Romance Author Is Given Devil’s Best Advice
What’s a romance author to do? It’s not easy writing paranormal romance novels. There’s so much advice, especially from a certain quarter.
The Devil Tells Romance Author: You’ve Got It All Wrong
Do you want your books to sell? Then listen to me. Put in the sleaze, add as many explicit scenes as you can, and don’t skimp on graphic wording. Forget about the plot. Don’t spend time on writing well.
But I have something else in mind that fired my imagination in the first place. The kind of stories I’m envisioning are exciting and romantic and fast-paced – but they’re driven along by emotions, not explicit passages.
You’re wrong about attracting readers, too.
For instance, Victorine Lieske wrote a clean romance thriller that was on the NY Times best-selling ebook list for 6 weeks in 2011. This energetic romance author went on to write more clean romance novels and earn over a quarter of a million dollars.
But it’s a sad fact that there aren’t as many clean romance novels available as explicit ones.
Romance readers should have more choices!
This Romance Author is Naïve About Readers, Scoffs the Devil
Choices for romance readers? You’re making a big mistake!
You’re pitifully naïve… Romance readers will never turn the pages unless you bait them with explicit passages. Romance readers don’t really think, you see.
The sooner you adapt your methods to their true nature, the better – for the sake of your own career as a romance author.
Romance readers DO have minds of their own. Just look at all the reviews and comments posted by legions of readers.
Which brings me to an interesting point: there’s certain kind of comment I keep seeing. I could cite some actual reviews here, but I don’t want to quote anybody without their knowledge, so I’ll just paraphrase some of the comments I’ve read in the last month or so.
There were so many pages to every explicit scene that I had trouble getting through it all, but the weddings were nice.
The graphic scenes were too long and detailed. I’m an adult, and I don’t want or need such lengthy treatments.
The long accounts of explicit sex were overdone – been there, done that. Boring. I’m not interested in a how-to manual – I want to be thrilled by what the characters think and feel!
I can’t be the only one who has noticed plenty of comments like these.
Romance readers really do deserve more choices!
The Devil’s Parting Shot: But Those Vampires Will Get You Into Trouble!
Well, I’ve got better things to do than waste time with a stubborn soul like you.
I’ll leave you alone for now. I can’t wait to undermine the confidence of some other hapless author.
All of you authors are such easy pickings!
But don’t think you’re in the clear yet, Linn. You’re going to get into hot water over those drop-dead gorgeous vampires in your books.
My rival in the Angelic Hosts will be tickled pink over the clean romance angle – but she’s going to be VERY alarmed about the VAMPIRE HERO in your first book!
I was peeking over your shoulder as you finished drafting that story – and I could see for myself that your hero’s a 200-year-old vampire who will seem sizzlin’ hot to women readers – hotter than Hades – even with all his clothes on.
I’m going to tip off my Angelic adversary right now. What do you have to say to that?
Hotter than Hades or not, the vampire characters need to stay in my series.
Evil spirits like you won’t like this, but I’ve woven some extra themes into the romance, themes about conscience and what it means to be human. Having vampires in the storyline makes everything work so that my themes come alive in a special way.
If your rival in the Angelic Hosts has any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them.
Until then, I’ve got to get back to writing.
Check out my post on Winter Thriving! Some of the topics are shown below.
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