I love romance. My boys are convinced I am a hopeless romantic, from the way I make them learn to dance (yes, I’m a firm believer that every boy should know a few foxtrot and swing dance steps) to the advice I give them on dating. (What on earth has this world come to that kids don’t date anymore? They…hang out. Travesty).
His and Her ornaments
I admit, that a small part of me lives in that happy world where people break out into singing, make grand gestures for each other and say deep, profound things.
(one of my favorite movie lines: “I ache for Gracie” – send me an email at susan@mybooktherapy if you know what that’s from, and I’ll enter you in a drawing at the end of the week for a copy of my new book, Sons of Thunder.)
And I’m not the only one. The romance genre continues to hold strong despite the recession.
Here’s a quote from RWA annual Romance report:
“Not only did romance fiction generate $1.37 billion in sales in 2008, but also it remained the largest share of the consumer market at 13.5 percent. R.R. Bowker’s Books In Print shows 7,311 new romance titles were published in the United States in 2008 (out of a total 275,232 new titles). With 7,311 new romances published in one year, “no fiction category can rival romance in terms of sheer size.”(2)”
(read the full article at: http://www.rwanational.org/cs/the_romance_genre/romance_literature_statistics/industry_statistics)
I look forward to seeing what happened in 2009 – I know in the first quarter, Harlequin revenue rose revenue rose 13.5%. Personally, I continue to see sales of my romance titles increase.
See, people still want to believe in love and happily ever after, even in the bad times. Maybe especially in the bad times.
It behooves us then, as writers to consider romance as we write our novels. Whether we’re all out romantics who want to write a full-out romance, or romantic suspense writers who write half and half, to women’s fiction, fantasy or thriller writers who just put in a smidge, there’s no doubt that a great romance makes for a great story. C’mon admit it – even the men like a little romance. (I have a growing list of male readers who swear me to secrecy!)
A great romance is a story we can escape into, explore a world or a profession or a life situation that intrigues us. We want to tap into those delicious feelings of falling in love, and for a short time, believe wildly in happily ever after. A great romance relieves stress and gives us hope.
And let’s not forget, God is all about romance. He created it, He models it, He wants us to enjoy it.
So, how do you write a great romance? We’re going to learn at MBT this year.
A great romance is comprised of loveable heroes, and heroines we want to root for. It’s about tension and sexual sparks (even in inspirational romances). A great romance woos the reader with dialogue and creative scenes (not unlike dating!). It has a black moment and an epiphany, and especially a happily ever after.
We’ll be covering the components of a romance in the first half of the year – and then we’ll put it together into structure the second half. It’s a year of love at My Book Therapy!
To get the fun started, head over to the My Book Therapy VOICES forum and tell us – what is YOUR favorite romance (book or movie!)
Let us hear your Voice! See you Thurs!
Susie May
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