Thoughts on blogging
Blogging, a strange new world for me but one I’ve consider exploring for a quite while. A friend of mine, a fellow romance writer and published author, began her adventure into the ‘land of blog’ months ago when she was fortunate enough to have her first book published (check out this link - http://www.breathlesspress.com/erotic/heart-of-the-maze.html). Since then Rain has been encouraging me to join in on the fun too. Even more than that Rain Chapman, Summer Falls and I have even discussed joining forces and establishing a blog that three of us will maintain while promoting our work and helping others with theirs. At this point our plans are in their infancy, but as thing progress I’ll discuss them here with links to our joint blog.
For now, if you’d like to check out Rain’s blog, here’s a link to that as well - http://rainchapman.blogspot.com/ Rain has also produced an amazing trailer to promote her book that you can see at her blog as well. It totally rocks, IMHO.
Reflections on romance writing
Three years ago, just before my youngest child graduated from high school, I began working on my first romance novel. After years of being an avid romance reader, I wanted to write the stories that had been banging around inside my head. I have completed my first novel and have begun the search for someone who is interested enough in my story to publish it. I have also completed my second novel, which I am heavily editing now.
One particular question has been asked of me when I tell people I’m writing a romance novel – why romance? For me romance has always been about escapism in its purest form. The feeling of becoming someone else while I’m lost in the pages of a romance is nearly as potent as any drug. A good romance pulls you in and takes you away from day to day worries. Giving you a refreshed state of mind so that you can deal with the laundry, kids, balancing the checkbook and even listening to the evening news, which lately is so distressing it is unbearable. Romance is heartbreak, wonder, denial, forgiveness, passion, love and an HEA (that’s romance writer speak for happily ever after).
Have you ever wondered what actually classifies as a romance? The RWA National describes the genre this way –
Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending.
A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around two individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.
An Emotionally-Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love.
One other interesting tidbit about romances, during tough economic times romance novels outsell nearly every other genre. I believe that the reason for this is basic. People need an escape from the troubles that surround them, whether those problems are personal or the troubles of the world around them. Romance novels provide that escape into another world and at a reasonable price, something sorely needed during sucky economic times.
Any thoughts? I’d love to hear from you.
And as Tigger would say – ttfn
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Go MC! Yay, you did it and it is an amazing start. I love the information you have provided on the subject of romance. And I thank you for your encouragement too. Birds of a feather, my friend, birds of a feather. ;^)
ReplyDeleteNice job, MC. I had to tell you how much I agree with you about getting lost in a book. That is the main reason I read. I love the feeling books give me when I enjoy them so much that I almost become part of the book. I enjoyed reading your blog very much.
ReplyDeleteKarin BD