Romance Writers Phrase Book

Well-organized and arranged for quick reference, The Romance Writers' Phrasebook is divided into easy to search categories such as "Physical Description," "Body Movements," "Facial Expressions," "Emotion," and "Colors." Because it was originally published in 1984, many of the descriptive phrases have long since become cliche and exact usage should be avoided. The phrasebook is most useful as a source of inspiration and ideas for helping writers develop their own descriptive style.

Over 3,000 descriptions are divided into sections like physical characteristics, body movement, facial expression, emotions and voices, and then subdivided again. For example, the chapter on emotions breaks down into categories such as happiness, determination, surprise, fear and embarrassment.

Most writers will find some of the tags too over-the-top for comfort. Imagine using 'all of her loneliness and confusion welded together in one upsurge of devouring yearning'! More useful are expressions like 'he had depthless, jet-black eyes' and 'she flicked an imaginary speck of dirt from her dress'.

The beauty of the book, however, is the inspiration it provides when you're scratching your head over how to express a character's reaction. You might not use any of the tags word for word, but you can seize on the emotion they convey and present it in your character's language.


Argh!   December 16, 2003
What an awful book! If you actually use any of the phrases in this book, no wonder you're not selling anything. Romance writing, like any other kind of writing, is about telling your own story. This collection of cliched phrases may have some minor usefulness in showing you what NOT to do.


a great resource for more than just romance novels....   September 18, 2003
K. Duke (Mebane, NC United States)
You know, I bought this book because I was writing a story and developed a slight case of writer's block. I've only just starting reading this book, but it's quickly becoming one of my favorite resources. I'd don't exactly write romance novels, just something along those lines (http://groups.msn.com/ErosInc-). I can't imagine why I haven't acquired this title long before now. I've even gone back and rechecked previous writings against some of the suggestions and ideas in this book to see if they measure up. I would recommend this source to any writer, novice or beginner.


Good book!   May 12, 2003
If you write romance, this is a great book to help you spice things up. It helps you to explain colors and emotions and much more. Suppose you want to say your character has blue eyes...this book will help you make it sound a whole lot better. Get it! You won't be sorry...I promise.


Bad Writing!   April 18, 2003
As a professional writer and novelist, I think this is a terrible book, quite possibly the worst writing book I've ever seen! It's full of tired and uncreative phrases down to "her slender white neck," and I would really like to see her "ivory shoulders beckon to him." It's more likely that he would run away screaming.

Though this book may help spark some beginning writer's imagination, it can also inspire the very worst of writing. I bought this book years ago when I first started writing romance. Needless to say, it quickly found its way into the trash can. Aspiring writers who are seriously interested in writing and publishing romance novels would do well to think up their own phrases.