《Writer Room》Romance Writing 101: Know Your Why

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Why do you want to write romance?

Is it because you read a book, loved it so much, and decided you wanted to create something similar? Or is it because you read a book, thought it was so terrible, and figured you could write something better?

Or perhaps you want to make writing your career, and you enjoy the push-pull of relationship conflict. Maybe you like writing about sex, or Victorian history, or hot alien werewolves on spaceships. Or you enjoy the witty, flirtatious banter of rom-coms.

Perhaps you want to write as a hobby. Awesome!

Whatever the reason, I'm here to tell you that your choice is VALID. Writing romance is a noble pursuit, every bit as legitimate as writing literary fiction or mystery or children's books.

It does, however, help to decide on your WHY before you embark on writing any book. This helps manage your expectations, which is important for a new writer. It will also aid in breaking down the steps you need to take to get to where you need to be. Writing, and publishing, are confusing, complicated and often frustrating, which is why I'm trying to break things down for you in small bites!

Let me tell you about my WHY.

I was a newspaper journalist for many years, and covered a lot of really awful things. Mass shootings, executions, natural disasters...I've seen a lot of bad things. Now, I'd been a romance reader since I was a teenager, and early in my journalism career I thought about writing a romance novel. But back then, I didn't have time, and devoted all my brain power to reporting.

Fast forward several years, and I read 50 Shades of Gray (like we all did). I'll be completely honest with you: I wasn't a huge fan. I'd read many, many romance novels with similar themes that I felt were better written.

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Hell, I could write a better novel, I figured. And so I wrote one. It's here on Wattpad, called DIRTY LIES.

I learned a lot, obviously, and I'll explain more about my publishing journey with that book. But back to my WHY.

I thought I was writing a romance because I wanted to write something better than 50 Shades. Really, though, that wasn't my WHY. That might have been my motivation, but it wasn't why I wanted to write. Had I thought of my WHY, I might have approached my story, and my publishing journey, a bit differently. I might have been more humble, and more open to learning in those early stages.

My WHY was this:

I wanted to write a story that ended happily.

That's it. That was all.

I'd been so surrounded by negativity, violence and tragedy that I wanted to write something that was kind, and soft, and nurturing. I wanted men to be noble and women to be fierce, and for characters to have hot sex and fall in love. Now that I know this, I approach my stories differently. I approach my characters differently.

Now, your WHY might involve money. Maybe you're already a decent writer and you figure you can make some cash writing romance. Excellent! No judgment here. It can be a lucrative pursuit. My one caution for you if this is your why: respect your readers. Know the genre, and read the genre.

It takes wisdom to know why you want to write, and courage to follow through.

But it helps to know your WHY. Tuck it into the back of your mind, write it in your journal, whisper it to the universe.

Until next week.

xoxo,

Tamara

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