Helen Gaskell Loves Writing Romantic Fiction

Love is in the air, when Helen Gaskell joins us to talk about writing rom com novels. She shares the story of her accidental path to publishing — from writing a fan letter to a mobile game, to landing a deal with just 10,000 words written. Helen reveals the surprising structural discipline behind the genre, and passionately defends romantic fiction as a misunderstood feminist art form, arguing it offers sophisticated social commentary and genuine emotional comfort. Her debut, The Regency Switch, is available now from HarperCollins.Guest BioHelen Gaskell (she/her) is a freelance lead content designer based in the UK. After ten years at the BBC as a content producer she now works on GOV.UK projects and has spent time at over a dozen central government departments. Most notably, she worked on the first public-facing AI-driven project for the Foreign Office, and wrote the UK government's guidance on AI for services.LinksThe Regency Switch: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-regency-switch/helen-gaskell/9780008769574Helen’s author website: http://helengaskellwriter.co.uk/Helen’s design website: https://www.helengaskell.co.uk/CreditsCover design by Raquel Breternitz.