Alisa Kwitney

My new newsletter and upcoming classes!

Happy New Year!

Assuming we are not embroiled in a global conflict in the coming months, I have some fun things happening. First of all, there’s my new newsletter on substack, discussing the Ping Pong of Love Scenes in the new movie Marty Supreme.

Then there’s my February one-shot romance writing workshop at Mills Mansion in Staatsburgh, no experience or advance ideas necessary.

Last but not least, my in-person Romance Writing Workshop will be starting up a new session in mid-February (dates to be finalized). If you would like to work with me directly on developing or strengthening your writing practice, this Hudson River Valley class offers my guidance as well as a supportive community of creative writers of romantic fiction. Hybrids like Romantasy and Horrormance welcome! Contact me with the subject line Romance Writing Workshop Spring 2026.

Romance Writing Workshop

Want to write a romance novel that strikes the perfect balance between emotional authenticity, escapist pleasure and genuine uplift? Whether you’re a fan of Romantasy, Romantic Suspense, Dark Romance or the kind of book that would have made a great Nora Ephron Rom Com, this four-week class will give you the chance to start on the book of your dreams.

Details: This class is live and in-person, so you have to live in or around Dutchess County.

Dates: Thursdays, October 30, November 6, November 13, November 20, from 5-6:30 pm.

Cost: $200

To register: Email alisa@alisakwitney.com with the subject line Romance Novel Writing Workshop. An official link will be on my website shortly.

Here is some optional pre-workshop homework: 

1) Do you have a favorite romance novel or romance novels?

2) Do you have favorite romance tropes (plot elements) such as friend to lovers, enemies to lovers, kiss you or kill you? 

3) Is there a romance novel you thought you would dislike but wound up loving? If yes, why?

4) What about the opposite: Is there a romance novel you thought you would love, and wound up disliking? 

5) Find a love scene that made the hairs on the back of your neck tingle, in a good way.

Two New September Writing Workshops!

Want to learn the 4 Keys to Visual Storytelling and my top tips for creating a graphic novel? I’ll be leading a virtual event for the Society for Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators on Wednesday, September 3, from 6 – 7:30 pm EST. You can register below:

https://www.scbwi.org/events/the-4-keys-to-visual-writing

Anyone who attends this workshop gets a

Writing romance is about much more than learning a formula — it’s about creating an alchemical equation which changes your main characters for the better, and sometimes transforms them in surprising ways. Whether the romance is the main plot of your novel or a subplot, we’ll explore the key components to creating memorable love stories on the page.

In this two-hour class, we will cover: Romance Subgenres (historical, thriller, contemporary, erotic, paranormal etc); popular tropes (friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, forced proximity); the seven beats of romantic comedy; why writing love scenes is a lot like writing fight scenes; and when and how to break the “rules” or conventions of the genre. Bring your notebook, as we will be doing writing exercises in class. You can register below:

https://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=3635&EventID=562846&PK=

HOWL hitting shelves January 15!

Check out my Geek Vibes Nation interview about HOWL, my new series with Mauricet. My shorthand pitch? “Mrs. Maisel meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” All kidding aside, the Greenwich Village 1959 setting is inspired by the story of my parents’ early beatnik years, when they attended parties thrown by The Hydra Club, a science fiction writers’ organization where “Ike” (Isaac Asimov) once hugged my mother a little too enthusiastically (her story, but entirely plausible given Asimov’s history with women).

New French Trailer For GILT

The new French trailer for GILT is très cool.

G.I.L.T.

The secret is out! My new comic with Belgian comics artist (and good friend) Alain Mauricet will be hitting a comic store near you on April 6, 2022. G.I.L.T.