It’s all about connection: writing romance with Anna O’Steele
Anna O’Steele, writing as Anna Mansell, has published several novels, How to Mend a Broken Heart, The Lost Wife, I Wanted to Tell You, Her Best Friend’s Secret, The Man I Loved Before, and What We Leave Behind. Her most recent release, writing as Lottie Brook, is Cheap Dates (HarperCollins). We’re delighted she’s running a writing romance workshop in November, so we asked her to tell us more about her writing life.
Tell us about yourself as a writer.
I write from the heart. I think if we really look deeply into our work and truly write from the heart, we have to allow a certain vulnerability and really interrogate our thoughts, feelings and opinions on the ideas that inform our writing. I also like to be playful because humour, to me, is as vital during the lows in life as it is in the highs. Some of my darkest times have included some of the funniest moments, and allowing ourselves to lean into that is the difference, sometimes, between sinking and swimming. Humour also allows an ‘in’ for people, a way to connect, which is really important for writers to seek out: connection with one’s self and with readers. That’s the difference between a story that you can pass the time with and a story that resonates … irrespective of genre.
When did you start writing romance and why?
I think I’ve always written romance in some form or other since I began writing in 2012, but this might show up in different ways. It may be romance with a partner, but it might equally be romance or love between friends, even with ourselves. I think ‘romance and love’ has a much broader range than people might first assume.
What is the most romantic thing that's happened to you, and did that incident find its way into any of your novels?
Believe it or not, I am currently living in my own slightly mad romcom, having reconnected with someone I met in Ibiza in 1992 and hadn’t spoken to for 32 years. It’s all a bit mad, and when I tell the story, people say it should be in a book. I actually wrote a version of it a few years ago, but it was never published - perhaps because I knew on some level that I hadn’t finished the story …?!
What is the biggest modern romance novel 'must have', in your opinion?
To be honest, One Day remains my favourite romance. I think the novel does so much, so beautifully. When a book can make you feel like your life depends on its characters’ happiness, you know it’s got all the right ingredients.
As a writer of romance, what misconceptions of the genre have you encountered?
People often think the genre is ‘shallow’ and incapable of tackling deep or important themes … and that it’s easy to write!!! All MAJOR misconceptions.
What's your number-one tip for writing romance?
It’s a cliche (but they’re so often true): feel the fear and write it anyway. Romance may be considered escapism, light reading, and easy going as a genre, but actually, love is a fundamental human need, and the more we can feel like it matters, the more our stories come alive. Ask yourself, when writing romance, ‘Am I being as vulnerable as I can be?’ and ‘How can I be so whilst keeping myself safe?’ These are things I consider when I’m writing.
What will your session offer writers? Is it only for people writing in the romance genre?
This is a session that can apply to anyone because although we’re looking at romance, what we’re really looking at is connection, character development, and the importance of creating a charming world that we can escape into with authenticity. These are tools that can be adapted across genres because, actually, more now than ever, these are qualities readers seek out!
About Anna’s Workshop
From "Meet Cutes" to "Will they, Won’t they?", writing romance is all about creating a world in which your reader can fall in love at the same time as your protagonists.
In this workshop, we’ll explore your characters, their world, and the tension that's keeping your characters apart. All wrapped up in a collection of exercises, group chat (no pressure to share unless you want to!), and tea.
By the end of it, you should leave with a clear path to falling in love with writing your own romance novel.