Your story can be more than something you think about when you're lying in bed at night.
Skrinkle Lane helps you take the romance that's been living in your head and turn it into a story you can actually write, one question, one scene and one pocket of your day at a time.
Why Skrinkle Lane exists.
Maybe they've been with you for years, you know who I'm talking about. Those two characters who pop into your head while you are washing up, driving to work or trying to get to sleep. You know how they meet, you know the moment one of them finally says it, you know exactly how their story should feel because you've spent years reading the books that made you feel that way.
And yet every time you think about actually writing it, you have no idea where to start.
Let me reassure you now, that doesn't mean you can't write a novel. Having a story in your head and knowing how to get it onto the page are just two very different things. I know because for about ten years I started book after book and never got past those first few chapters.
And then when you go looking for help, it can feel like you have to learn everything about writing before you're allowed to begin. Plot structure, character arcs, beat sheets, dialogue. Pages and pages of story theory left me more lost than I was to begin with. And I had spent the little writing time I had learning about writing, rather than writing. I stayed in this cycle for years, convinced the next book I read would be the one that actually helped me write.
But now, I don't think you need to become an expert in writing novels before you can write one.
I think, you need to understand your story.
That's why I created Skrinkle Lane. I'll ask the questions that will help you work out what you already half know. Who are your characters, really? Why these two? Where does their story belong? What has to change between them before they get their happy ever after?
The answers are already yours. They've been going round and round in your head for years, I'll just help you get them out and into an order you can write from.
Then, when you find half an hour at the kitchen table, or ten minutes on the train, or a quiet Sunday morning with a cuppa, you won't be staring at a blank page wondering where to begin.
You'll be writing your story. Finally.
You don't need to know your whole story, you just need to know what to ask it.
When you're trying to turn an idea into a novel, it's tempting to jump straight into 'what happens next?', but when you have pieces rather than a story, that can be one of the hardest questions.
So, at Skrinkle lane, I start a little further underneath the plot. I begin with three things that help you see where your scenes really come from.
The Who
Who are these people, beyond the roles you've given them, beyond being grumpy and sunshine. What do they want? What are they carrying with them? Why does this person, of all people, get under their skin? And why might falling in love change something for them?
The Where
Where does this relationship have to happen? Not just a cute seaside town on the map. It's the life your characters live there, their work, their families, their friends, their community and all the everyday things that keep throwing them together.
The How
How do these two get from where they start to choosing each other? Your trope, Enemies to Lovers or Second Chance gives you the shape of the romance but what actually changes between your particular couple is what makes it their story.
When you understand the Who, the Where and the How, 'what happens next' becomes 'what would happen next?'
And that's a question you'll know how to answer.
You don't need hours of uninterrupted writing time.
Real life rarely hands you a free afternoon and tells you to go ahead and write your novel...oh we wish.
What it gives you is, twenty minutes before you need to leave, a lunch break, or half an hour at the kitchen table before someone needs you again. And that perfect line of dialogue turning up while you are elbow deep in soap suds.
Skrinkle Lane is built for writing a novel in a life that's already full.
I'll help you understand your story well enough that when you open your notebook, you know where to begin. You won't have piles of writing advice to get through first, and you won't feel behind because you didn't hit a word count today.
Your novel can be written in small pockets of time.
And those pockets add up.
Hi. I'm Val
I've loved romance since I was little and I first read the Sweet Valley High series before devouring that Judy Blume book (If you are of a certain age you will know exactly which book I am talking about). As I got older I moved onto my Nan's bookshelf, which was full of Barbara Cartland's and Danielle Steel's, along with many Mills and Boon's, before starting to build my own collections. And for about ten years, I had a book in my head too.
I started, maybe six or seven different stories, and I never got passed the first few chapters. I had the characters, the setting and a handful of scenes that I could picture perfectly. I had meet cute's, re-meet cute's, confessions, first kisses, tension and chemistry. At night they would play out like a film in my mind, giving me all the feels, but when I sat down to write I would have no idea what came next. So, I read lots of 'how to write' books, and I did learn loads, but my story still wouldn't come into the page.
I finally got unstuck when I worked out my story before I wrote it. I figured out who my two characters really were (not just their favourite colour and their wardrobe choices), where their story had to happen and how their relationship would change, step by step, until they chose each other. Once I knew that, I knew which scene came next every time I sat down.
Earlier this year, I starting writing around 1000 words a day, while working full time and studying for my degree. And I completed my very first, first draft of my story. A massive milestone.
Alongside figuring out how to write in a very full life, I have spent the last five years studying romance, reading it and de-constructing hundreds of novels to understand why some completely absorb us and others don't really hit the spot. I have a first class degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, and I am trained as a developmental Editor.
But, no qualification taught me what it feels like to carry a story around with for years and not know how to start writing it. I learned that lesson by myself.
If any of that sounds familiar, grab a cuppa, pull up a pew and lets work out your story together.
Val xx
Start your journey...
Turn the romance you've been dreaming about into a story with clear foundations.
Learn to read Great British Romance like a writer.
Turn your story into a finished Great British Romance, one chapter at a time.
Last updated: 1sy July 2026
Welcome to Skrinkle Lane.
These Terms & Conditions explain how you may use this website and purchase our products and services.
By using this website, downloading resources, purchasing products or booking services, you agree to these terms.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Email: [email protected]
1. About Skrinkle Lane
Skrinkle Lane provides romance writing education, resources, community spaces and developmental editorial services.
Our aim is to help women write their first romance story.
2. Educational Content
The information, resources and training provided by Skrinkle Lane are for educational purposes.
This includes, but is not limited to:
The Story Explorer
The Reading Room
Story Builders
The Writing Club
Writing resources
Workshops or lessons
We provide guidance, frameworks and educational support, but we cannot guarantee:
completion of your manuscript
publication
literary representation
book sales
reviews
reader response
Your writing choices and publishing journey remain your own.
3. Digital Products
When purchasing digital products, you are purchasing access for your own personal use.
You may:
download resources for yourself
use materials to support your own writing
You may not:
copy or reproduce resources
share purchased materials with others
resell Skrinkle Lane content
use resources to create competing products or services
All Skrinkle Lane materials remain the intellectual property of Skrinkle Lane.
4. Community Spaces
Community spaces are designed to encourage thoughtful discussion about romance books and writing.
Members are expected to:
communicate respectfully
respect other writers and readers
avoid sharing another person's writing without permission
Skrinkle Lane reserves the right to remove access for behaviour that disrupts or harms the community.
5. Editorial Services
Services provided through The Editor’s Desk may include:
10k Check in
Outline Reviews
Developmental Feedback
Story Rescue
Editorial feedback represents professional opinion and guidance based on the information provided.
Developmental editing focuses on areas such as:
story structure
characters
setting
emotional development
relationship progression
reader experience
Editing feedback is designed to help strengthen your work but final creative decisions remain yours.
6. Manuscript Ownership and Confidentiality
You always retain full ownership and copyright of your writing.
Submitting your work to Skrinkle Lane does not transfer ownership.
Any manuscripts, outlines or story materials submitted for editorial services will be treated confidentially.
We will not:
publish your work
share your work
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without your permission.
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We may request testimonials or feedback after working together.
Testimonials will only be used publicly with your permission.
Any examples from client work used for educational purposes will be anonymised unless explicit permission is given.
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Payment details and prices will be clearly displayed before purchase.
Work will begin once payment has been received unless otherwise agreed.
9. Refund Policy
Digital Products
Due to the instant-access nature of digital products, refunds may not be available once materials have been accessed or downloaded, except where required by law.
Editorial Services
Refunds for editorial services depend on the stage of work.
If work has not yet begun, please contact us to discuss cancellation.
Once an editorial review has started or feedback has been delivered, refunds will generally not be available.
10. Turnaround Times
Estimated turnaround times for editorial services will be provided when booking.
We aim to meet agreed deadlines but will communicate if circumstances require changes.
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We aim to continually improve our resources while maintaining the quality and purpose of our work.
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