Romance Today
My mom’s reaction when it was confirmed what I’m writing and an email I got on one of my author loops... well, it got me thinking about the romance genre as a whole--and erotic romance in particular--and how it’s perceived by those not in this industry (and, unfortunately, by a few people who are in this industry but are caught up in their own issues of what's "romance" and what's not).
First, I want to set the record straight. Romance authors don’t write “trashy novels”. We write the most popular fiction in the world. (Well, in the U.S., anyway. Sales statistics bear me out on this.)
Jenny Crusie, in one keynote speech she gave, said (and I paraphrase), “The stories we write are not real, but they are true.” (Take that, James Frey and Nasdijj!) What did she mean by this? Romances aren’t real because the characters and situations are fictional. But they are true because in them we explore basic human truths of life, love, and struggle. Romance novelists and readers simply choose to look at the world in a positive light, and so the books have happily ever afters at the end, or at the very least, the promise of an HEA.
Finally, life is hard. We have no guarantees of happiness. Even the founding fathers of the United States of America were wise enough to know that and so protected not our happiness, but our right to pursue happiness. And because our lives sometimes are so hard and emotionally draining/unsatisfying, I want my entertainment (be it books or movies) to have happy endings. (Can I tell you how incredibly irritated I was with City of Angels? I mean, here the angel gives up his immortality to be with the heroine, and then she dies?!?!? WTF is up with that?!?!?)
So. I do not write trash. Okay, Mom?
I write frickin’ good entertainment!
8 comments:
Yes you do, Sherrill. Your Mom is proud of you. At least she will be when she reads your work.
Does your mom read your blog? This post could be very enlightening to her. :^) And, yes, you do write good entertainment! hugs! ~Su, who writes sweet romance, but who enjoys reading good erotic romances :^)
Oh, Sloane. No. My mother is NEVER to read my work. Never ever. Oh. No.
Su, my mom doesn't know I have a blog (well, that I know of. Who knows what else my sister has felt compelled to share?!?) And you go right on writing sweet romance--romance is romance, and it's all good. :)
Amen, Sistah Kate! :^) ~Su
Whatever the reason, Kate, they can't argue that romance is wildly popular. And I think it's because of the HEA--real life can be hard and boring and sad sometimes, and this gives us the escape to happiness.
Emma, I actually just had this conversation with a member of my local RWA chapter. Granted, she's new to writing, let alone erotic romances, but that's what she thinks she writes. Of course, from other conversations I've had or overheard, it doesn't sound like she's read too many romances to know the difference. :)
Anyway, she said to me, "Sherrill, you write erotica, right? I wanted to get some pointers."
I immediately corrected her. "I write erotic romance. There's a difference."
And it's huge. I don't have a problem with erotica authors thinking I've got too much romance, because I don't write erotica. I do have a problem with (what I've seen to be) the few romance authors who think I write erotica because I write explicit love scenes.
It's still romance. Dammit. :)
What the hay, woman. You write love stories. LOVE STORIES. You don't do porn. Yes they have explicit sex. But I suspect, since you're on this earth writing these stories, your mom was in love and had sex at least once in her life.
Give the lady some leeway.
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