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Recipe for a Story
mostly Comedy & Romance
a blog
by Stephanie Bourbon @ 2025
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Mastering the Meet Cute In Your Rom-Com
In the world of romantic comedies, the "meet cute " is a pivotal scene where your protagonist means her/his love interest in a charming,...
Stephanie Bourbon
2 days ago5 min read
2 views
0 comments

The Life of a Working Screenwriter: Glamorous? Think Again!
Hey, Writers, today I wanted to cover some huge misconceptions about the life of those who make their living as writers in Hollywood....
Stephanie Bourbon
Mar 245 min read
12 views
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Female Screenwriters, Always Be Your Own Cheerleader
but please also always be nice. America Ferrara Barbie You saw Barbie right? That speech that America Ferrera speech that she gave in ...
Stephanie Bourbon
Mar 102 min read
8 views
0 comments

Unlocking the Magic: Selling Your Feature Film Script Is Possible!
And completely doable, even if all the "experts" tell you that it isn't. Hello, fabulous screenwriters!!! 🎬✨ So, you've poured your...
Stephanie Bourbon
Oct 30, 20245 min read
16 views
0 comments


Hallmark Holiday Movies Aren't Rom-Coms And Here Is Why
It's frustrating to see so many mislabeling Hallmark's (and other channels like it) as romantic comedies when they are straight-up...
Stephanie Bourbon
May 31, 20235 min read
637 views
0 comments


Review-Love Again, Rom-Com...Here's Why It Works
Critics slammed this film, so we skipped it the weekend it opened, even though the trailers looked amazing because we read all the bad...
Stephanie Bourbon
May 17, 20235 min read
444 views
0 comments

How To Write Your 8 Story Beats & Then Add To Them
If you are writing or have written a romantic comedy you will want to know your main story beats. Here are some practical tips for...
Stephanie Bourbon
May 10, 20234 min read
512 views
0 comments


Romantic Comedies Are A Subgenre of COMEDY
You are writing a romantic comedy, but it's not working. Why? Maybe it's because you are following how to write a romance and not a...
Stephanie Bourbon
May 3, 20234 min read
167 views
0 comments

Is Your Inciting Incident The Same As Your Meet-Cute In Your Romantic Comedy Screenplay or Novel?
The answer isn't yes or no. How annoying, right? Sorry, but that's just the way it is. In my professional opinion, it's better to...
Stephanie Bourbon
Apr 19, 20233 min read
371 views
0 comments

Writing Rom-Com Tips To Get Started
So, you want to write a romantic comedy but have no idea how or where to start? I will have a couple 8 part series of blogs coming out,...
Stephanie Bourbon
Apr 12, 20233 min read
193 views
0 comments

How to Show & Not Tell--I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas
Hello, writers!!! So, today, I'm talking about the oh so evil words that no writer and no book coach or developmental editor wants to say...
Stephanie Bourbon
Dec 7, 20213 min read
35 views
0 comments


You've Finished Your NaNoWriMo Novel-Now What?
Good morning dear writers! It's almost December 1st and that's why I'm talking about revising your story. You have finished the new novel...
Stephanie Bourbon
Nov 29, 20213 min read
7 views
0 comments


Why Your First Pages Matter & How To Make Them Stronger
FIRST PAGES When agents ask for your first 5 or 10 pages it's because in those pages they will learn everything they need to know about...
Stephanie Bourbon
Nov 23, 20213 min read
20 views
0 comments


Social Media For Authors-How Much Time Does It Take?
There are so many different ways to do social media and honestly, there is no right or wrong, but it can be HUGE for your career. If no...
Stephanie Bourbon
Nov 15, 20212 min read
9 views
0 comments


Do I Need To Copyright My Novel/Work?
The answer is NO. But before I get into it here I just want to invite you to subscribe to my email list where I will send out freebies,...
Stephanie Bourbon
Nov 12, 20214 min read
10 views
0 comments


Genre Clarity, what is it & why do I need it?
Happy Monday to all the writers out there!! I'm so grateful that you are here. Today I am talking about GENRE CLARITY and why it's so...
Stephanie Bourbon
Nov 8, 20213 min read
31 views
0 comments


(Romantic) Comedy Character Archetypes & Who Needs To Be Included
Happy Monday!!! This week I'm talking about characters in comedy, and romantic comedies. What I am seeing in a lot of work that is coming...
Stephanie Bourbon
Oct 18, 20216 min read
70 views
0 comments

How To Go Deeper With Your Characters
Hey, Writers! Happy Monday! This week I'm talking about when you get that dreaded feedback that goes something like "I couldn't connect...
Stephanie Bourbon
Oct 11, 20217 min read
45 views
0 comments


Opening Pages Mistakes That All Writers Make
Hello Writers!! I've been coaching writers with their pitches, including their query letter & synopsis but the truth is if you don't have...
Stephanie Bourbon
Oct 4, 20213 min read
47 views
0 comments

How to write a novel in a month and win nanowrimo
Hello, Writers!! This week, I'm coaching you on how to write a draft fast and complete NaNoWriMo, which is coming up in just a month....
Stephanie Bourbon
Sep 30, 20213 min read
12 views
0 comments
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