Help! My Romance Draft Is a Mess (Now What?)

Author Accelerator Certified book coach Stuart Wakefield shares what to do if your romance draft is a mess.

You finished your draft. Maybe you poured yourself a glass of something bubbly. Maybe you took a nap. Maybe you panicked.

That’s all perfectly normal. (I buy myself a Ken doll which I’m guessing isn’t perfectly normal.)

If you’ve written a romance novel (any novel) you’ve probably been living with these characters in your head and heart for quite some time. You’ve brought them together, pulled them apart, and watched them fumble their way towards a connection. And now the story’s on the page.

Kind of.

Because if you’re anything like most writers, the draft you’ve just finished doesn’t quite match the story you meant to tell.

This is where the real work begins. But revision doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or like that soul-sucking boss you used to work for. It can be one of the most creative and clarifying stages of the process.

Here’s how to approach revising your romance novel in a way that keeps the heart of the story beating.

Reconnect with the Heart of the Story

Before you dive into editing scenes or tightening sentences, pause. Step back. Ask yourself:

• Why this story?
• What’s the emotional transformation you’re exploring?
• What do you want your reader to feel when they finish the final page?

This isn’t busywork. It’s a recalibration. Romance stories are driven by emotional arcs. Characters who grow. Characters who change. And characters who risk connection. If that arc isn’t clear to you, it won’t land for your reader.

Try distilling your story’s “bumper sticker” message. Something like: Love is worth the risk or You have to lose control to find love. Clichéd? Maybe. But if it feels true, you’re on the right track.

Now ask: does your draft live up to that promise?

Take Stock of What’s Actually on the Page

Here’s the hard truth: the book you thought you wrote and the book you wrote are often two very different things.

This is where mapping your story can help. Not a beat sheet. Not a spreadsheet. Just a simple list of scenes—with a note beside each one about why it matters.

You’re looking for cause and effect. Scene by scene.

• What happens?
• Why does it matter to the character?
• What does it lead to next?

If you notice a lot of “and then this happened, and then this happened…” instead of “because of that, this happened,” you may need to revisit how the emotional journey unfolds.

This isn’t about judging your story. It’s about seeing it clearly. Only then can you begin to shape it intentionally.

Prioritize the Problems (Not the Commas)

When most writers revise, they start on page one. They tweak and polish and trim until the prose sings. Then they hit chapter five and realize: oh. The story itself is broken. Don’t do that to yourself.

Start big. Look for structural and emotional issues first. I like to think of revision issues like a traffic light:

• Red light issues are deal breakers: plot holes, underdeveloped arcs, missing stakes, unclear motivations.
• Yellow light issues are subtler: flat dialogue, inconsistent tone, scenes that drag or don’t land emotionally.
• Green light issues are sentence-level tweaks: grammar, rhythm, description.

Tackle the reds first. The story needs to work before it shines.

Try this: print out your scene map, grab some highlighters, and mark the scenes that feel like trouble. Don’t fix them yet. Just notice where the tension sags, the motivation blurs, or the romance loses heat.

Rebuild the Romance from the Inside Out

Romance isn’t just about chemistry. It’s about emotional movement.

So ask:

• Are your characters actively choosing each other, or just reacting to the plot?
• Do their emotional wounds complicate the relationship in meaningful ways?
• Does each moment of intimacy (physical or emotional) change something between them?

Your story should answer the central question of the genre: Why these two people, and why now?

If your draft doesn’t answer that yet, that’s okay. It just means you’ve got more story to tell.

Get Outside Your Own Head (Carefully)

At some point, you’ll need feedback. But not all feedback is created equal.

Friends and family might love you, but that doesn’t mean they’re the right people to assess your manuscript.

Instead, think about who you’re writing for. Who’s your ideal reader? What do they crave from a love story? Can you find three people who read the kind of romance you’re writing and ask them to read the first chapter and give honest, thoughtful feedback?

And if they stop reading halfway through? That’s not failure. It’s information.

Final Thought: Trust the Process

Revision isn’t about fixing a broken book. It’s about building a better one. One that more fully expresses your vision and more deeply connects with your reader.

You already did the hard part: you wrote the thing. Now you get to craft it.

So take a breath. Revisit your characters. Map your story. Prioritize the big changes first. And keep the spark alive.

After all, it’s still a love story… even in revision.

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Stuart Wakefield is an Author Accelerator Certified book coach who specializes in helping writers bring emotionally resonant stories to life. He works with emerging and experienced authors to develop, revise, and finish the books they’ve always wanted to write. When he’s not coaching, he’s writing for stage, page, and screen. (Editor: Let’s be honest, he’s probably over-analyzing fictional couples or walking his opinionated Jack Russell, Rocco.)