Writing fantasy romance is like weaving two spells at once—you need a magical world that feels real and a romance that makes hearts race. After writing my debut fantasy romance A Fog of Shadows, I learned that the best romantasy novels don’t just combine these elements; they let them enhance each other until readers can’t tell where the magic ends and the love story begins.
Whether you’re writing your first fantasy romance or your tenth, these seven tips will help you craft a story readers won’t be able to put down.
1. Let Your World-Building Serve the Romance
The biggest mistake new fantasy romance writers make? Building an elaborate magical world that overshadows the love story. Your fantasy setting should create opportunities for your characters to connect, not obstacles that keep them apart for 300 pages.
How to do it:
Think about how your magic system affects relationships. In my Sirens in the Shadows series, the mate bond isn’t just a romantic trope—it’s woven into the magic system itself. The fantasy element is the romance element.
Ask yourself: How does my magical world create unique romantic tension? Maybe your characters are from warring magical factions. Maybe the magic itself forbids their connection. Maybe discovering magic together becomes their shared journey.
Your world-building should raise the stakes for your romance, not distract from it.
2. Start With Character Chemistry, Not Just Plot
Fantasy romance readers come for the magic but stay for the relationships. Before you plot out your quest or political intrigue, make sure your main characters have genuine chemistry.
The chemistry checklist:
- Do they challenge each other in meaningful ways?
- Do they have conflicting goals that create natural tension?
- Can you feel the pull between them even before they touch?
- Do they make each other better (or interestingly worse)?
When I developed Kateri and Magnus for A Fog of Shadows, I knew their chemistry had to work even without the fated mates element. The mate bond enhances their connection—it doesn’t create it from nothing.
Write a scene with your characters just talking. If that scene bores you, your readers will feel it too.
3. Choose Your Heat Level Early (And Commit)
One of the most important decisions in writing fantasy romance is determining your heat level. Are you writing closed door (fade to black), moderate steam, or explicit scenes?
Why this matters for fantasy romance:
Your heat level affects everything from your target audience to your marketing keywords. Closed door fantasy romance has a dedicated readership looking for emotional intimacy and romantic tension without explicit content. Spicy romantasy attracts readers who want both the magic and the heat.
I chose to write closed door fantasy romance because I wanted to focus on emotional connection and slow-burn tension. That decision shaped how I wrote intimate scenes, how I built romantic anticipation, and even which readers I’d reach.
Decide early, then write confidently within that choice. Readers appreciate consistency.
4. Make the Romance Central to the Plot
In true fantasy romance (not romantic fantasy), the relationship drives the story forward. The external plot matters, but the emotional journey is the heart.
Test your story:
If you removed the romance, would your plot still work? If yes, you might be writing romantic fantasy instead of fantasy romance. Both are valid, but they’re different genres with different reader expectations.
In fantasy romance, solving the external conflict should require resolving the romantic conflict. The couple needs to be together—emotionally and practically—to save the day.
When Kateri faces her final challenge in A Fog of Shadows, she can’t succeed alone. The romance isn’t a subplot; it’s the key to everything.
5. Balance Magic System Complexity With Emotional Clarity
Fantasy readers love detailed magic systems. Romance readers love emotional depth. Finding the balance is your challenge as a fantasy romance author.
The rule of thumb:
Your magic system should be complex enough to feel unique but simple enough to explain in a paragraph. Your romance should be emotionally complex but easy to root for.
Don’t info-dump magical rules when your characters should be processing their feelings. Don’t skimp on world-building details when they create romantic opportunities.
Pro tip: Use intimate moments to reveal world-building. When characters are alone together, they can discuss magic, politics, or history in ways that feel natural—not like exposition.
6. Lean Into Tropes (They Exist for a Reason)
Fantasy romance has beloved tropes for a reason: they work. Fated mates, enemies to lovers, forbidden love, forced proximity—these aren’t clichés to avoid. They’re tools to use well.
Popular fantasy romance tropes:
- Fated mates: The magic chooses who belongs together
- Enemies to lovers: Opposing sides find common ground
- Forbidden love: Society/magic/circumstance says they can’t be together
- Forced proximity: Stuck together during quests, trials, or magical bonds
- Found family: Building chosen connections in magical communities
I use fated mates, enemies to lovers, AND forbidden love in my series. Readers love these tropes because they create built-in conflict and satisfying resolutions.
The key is making the trope your own. Add unique magical elements, unexpected character reactions, or fresh world-building that gives familiar tropes new life.
7. End With Emotional Satisfaction (Even in a Series)
Fantasy romance readers expect a satisfying ending for the main couple, even if the broader series continues. This is called an HEA (happily ever after) or HFN (happy for now).
What this means:
By the end of your book, the romantic relationship needs resolution. They don’t have to be married or living together forever, but readers need to feel confident in their connection.
The external fantasy plot can have cliffhangers. The political intrigue can remain unresolved. The next villain can be revealed on the last page.
But the romance? That needs a win.
In A Fog of Shadows, the larger conflict with the Rens and Sirens continues into future books. But Kateri and Magnus’s relationship arc completes. Readers finish the book satisfied with their journey, eager to see what happens next—not frustrated that they didn’t get closure.
Bringing It All Together
Learning how to write fantasy romance means mastering two crafts simultaneously. You’re building worlds and building relationships. You’re crafting magic systems and crafting emotional arcs.
The best fantasy romance novels make it look effortless—the magic and the romance are so intertwined that separating them would unravel the entire story.
Start with characters who have undeniable chemistry. Build a world that creates unique romantic opportunities. Choose your tropes intentionally and your heat level confidently. Make the romance central to your plot, balance complexity with clarity, and always deliver emotional satisfaction.
Most importantly? Write the fantasy romance you’d want to read. The passion you bring to your story will shine through every page.
