Romance?
It’s the most misunderstood and undervalued of the genres. Why? Because it’s all relationships and it’s character-driven. And those are the toughest things to write about.
Blowing up a terrorist training camp? Piece of cake in comparison to winning the hardened heart of a cyncial hunk.
Or hunkess. Your call.
If there’s a love angle, triangle or even a suspicious dangle somewhere in your story, it’s a romance. Deal with it.
So please drop by a great website run by Jeannie Ruesch called Happy Endings and check out my beefy (as opposed to beefcake) article on how to take on love and romance in your stories.
Want to get storyfix posts delivered by e-mail? Sign up here:
Prefer to use an RSS reader? Subscribe here.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Larry, mentioning a suspicious dangle with romance writers is brave. Very brave.
And thanks so much for being with us at Happy Endings today — we’re thrilled to have you!
Much to my chagrin, my latest story has turned itself into a romance. I was a little stuck, as I find it much more difficult to write. As I’m poking around with plot twists and intrigues that are not part of the romance itself but do affect it, I find it hard to juggle it all. This article couldn’t have come at a better time for me & I just wanted to say a hearty ‘thanks’!
Great post, Larry. I do not write romance, but I do respect it. One of the things that stood out to me: “If you got into romances because you thought they are somehow easier to write and sell, think again. Romance is the brain surgery of fiction.” Makes me think of the mistake many of us make about tween or YA writing, which is what I do presently. The author has to really GET the concept or theme so you are able to simplify it for you audience. A challenge. STILL loving Story Structure…Demystified. And using it. One of the best gifts I have ever received.
I will bring over the gist of the comment I left over there, but may have made them mad because it’s still “awaiting moderation.”
I’m amazed that you took such a refreshing view of literary romance. OMG! To be honest, I always thought of it as belonging to the lower realm of fiction and thought that experts would just lump romances together with the Harlequin books. (I think that’s what made them mad.)
I obviously have been hanging around the wrong people. I have to keep my sappiness in check and, like Shanna, that’s almost impossible! Perhaps I’m not as dysfunctional as I thought.
To me, all fiction contains at least a little romance! Come on now, it has to! There’s always someone falling in love with someone, or some thing. Larry, I’m both amazed and relieved at your take on it all! My keyboard feels much warmer now. Thanks!
WOW, I’m on my way! I keep thinking I should write a romance. It totally fits my flowery style. I’ve just been thinking I should use a pen name if I do.
Wow–OF COURSE I had to choose the most difficult genre to write in… As if writing a novel wasn’t already freaking hard enough! hahaha…