DEFINITIONS OF ROMANCE

by Del Carmen

You want to write a romance, but do you know what kind? And, yes, Virginia, there are lots of different kinds of romance.  Here are some of the basics.


FORMAT

There are two recognized formats – series or single-title romances.

• Category romances are novels that are distributed in a sequential numbered series every month. Think Harlequin. They are the King in series/category romance. For example, Harlequin Presents, Desire, Blaze, etc.

• Single-title romances are just what their name implies – they are released as single books.


SUBGENRES

Now for the fun part--your genre. The main plot of course is boy-gets-girl and they live happily ever after, but setting, plot elements and even tone also helps to define and differentiate genres. And, nowadays, you can even mix and match.

• Contemporary Romance. Set in the “now,” in present time. Includes everything after WWII / 1945. (Note: Some publishers consider anything after 1900 a contemporary. Always research publishers before submitting.)

• Historical Romance. Just want it says, historical; novels set before WWII. These can be medieval, Regencies, Regency Historicals (yes, they are different), Westerns, Pioneer, Indian, Victorian, etc.

• Paranormal Romance. Everything from time travel to vampires to dragons to fairies to angels.

• Young Adult Romance. These are novels geared toward young adult readers, usually 14+. Think TWILIGHT, BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.


NICHES

Within all these subgenres are more subgenres, a few which have become their own category. Below are a few of the more prominent examples:

• Inspirational Romance. Religious or spiritual beliefs play a big part in these novels and in the romantic relationship. Christian and Amish novels are included in this category.

• Regency Romances. Are romances written specifically during the Regency period of the British Empire. These have specific mannerisms, language, style. Think Jane Austen. Think Signet Regency Romances.

• Regency Historical Romances. These are also set during the Regency period, but they take liberties with the mannerism and language of the Regency period, and are wider in scope.

• Medical Romances. These were the original romances where the hero was always a doctor and the heroine a nurse or secretary. They are still popular.

• Romantic Suspense. These romances have lots of mystery and thriller elements in the plot.

• Novels with Strong Romantic Elements. These are novels that have a romance in them, but the romance does not headline the story. Nor is the HEA a guarantee. For example, BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY.

• Erotic Romances. Are romances that leave the door wide open and allow the reader to “watch” what goes on between the sheets, in the backseat, in the pool….well, you get the idea. These are both naughty and nice.


QUICKIES

And, if you are scared to write a 80,000-word manuscript, you can always start small. Consider writing a short story in any of the genres above, or maybe try your hand at a confession. Writing these can help hone your craft and keep you motivated. Good luck and Happy Writing.♥



Del Carmen is the sexy alter ego of Maria Ferrer, who is looking forward to exposing more of herself. Visit her at www.mydelcarmen.com.

Reading Lolita

by F. Solomon

  
  
It might be surprising that I am just reading Lolita for the first time, to others and to myself. I have spent so much of my life frequenting bookstores that I know authors and books that I have not read simply because they caught my periphery. I knew who Anais Nin was even before I started reading her because she was close to Nabokov. I purchased Lolita years ago; it was on my ambitious pile of to-read books--a tiny Tower of Pisa in my place--that I have not get around to reading. Inspired by my friend, my used copy purchased for practically nothing was carefully removed from the pile.

Talking with him about the The Pregnant Widow which he had loaned me, he mentioned that he could not finish Lolita. I had to know why so I have been reading the book for a few months. Not because it is a bad book, but because editing occupies most of my reading time. I am an Acquiring Editor of erotica for Ravenous Romance.

The Pregnant Widow marked the return of me as a reader, and Lolita has cemented my return to reading for pleasure. Once when I was in college, I was told that you could tell New Yorkers because they are the only people who read so avidly on the train. I cannot deny it. It is not very often that I read at home, but I have always love to read on the train going to and coming from school or work. Sometimes a book might be so good that I do have to read bits at home, but for the most part nothing like squeezing between two strangers on the train and reading a novel so good you miss your stop!, which happened to me with a Kathleen E. Woodiwiss’ novel, Forever in Your Embrace. This was right after 9/11 so it was hard not to think about what was going on but that book was able to keep me so rapt...there is nothing like reading a novel that engrosses.

Nothing like reading for pleasure or editing good erotica, except writing yourself. I have been doing so much reading I have wanted to...but in ways have abandoned writing. This post is one of the few things that I have written unless you count my tweets and how many words are in tweets?! I did some free writing and that felt like a luxury, like I should have been reading something instead! Writing for me is like breathing or bleeding though--necessary for life. I do not berate myself anymore about writing or not writing. It is too much a part of me, it will be….

It was completely pleasurable today on the train out of the cold and squeezed next to just one stranger reading Lolita, which I have been careful not to talk about because I am not done with it. Will need another post called Finishing Lolita when I am done....




photograph by F. Solomon

 

RESOLUTIONS, GOALS, TO-DO LISTS

By Maria Ferrer

It's a New Year.  A time for joy, for peace, for goodwill, for resolutions.

But resolutions are easily broken. Heck, it's a tradition to break them, and yes, Virginia, the sooner you break them the more points you get.  Hence, I don't like the word or the idea of "resolutions." I prefer goals or, my all-time favorite, to-do lists. I get orgasmic if I can cross something off a list. Ooh.

So I've compiled my to-do list for 2012. The "trick" to a good to-do list is to be specific, to be realistic and to keep it short. For example:

1. Get up one hour early on weekdays to write or revise manuscript.

2. Have new pages for Critique partner every other week.

3. Attend monthly RWA Chapter meetings to network and energize.

4. Submit short story / enter contest every quarter.


Short, sweet and to the point -- and better yet, these items are achievable and affirming to the Writer within. And, isn't that the whole point of New Year's Resolutions?

What's on Your to-do list for 2012?



Maria Ferrer writes erotica and contemporary romance. She's published in one and hopeful on the other. Visit her at http://www.mydelcarmen.com/ and www.4horsewomen.blogspot.com.  (This article also published by the RWANYC at http://www.rwanycblogginginthebigapple.blogspot.com/.)
  

HOLIDAY CHEER!

From our corral to yours, Happy Everything!

Ride the Wave of Success

by F. Solomon


One of the coolest things about this blog is that you do have four writers here, and a writer is a person who writes, which is a definition that has been given to me at moments when I doubt that I am a writer (even though I am in the midst of working on NaNoWriMo and that means that I have been writing!).

The three other horsewomen have been writing as well; and it is with a great deal of pleasure that one of us has made it into the creme de la creme!  It is always with great anticipation and with supreme satisfaction that Rachel Kramer Bussel's erotic anthologies fall into my hands. Women in Lust, her newest anthology from Cleis Press, has been awaited with greater anticipation and even more pleasure because a horsewomen is in it!

The story “Ride A Cowboy” is one of the sexy stories in the Women in Lust anthology, and boy is it ever. Remember being a child and looking for all the good bits? Well when you read a story by Del Carmen you do not even have to skim a bit, she just delivers the goods!

From the explicit intention given in the first sentence, you are ready for the ride that Rita and Nate are about to go on. Instant chemistry, the tension, the electricity. And the first draft of it, which the infinitely feminine and ladylike Del Carmen asked the rest of us to read -- was practically perfection. Even though it was her first time writing erotica, she definitely did not stay a novice for long! The precision with which she went about it -- writing erotica like mad--and getting it done on time and sent out for possible publication in a RKB anthology was rewarded. “Ride a Cowboy” was bought and is now published.

I have had the pleasure of having another talented friend get into a few RKB anthologies and...the joy that fills all of us to see a Horsewoman get in is triple!

Ride, Horsewomen, ride indeed. We are happy to ride along with our very talented Del Carmen, whom you will keep seeing more of.

To learn more about the Women in Lust anthology or Del Carmen, please visit the following sites: http://womeninlust.wordpress.com// and http://www.mydelcarmen.com/.

  

READY, SET....WRITE!

by Maria Ferrer

November 1 is D-Day. The first day of National Novel Writing Month aka NaNoWriMo. And the challenge is on – 50,000 words in 30 days.

The secret to winning this challenge is to write, write and write some more.

Don’t think.

Don’t edit.

Just write.

Write whatever comes into your head --- dialogue, narrative, lists, et al. If your character is thinking of a song, of a poem, of a blog post, then write it out. It will keep your writing juices flowing.

Remember that EVERY word counts.

Don’t cross out any words.

Don’t delete anything.

Just write.

And, don’t stop to do research or track down references. Make a note in your manuscript that you have to research this and that and keep writing. You can do the research later.

You want to write as many words as possible every day. The mathematical formula states that if you write 1666 words a day, you will reach your goal of 50,000 in 30 days. But let’s be realistic, some days you’ll write 1666+, others you’ll write 166.

It doesn’t matter how many words you write per day. It only matters that you make the 50,000.

So, don’t get discouraged.

Remember that every word counts.

And write, write and write some more.

Good luck. Happy Writing.♥



READ Maria's "10 Easy Steps to Prepare for the NaNoWriMo" by clicking here.




Maria Ferrer has entered the NaNoWriMo four times and has won twice.  She's looking forward to her third win.  Maria has shared this article with her RWA chapter as well. The more the merrier is her philosophy.

PREPARING FOR THE NANOWRIMO IN 10 EASY STEPS

 
By Maria Ferrer

You are a writer. Like the Girls Scouts, you must be prepared for when inspiration strikes.

Inspiration is arriving on November 1st. November is National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo). The challenge is 50,000 words in 30 days. Here are 10 easy steps to help you prepare for the big NaNoWriMo launch:



1. Stock up on chocolate. Cupcakes and champagne work just as well.

2. Throw away all the red pens in the house. If you are using a computer, throw away all the ink cartridges. No printing, no editing. Editing is not allowed at any time in the next month.

3. Clean the house now, because household chores are a no-no in November. You need your time to write. Unless of course, you need to clean to be inspired. Then don’t clean now; let the dirt accumulate until you need inspiration.

4. Buy lots of cereal, spaghetti cans and TV dinners. The family needs to eat; You have the chocolate.

5. Buy fat notebooks and lots of pens and pencils. If you are techy savvy, buy your netbook / iPad/ computer now. Work out all the kinks and make sure you know where all the power cables are.

6. Mark your territory now. Fill it with your writing must-haves. For example, around my writing spot I have the remote control for the radio/CD player; a coaster for my large bottle of water; a paper block and Donald Duck mug full of pens and markers. The other junk on the table doesn’t bear mentioning.

7. Buy a big “DO NOT DISTURB” sign for your door. A big pit bull works just as well.

8. Keep the boy toys handy. Sex is research. Costumes optional.

9. Register at the NaNoWriMo website by October 31: http://www.nanowrimo.com/.

10. Buy more chocolate. You are going to need it!


REMEMBER: You are a writer. You can do it. Join me. ♥

Maria Ferrer has entered the NaNoWriMo four times and has won twice. She prefers her chocolate with peanuts and Veuve Clicquot champagne.   Maria has shared this article with her RWA chapter as well.  The more the merrier is her philosophy.


COMMENT: Do leave a comment and let us know if you are entering the NaNoWriMo this year. If so, tell us how you are preparing for the big event.