Cinderella Romance Plot Template
Template: 20 pages long, 8,720 words
Projected book length: 55,000 words
Number of Chapters: 20
SAMPLE
Cinderella Romance Plot Template
Creating a Cinderella Romance Title and Series Name
Genres: The most common subgenres are contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and historical romance. However, the template can be used for other romance subgenres like science fiction romance (e.g., make the alien the prince/king of his planet).
Title: It can be over the top obvious (Cinderella’s Masquerade) or more subtle (Midnight’s Magic). If you don’t use “Cinderella” in the title, use it in the subtitle. Don’t worry about hitting readers over the head with it. Some of the most successful Cinderella trope romances have “Cinderella” right in the title. However, check to see if your title idea is already taken. I wouldn’t recommend using a title already used by another author. Keep brainstorming until you come up with a more unique title.
Title Examples will appear in the template.
Sample Blurb Outline – This will be included in the template.
Characters
<First & Last Name> – FMC
- She is a shining example of grace under pressure, a beacon of resilience in the face of hardship. At her young age, usually early 20s, she’s younger than most who’ve experienced the trials she has, and yet she continues to meet each day with hope and a spirit that’s impossible to break.
- She appears delicate but her outward appearance masks her underlying strength. Everything about her is stunning to the hero. He loves her gorgeous hair and sparkling eyes. She exudes joy and happiness, despite her circumstances.
- Her sense of style is simple yet timeless, a nod to her limited resources, but her natural beauty and grace make any outfit she wears seem elegant. She has a soft spot for anything with a timeless feel to it. She has a favorite piece of clothing or jewelry (jewelry works best) which was passed down from her mother, a symbol of a past full of love and happier times. It’s the only thing she still has from her mother.
- She was orphaned and typically lived with her new, extremely wicked stepmother and her inattentive father. However, for a modern take, she may live on her own or with her best friend. She may have run away from home when she was younger to escape her stepmother.
- Additional information about the FMC will appear in the template.
<First Last Name> The Prince MMC - NOTE - You will get his entire character breakdown in the template.
Other Characters included in the template:
Best Friend/Fairy Godmother - You'll get her entire character breakdown in the template.
Antagonist/Stepmother - You'll get her entire character breakdown in the template.
Plot Outline
The outline includes a complete chapter by chapter breakdown. There are twenty total chapters with alternating POV. This is exactly how each chapter will appear in the template:
Chapter 1 (FMC): The Humble Life and the Unjust Superior
Goal – Deal with an ongoing obstacle in her daily life related to the Antagonist.
Complication(s) – FMC is going about her humble daily life when she encounters the Antagonist (Evil Stepmother character). The Antagonist is always trying to make life harder for the FMC than it needs to be. The Antagonist typically does this out of jealousy. She hates that the FMC is so well liked, so sweet, and is a good person. She’s the antithesis of the Antagonist, and that really makes the Antagonist angry. She hates it when the FMC gets more attention than she does, especially from men.
Choice – Should the FMC stand up to the Antagonist?
Consequences – The FMC knows the consequences of standing up to the Antagonist. Instead of fully stepping into her power and standing up for herself, she backs down. She’s afraid of what the Antagonist might do to her if she fights back. The Antagonist smugly reminds the FMC that she’s a nobody. No one will ever love her or even care about her, and she will never amount to anything. After the Antagonist leaves, the FMC is hurt and angry. She has dreams and ambitions, but she’s not sure how to get out of the stuck place she’s in. However, her dreams are so powerful that she knows she’s going to achieve them someday. She holds onto that hope because hope is the only good thing she has in her life.
POV Character’s Feelings – She’s afraid of the Antagonist because of the power she has over the FMC’s life. The FMC wants to be able to stand up for herself, but the consequences are too great. For now, she must back down. But one day, she’s going to fight back because her dreams are so important to her that she’s determined to find a way to achieve them.
Example
Amelia is an assistant at a high-end fashion magazine. She dreams of becoming a successful fashion designer. However, Ruth (her boss) and her evil minions (assistants) are always trying to sabotage her work. Amelia puts the finishing touches on a gorgeous designer gown she created for a celebrity. The celebrity is on her way in to try on the gown and do a magazine shoot when Ruth intercepts her and tells her that Amelia was unable to complete the dress on time. Fortunately, Ruth has several dresses the celebrity can choose from instead. Amelia wants to scream that Ruth’s lying, but she needs this job. She can’t risk getting fired, so she stays quiet. While she helps the celebrity try on Ruth’s designs, Amelia silently dreams of the day she won’t be forced to work for Ruth.
Chapter 2 (MMC): The Handsome Prince
Goal – Introduce the MMC as a successful and well-respected man. He’s going about his business and doesn’t want to be distracted by anyone. Women stop in their tracks when he’s around because he’s so incredibly handsome. He’s also extremely rich.
Complication – During a business related interaction, he meets the FMC. He’s stunned by her beauty and grace. He’s intrigued by her, but he’s also very busy.
Choice – Should he try to get the FMC’s contact information so he can get in touch with her?
Consequences – He tries to talk to the FMC more, but the Antagonist gets in the way. He leaves the business meeting without getting any more information about the FMC. However, he finds himself unable to stop thinking about her. He wonders when and if he might see her again.
POV Character’s Feelings – He’s intrigued by the FMC but he’s too focused on his business to follow through on the spark he feels with her. He’s not used to being so enchanted by a woman, but there’s just something about the FMC that’s undeniably attractive.
Example
William is the CEO of a successful, high-end fashion line. He’s handsome, charming, and compassionate. He visits the magazine office for an interview with Ruth about his company. He and Amelia share a brief, meaningful interaction, sparking intrigue between the two. It could be something as simple as: Ruth orders Amelia to tend to one of William’s needs (e.g., get him coffee). During that small interaction, there are all kinds of sparks between them. But Ruth sees this and immediately breaks them apart by sending Amelia out of the office to complete some other menial task. William is left wanting more, but he’s also very busy. He finishes the interview and leaves the office, still thinking about Amelia.
NOTE - You'll get 20 complete chapters in the template, including the genre required ‘Happily Ever After’ chapter.