Romance Writer's Revenge

Yes, Hellie, I think I’m revisiting something you dabbled at some months back. I honestly don’t remember, but I’m gonna blame that on my age and all the rum. And my natural reluctance to address issues when first directed toward them.

I’m like that. Contrary. Dodgy.

I find if asked directly to consider something, I am blind to it. As if one of those eye diseases where I can’t focus on what is directly in front of me. I can slide around the periphery with ease… You know, it’s like trying to look directly at a dim star, you can see it better with peripheral vision than focusing on it. There’s a name for this, I learned it in astronomy class. And, of course, I don’t remember what it is!

From a purely psychological point of view, I think it’s my coping mechanism for gaining time and distance so I can consider the question. I am a reflector, not a reactor. I want to reflect and consider before responding. Even if I’m not aware I’m doing it, I do it. At least I’m figuring out that is what I’m doing! So give me some points here!

And this was one of those things I did when leaving the Award’s Luncheon at the Nationals. I figured I’d play with what she’d talked about…see what I could come up with after some consideration. I’d listened to Jayne Ann Krentz talk about the things an author needs to know. And thought it interesting, her taking the core of her stories from genre to genre. I was toying with the whole idea in the back of my brain, flitting about with what my core story would be…

Boy meets girl? Nope.

Well, no more than this is in most every book…

I generally suck at coming up with these things. I guess there is the damsel in distress…man, help me out here!

I left the luncheon feeling a bit bemused. (The desert was nice, but not the absolute ideal they served the next night, btw.) I found the Bo’sun and commented that the idea of a core to my writing was appealing, but I had no ideas what it was.

She, being brilliant, cast a look at me that just spoke volumes regarding my blindness. And as I mentioned some weeks ago, delivered to me my core. Everyone deserves a 2^nd Chance.

I think I snickered. I also bowed to her sharp intellect that saw what was so obvious…to her. I’ve been floundering with putting together a nice hook for my website and business cards, something that spoke to what I wrote. What my books promise to a reader. And *bam*, the Bo’sun slaps me across the face with it.

Everyone should have someone like the Bo’sun in their life.

Perhaps it is easier to see this in someone else’s work than in one’s own. Yesterday, Hal started a conversation on the cliché/myth of most fiction. I think what I’m looking for touches on that idea, but I’m not certain.

(Couldn’t help but insert this movie poster. So appropriate and a movie I really enjoyed…)

Krentz talked about her first book, being more in the science fiction/paranormal romance realm. Something that wasn’t really making the rounds yet. After numerous rejections, she rewrote it as a historical. And it sold. Same basic story, just minus the other world, funky critters, etc. And she really analyzed her work before figuring out how to take her core and write it in several genres. And sometimes things didn’t transition well, so she took on another pen name and began again.

I could certainly take ‘everyone deserves a 2^nd chance’ and write that story in every genre out there. (Not that I care to do so. But it’s an interesting possibility!) I think I’d be drawn toward contemporary more than any other genre if I did leave behind my alternate pirate adventure erotic romance stuff.

I do like the visual of this idea…starting from the core of a world and building the layers outward…

So, what are the standard core ideas you read? What are some that you write? Or hear about? If you know yours, what other genres could you see taking your core story into?