Writing Romance by Victoria Chatham

 

Our Round Robin blog for Saturday, February 15th, is on the topic of Romance. If you write romance, what do you like (or dislike) about the genre and all other genres? Do you include romance in your stories?

I have always enjoyed reading romance novels, from my first Georgette Heyer Regency romance when I was thirteen to the latest contemporary romance. They were and are pure escapism, which is why I write romance.

Over the years, many people I have met who have learned I am an author have told me they could write a romance as “It’s only a basic formula, after all.” And as one close friend, who should have known better, once said, “Two people meet, fall in love, get married, have two children and a dog. The end.”

She had completely ignored the times she had seen or heard me almost pulling my hair out while trying to determine the nuances of building my characters to make them unique and plausible or deciding what subplot would best create confusion and conflict in their burgeoning relationship.

Romance Writers of America defines romance as ‘two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending.’

As with any genre, subplots and conflict are necessary parts of the storytelling process if you want to

keep your reader engaged, but in a romance novel, the love story must be the main focus. Romance novels swing through a whole arc from sweet to super hot and in many subgenres, from historical and contemporary to fantasy, young adult, and paranormal, and at each end of the scale, spiritual to sexy. Whatever the heat level, our romantic couple must risk everything for each other before they get their happy-ever-after or happy-for-now ending.

I enjoy writing romance, especially historical romance, because I love putting my very proper heroines into unexpected and sometimes dangerous situations. They are not simpering sampler stitchers but real live flesh and blood, up and at ‘em in-your-face type gals. As I have often been told, my heroines are far too out of the box for a traditional Regency romance, but those are the kinds of characters I like, so that’s what I write and make no apologies for. The fact that my research into the historical facts for the Regency years (strictly 1811 – 1820) is in-depth and solid enough to create my settings and clothe my characters realistically is rarely, if ever, commented on.

My heroes, the guys who often raise their eyebrows at the shenanigans my gals become embroiled in,

 Vincent Cassel

are, indeed, my heroes. No one is perfect, but my heroes are perfect enough in my eyes to take centre stage and support, thwart, or otherwise involve themselves with my feisty, fearless females. For both leads, I find images on the internet on which to base physical features and build up their character profile. Actor Vincent Cassel, shown here, was the inspiration for Lord Lucius Clifton in The Berkeley Square Series.

Novels set before 1950 are considered historical, and my historical romances have covered the years 1814 to 1818 (Regency) 1907 to 1918 (Edwardian) and 1935, this last being Book #1 in BWL Publishing Inc’s Canadian Historical Brides Collection.

I am currently working on a cozy mystery series, but I have no doubt that I will eventually return to where it all began, particularly as another writer friend challenged me to write a Scottish Regency romance. Hmm. That might mean a return trip to Edinburgh!

Thanks to Skye Taylor for this month's topic, and welcome to our new bloggers, Belinda Edwards and Sally Odgers. 

Bob Rich   https://wp.me/p3Xihq-3pV

A.J. Maguire http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/

Belinda Edwards https://booksbybelinda.com/blog/

Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Diane Bator https://escapewithawriter.wordpress.com/

Sally Odgers https://behindsallysbooks.blogspot.com/2025/02/romance.html

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea