After buying her husband an electric typewriter as a Christmas present, she appropriated the machine to begin her novel in earnest.

Rather than follow the advice of the rejection letters and rewrite the novel, Woodiwiss instead submitted it to paperback publishers.

[2] The Flame and the Flower was revolutionary, featuring an epic historical romance with a strong heroine and actual sex scenes.

"[4][5][6] The success of this novel prompted a new style of writing romance, concentrating primarily on historical fiction tracking the monogamous relationships between helpless heroines and the heroes who rescued them, even if they had been the ones to place them in danger.

[7] The romance novels which followed in her example featured longer plots, more controversial situations and characters, and more intimate and steamy sex scenes.

Soon after finding her own success, Woodiwiss read a manuscript written by Spencer, who had yet to earn a publishing contract.

"[8][10] Woodiwiss published twelve best-selling romance novels, with over thirty-six million copies in print.

In some cases, Woodiwiss attributed the lag in publication time to personal and health issues, while in others she confessed to having suffered burnout and needing a rest to recover her interest in writing.

[3] All of her novels were historical romances set in varied backgrounds, including the American Civil War, 18th-century England, or Saxony in the time of William the Conqueror.