As a culture, we’ve all consumed media that has given us an internal metronome when it comes to storytelling. We can sense when something is dragging, when something feels rushed, and when we’re hanging on the precipice of the climax. Keeping in time with this cultural metronome is what keeps your reader glued to the page, and learning to harness it makes you a more powerful storyteller. If you’ve listened to an author talk about their writing process, you’ve probably heard of the famous book Save the Cat Writes a Novel, and the accompanying beat sheet that many writers swear by.
Author Gwen Hayes wrote a companion of sorts with her short guide on how to write a romance novel, Romancing the Beat, where she uses the familiar framework of Save the Cat to build a beat sheet that is specific to romance stories. In this workshop, we will analyze the beat structure of popular movies and books to figure out what makes a romance story tick.

Alexis Castellanos was born and raised in Florida, where she enjoyed sunny days, dramatic thunderstorms, and delicious Cuban food. After graduating from college, she moved to New York City and worked as a scenic artist, bringing theatrical sets to life with a little bit of paint and a whole lot of ingenuity. She currently works as a graphic designer by day and spends her nights dreaming up stories. Castellanos is the author of the graphic novel Isla to Island (Atheneum Books for Young Readers). Guava and Grudges (Bloomsbury YA) is her debut young adult novel. She lives in Los Angeles with her partner and two cats. Connect with her on Instagram, X, and TikTok @‌alexisc_art and on her website.