A couple of days ago, I did a post on my personal blog outlining my confessions as a blogger in general. That got me to thinking about my niche as a romance author. There are a ton of juicy confessions there to be had.
I got to work right away on this bright idea of mine and here’s what I came up with.
1. I put on makeup before I write. It’s a transformation thing for me. In the mornings, I’m ushering off three children to school and a husband to work. I’m a minivan mom, dropping off at two school, hitting the farmer’s market and/or the local Walgreen’s for the daily shopping. When I get home, I have to make a transition from “mom” to “geek grrl romance writer extraordinaire aka the sultry scribe”. It’s like Clark Kent running into the phone booth. Also, coffee helps.
2. Most of my leading men are based on my current “crushes”. That’s right world. Even a married mom of three can get all gushy over an attractive man. I try to change one or two physical attributes of these lovely gentlemen so folks don’t think I’m a fan-girling psycho.
3. Romance writing is hard. (waaahh! Like math! Just kidding.)You’ve got to make the readers feel what the characters are feeling. This means long hours at work, finding the right word to convey the exact right message that will touch…you….right….there.
4. Music can be a muse, but I do not usually write my love (sex) scenes while listening to music. I find it too distracting and getting too involved in the music pulls me away from the narrative and the emotions of the characters. Now, when I go over the scene for the second (or third….or fourth) time, then starry eyed romantic music can help me put the icing on the cake.
5. A good editor is your best friend. I’m sure you’ve heard this a dozen times from as many authors, but a good editor is indispensable. The tougher the better and one that has read extensively in both the area of romance and other genres. By tough, I don’t mean insulting or cruel, but sharp eyed enough to see that you’ve used the word “that” over a dozen times on the page or that Johnny’s tattoos have changed position on his body, or my favorite: more details in this sex scene.
There you go. Some of the confessions of a romance author. They’re not as juicy as you might have thought, I suppose, but I save all the juicy stuff for the books. Well, most of it.
Thanks for reading!
And HEY! If you’re romance author, why don’t you list your confessions and link back?
I put on the shoes of my heroine. 🙂
Thanks for sharing. I plan to take your suggestions and write my own confessions soon.