12-Week Romance Novel Writing Plan - Arabella Sheen

 

12-Week Romance Novel Writing Plan

Have you ever considered writing a novel using a 12-week step-by-step plan that you can follow to go from idea to a finished first draft of your romance novel? I’ve broken this process down into weekly goals so your writing plan can feel structured but still manageable.

Phase 1: Foundation & Planning (Weeks 1–2)

Week 1 – Story Seeds & Characters

• Define your central romance (Who falls in love? What’s keeping them apart?).
• Flesh out your protagonists: goals, fears, flaws, chemistry.
• Write short bios + “why they need each other.”
• Optional: Create a mood board or playlist.

Week 2 – Plotting the Romance Beats

• Map your story arc (meet-cute → attraction → obstacles → climax → resolution).
• Decide on POV (single or dual perspective).
• Write a chapter-by-chapter rough outline.
• Set your draft word goal (e.g., 70k words → ~e.g., 10k plus per week).

 

Phase 2: Drafting Momentum (Weeks 3–8)

Week 3 – Beginning (Act I)

• Write the opening setup + meet-cute.
• Introduce both protagonists’ lives and internal conflicts.
• Target: 7k - 10k plus words.

Week 4 – Building Attraction

• Write scenes showing chemistry, banter, tension.
• Drop hints of their deeper wounds or fears.
• Target: 7k - 10k plus words.

Week 5 – Rising Tension

• Write the middle section: attraction grows, but obstacles loom (examples: miscommunication, outside pressure).
• Add subplots (friends, work, family) to deepen the story.
• Target: 7k - 10k plus words.

Week 6 – Midpoint / First Major Conflict

• Write the “point of no return”: something significant brings them closer but also raises the stakes.
• Target: 7k - 10k plus words.

Week 7 – Falling Apart

• Write the darkest moment: a betrayal, misunderstanding, or external event that separates them.
• Target: 7k - 10k plus words.

Week 8 – Climax & Resolution

• Write the emotional reconciliation + grand gesture (big payoff of the romance).
• Finish with a satisfying ending (HEA or HFN).
• Target: 7k - 10k plus words.

 

Phase 3: Revision & Polishing (Weeks 9–12)

Week 9 – Big Picture Edits

• Reread your draft once without editing.
• Identify pacing issues, missing beats, or flat character arcs.
• Jot down “big fixes.”

Week 10 – Structural Revisions

• Fix plot holes, strengthen character motivations.
• Tighten weak scenes or cut unnecessary ones.

Week 11 – Line Editing Pass

• Focus on dialogue, description, and emotional punch.
• Make sure romantic tension shines through.
• Highlight sensory details (looks, touches, atmosphere).

Week 12 – Final Polish & Celebration

• Do a last grammar + spelling pass.
• Share with a trusted reader or critique partner.
• Celebrate finishing your novel draft!

 

If your schedule is tight, you can shrink the revision phase into 2 weeks, but I recommend giving yourself the full 12 weeks for a solid draft.

Wishing you all the best on your writing journey…

Arabella Xxx

About Arabella Sheen

Arabella Sheen is a British author of contemporary romance and likes nothing more than the challenge of starting a new novel with fresh ideas and inspiring characters.

One of the many things Arabella loves to do is to read. And when she’s not researching or writing about romance, she is either on her allotment sowing and planting with the seasons or she is curled on the sofa with a book, while pandering to the demands of her attention-seeking cat.

Having lived and worked in the Netherlands as a theatre nurse for nearly twenty years, she now lives in the south-west of England with her family.

Arabella hopes her readers have as much pleasure from her romance stories as she has in writing them.

Social Media

Website: http://www.arabellasheen.co.uk/

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