More, my first self-published novel, I was amazed at how I could tackle really deep, hard and important themes through the vehicle of romance because the reader knew there would be a happy ending.
But I also loved the idea that you could just meet someone, and your life completely changes—or that you don’t know someone as well as you think you know them. There’s just so much to explore in romance, I haven’t looked back!
Romance has enjoyed a stratospheric rise in popularity in recent years, why do you think this is?
I think there was, and continues to be, a lot of uncertainty in the world. Romance has always had a healthy readership, but it did take off during 2020 due to the pandemic. I think people really resonated with the idea that ‘everything would be okay in the end’.
Characters can go through the lowest points of their lives in romance novels, but you know by page 350, they’ll be in a better place. There’s a lot of comfort and hope there, which is not something you see in many other genres. I love crime novels, but an awful lot of people die.
What are three things to keep in mind when writing a romance novel, for those wanting to try their hand?
Like any other genre, romance readers have expectations when they pick up a book. You would get upset if you read a Sherlock novel where he didn’t tie it all together at the end and solve the case. Romance readers are the same.
If you’re interested in writing romance; there is one golden, break-at-your-own-cost rule: give your characters a happy ever after. Or prepare to experience the stinging burns of bad reviews and readers shunning any future books.
Secondly, get to know tropes! They’re everything in romance right now; celebrity romance, enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, slow burn, small town romance etc. They’re both fun and great ways to market your book to readers who are looking for your exact trope.
The other aspect is to consider how the characters complement and challenge each other. Just like in real life, your character’s partner should bring something to the relationship; there should be clear signs that they bring value to each other’s lives.
Diverse narratives and love stories are becoming more ‘mainstream’ in fiction and on our screens – what do you think this says about readers/viewers?
I think viewers have been looking for better diversity for a long time, and when they find a show that does diversity well, they will really back it – views, online fandom and cash – and this feedback is getting back to people who make shows, publish books, etc.
Particularly popular right now are ‘feel good’ diverse stories. Queer viewers have been burnt by ‘queerbaiting’ and ‘bury your gays’; phrases used to describe common issues that appeared in TV, films, books and comics.
A show that did representation really well recently was Our Flag Means Death on HBO/Binge about a group of pirates loosely based on Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet’s partnership. Heartstopper is another wildly popular success that handles a lot of really important subjects but doesn’t lose its light tone.
I also – without knowing for certain – think streaming services and production outlets like Netflix, Amazon and Stan have a lot to do with being able to fund the development/ stream more voices. While they do kill a series dead as soon as it doesn’t perform well, I’d hope their production increase has allowed more gems like Heartstopper, Boy Swallows Universe, and Our Flag Means Death to find an audience.
What’s next for you and what’s on your TBR pile?
I have two books on my TBR pile – Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey and The Italian Marriage by Jenna Lo Bianco. I am so excited for both. I love the releases Tessa puts out with Avon/Harper Collins and Jenna’s promise of an Italian summer with a marriage of convenience is too good to resist.
For me, I am focusing on finishing a YA manuscript about two teens playing footy in the bush (I can’t say anymore right now), but one day I hope to return to the world of tennis!
