Dark Romance is a riveting and tantalizing sub-genre of romance that explores the deeper, and more sinister aspects of love and relationships between characters.

However, writing a book in this genre can be a challenging task, especially if you’re not familiar with the tone and techniques that set it apart from other romance novels.

Here are five easy tips to help you write a captivating Dark Romance novel:

Consider building a dark and brooding atmosphere/setting

The atmosphere in a Dark Romance novel should be dark, brooding, and intense. Use sensory, descriptive language and vivid imagery to construct a picture of a world that evokes the senses and will help to further lure your readers into this world you have created. This will set the tone for the entire book and keep your readers on edge as well as interested!

Develop complex characters and define their motivations

The best dark romance stories have compelling, well-developed characters. Your protagonist and antagonist should both have their own unique desires, flaws, wants and needs, which drive their actions and decisions. Understanding these motivations is crucial in creating a well-rounded, emotionally driven story and these could very well be achieved through exploring dual point of views as well.

Emphasize on the emotional journey and struggle of your characters

Dark romance is often characterized by the emotional and psychological struggles of the characters. From the moment they meet to the moment they fall in love (or fall apart), their emotions should be the driving force behind the story. Your readers should be able to connect with the characters on an emotional level, so make sure you show, don’t just tell, their emotional journey. Highlight these by delving into characters’ inner thoughts.

Explore unconventional topics

Dark Romance novels often delve into subjects such as violence, sexual obsession, power play or dynamics(could be between characters, where one is extremely dominant and the other is submissive) and psychological manipulation. Don’t be afraid to push boundaries. Explore these topics in a way that’s both authentic and non-gratuitous. 

Incorporate elements of mystery

Self explanatory. Readers find mysterious books engaging and suspense-filled. It keeps them on edge and this makes for great page-turners.

By following these tips, you’ll be on your way to writing a captivating and unique Dark Romance novel that will leave your readers breathless. Just remember to focus on the characters and their emotional journeys, while also exploring the dark and brooding atmosphere that sets this genre apart. Good luck and happy writing!

AlphaNovel has updated writer’s account and bonuses page. From now, every writer could collect the bonus and track the progress in real-time ❤️

All writers get an access to a new interface of the income section, where you now will be able to track the progress of book earnings and bonuses in real time 🎊

In your personal account, bonuses are available to you separately for each book that you uploaded to the platform.

To receive a bonus, follow the progress – as soon as the bonus becomes available, click «claim» and withdraw the bonus.

More exciting updates are coming soon. Stay tuned 💌

If you really want to hook up the reader, learning the art of cliffhangers is a must. Leave everyone impressed and craving for more by turning the full stop into the three dots (metaphorically speaking). Read our free tips on how to end your chapter on a super thrilling note…

Make It Relevant

Imagine this: the 9/10 of a chapter is a sweet and fluffy romance, but you want to end it with a real bang… literally. Will the readers like a sudden car crash or an alien invasion as the ending? Hmm, probably not. Your cliffhanger must not be too unexpected, unless you’re writing a proper thriller. What’s more, it must make sense from the plot development viewpoint. 

Instead of throwing in something sudden and wild, try to build on what’s already there. Has your female character been offered hand and heart? Why not include an ill-timed call or text from her boyfriend’s real passion? Now, that would be a logical cliffhanger if you want to shock the audience.

Make It Sensory

Adding a good cliffhanger is enough… oh, wait, it isn’t. To really make it work, yours must contain the sensory experience of the character whose point of view you’re using. Cutting down the chapter in the middle of a scene may feel unnatural and forced. Make it all about the character and their ‘feels’ instead. 

Let’s take the same example: the character’s BF receives a text or call in the worst possible moment. Instead of simply stating facts, add in the girl’s reaction to this shocker. Did her heart drop? Did she realize he’d been a cheat? Describe her feelings when she gets ‘the news’, and voila, the readers are left impressed.

Make It Brief

Too much detail throws a cliffhanger off the cliff, so try to keep it brief and to the point. Check your ending for the things that would fit better somewhere else within the chapter. If you don’t, the banger might easily turn into a downer. 

Lengthy descriptions or a train of thought are not what make a quality cliffhanger. Be a Hemingway for once and cut down the excessive wording. A few brief sentences or phrases with a good deal of ‘feels’ are the right way to go. All else can be used before the actual cliffhanger – or in the next part of the story.

One Is Enough

…As soon as the girl learns her boyfriend is unfaithful, her long-estranged father knocks at the door. That’s two cliffhangers for one chapter – and a situation a good writer must avoid. Just like too much salt, it spoils the impression, and the readers will feel overloaded. 

First tip: leave only one cliffhanger at the chapter’s end. Second tip: tie the cliffhanger to a relevant plotline. If the girl’s father has not been even mentioned, that would be too much of a surprise – and come across as forced.

Try a Flashback

Flashbacks can shape a cliffhanger without too many gimmicks on your part. In fact, they are a perfect way to add new information that will affect the story. Writing a solid flashback may be tricky, but trust us, it will pay off splendidly. 

How would you pen one for the girl’s sad story? A simple flashback would be her recalling how the boyfriend didn’t answer calls; or skipped a date; or did something equally despicable. It’s up to you and your creative vision to make the past work for the present. A nice idea would be tying the cliffhanger to something already mentioned in the text, like the said missed calls. 

So there you have it: how to write a hit cliffhanger and make your fans count the days until the follow-up. Just don’t forget to add the chapter soon-ish, and they’ll be happy as a quokka. 

Being a beginner doesn’t mean you can’t write well. In many cases, all you need is simply polishing your skills. Trust us with some tips on how to bust the newbie roadblocks – and pen your first hit novel.  

1. Read, Read, Read

This may seem a bit weird – shouldn’t you focus on the writing? In fact, the more you read by others, the more well versed you become in writing styles and methods. What’s more, you won’t be missing any fresh trends in the genre. Want to go viral? Follow what the rest of the pack are doing.  

Creating is imitating, as they say, so it’s a good idea to practice writing like your favorite pros. In fact, even the most recognized authors tried this trick to level up. Your unique style always matters, but until it’s all polished and shiny, try writing like the greats. It’s fun – and it pays off.

2. Work Out a Routine

Inspiration is silver, writing routine is gold. Making money as a writer means penning thousands of words – and meeting deadlines. Your readers won’t wait months or years for an update (unless it’s Game of Thrones, but that’s another story). 

Dropping new chapters on a schedule can be quite a challenge, though. To bust this block, work out a writing routine of your own. Set up the weekdays and the hours when you’ll write – and stick to them like glue. Also make sure that nothing distracts you during this time. Writing bits and pieces in between clients or calls is less than perfect. 

3. Use Exercises and Prompts

There are thousands of these online, no worries. Join a writing community, sign up for a contest or a fest, or simply use the lists from writers’ blogs. Every event or challenge is a step closer to your dream, so make it a speedrun, and not a marathon. 

Practicing writing is much like working out. You start small and level up with each new visit to the gym. That’s why pick the challenges that fit your skills and don’t take up too much of your free time. Better not to take on something than feel guilty afterwards.

4. Write for Yourself

Some would call it the #1 writing rule, some wouldn’t. Either way, writing for the hype and cringing from your own work may easily discourage the newbies. Following the readers’ tastes or a viral trend is nothing bad, but you’re not on a big corp marketing team – and you don’t have to be. 

Instead of “fitting in”, try writing from your heart. Great chances are that what appeals to you will also click with the audience. Follow your instincts and your own sense of taste, and they will guide you to the top.

5. Be Ready for the Feedback

Let’s be honest: the “no crits” approach will get you nowhere. The Internet is a tricky place, and not every comment will mean well – or be worth reading. But without that, you may never reach your full potential as a writer. 

How do you face the critics? Simple: pick the comments that actually tell you what and how you can improve. If someone doesn’t like your style, this may be it: they just don’t like it. But if the person gives you sound advice – maybe you’re being wordy or unclear – use that as a key to the writer’s growth room. 

So that’s it! Follow these five tips – and don’t forget you’ll always have a fair chance with AlphaNovel.

The New Year is almost here, but before you take out the champagne and glasses, pick a book or two for your holiday reading binge. We know it’s pretty hard with all the top-tier authors at AlphaNovel, so catch our free advice as to what you can enjoy before the clock strikes twelve…

The Alpha’s Mate Who Cried Wolf

Things aren’t looking too bright for Astrid at the beginning of the book. Living with her cruel stepfather and working in a diner, she doesn’t even know about her true werewolf nature. It isn’t until one day when a powerful and handsome Alpha Ryker visits the diner that she suddenly starts feeling the mate bond. Yes, there are still problems, as she’s a rogue – and has a fear of wolves because of a dramatic childhood accident. But her real life story is just about to begin… 

Why pick this novel for the holidays? If you enjoy the classic Cinderella plot, you’ll be in for a real treat, where the exciting action blends with the gripping romance. Follow the ups and downs of a maverick Luna on her way to becoming the strong and beloved leader of the pack. And by the way, this book is seriously trending on our platform as of now… 

The Alpha’s Triangle

Young warrior Zira has pretty much everything… except the most important thing: her mate. She’s waited long enough and plans to leave the pack in search of a new life after a party. This, however, doesn’t sit too well with the young Alpha, Isaiah, who feels attracted to the girl – but not enough for a mate bond. A one night stand between the two kickstarts a story full of love, drama, and twists you’ll be thrilled to follow. 

What makes this book a nice New Year’s Eve read? It’s a bold and modern-day romance that doesn’t shy away from saying “love is love” no matter the skin color or gender identity. As Zira is on the lookout for true love and family, her best friend, Isabella, gets a female mate – and couldn’t be happier about it. Stereotypes are broken, bonds are made, and you’ll spend many exciting hours with this werewolf blockbuster. 

Chasing My Rejected Wife

Fans of CEO romance, here’s your “holiday special”. The story follows a rejected wife of a wealthy businessman, left with nothing after a turbulent divorce. A few years pass, and she returns to the city as an assistant to a rich playboy boss. Naturally, she’s bound to run into her ex, now dating her stepsister, and sparks will fly between them even though they are so much at odds… 

So, why this one? The story moves at a nice pace, and there is always an exciting twist or two to keep you turning pages. Add in the tangled web of corporate and private interests, and the book will grip you right until the final countdown.

Whatever your pick is, AlphaNovel wishes you very happy holidays and a fantastic new year ahead!  

AlphaNovel entered the TOP-20 applications in the book category in the USA among TOP Grossing and even surpassed Amazon Kindle in November.

AlphaNovel is a marketplace for romance novels and comics where both experienced and young authors can publish their books. AlphaNovel is building an ecosystem of modern publishing, where the popularity of a book is not determined by the publisher, but by the readers.

“Fifty years ago, publishing houses determined what we would read tomorrow. We allow any author – and there are millions of them around the world – to publish their book and get feedback from readers. So readers can decide for themselves which book will become a bestseller, and the author will know for sure whether his story is loved”, AlphaNovel team said. 

Every day we work on building the best ecosystem for authors to create and readers to enjoy the content. We want for every writer to have a chance to publish a story that will become a bestseller.

Is it going to be long – or short? That’s the question many writers ask when sitting down to pen the first chapter of their novel. Let’s cut to the chase: both formats have their pros and cons for authors, readers, and earnings, so the ultimate choice is always up to you. But let’s compare the two book formats and find out what works – or doesn’t work – when you pick one. 

Short Books Are Easier to Finish

The hard truth is that most readers don’t finish the books they’ve paid for. Not too flattening for writers, but that’s how things really are. And this is where the short books get to shine: they are much easier to finish among all the distractions like the funny cat videos or an Instagram update. 

Long books need more dedicated readers to savor them in full. But on the other hand, if a reader sticks with your story, you’re in for more likes and chapter comments. As they say, true friends – or readers – are like diamonds, and diamonds are forever. 

Long Books Bring More Immersion

When you have plenty of free space for character and plot development, the book should come out deeper and more immersive than a few chapters’ story. Of course, a lot depends on your writing skills, but unless you are Mr. Hemingway, you can hardly write a masterpiece with Twitter’s post length. So why not let the story unfold naturally – and surprise the reader with many exciting twists and turns? 

As for the short books, they simply don’t have the momentum to achieve all that. It’s not a drawback if you’re not going for it specifically, but keep this in mind when starting one. 

Short Books Are More to the Point

The dark side of having unlimited chapters is that you’re tempted to go on (and on, and on). Sometimes it’s good… but other times, it’s bad, as the reader will feel the story isn’t going anywhere – or worse, running in circles. Throw in the lengthy character reflections or multiple POVs, and the book becomes too padded for the fans to really enjoy it. 

Now to the short books, which have to be finished in fewer pages. Here the author has to wrap things up – and do it on the level to leave everyone impressed. A tough challenge, but also a great chance to show off your writing and storytelling skills. 

Long Books Earn You More

It’s as simple as arithmetics: when readers pay per chapter, each new one brings you some coins. Short books get finished faster, and you’ll have to write another one to start earning again. Long books are more convenient, as you can go with the natural story progression – and fill your wallet in the process. That doesn’t spell “drag out the plot”, or the readers will lose interest in paying for the upcoming chapters. But the truth is that there is more gold for you in the long books.
Besides, when you publish on our platform, you get much better chances of promotion with a longer novel. That’s how our system works – and that’s what appeals to our vast audience. In simple words, publishing a longer book with us is a win-win situation for yourself and the crowds of future fans.

The final fire sign of the zodiac, Sagittarius traits are unlike any other sign of the zodiac; they’re totally unique to this brazen spirit. What makes Sagittarius so unique is its dynamic blend of passion, curiosity, intensity, and adaptability. Represented by the archer (a half-man, half-horse centaur), Sagittarius isn’t afraid to use its bow and arrow to explore expansive terrain, seeking answers in places and spaces others wouldn’t dare venture.

THE CEO’S ONLY SLAVE

Ballerina was a brilliant student. she had only one friend who too died due to cancer. Later her parents died too. She was broken and had only one family member and that was her aunt. Bellarina went to her Aunts place to live. But after the sometimes she gets to know that her aunt has sold her to a very rich Billionaire for the sake of money. James cooper, the rich billionaire of the town. The only eligible bachelor of the town. James property was on stake as his grandfather died giving him a condition that if he wants his property then he has to marry a girl or any girl before he turns 25 or all his property will be donated to charity. James gets to know about this when he had only two days ,before turning 25 so in order to save his property he approached Ballerina’s aunt and Ballerina and James had to marry in such conditions. James don’t like Ballerina and wanted to give her divorce but Ballerina starts to like James.

My Hot Forbidden Neighbor

That one mistake and Natalie’s life became hell. Now she wants to spend her last year in school quietly with her head down. The past year bought so much drama and pain in her life, she wants to stay invisible and forget everything. Things get stirred up when his hot new neighbor joins her at school. Jacob doesn’t like to explain his lack of interest in girls (or boys) to others. Girls hitting on him now and then doesn’t help his case either. He knows he is different, but not sure exactly how. Life is about figuring yourself out and it’s called a Spectrum for a reason, after all. When his friends were crushing over girls at barely 12-13 years old, He thought his time would come probably a year or later. Just when he lost all his hopes, he finally meets his first crush ever at the sweet age of 17.

Beautiful Disaster

A story of love, betrayal and heartbreak as a young lady returns to the small town she once dreamed of leaving behind, and never to return, ready for a new life. Destiny on the other hand might have made up other plans for her as she runs into the first boy she thought she’d spend forever with as soon as she gets back into town. The first boy to break her heart. Colton has no intention of letting anyone else in. He’s been through enough gut wrenching pain and he’s unwilling to open himself up to more hurt. After all, you can’t an’t get hurt if you don’t let anyone in, right?