Writing the Romance Novel: Incorporating Sensuality into Sweet Romance (Guest Blogger, Penny Dawn)
I may have mentioned before that during my time in graduate school, I had the privilege of working with many critique partners, all of whom wrote romance in different aspects of the genre. One particular semester, when I was trying to incorporate more sensuality in my writing, I partnered up with a wonderful friend who writes very steamy stories. Because Penny Dawn can make something as simple as grilling a cheese sandwich into a nuclear reaction between a hero and heroine, I asked her if she would share some of her insights into incorporating sensuality in romance.
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The goal of entertaining, sustainable fiction is to reach out to readers, to remind them of something or someone in their past, to connect them to the drama on your pages. In short, they must feel the sensuality of a subject in order to feed the desire to turn the pages.Most often, when writers and readers alike hear the words sensual and romance together, they conjure images of traditional bodice rippers, sexually explicit novels, Regency-era tales of unbridled passion. While the masses agree that each of these certainly contains, or at least should contain, a height of sensuality, the majority of consumers neglect to realize that sensuality should be a part of every piece of fiction, be it medical drama, erot*ca, or even sweet romance, where sensual boundaries are strictly drawn.
How, then, can a writer of sweet romance trigger sensuous reactions to her work without going overboard or crossing the line into the erot*c zone?
My answer lies in the textbook difference between two words often used interchangeably in the English language: sensual and sensuous. Sensual means pertaining to the senses, which gives a more primal, voluptuous feel to the word. Sensuous, on the other hand, is defined as affecting the senses, which gives it a more refined intuition. Ergo, if your writing is sensual, the readers’ reactions to it are sensuous. The heat level of a piece should have nothing to do with it at all.
In order to achieve the goal of writing fiction with sensual elements, you must direct yourself to the root of all things sensual and sensuous—the five senses.
Good fiction digs into sight, sound, taste, scent, and texture, as it is through these elements readers experience the world around them. By bringing a familiar aroma of budding lilac to your page, you carry your reader to a faraway garden she explored as a teen. With the addition of a heart pounding in her chest, and the grazing of a young man’s calloused finger against her hand as he flashes his million-dollar grin amidst the peach glow of a sunset, she remembers the anticipation of her first kiss. And then…you’ve hooked her. Why? She’s relating to the tale you’re telling.
In sweet romance, by definition, all sensuality comes through in building anticipation between two characters and ends when lips touch, if not before. While you might consider the task of creating sensuous responses in fiction with distinct boundaries more difficult than, say, a writer who’s able to explore the full-bodied skin of her characters in their entirety, guess again. Very often, it is the erot*c romance writer’s task to keep s*x emotional, as well as titillating. She relies on the anticipation of the act as much as you do to achieve this. Therefore, you needn’t explore body parts to hit the nail on the head.
Not every sentence should be bogged down with sensory detail. A good rule of thumb is to filter such details through your pages, so that a page as a whole depicts a single image, and sends a single message, rather than a horde of them. As in real life, a person can be hit with sensory overload, which exhausts the appetite for a connection, instead of whetting it. Try walking your reader through a scenario, as if she’s sauntering through that garden of lilac. She wouldn’t notice everything right away; she’d register small details, one at a time, a little here, a little there. Put yourself in her position, and you’ll get it right.
Be advised: you shouldn’t belabor the sensory details of a piece; however, you should tease your writer with them. Think of sensory details as a feather tickling the back of your neck. At first, you don’t know what it is, but it triggers a response. As the strokes of the feather become more precise, more uniform, more determined, you allow yourself to relax, to sink into the caress, to enjoy it.
It may help to weave sensory details through the elements of story. In fact, you may find it comes naturally to explore the senses as you:
- Set your scene
- Depict your characters
- Build your conflict
- Offer resolution
After all, you’d be hard pressed to describe anything without resorting to your senses.
Last, because sweet romance writers cannot end a sensual scene with the pinnacle of sensuality (a.k.a., the almighty org*sm,) you must learn to satisfy your reader emotionally, given what you’ve offered her. Is it enough that he whispered into her ear? Is it enough that he wanted to kiss her, even though he didn’t muster the courage? Is it enough that she turned away because she wanted the anticipation to carry on through another moonlit night? In order to achieve satisfaction, the sweet romance writer, like her erot*ca-writing counterpart, must set the expectation for her reader.
Just as readers of erot*ca expect one hum-dinger of a s*x scene, readers of sweet romance need to hang onto the anticipation. They need to remain in love with your characters and share their goals. So, how is that achieved?
Hmmm…I remember saying something about sensory detail being the cornerstone of readers’ relating to a scene. Use it, and they’ll keep those pages turning.
About the Author:
Penny Dawn began writing at the tender age of seven, and she’s delighted now to call her favorite pastime a career. Romantic stories with passionate twists have become her forte. She has published several shorts, novellas, and full-length novels of varying degrees of heat…from simmering to sizzle.
Penny Dawn holds a B.A. in history and English from Northern Illinois University and an M.A. in Writing from Seton Hill University. When she isn’t writing, Penny enjoys tap, ballet, and lyrical jazz dance, physical fitness, and home renovation.
Drop by her website: www.pennydawn.com to discuss all things decadent. If you wish to contact Penny, please drop her a line, or request an invitation to join Penny Dawn’s Romance…with a Passion! at penny_dawn1111 (at) yahoo.com.
Fun Friday—Some Favorite Movie Quotes
Some movie quotes are destined to be remembered forever:
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”
“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
“Go ahead. Make my day.”
“I’ll be bahk.”
“Bond. James Bond.”
So, in celebration of this being my 450th blog post, I decided to compose a list of some of my favorite movie quotes—those that kind of go beyond the most familiar lines we hear quoted so often (although there may be a few that are “often quoted” lines that I just can’t resist including). Some of them may be familiar to you, some may not. Please be sure to leave a comment with your favorite, if I don’t list it!
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“Good shot, Red Two!” (Denis Lawson as Wedge Antilles, Return of the Jedi)
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“We always knew you were a whoopsie.” (Terry Murphy as Old Pirate, Stardust)
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“This is football. All people care about are touchdowns and injuries. They don’t give a damn about that grape sh*t.” (Shirley MacLaine as Ouiser Boudreaux, Steel Magnolias*)
*I may do a separate post another time with my favorite quotes from this, the most quotable movie EVER, at another date.
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“Have you ever fallen in love with someone you haven’t even talked to? Have you ever been so alone you spend the night confusing a man in a coma?” (Sandra Bullock as Lucy Moderatz, While You Were Sleeping)
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“I have a bad feeling about this.” (Various characters, all six movies in the the Star Wars saga)
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“You’ll shoot your eye out!” (Various characters, A Christmas Story)
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“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” (Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride)
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“I hate the way you talk to me, and the way you cut your hair.
I hate the way you drive my car. I hate it when you stare.
I hate your big dumb combat boots, and the way you read my mind.
I hate you so much it makes me sick; it even makes me rhyme.
I hate the way you’re always right. I hate it when you lie.
I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry.
I hate it when you’re not around, and the fact that you didn’t call.
But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you.
Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.”
(Julia Stiles as Kat Stratford, 10 Things I Hate About You)
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“I’ll have what she’s having.” (Estelle Reiner as Female Diner, When Harry Met Sally)
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“When a man is wrestling a leopard in the middle of a pond, he’s in no position to run.” (Cary Grant as David Huxley, Bringing Up Baby)
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“I see dead people.” (Haley Joel Osment as Cole Sear, The Sixth Sense)
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“Elizabeth and I were married by the time we were twenty, and we’d been going out since we were fifteen so this may sound a bit juvenile but . . . can I hold your hand?” (David Duchovny as Bob Rueland, Return to Me)
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“There’s no crying! There’s no crying in baseball!” (Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan, A League of Their Own)
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“What is discretion but dishonesty dressed up in a little good breeding?” (Kevin Kline as Cole Porter, De-Lovely)
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Wash: This landing is gonna get pretty interesting.
Mal: Define “interesting.”
Wash: “Oh God, oh God, we’re all going to die”?
(Alan Tudyk as Hoban “Wash” Washburn and Nathan Fillion as Malcolm Reynolds, Serenity)
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“Face it, girls, I’m older and I have more insurance.” (Kathy Bates as Evelyn Couch, Fried Green Tomatoes)
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“I’m a writer. . . A writer. I write, with parchment, and ink. Geoffrey Chaucer’s the name, writing’s the game. You’ve read my book? the Book of the Duchess? No? Well, it was allegorical . . . I give the truth scope! . . . I will eviscerate you in fiction. Every pimple, every character flaw. I was naked for a day; you will be naked for eternity.” (Paul Bettany as Geoffrey Chaucer, A Knight’s Tale)
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“England is under threat of invasion, and though we be on the far side of the world, this ship is our home. This ship is England. So it’s every hand to his rope or gun, quick’s the word and sharp’s the action. After all . . . Surprise is on our side.” (Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World)
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“I’m going crazy. I’m standing here solidly on my own two hands and going crazy.” (Katharine Hepburn as Tracy Lord, The Philadelphia Story)
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“I think we’ve all arrived at a very special place. Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically.” (Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
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“In vain have I struggled, it will not do. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” (David Rintoul and Collin Firth as Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice)
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“There’s a monster outside my room, can I have a glass of water?” (Abigail Breslin as Bo Hess, Signs)
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“Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together. . . and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home . . . only to no home I’d ever known. I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like . . . magic.” (Tom Hanks as Sam Baldwin, Sleepless in Seattle)
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“Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal.” (Meg Ryan as Kathleen Kelly, You’ve Got Mail)
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“Yeah, well, I married a first date, missy, and you know how it is. You’re out with a guy, you find him attractive, and suddenly everything he says sounds brilliant. Hairy legs are your only link to reality. . . . It kept me a virgin until, y’know, whenever.” (Bonnie Hunt as Megan Dayton, Return to Me)
Writing the Romance Novel: Why I Read and Write Romance
Why would someone purposely write in a genre that is the most criticized, most reviled, least respected, and most belittled out there? A genre that not only draws pitying looks (or the nudge-nudge-wink-wink reaction) but gets the author rejected by all but one graduate-level creative writing program in the country.
Because I’m in love with the idea of falling in love.
Extreme-sports participants get a rush from flipping three times in the air on a motorcycle or jumping off a cliff with just an elastic string tied to their ankle to save them from a grizzly death. That’s what they need to get an adrenaline rush. All I need for the same “thrills and chills” is to sit down with a great romance novel.
Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not talking about the titillation that comes from reading the more explicit books in the genre. I’m talking about the true rush of emotion that comes from following the heroine and hero along on their romantic journey—experiencing the first tingle of attraction, feeling my own heart beat faster with the heroine’s whenever the hero walks into the room, grieving with her when it seems all is lost, then rejoicing at the happy ending.
Most critics say that romance novels set up unrealistic expectations in young women about what love/romance/relationships are really like. But those critics don’t really understand what the romance novel is truly about.
The romance novel’s main purpose is
imbuing HOPE into readers’ lives.
Hope that no matter what we’re facing in our real lives, we can still find happy endings along the way. Hope that comes from the sense of control we can regain in our own lives by reading about spunky heroines and warrior heroes. Hope from knowing that things aren’t as bad as we think they are—after all, look at what these characters had to go through and they still managed to find happiness.
When people find out I’m a writer after they’ve known me awhile, many are surprised to find out that I write romance. You see, I’m not a “girly” girl. I love action movies and have to be dragged kicking and screaming to most chick flicks. I’m an LSU football FANATIC—and can tell you what the call on the field is usually before the referee announces it. Though I have a few cute handbags, I don’t obsess over them—nor over shoes or clothes. I’m more likely to watch ESPN or the SciFi channel than E! or Style. I hold my emotions in, abhor public emotional scenes (from me or anyone else—which includes crying in movies), and find it hard to discuss my feelings.
Yet whenever a story idea crosses my mind (which is several times a day), it’s always about how something I’ve heard or someone—either a real person or a character in a show/movie—can become part of a romance storyline.
There may be a good reason for this . . . you see, in my almost thirty-seven years on this earth, I’ve only experienced falling in love once—and it was completely one-sided. I’ve never dated. I’ve never been kissed. I’ve never been “in a relationship.” While I’ve never had any of those positive relationship experiences, I’ve also never had any of the negatives that sometimes come afterward. The breakups, the loss of ideals of what romance is really supposed to be like.
When I start developing a new story idea, it’s usually because I’ve become obsessed with (i.e., have a crush on) a template for a hero character—remember, I “cast” all of my characters from Real World Templates, usually actors I’ve seen portraying a character that speaks to me. I allow myself to fall in love with my hero as he develops, which is why my heroines tend to share several of their personality traits with me—because it is my emotions for, my reactions to the hero I’m putting out there on the page when I do start writing.
I believe in true love—and that two people can love each other passionately for a lifetime. I believe in instant attraction as well as attraction that happens after people have known each other a long time. I believe in passion—the kind that makes the spine tingle, the hair on the back of the neck stand up, the heart race, and the brain falter—and it doesn’t even have to come from sexual attraction. I believe that someone’s intellect can be more attractive than their outward appearance (or can, conversely, be a great deterrent to someone’s attractiveness). I believe, most of all, that it isn’t the hearts and flowers, the candlelight and music, that make a real romance—real romance is companionship. Lifelong, I’ll-always-be-here-for-you companionship.
That’s why I read and write romance.
For Discussion:
Why do you read and/or write romance?
Writing the Romance Novel: History of the Inspirational Romance
In 2004, the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA) estimated Christian Fiction sales around $2 billion per year. Eleven percent of this was inspirational romance, and that figure grew to about 25 percent in 2005 and has been growing steadily since. The millions of women represented by these percentages have grown tired of the explicit sensuality in mainstream love stories; however, when they pick up an inspirational romance, they are still looking for a ROMANCE novel—a story that follows standard plotlines, uses familiar language, and gives a satisfying ending, all with a Christian worldview that doesn’t preach at them.
Although many critics, commentators, and publishers consider “inspirational” or “Christian” romance to be a new genre, the true origins of the genre can be traced to the beginning of literature itself. While many evangelicals call the Bible the romance between God and His people, taking a closer look at three individual books within the Bible point toward humans’ fascination with romance: Ruth, Esther, and Song of Solomon. Each of these books, Ruth and Esther being stories and Song of Solomon a poetical conversation, explore the relationship between men and women in the context of Jewish society and religion.
As literature developed apart from sacred writings, the exploration of the relationship between men and women continued to be a recurring theme. In their article “The Inspirational Romance,” Ellen Micheletti and Rachel Potter explored the beginnings of what is now considered a “thriving sub-culture within the mainstream.” They defined inspirational romance as a story that shows not only the developing relationship between hero and heroine but a focus on their spiritual growth as well.
Literary criticism of the earliest English language novelists points toward the Christian elements in the writings of the Brontë sisters, Jane Austen, Ann Radcliffe, and many others. Micheletti and Potter delved into the history of American literature and pointed out the pressure of the conservative religious society on fiction, with preachers denouncing the reading of fiction as sinful. However, fiction production and readership grew, and a majority of this number were women wanting to write or read about romantic relationships. To assuage guilty consciences on both sides of the equation, writers incorporated large doses of a Christian message in their novels.
For most of the genre’s history, the standard plot has been a coming-of-age story of a young woman who must redeem the playboy hero before the happy ending can occur. Grace Livingston Hill became the master of this and is considered by most scholars of the genre to be the “mother” of inspirational romance, with more than one hundred titles published between 1877 and 1947—most of which remain in print and popular reading material. Published in 1967, Christy by Catherine Marshall is also considered to be one of the milestones of the inspirational romance genre, even though it is more about the coming-of-age of the eponymous heroine and less about her romantic interests (in today’s genre definitions, it fits more closely in the Lits category than romance).
By the time Christy hit bookshelves, the mainstream romance genre was exploding and the demand for “sweet” or inspirational romance declined—at least most publishers of romance felt no need to continue to print romance novels with a focus on any religious theme which did not include increasingly graphic sensuality. But the market for moral and/or Christian-themed romance had not disappeared. In the late 1970s, Bethany House Publishers acquired a book that would be ground-breaking not just for inspirational romance, but for the Christian fiction industry: Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke. This “prairie romance” not only eschewed the popular trend of overt, graphic sexuality in a romance novel, but also included a complete presentation of the gospel message. For the next decade, based on the bestselling success of Love Comes Softly along with its many sequels, Christian fiction gained a stereotype from the proliferation of covered wagons, characters speaking in moralizations, full gospel presentations, quoted scripture, and exclusion of anything that might be found remotely offensive to even the most fundamentalist Christian. Then, in 1986, things changed.
Although rejected by just about every other Christian publisher, in 1986, Crossway Books published a groundbreaking novel, This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. Using a not-before-seen style and plot device, Peretti created a world where spiritual warfare was real and the boundary between the physical world and the spiritual was paper-thin and eventually breached. I remember first hearing about the book at church from people who didn’t know whether to consider it prophetical or fictional. The book succeeded by this word of mouth, eventually becoming a best seller by the time the sequel, Piercing the Darkness, was released in 1989. The response to these books acted as a wake-up call to the somnolent Christian publishing industry. Publishing houses began looking for “out of the box” ideas and authors for their fiction lines. While most of the titles they published were still romances, the market began to see fewer “prairie romances” and a greater variety of eras, including contemporary settings, which followed the trend seen in the mainstream market.
As the quality of writing and story increased, so did the demand for titles. As CBA publishers produced multiple million-or-more-selling titles, the secular publishing houses have stood up and taken notice, and have either acquired smaller Christian imprints or started inspirational or “moral” fiction imprints of their own to compete for this ever growing market. William Robinson attributes the growing Christian fiction audience to a shift from the stories being “aggressively evangelical” to more of a “Christian worldview.” Christian novelist Meredith Efken agrees, stating, “Most of us want to write about what it means to be a Christian in reality. Our lives are more than what happens on Sundays in church. . . . My faith is part of who I am. We’re not trying to write ‘Christian fiction’ but fiction from a Christian worldview, because that’s our worldview” (from a 2006 Pioneer Press article).
Many CBA publishers have moved away from guidelines that require their authors include a full presentation of the gospel. When Alan Arnold was head of Thomas Nelson Publishers’ cutting-edge fiction line WestBow, he stated the house’s philosophy of Christian fiction is returning to its roots: “Great writers wrote from their Christian worldview and created novels that still sell today. . . . That’s what we’re reclaiming today” (qtd. Veith).
For Discussion:
How long have you been reading inspirational romance? During that span of time, what changes have you seen? Are the changes for the good? What changes do you think the inspirational romance industry still needs?
Writing the Romance Novel: Divisions and Subgenres
When talking about romance, we cannot ignore the fact that over the past twenty or thirty years, authors have become quite successful at creating hybrid stories that have generated subgenres. So far, we’ve looked at the basics of what makes up a romance-genre novel. With Contemporary and Historical Romance as the “mothers” of the genre, let’s look at some subgenres. This is by no way an exhaustive list, but I’ve tried to cover the most common subgenres.
Romantic Suspense: There is a suspense element (one or both the hero or heroine is personally in jeopardy) that is almost to equally important as the romance plot. Take out either thread, and the story falls apart. These are usually contemporary settings (historical romantic suspense tends to fall into the “Gothic” category–see below), and one of the characters may be involved in law-enforcement in some manner (an FBI agent, a police officer, a homeland security agent, etc.). Harlequin has a couple of lines for romantic suspense: Harlequin Intrigue and Love Inspired Suspense. Dee Henderson has probably written the most popular series of romantic suspense novels in the Christian market with the O’Malley series.
Paranormal Romance: In general-market novels, these are stories in which one of the characters is a vampire, werewolf, sorcerer/ess, shape-shifter, ghost, etc. In inspirational romance, this subgenre isn’t seen quite as much, but one of the characters could be an angel (or former angel) or someone with God-endowed supernatural abilities (prophecy, healing, discernment). These are set in the real world (contemporary or historical), though the actual location (city, country) may be fictional. Not to be confused with fantasy.
Fantasy Romance: These are romances that have an other-worldly setting. The characters may or may not have special abilities. While the fantastical setting is important, the romance is still what takes center stage. Mira’s Luna Books imprint is making great strides in this category with series like Maria V. Snyder’s Study series.
Time-Travel Romance: This can be a hero/heroine falling in love though separated by time (such as in the Hallmark movie The Letter, in which the present-day hero and the Civil War–era heroine fall in love by exchanging letters through her desk that is now in his possession), a character finding a way to time-travel because of love (Somewhere in Time), accidentally traveling in time and falling in love with someone of that time (Jude Deveraux’s Knight in Shining Armor), or someone in love in his/her own time who gets stuck in another time period and must make it back to his/her own time. Whichever way it works, the time travel has a major impact on the development of the romantic relationship—and the romantic relationship is what makes the time-travel important.
Futuristic Romance: Can be science fiction or end-times—but, again, the romance/relationship is the focus of the story, not the setting or events, which differentiates it from the sci-fi/end-times genres.
Licensed Theme: A few years ago, Harlequin contracted with NASCAR for a series of novels that featured racing, drivers, cars, fans, real venues, and real people involved in the NASCAR industry. They were written by well-known authors who were given very specific guidelines to follow.
Medical Romance: These romances emphasize medicine/doctors/hospitals as a major part of the plot. One or both characters are involved in the medical field, and the story usually features several medical cases that will all tie in with the romantic plot. The husband-wife team writing as Hannah Alexander excels in this genre.
Regency Romances: Though the actual Regency period in England didn’t start until 1811—when the Prince of Wales became Prince Regent because of the insanity of King George III—the term has come to cover romances set in England any time from about 1800–1820 (when the Prince Regent became King George IV). Regencies are very much focused on the social scene of the era, the rules of society—though in recent years, the trend has been to write heroines who are far too modern in their attitudes and who constantly and flagrantly ignore/purposely disobey the societal norms (much to the frustration to those of us who love the actual historical era). The hero is usually very wealthy, most likely titled. The heroine can be wealthy/titled, or she can be the daughter of a poor but genteel family. Neither comes from the “working class.” Regular Regency readers are as familiar with barouche, spencer, pelisse, pin money, the Pump Room, and Almack’s as contemporary-romance readers are with Cadillac, blazer, pea coat, allowance, the gym, and the prom (or the club). There is a specific cadence to the language—both in narrative and dialogue—and the little niceties of social interaction, such as bowing and curtsying, are observed.
Medieval Romances: Usually set during the “dark ages” up through the early part of the Renaissance era, or from about 1066 A.D. (when William of Brittany conquered England) to the early 1500s (Columbus made his fateful journey in 1492; Henry VIII split from the Catholic church in 1534). These are usually set in England, though authors are starting to venture into other European countries. The key feature of medievals are the presence of knights, barons, vassals, castles, tournaments, armor, and usually a visit to Court (the royal court, not the justice system) in London, though not always. These are not to be confused with . . .
Highland Romances: Though these are also set during medieval times, if kilts are involved, ye’ve got yerself a Highland Romance, lassie. Instead of dealing with the British court, disputes between vassals/barons, we’ve got good, old-fashioned, blood-boiling, body-paint-adorned, bare-kneed clan feuds. The hero is the laird of the clan (or possibly the heroine, as in Jude Deveraux’s Highland Velvet), and his clan is “at war” with a clan their land borders (or is just separated by one other clan between them, whom both clans are trying to woo to their side of the conflict). They hate the English, though seem to marry them in vast numbers, as the heroine is almost always English. The marriage is rarely a love match, but usually an arranged marriage or the hero marries the heroine to protect her from some threat from her real family or from the evil laird she was actually supposed to marry when the hero kidnapped her as a way to get a dig in at his enemy.
War Romance: Just like it sounds, these are historical romances set during a real war: one of the World Wars, the American Civil War, the Napoleonic war. It isn’t just set during that time period, though. The war must have an effect on the storyline/relationship.
Gothic Romance: In these historicals, the heroine’s life is in jeopardy from someone very close to her—usually a close relative—but the suspicion usually falls squarely on the hero. These are most often written only from the heroine’s POV (1st or 3rd Person), and are set in gloomy climates (lots of storms, fog, cloudy skies, cold, etc.) in mausoleum-like houses/castles. They very often appear to have paranormal elements that are usually explained to be of perfectly natural origins at the end.
Frontier/Pioneer/Western/Prairie Romance: Up until about five years ago, this subgenre was the bane of the inspirational romance industry—because this setting had become synonymous with “inspirational romance.” But just like there are those of us who enjoy Regencies and Medievals, there is still a huge fan base for romances set in the 19th Century American West (i.e., west of the Mississippi River).
Marriage-of-Convenience/Mail-Order Bride Romance: This is one of my favorite subgenres. I’m not sure why, but there’s just something about watching the hero and heroine fall in love after they’re married that enthralls me. These are found across all historical genres—and even pop up in contemporary romances from time to time. One of the key elements of this subgenre is that one or both characters have no choice in the marriage (usually the heroine, though the hero is typically reluctant, even if the marriage is the heroine’s idea to begin with—such as if she needs to marry someone to keep from being forced to marry someone much less desirable or to hold on to her family’s property/wealth). In the 1970s through 1990s, this is the subgenre that was a primary culprit in the creation of the term bodice-ripper, as the typical MOC romance usually featured the hero taking the heroine by force on their wedding night. In Inspirational Romance, the hero is much more of a gentleman and makes the decision that he won’t bed the heroine until she’s ready/until he woos her to fall in love with him.
Again, this is not an exhaustive list, but those I could come up with easily, just looking through the titles on my own bookshelves (or thinking about what authors I know are writing). For a much more exhaustive list, complete with examples of specific titles, visit this great site: http://www.magicdragon.com/ROgens.html.
For Discussion:
What is your favorite subgenre of romance? What subgenre(s) have you written/are you writing? Do you have a tendency to read mostly one subgenre over others? What are some of the advantages of writing in a subgenre that crosses over to another genre (such as suspense, fantasy, or science fiction)? What are some disadvantages?
Fun Friday—This Weekend in Entertainment
This is going to be one of those “entertainment-focused” weekends.
It started for me Thursday night with Part 1 of the three-part series finale of LOST.
Because it has already been announced that 2010 will be the final season, and because there are fewer than 40 episodes remaining, this has been a season of revelation—some surprises, but also some just confirming the theories we’ve been speculating about for the past three years. Last night’s episode served really as a setup for the two-hour season finale in two weeks. But they also managed to plant a little bit of doubt in my mind as to the survival of my favorite character, Desmond. On this show, once characters have resolved whatever problems they had in their lives before they arrived on the island, they have a tendency to die pretty grizzly deaths. Since he just discovered the communications room is packed full of C-4, my main thought was that if they kill off Desmond in the season finale, I’m going to be seriously peeved. I don’t think they can, because it seems like he’s too important to the “war” between Ben and Charles Widmore, but . . .
Okay, now for something that has a little more mass appeal (yes, I do realize that not everyone watches LOST, but at least I know Lori Benton is right there with me!).
In less than twelve hours, Ruth, Lori Lynch, and I will be at the theater caught up in the euphoria of seeing the newest Walden Media movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, on opening night. I went and bought tickets last night to save us from having to stand in line, since we know it’s going to be crowded.
This is one of those movies in which I know I’ll be able to totally suspend disbelief and just enjoy it for what it is: a wonderful fantasy movie with a good message at its heart. I know the books and movies have their detractors. However, because I believe in the redemption message C.S. Lewis used allegory and fantasy to convey, I don’t have a problem with the overt spirituality present in the film. That said, the movie is getting its share of positive reviews as well:
- “As a supposed family film, Prince Caspian might be a tad too long and a wee bit violent for the youngest of tykes. For most, however, the film stands a good chance of becoming the Empire Strikes Back of the ‘Narnia’ series: a darker and more satisfying follow-up to an already exceptional starting point, one that will be hard to top with future installments.”
~Edward Havens, Filmjerk.com
“[T]his is a grand and visually stunning epic with thrilling battle scenes and powerful themes. This one has more violence but also more humor, especially from the most welcome new character, a mouse with the heart of a lion and the voice of Eddie Izzard. Like the book, one of the less compelling of the seven-volume series, it is not as involving as the first. Barnes has a nice screen presence (though his accent sounds like he is trying out for a road show version of West Side Story as one of the Sharks). The pacing is strong, the effects are superb, and the battles are exciting. The themes are presented with a subtlety that encourages thoughtful consideration, with a range of possible interpretations.”
~Nell Minnow, Beliefnet.com’s “Movie Mom” Blog
“Enter Prince Caspian, a sequel that far and away surpasses its predecessor and is on the short list of superb fantasy epics. . . . it’s a very bloodless affair although it potentially could still be fairly intense for younger viewers, especially watching the Pevensie children dispose of their enemies. These aren’t naïve cutesy kids, but skilled warriors. Adamson taps into that childhood fantasy of being a heroic warrior fighting alongside magical creatures against stuffy, controlling adults bent on spoiling all the fun. . . . Add on cameos by Liam Neeson as Aslan and 2008 Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Tilda Swinton and Caspian hits on all marks so effectively that its two-hour plus run time flies by so quickly you can hardly believe it’s over. If you even remotely liked the first installment, you’ll love Prince Caspian, one of the most entertaining film experiences I’ve had so far this year.”
~Jeffrey Lyles, RottenTomatoes.com
“[T]he Narnia books—and so far, the movies based on them—are wonderful as stories about childhood and its loss. Toward the end of Prince Caspian, it becomes clear that the two older children, Peter and Susan, are aging out of Narnia; they’ve crossed over to the world of grownups, and only Edmund and Lucy will be back for the next adventure. . . . The scene in which the kids bid farewell to the dreamlike world that’s become more real to them than their own has the emotional power of great children’s literature. Like Lewis Carroll’s Alice, L. Frank Baum’s Dorothy, or E.B. White’s Fern, the Pevensies live on the border between two realities, the mundane and the magical. For those of us who have long since lost the ability to cross over, it’s a pleasure to watch them make that journey.”
~Dana Stevens, Slate.com/National Public Radio
So get out and see it this weekend if at all possible!
Then, on Sunday, we have the two-hour conclusion of Cranford on PBS.
Just like in the best soap operas, things are getting stickier and stickier for our lovely ladies—and our few gentlemen—in the never-quiet, rarely peaceful town of Cranford. Gossip generated from half-heard conversations and misunderstandings bred from overactive imaginations lead to both humor and heartache for our characters, especially Sophy and Dr. Harrison. Before the miniseries ends, typhoid fever and an accident at the railroad construction site threaten the lives of two of our main characters—but don’t worry, the film ends on a happy note . . . and left me wishing BBC would make it into an ongoing series (that we wouldn’t have to wait more than a year for over here on this side of the Pond).
For a limited time, you can watch Cranford online at PBS’s website. This weekend’s episode should be available for viewing Monday. The DVD releases May 20.
Writing the Romance Novel: Humor and Romantic Comedy, with guest Linda Windsor
Several weeks ago, I asked my favorite Romantic Comedy author if she would write a column on writing Romantic Comedy. She was wonderful enough to respond, even though she was in the process of getting ready for a trip to Bermuda. Here’s what Linda Windsor has to say about writing RomCom:
- I really can’t say how to write humor. I have done a workshop about the structure of it, but as to the spark itself, I think you have to have sense of humor to start with. You have to have an eye to see the humor in almost anything. You have to take life’s most embarrassing moments and incorporate them into a scene that will work for the heroine/hero.
I wish I could say more, but there isn’t a formula for it. You take the mundane and “what if” it to funny. Or you take funny real life and incorporate it into a scene. So much of the funny things in my books are real. They happened to me or someone I know. Yep, I grew up with clowns. Not really. Just ordinary people who can laugh at themselves.
I had a friend who witnessed a fire in which someone murdered had been disposed. Her son went in and dragged out the body. It was freezing, so the cops set up office in friend’s hotel suite, at her compassionate invitation, to question the hysterical widow (Black Widow). A book was written about it, one of those dark true crime stories. But to hear my friend tell all the asides, it was hysterical. How she was hugging the murderer and nurturing her, not knowing she’d just shot a man in cold blood and set him on fire. How friend’s poor hubby, oblivious to all, tried to sleep in the other room while strangers kept coming in and sitting on side of his bed to use the phone. Someday, I might be able to use that. It’s all about perspective.
And of course, there is my infamous horseback ride in Jamaica, which is in IT HAD TO BE YOU: riding bareback in the water on the horse that ate Jamaica and dodging floating islands of fresh horsey pooh. “This wasn’t in the brochure!” was my direct quote. In my Piper Cove Chronicles, (WEDDING BELL BLUES) the crab debacle happened to me. Except I was on the kitchen counter, a mallot in each hand, while the critters crawled all over the floor. I could have used a hero. Instead, years later, I used that incident, my hysteria, in a book. It was NOT funny at the time.
The “What the Lord’s forgotten, you can pad with cotton” episode in FOR PETE’S SAKE, happened when that same girlfriend (who nurtured the murderer) and I went out years ago and she borrowed my dress. We stuffed the pre-formed bodice with paper towels and, as my friend danced the night away, she left a trail of paper towels and one of her bosoms was indented.
The wad pantyhose in the pant leg of my not so suave heroine in PAPER MOON was me. I felt this lump in my leg as I knelt to get goodies from a vending machine at work. Knowing something was amiss that I didn’t want to share with the men in the lunchroom, I hastened to my office, locked the door and investigated. Somehow pantyhose had managed to get in the leg of my slacks and, my not being the most alert in the morning, had not noticed. Except in my book, I carried it a little further.
Many know I lost my late husband four years ago. I hadn’t been to the huge cemetery but twice in my life and the day of his funeral, I wasn’t making a map. So there I was wandering through the tombstones, teary and feeling like the worst widow in the world. I mean, how can you lose your husband? Then I thought of him elbowing Jesus and telling Him, “Look, you only had to watch her. I’ve been living with that for 23 years!” And I laughed. A little later I found the gravesite and as I stared at my feet, I realized not only was I a ditz for losing poor Jim, but I was wearing a navy and a black shoe…of different heel heights! I could imagine the head-shaking going on in heaven. Sad, heart-breaking, yet funny. And my dear hubby had the greatest laugh of all, of that I’m certain. He delighted in my ditziness. Couldn’t wait to see what I’d do next.
It’s all in perspective. At least that’s the “magic” that works for me.
If any of you have ever gotten an e-mail from me, you know that my tagline under my “signature” is Inspirational Fiction with a Sense of Humor. But up until I started graduate school in 2004, I wouldn’t have categorized what I wrote as humorous. Why? Because I took myself and my writing too seriously. I’m the kind of person who is very easily embarrassed by even the littlest mishap, and it’s only been in the past few years that I’ve learned not to take myself so seriously. Because of that, I didn’t want to put my characters into any kind of situation that I would personally find uncomfortable. I struggled for nearly six months, once I realized I needed to infuse humor into my writing, to allow things to happen to my characters, or for them to have internal reactions to conflicts, that were funny—or at least smile inducing. During that time, I read all of Linda Windsor’s contemporary romances (my favorite is Along Came Jones), and then took several workshops she taught and listened to her talk about how she takes situations she’s experienced and incorporates them into her stories—and they’re always the funniest scenes in her books.
As Linda points out above, you can’t force humor. I’ve never made a secret of the fact that I cannot stand Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, and, most especially, Will Farrell. Aside from the fact that most of their humor is, simply, juvenile and degrading, I don’t like them for the most part because they try to force the humor. They do stupid things in their movies or comedy acts just for the sake of getting the cheap laugh—and many of the jokes are at someone else’s expense. But I know there are a lot of people who think they’re some of the funniest people to walk the face of the earth. (I know, I’m sounding like a curmudgeon.)
In writing, the humor needs to evolve naturally out of your own personality. What do you find funny? When is the last time you laughed so hard you cried (or nearly peed your pants)? Have you ever laughed hard and long enough that your stomach and face muscles ached for a while afterward? What made you laugh like that? What kind of comedy movies/shows do you enjoy? What’s the last novel you read that made you laugh? Have you ever analyzed why these make you laugh?
For Discussion:
Who is you favorite comedian? What’s your favorite romantic comedy movie? Who’s your favorite RomCom author? Book? Can a romance be humorous without being a romantic comedy?
Writing the Romance Novel: Historical Romance vs. Historical Fiction
A question came up at my local writing group’s monthly meeting Saturday: what’s the difference between Historical Romance and a Historical? (Oh, and BTW, I do use “a” with the word “historical” based on CMS 5.73 which says to use “a” if the “h” sound is pronounced. If I pronounced it ’istorical, I’d use “an.” Just to head that argument off at the pass!)
Though it would seem like there would be an easy answer to this (and there is, to some extent), in the historical category, there’s a little more of a gray area where the lines get blurred.
The easy answer is this: a historical romance is a romance novel that’s set prior to the Vietnam war (or WWII, depending on the publishing house). Remember, the definition of a romance novel is that the storyline focuses on the developing relationship between the hero and heroine—if the romance is taken out, there is no more story. Historical novels are stories that take place in a historical setting which are more about the effect of that setting on the characters—whether it’s a war, the frontier, or the Protestant Revolution. There might be a romance that occurs in the story, but it’s a subplot. For example: Georgette Heyer wrote historical romances (Regencies); Jeff and Michael Shaara wrote/write historical fiction. Gone with the Wind is historical women’s fiction (it’s about Scarlett’s internal journey and how the events of history effected that journey); John Jakes’s North & South trilogy is historical fiction (it’s about the friendship between Orry and George and how they interacted with and were involved in the historical events).
The answer gets harder when we take into account that many historical stories include a grand romance as part of the storyline. It might not be the main focus of the plot, but it is integral to the story—the main plot just wouldn’t be of any interest without it.
Historicals also tend to be trilogies or even longer series, and, even if a romance is integral to the plot of the story, such as in J.M. Hochstetler‘s American Patriot series, the romance may not be resolved for seven or eight volumes (or more—please not more, Joan!). The entire series is a romance, because the overarching thread is the love story between Elizabeth and Carleton, who are torn apart by the eruption of the Revolutionary War. Each individual book can be considered historical fiction, as it doesn’t follow the seven basic beats of the romance novel—and though each has a satisfying ending (that leaves us wanting more!), it isn’t a happily ever after ending. Once the series as a whole is complete, I’m certain that we could apply the seven beats to the entire story and we’ll see the romance “novel.”
See how the definitions get muddied?
Oh, and just to add one more facet to the definition: the works of Jane Austen, the Brontes, Elizabeth Gaskell, etc., are not considered “historical” romance—because they were contemporary romances when they were written—set during the time period in which they were actually written. A true “historical” is written by someone not living in the time period in which the story is set.
For Discussion:
Who here reads historical romances? Who are your favorite authors? Who is writing historicals/historical romances? Can you define from this whether your story is a historical or a historical romance?
Writing the Multi-ethnic Romance Novel: African American by Patricia Woodside
I’m pleased to introduce (for those of you who don’t already read her blog regularly) Patricia Woodside, a dear writing sister I met online and whose writing journey I’ve been following for the last couple of years.
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I love romance. I especially love Christian romance. It’s uplifting as well as feel-good romantic, and like secular romance, it comes in multiple varieties: contemporary, historical, suspense, etc. However, there’s one flavor that’s all too often missing: African American Christian romance. In fact, there is such a dearth of these books that when one looks at bookstore or library shelves, one has to wonder such a thing even exists.
Before I get hit on the head, let me point out there are a number of successful African American (AA) authors writing and publishing Christian fiction. Victoria Christopher Murray, Jacquelin Thomas, and ReShonda Tate Billingsley are longstanding successes. Tia McCollors, Claudia Mair Burney, Marilynn Griffith, and Angela Benson are among the more recent multi-published AA Christian authors. Then brand new authors, like Sheila Lipsey, Keshia Dawn, Leslie Sherrod, and Kimberly Cash Tate are making their debuts.
However, most AA Christian fiction is more than plain, simple romance. Many are ensemble stories featuring multiple heroines, and are bigger, broader stories that are more likely categorized as women’s fiction.
On the secular side of the market, pure AA romance can be found in offerings from Harlequin and a variety of other publishers. In fact, the sub-genre was popular enough that in 2007, Harlequin purchased Arabesque/BET Books and now releases eight or more romantic stories monthly of varying sensuality featuring African American heroes and heroines under the Kimani Press imprint.
But where is the African American Christian romance?
One might ask why there is a need for AA Christian romance. After all, if it’s the spiritual message that African American readers desire, they can find that in a host of Christian books. Harlequin also publishes the Steeple Hill Love Inspired imprint, which has included AA stories by Felicia Mason, and Heartsong Presents has published AA stories by Aisha Ford and Cecelia Dowdy. So there’s been limited success at least in category romance, where recently even a few white authors have taken on multicultural characters, an effort I wholeheartedly applaud.
For me, it is not an issue of exclusion but rather one of inclusion. Although our God is the same and we may even worship together, AA Christians daily reside within our darker skins. Like it or not, that aspect of our being colors our world. Occasionally, when reading a book where the author doesn’t dwell on the physical characteristics of the characters, or where those characteristics are somewhat ambiguous—dark hair and dark eyes, for example—I find myself picturing the characters as looking like me.
Just as years ago the need for African American dolls was proven in order to build and support the self-esteem of young African American children(1), I argue there is a need for AA Christian romance. AA Christians need to read about characters who look like them, talk like them, and who may act in a culturally familiar manner as they are challenged and grow in their faith. Heroes and heroines of like ethnicity as the reader removes the final barrier preventing the reader from making a full and deep connection with the characters.
Is it simply a matter of coloring the characters African American?
A resounding NO.
The romance remains the central story but that romance is highlighted by our unique culture. The African American community is not a monolith but we do have aspects of our culture that tie us together.
Like food. In an African American novel, food scenes might include ribs or fried chicken, smothered pork chops, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, collard greens, stuffing, gravy, and homemade rolls. Recipe for a heart attack? Yes, but not an uncommon meal in the AA community. Throw in some West Indian blood and it might include coconut rice, curried goat, roti, and plaintain. Add some African to the mix and it might include injera, a flat bread; doro wat, a spicy chicken stew; jollof rice; peanut stew; or couscous.
There’s our worship style. The liveliness of our worship, as demonstrated in many predominantly African American churches every Sunday morning, might include large hand-clapping choirs singing to foot-stomping rhythms played by fully orchestrated bands. There might be praise dancers and flag teams. Nurses’ units provide relief and comfort when the Spirit gets a bit too high; the preacher delivers the message with a particular rhythmic cadence; and of course, there’s the parade of fashion that often verges on what others might consider evening wear—hats, suits and dresses adorned with sequins, feathers, gems, and whatever else might make an attractive statement. Then too the role of the church in African American life is based on its historical roots, and includes education, self-empowerment, political activism, social service, and economic advancement. Furthermore, AA stories may be affected by the extent to which race, along with social, political, and economic factors, dictates the characters’ priorities and challenges.
Remember though that the African American community is a vast and varied one. Thus, it is necessary to watch out for stereotypes. The dinner I described above is definitely stereotypical. As with all stereotypes, however, it is rooted in truth. But African Americans eat other things too, like Cornish hens, beef stroganoff, scalloped potatoes, julienned carrots, stir-fry, fondue, and caviar, not foods normally associated with us.
Not all African Americans speak in an ethnically identifiable manner, or if they do, they may be selective about when, where, and among whom.
Not all African Americans attend churches with the Pentecostal worship style I also described above, another stereotype. There are many African American Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, like my mother who frowns on the “noise” in my more animated church setting.
Not all African Americans know or are involved with the criminal element of society.
Not all African Americans live in poor or struggling neighborhoods.
Not all African Americans play certain sports, dance well, rap, or sing.
As much as we are different, we have a lot in common with the majority American culture because we too are American. We celebrate many of the same holidays with many of the same traditions. We speak and write proper English and expect our children to do the same. We aspire to be well-educated, financially sound, and to live well, which does not necessarily mean displaying the “bling-bling” too often negatively associated with our culture. We live in nice neighborhoods and our children attend nice schools.
There is a fine line between creating culturally identifiable characters and stereotyping. There is also a fine line between creating characters that more closely resemble the majority culture and running the risk of those same characters being deemed “unbelievable”, as what happened with the popular sitcom of the 1980’s, The Cosby Show. To this day, I’m still trying to figure out what’s so unbelievable about an African American pediatrician and African American lawyer parenting five kids in an upscale brownstone in Brooklyn. When it comes to African American characterization, there’s too often a definite double-standard and an emphasis on the negative for the purposes of commercial success.
All of this makes for added difficulty in crafting the African American Christian romance. Shaking up those stereotypes, and going beyond them to tell a tale that reflects universal issues, is both a consideration and a challenge for those who might pen AA Christian romance and for those who edit and publish it.
Bottom line: African American Christian Romance is an underserved segment of the fiction market.
African Americans represent roughly 13% of the U.S. population and these numbers don’t include people of African descent who also claim Hispanic or some other origin, like me, who are now designated “multi-racial.” According to the U.S. Department of State, Blacks are the group most likely to report a religious affiliation. More than three-fourths are Protestant(2). That’s a large number of folks who would be hard-pressed to identify ethnically with the characters in the average Christian romance novel.
Let’s do the math: 75% of 13% of 300 million is approximately 29 million people. Then, about 37% of African Americans read fiction so let’s assume that holds true for African American Christians(3). The result is a reader population of nearly 11 million people. Keep in mind that a popular fiction book is considered a success if it sells a mere 5,000 copies(4).
So here’s to hoping we see a lot more African American Christian fiction. I’m working hard to make sure that we do!
- http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/brown/brown-brown.html
- http://www.america.gov/st/diversity-english/2008/March/20080313140042xlrennef0.357403.html
- http://www.parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/statistics.cfm
- http://www.parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/statistics.cfm
Patricia Woodside describes herself as an I.T. Professional, Pastor’s Wife, Mother, and Writer. She blogs about life and writing at http://readinnwritin.blogspot.com.
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