Why romance?

dnic · Mar 17, 2009

So there are a multitude of reasons why we write, but I have a question, why did you choose this genre to write?

I write romance for the fact that I love playing with the myriad of emotions that come into play. (It's always entertaining to write about a deranged ex). What about you?

brainstorm77 · Mar 17, 2009

Well it's something that I read alot of. Plus with my interest in writing it just seemed natural. I've also dabbled in horror.

anne_marie · Mar 17, 2009

I used to write horror mainly but after a while I got bored with it. Then I had an idea for a young adult series and one of the plot lines turned into a romance subplot. I found that I have a knack for writing young adult romance - who knew *shrug*

sunandshadow · Mar 17, 2009

I'm not sure I chose romance. Romance was one of the major subject matter areas I played pretend about when I was an 8-12 year old playing with plastic horses and other dolls. I didn't read romance novels in high school (except a few classics like Jane Eyre) but I still absorbed plenty of it through romantic subplots in science fiction and fantasy, and tv and movies, especially once I started watching anime. I'm not sure I've every written anything besides a few poems that didn't have a romantic element to it. Then about halfway through college I started reading romance novels, first as research, then because I had finally discovered that not all romance novels were dumb, some were actually worth reading.

I can tell you what appeals to me about romance though. I'm by nature an idealistic optimist who is often depressed by the disgusting injustices and horrifying tragedies of real life. Romance, with it's premise that the main character will find true love and live happily ever after, reassures me and cheers me up by showing me 'the world as it ought to be'.

dnic · Mar 17, 2009

Ah...

See, I didn't read much of romance as well. Actually, I didn't even start reading it until I grew an interest in writing it. Got to do my homework, you know? ;]

shameless · Mar 17, 2009

Because it makes me feel! Romance makes me happy, makes me sad, makes me hope, and makes me believe in the best in people.
:e2writer:

I couldn't possibly write anything else.

Robin Bayne · Mar 17, 2009

I used to read mystery and horror all the time, I loved the suspense from beginning to end. But now that's what I feel when I read romance. I love the suspense of how the relationship will develop.

Oh, and yes, I demand an HEA.

Soccer Mom · Mar 17, 2009

I need happy endings. Life is hard and stressful enough. I want mysteries with answers and romances with HEA. There just isn't room in my life for other things.

Bubastes · Mar 17, 2009

I find human relationships endlessly fascinating.

I write romance when I want an HEA and women's fiction when I want a more ambiguous ending.

san_remo_ave · Mar 17, 2009

The HEA. Gotta have it. I hate investing time and emotion if everyone's just going to die at the end. Like SoccerMom said, life's tough enough.

xxmagicboxersxx · Mar 17, 2009

I'm a hormonal 17-year-old girl.

'nuff said

para · Mar 18, 2009

I like HEA. There is enough depressing crap going on in the world, I don't have to write about it as well.

everythinginblak · Mar 18, 2009

Because I love the misery in romance from breaking up...hahaha. No, seriously. That's why. Oh. And my husband inspires me everyday with his sweetness. So, I also write it for him.

Jersey Chick · Mar 18, 2009

I write romance because I'm a big marshmallow and I like a lot of heartache followed by a big, happy ending - with some really good steamy sex thrown in.

Oh, and I write historical romance because I'm a history nerd.

I like happy and romance is usually happy (eventually, anyway).

everythinginblak · Mar 18, 2009

Pssh...I think we all love romance for the steamy sex! LOL. We probably just won't admit it

brainstorm77 · Mar 18, 2009

Actually I like Inspie Romance which has not sex. I don't mind sex scenes but if a romance is full of them I tend to skim through them.

Jersey Chick · Mar 18, 2009

I usually have two sex scenes per book - and I make them count :e2brows:

everythinginblak · Mar 18, 2009

LOL

Let's keep our hormones in check now

pssh...don't listen to me. From my avatar, you can tell I don't keep mine in check. But how can you when you have a sexy, sexy man kissing you!!????!!!

Lainey Bancroft · Mar 18, 2009

I can't help myself!

Seriously. No matter how many times I've started something with no real romantic goal in mind, my characters say otherwise.

I do like the way you can explore characters when writing romance. The emotions, the interplay between two people--their dreams, their desires--and yes, some sex. No set number of scenes per book and nothing too graphic. Sex scenes sort of just occur naturally in my stories, almost always as a way to show something about the characters.

dnic · Mar 18, 2009

Heh. Oh I won't deny that I like the romance for the sex scenes too though. ;] Especially since I'm straddling somewhere between erotic and romance...

But really, I agree with you guys, I like the HEAs too. It just makes the story round off so nicely.

I do have a question though, and if it's too personal, don't answer it. Do you ever put your own expectations of a relationship into these romance stories?

Seeing how I don't have a significant others (I know, how did I ever survive Valentine's? Let me tell you...chocolates. Lots of chocolates), yeah, I do put a slice of my own idea of a HEA into my writings. What about you?

brainstorm77 · Mar 19, 2009

dnic said:
Heh. Oh I won't deny that I like the romance for the sex scenes too though. ;] Especially since I'm straddling somewhere between erotic and romance...

But really, I agree with you guys, I like the HEAs too. It just makes the story round off so nicely.

I do have a question though, and if it's too personal, don't answer it. Do you ever put your own expectations of a relationship into these romance stories?

Seeing how I don't have a significant others (I know, how did I ever survive Valentine's? Let me tell you...chocolates. Lots of chocolates), yeah, I do put a slice of my own idea of a HEA into my writings. What about you?

Usually I write about my dream man. Does he exist? Probably not but it's a good way to play out the fantasy!

sunandshadow · Mar 19, 2009

I definitely write about my dream man - well I try to give each viewpoint character a love interest who is perfect for them, but some of the viewpoint characters are very much like me so their dream men are basically mine.

Shamrockgreen · Mar 20, 2009

Why not?

Deb Kinnard · Mar 21, 2009

Why romance? The song says it best: "love is nature's way of giving / a reason to be living / the golden crown that makes a man a king."

I adore my husband and always will, but it's always been fun to fall in love afresh, vicariously, every time I start a book, either as reader or writer. Plus, if I want a historical, I can take my "reason to be living" into a wholly different environment, with brand-new trappings, mores, social contracts, and the lot!

Seen like that, I'm surprised all authors don't write it, LOL.

shameless · Mar 21, 2009

Deb Kinnard said:
Why romance? The song says it best: "love is nature's way of giving / a reason to be living / the golden crown that makes a man a king."

Oh, Deb! You made my day! I love that song! :Hug2:

I'm so used to being around teens who in no way, shape, or form know any of my references to songs or TV shows. They were all born after Frank Sinatra and Barry Manilow, which means they don't know GOOD music.

Thanks! I needed the smile!

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