Not Your Mama’s Romance
Dear Maggie,
Aren’t you a science fiction writer? Why did you decide to write romance novels?
Sincerely,
Curious in Columbia
Dear Curious,
Be honest, we all remember sneaking off with our mom’s bodice ripper romance novels and dog earring ‘those scenes’ to read over and over again. Or maybe that’s just me? Seriously, though, sexy scenes are fun to read, and they’re really fun to write. My husband sure appreciates it when I ask him to proof a particularly steamy scene I’ve written!
Of course, romance novels are about more than the sex. In fact, some romance novels only crack the bedroom door open an inch, and the sexy scenes are alluded to rather than spelled out in graphic detail. Different readers prefer different levels of explicitness, and romance novels come with various heat levels to accommodate those sensibilities.
Having said all that, I think there are two reasons I ventured into writing romance. The first is the heavy character driven nature of the stories. As a reader, I want to feel a deep connection to the characters I’m reading about. I want to watch them struggle, and suffer, and grow. I want to fall in love with them and root for them and follow them on a journey. Because romance novels are centered around a romantic relationship of some sort, I get all this in spades. As a writer, I take great satisfaction in developing my characters, and especially watching them find love.
The second reason I love writing romance is the happy ending. I admit it, I’m a sucker for a happy ending, and in romance writing, that’s an unbreakable rule. No matter what the main characters have suffered through, they get to ride off into the sunset together. I love to really put my characters through the ringer. It makes for great dramatic tension, and watching their behavior under stress is one of my favorite ways to bare their souls to readers. But after all I put them through, I want them to find happiness together. Call me an optimist, I guess!
Coming from a science fiction writing background, I also love writing plot-driven action scenes. I found the best of both worlds in the romantic suspense genre, where the relationship between the main characters takes center stage, but their story is set amidst a backdrop of suspense and action. At some point, I may venture out of this sub-genre, but I’ve got at least four more books in the TSI series to write, so it’ll be a while!
Thanks for the great question!
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