|
This is a test.
- What is the Prime Directive of every romance author?
- What is the single most important factor in defining the boundaries of the romance genre?
- What is the chief influence on romance editors' decisions regarding manuscripts that are under consideration
or being edited for publication?
There is one answer to all of the above questions, and it is not debatable: reader expectation.
Reader expectation is—or should be—at the heart of every genre romance—and, for that
matter, every novel written in other genres, too. Even the most innovative, ground-breaking genre novel pays homage to it.
So, what constitutes a romance reader's expectation of the books she buys? The same expectations that apply to all
genre fiction: first, that the protagonists will be heroic in stature and, second, that they ultimately will triumph.
Specifically, in romance, "heroic in stature" means having morally sound goals and aspirations, not behaving in petty
ways, and not deliberately hurting the object of affection, either emotionally or physically. "Triumph" means that the
hero and heroine, through their love for each other, prevail against the conflict separating them and, in the end, walk
off into the sunset together.
The above may sound obvious, but I don't think romance authors can remind themselves of these bottom-line truths too
often. If there is a "formula" to romance novels, surely it is defined by them. I would venture to say that an author—any author—who has no knowledge or consideration of reader expectation might, by sheer accident, write a novel that sells,
but it is unlikely (I'd be willing to say hopeless) that this author will continue to produce marketable work. |
Best-selling novelists of all genres universally appreciate the importance of reader
expectation. Most, if not all, seem to have an intuitive understanding of it—which is to say, their fantasies also happen
to be the fantasies of a majority of their readers. I'm talking serendipity; they simply lucked out, and it's their good
fortune.
So, what do you do if your fantasies aren't shared by millions? It depends upon how far out they are.
If you're a romance author, and you’re committed to writing rape or bondage scenes between the hero and heroine, my
advice to you is to give up writing romance. On the other hand, if you, personally, enjoy a good bondage fantasy now
and then but you're willing to eliminate—or, at least, temper—it for your audience (or, more signicantly, for the
“gatekeeper” that allows you the audience—the publisher), there may be hope. Similarly, if your heroines all seem to
come out sounding whiny and catty but you're able to follow advice about how to fix them, you may make it.
The question is, can you moderate your fantasies to satisfy the average romance reader? And, if you can and do,
does it make you feel stifled, resentful, or otherwise creatively miserable? If it does, again, you shouldn’t be trying
to write a romance.
If you can successfully meet reader expectation once, you can do it again. It does get easier. In time, with
experience, it becomes second nature. But until—or unless—it does, my advice is, don't try pushing the edges of the
envelope too far. Many an author has fallen, either never selling a manuscript or losing previously devoted fans,
because she failed to understand that being "fresh and innovative" didn't mean throwing reader expectation to the
four winds.
|
