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Nonsense-Free KristinYou should be at kristinmctiernan.com Author: Kristin McTiernan
Nonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own termswithout begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them kristinmctiernan.substack.com Language: en Genres: Arts, Books, Business, Entrepreneurship Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Rebecca Jones - Writing Romance Without Smut
Episode 26
Wednesday, 22 July, 2026
Rebecca Jones has a hill she'll die on: there are no bad tropes, only poorly written ones. She put out her debut in September 2025 and already has three books in her Jolene series, plus a Gothic romance on the way, so she's earned the right to defend the love triangle. In this episode, we dig into why so many of them collapse, when a cliché becomes a comfort instead of a crutch, and what gets lost when clean YA is treated like a rebellion.In This Episode* There are no bad tropes, only poorly written ones: Rebecca’s whole thesis, and why a love triangle works only when a character actually makes a choice.* How writers botch the love triangle: The most common failure is telling us two people are in love without ever earning it. We talk about the Wednesday dance that should have built a couple and instead just told us one existed.* Insta-love, chemistry, and flirting that isn’t cheesy: Insta-love can work when there’s a real foundation under it, from Phantom’s Raoul and Christine to the sly, layered flirting between Catherine and Henry in Northanger Abbey.* The ultimate love triangle: Rebecca’s pick for the trope done right is Gone With the Wind, and why The Empire Strikes Back borrowed its romantic DNA.* Clichés, killing your darlings, and the one-bed problem: A deliberate cliché can feel like comfort; a lazy one just muddies the book. Plus what “kill your darlings” actually means, and a great story about a scholarly Regency client whose one-bed scene ignored the scandal it would have caused.* The state of clean YA: On-page spice creeping into books aimed at teens, YA quietly written for grown women, and the clean movement Rebecca is glad to be part of. * Meet Jolene: Ballet dancer by day, zombie-slaying gamer by night, with a geeky best friend and a scene-stealing chaos-agent of a sister.* The Gothic turn: Rebecca’s period horror romance: 1899 France, a possessive ghost, and Phantom of the Opera with the opera swapped out for something a lot darker.* The indie author business: An aggressive release pace as a full-time writer, the Kindle Unlimited versus going-wide money question, why the best marketing might just be the next book, and the metadata work that landed her next to Lynn Painter and Rachel Lynn Solomon.* The worst writing advice you keep hearing: How “show, don’t tell” gets weaponized, and the danger of running your slow-burn romance through a chatbot that only knows how to pace a thriller screenplay.* Books for boys, and content warnings: The gap in the market and Rebecca’s idea for a space book written with her son, plus why she came around on content warnings and a love letter to the website Does the Dog Die.Guest Links* Read the Jolene series: https://amzn.to/48NUUQG * Website: rebeccajonesbooks.com* Facebook: Rebecca Jones Author* TikTok: @rebecca.jones776* X: @NovelistRJones Kristin’s Links* Editing Services: nonsensefreeeditor.com* Newsletter: https://www.fictionalinfluence.com* YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nonsensefreekristinTimestamps00:00 - Meet the Rebecca Jones.02:09 - Why Triangles Fail.02:51 - Insta Love Done Right.03:57 - Writing Better Flirting.05:26 - Best Love Triangle Example.06:13 - Tropes vs Cliches.07:17 - Fixing What Fails.08:09 - One Bed Problem Solving.09:30 - Beta Readers Power.10:13 - State of YA Today.12:25 - Gothic Romance Shift.14:18 - Writing Since Fifteen.16:57 - Rapid Release Routine.17:50 - Kindle Unlimited Reality.20:08 - Indie vs Traditional.20:54 - Marketing Mindset Shift.21:43 - Metadata And Keywords.23:34 - Sisterhood On The Page.25:19 - Belle Époque Gothic Romance.26:01 - Bad Writing Advice.27:19 - AI Tips And Nuance.29:41 - Books For Boy Readers.32:57 - Ideal Reader And Comfort.34:10 - Content Warnings Debate.36:21 - New Release Teaser.38:05 - Tropes And Farewell.About This PodcastNonsense-Free Kristin is where independent authors and creators learn to build their platforms, master their craft, and create on their own terms—without begging for permission from gatekeepers who hate them.New episodes weekly.Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmctiernan.substack.com
