Writing Romantasy
Common Conventions, Obligatory Scenes, and Tropes in Romantasy Literature
What Makes Romantasy so Addicting?
If you’ve made your way to the book lovers sub-community on TikTok dubbed “BookTok” in the last few years, I’m sure you’ve heard the term “romantasy.” A newly-defined hybrid genre comprised “of stardust and soulmates,” romantasy literature has skyrocketed, taking the literary world by storm.
The recent popularity of series like A Court of Thorns and Roses has propelled the genre to new heights, which might have you wondering why. What is so alluring—so addictive—about romantasy? Is there some sort of magic potion hypnotizing readers to stack their TBR lists with books like Fourth Wing—and let’s be honest—everything written by Sarah J. Maas? What’s the secret sauce for writing a successful romantasy?
Well, it has a little something—maybe everything—to do with the tried-and-true elements and expectations that make the genre what it is today.
If you’re an aspiring author with a magical idea, you must first understand the conventions, obligatory scenes, and tropes of romantasy.
What Are Conventions?
Simply put, conventions are the elements of a genre that readers have come to expect. They define the genre.
A mystery always starts with the discovery of a dead body, traditional romance has the “first kiss” and a happily ever after, but what have fantasy—more specifically, romantasy—readers come to love and expect of their beloved novels?
Common Conventions
Fantasy is a spellbinding genre that far surpasses the restrictions of reality. From magical beings to epic quests, readers have come to love and expect very specific elements when it comes to fantasy literature.
So, dear authors, pick up your enchanted pens or settle onto your enchanted keyboards, and take note of the top four most recognized fantasy conventions.
Magic
Central to virtually every fantasy novel is magic—implausible and impossible elements, with no basis in reality.
From witches and wizards to faeries and seers, magic is a MUST in fantasy literature.
Examples:
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling — magic wands, spells, divination, the cloak of invisibility, enchanted objects, potions…I’m sure you get the gist!
A few other examples of magical series/books are Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.
Worldbuilding & Imaginary Places
Most fantasy defies reality, right!?
Worldbuilding is another imperative element of fantasy literature, giving readers a foothold in the world you’ve imagined by using small details that make the fictional world feel real, lived-in, and immersive. It’s the creation of an epic, magical, unforgettable world—one that fantasy readers swoon over.
Examples
Lord of the Rings—Middle-Earth
Throne of Glass —Terrasen/Erilea
A Court of Thorns and Roses—Velaris/Pyrthian
Harry Potter—Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Epic Journeys & Quests
Most fantasy novels are extremely high stakes—the fate of a kingdom or the entire world usually rests in the hands of the hero—and nothing is more high stakes than the epic quest!
Essentially, an epic quest is a large-scale, life-altering journey where the protagonist faces significant challenges and powerful enemies as they set out to achieve a massive goal—usually changing the course of history.
Examples
The most notable example of the epic quest in fantasy literature is Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Mythical Creatures
You can’t have a fantasy story without some type of mythical creature! Well, you can, but these beings and beasts are typically a standard of fantasy fiction.
Examples
Faeries, dragons, wyverns, basilisks, werewolves, vampires, elves, goblins—are you catching the drift?
“But, Ally, what about the romance?” you might be asking. “What are the conventions of ROMANtasy!?”
Of course, dear author, I wouldn’t dare forget about the romance!
A Central Love Story
The love story is essential in romantasy!
While neither fantasy romance or romantic fantasy, the romance is equally as important as the fantasy elements in this hybrid subgenre.
In romantic fantasy, the romance supports the story, but is not central to the plot. It’s not the driving force.
In fantasy romance, the romance drives the plot, and the fantasy elements become the backdrop.
In romantasy, however, romance and fantasy are equal. The romantic arc is just as important as the fantasy plot/world.
Examples
Feyre & Rhysand in A Court of Thorns and Roses
Violet & Xaden in Fourth Wing
Lara & Aren in The Bridge Kingdom
Strong Female Characters
Romantasy also tends to feature strong female characters! Girls are no longer the damsels in distress but are wickedly powerful and smart.
Take Aelin from Throne of Glass for example. She is physically strong, wields powerful magic, is fierce and strategic—she is virtually unstoppable and one the best female leads I’ve read in a long while!
Examples
Some other strong female characters in romantasy include:
Manon Blackbeak – Throne of Glass
Feyre – A Court of Thorns and Roses
Alina Starkov – Shadow and Bone
Spice
Last, but most certainly not least, every great romantasy has spice—iykyk!
From off-the-page/closed-door/implied sex to quite graphic (and hot) lovemaking scenes, spice has become a very prominent feature of the romantasy genre
Examples
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Obligatory Scenes
Another aspect of fulfilling reader desires and adhering to genre expectations is including obligatory scenes.
Obligatory scenes are the key moments or turning points that a reader expects to see in a specific genre. They’re called “obligatory” not because you must include them, but because they fulfill the emotional promises made by the genre—and without them, the story may feel incomplete or unsatisfying.
So, aspiring romantasy authors, what are some of the obligatory scenes you might include in your manuscript?
3 Common Obligatory Scenes in Romantasy
The “Meet-Cute”
This scene is the first encounter between the protagonist and the love interest. Often charming and “cute,” it could also be something like a dagger to the throat. No matter which way you write it, your central couple needs to meet in this obligatory scene.
The Confession Scene
The confession scene is where one or both characters comprising the central couple of your story express their feelings with a profound declaration of love. Chapter 54—IYKYK.
The Climax
The climax is a pivotal moment in the story—and the characters’ relationship—where the stakes are high and the potential of everything falling apart is even higher. This is usually the make-or-break moment, typically involving a magical battle or difficult decision the characters must face.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of obligatory scenes and are just a few examples of what readers anticipate when picking up a romantasy novel.
Popular Fantasy/Romantasy Tropes
Now that we’ve made it through the expectations of fantasy/romantasy readers, you might be wondering what a trope is.
In the simplest of terms, tropes are recurring themes, character types, plot patterns, or situations that audiences recognize and expect in a particular genre.
Tropes are another set of desired features readers love (and expect) to see and help provide a sort of familiar framework for your novel; however, the details change from book to book and tend to ebb and flow with what’s trending. They can also be reimagined, subverted, or leaned into to create emotional payoff.
The following section is not an exhaustive list of tropes, but I do encourage you to play around with these as you draft your romantasy novel!
42 Popular Fantasy/Romantasy Tropes
- Ancient, Medieval Setting
- Tragic Backstory/Origin Story
- The Chosen One
- Orphan Hero
- The Reluctant Hero
- The Lost Heir
- The Secret Heir
- The Wise Old Mentor
- The Antihero
- Prophecy
- Destiny
- Secret Identity
- Good vs. Evil
- The “Pure Evil” Villain
- Dark Lord/Wizard/Warlock/Overlord
- Side Quests
- Forbidden Magic
- Magical School
- Found Family
- Kingdoms at War/Royal Politics
- Strong Heroine
- The Dark Secret
- The Tavern/Inn
- An Ancient and Magical Artifact
- Library Full of Secrets and Ancient History
- Enemies to Lovers
- The Morally Grey Love Interest
- Shadow Daddy
- Marriage of Convenience
- Soulmates/Fated Mates
- Love Triangle
- Forbidden Love
- There’s Only One Bed/Forced Proximity
- Second Chance Romance
- Rivals to Lovers
- Friends to Lovers
- The Training Sequence
- Injury
- Antagonist Turned Ally
- The Redemption Arc
- All Hope Lost
- The Cavalry Arrives
Some of these tropes might seem a bit predictable, but that’s okay! They are tried and true—readers have come to love and expect these tropes from fantasy stories. Give the people what they want!
✨ Wanna keep this list of tropes handy while writing? Download here for FREE! ✨
Subverting the Genre
Of course, you could always choose to subvert the genre, but what exactly does that mean?
Subverting the genre is when an author excludes a standard element of the genre or includes an element that is not.
Let’s take the Wise Old Mentor trope for example.
Dumbledore in Harry Potter, Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, and Obi-Wan in Star Wars (yes—I know Star Wars is sci-fi, just bear with me) all fall into the Wise Old Mentor category. They have many years on the protagonist and embody great knowledge, acting as a guide for the protagonist.
If the protagonist’s mentor was, say, a child or someone five years younger than them, that would be subverting the genre.
This is a unique way of making the story your own, HOWEVER, there is a lot of risk when choosing to subvert the genre.
If you don’t do it successfully, you risk losing the interest of readers and potential agents. If you do it right, you might just have the next NYT Bestselling fantasy novel!
Final Thoughts
Phew—that was…a lot!
Knowing the most common conventions, obligatory scenes, and tropes of fantasy/romantasy literature is a crucial step in understanding what makes this genre so addicting and (dare I say) magical!
Readers have come to know, love, and expect certain things in their novels, so learn these elements, memorize them, play around with them, and make them your own as your embark on the epic quest to authorship!
I can’t wait to see what kind of magic you make ✨
✨ Looking for more resources to help you write the next great fantasy novel? Check out The Library, where you’ll find the most comprehensive and thoughtfully curated collection of resources for writers, editors, and creative entrepreneurs. From writing workbooks to editing guides and business templates to web design magic, each resource is designed to simplify the process, spark your imagination, and help you confidently bring your vision to life! Ready to make some magic? ✨
✨ And don’t forget to check out Ally’s epic scores. playlist on Spotify and the Ladner Editorial Pinterest page for more fantasy inspo! ✨
✨ Need an editor? Check out Ally’s book editing services! ✨
