books – writer.sarafarinha

Have a Romance Novel within you?

romance novel

Hello all! Welcome back to this blog!

A few years ago I discovered Romance. Not just the sub-plotted thread lines existing in which ever genre that I came across, but the innovative, new born, sub-genres of Romance.

I discovered that I loved to read Romance and that I went by these books in a short breath time span.

This phase gave me a good perception of what was being created in those years and how some storylines were most attractive to me than others.

I remember crossing paths with Young Adult Romance and Adult/Erotic Romance. I remember the impact of Urban, Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.

But what they all had in common was the Romance part.

Even when the plot was about something else entirely, it was the quality of relationships and the love that bloomed, as well as the griefs and disappointments of an unrequited love, and everything in between, that were the propeller to read more on different genres.

I’m from a time when writing romance was still very frowned upon.

Fortunately I can now say that I am from a time that saw these preconceptions evolve into a more mainstream type of literature and are a bit more tolerated.

Just a bit. Let’s not go crazy over this.

[Was this the reason they were so afraid of? To have a lesser genre to be a big earner? Never mind.]

By now, I’m tempted to list a few of my most impactful reads. ***Should I? Let me know in the comments, if you’re interested in knowing what got into my Best Romance Books Ever.

There had been a great number of romance books written in such an impactful way that I do hope they withstand the passage of time.

A few months ago I came across a few lists all under the reference “Best Romance Novels of All Time”.

I was quite curious about what would pop up if I researched something as broaden as this and it did not disappoint.

Of course we had the classics in there, which contains some of my favorites, but there was also a few of the published (and self-published) ones that are now considered modern genre-classics.

Goodreads produced a list of 639 books on this query: Best Top Romance Novels of All Time . A list which needs to be revised since it has escaped the fundamental criteria for existing.

Criteria: The list is compiled from Amazons Bestsellers in Romance for the peoples view, from Romance Readers Top 100 Romance Novels for a Critique View, And from the Best books From last 10 years lists. Each book has been rated at least 4 star by at least 75 readers.

639! And some of those are series.

Then, it was time for browsing through a Readers Digest Article with the 55 Best Romance Novels of All Time. Last updated in January 2023, this list contains more recent romance novels, from which I spotted a few well loved of mine.

Since this article has the following disclaimer, and it fails to state the choice criteria, I don’t think it to be an unbiased list.

Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.

But its a list, no matter what. A list in which we may find some romance suggestions.

Then it was time to check out ProWritingAid‘s book list. The Best Romance Novels of All Time: Top 60+ Love Books contains a few well known works organised under the epithet’s The Essential Reading Lists: Romance.

Criteria: Top Classic Contemporary Romance Novels. Contemporary is the largest sub-genre in romance. It’s an umbrella term for romance novels set at the time the author was writing—from about the 1970s onwards. You’ll find stories about modern themes, challenges, and society, with most contemporary stories rooted in the real world. We’ve split this list into modern classics and rising stars.

I couldn’t avoid mentioning The Best Romance Novels of 2022 in The New York Times.

As well as The New York Times Best Sellers. [How many of these are Romance?]

I am contemplating doing a WTR list for my own purposes, after all, I love reading romance. I feel I have quite a few classics to catch up, I mainly disregard the contemporary romance best-selling books, and I write paranormal romance, so I should be reading further on these sub-genres across times. And a separate WTR Romance list would be wise of me keep.

For now, I hope you find some Best of All Times Reads in one of these lists and keep reading. Reading is very important if you want to keep writing.

And if you feel you have a Romance Novel in you, it doesn’t matter how many books are on these lists. There is always space for a truly brilliant story. The one you will write.

Please leave a comment and subscribe for more content.

Bye and Keep writing! ✍🏼

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References:

Reading for the Writer in you

reading for the writer in you

Hello all! Welcome back to this blog so…

Let’s talk about writing!

Today, I want to talk a bit about the importance of Reading to our Writing practices. Not just about what we read or how much, but also the variety we incorporate.

I figure this is not a strange assumption to make, that reading is truly important for our writing practices. After all, Writers are Readers and there’s no other way to go about it.

Reading helps us learn the craft, discover new and important themes, refine our own writer voice, and simply enjoy the fruits of our labor, even if made by someone else.

But what if we can’t read for a while?

Sometimes, we get ourselves into some deep holes, some occurrences to which we call reading slumps, the reader counterpart of writer’s block, forgetting the real pleasure we have while absorbing a good immersive story.

Just like when we forget the real pleasure of writing our own imagined story.

Sometimes, we try to erase the appreciation we have for these activities and instead, we start listening to what we should be doing, or enjoying, instead of what we do love doing and truly enjoy.

Not just reading serious books is Reading, nor just writing literary fiction is Writing.

But we tend to forget this while pursuing the genres that make us feel more vibrantly alive in our literary practices.

I believe our reading habits are made not just of books, nor certain genres.

We have plenty of material around that adds up to our love for reading. Like magazines, blogs, essays, letters, manga… Our readings are, and should be, made of multiple and different materials, providing us with a wellspring of ideas difficult to match by the sheer diversity of it.

I find that reading different book genres has the same benefits. Having access to other types of literary texts will put us in contact with themes, and ideas, which would not enter our minds if we just sticked with the genre we like to read the most… Or the genre we think we should be reading.

Diversity helps us forge a clear perspective on different subjects and expands our bandwidth so we can embrace growth in our practices.

Keeping this in mind was what got me to contemplate a new reading challenge for this year.

This week I’m organising my readings for 2023, but I’ll not be giving you too many details, because I’ll be talking about it soon enough. I’ve reimagined a reading challenge, more fitted to my current situation, and reading needs, and I am fully devoted to make it work.

This challenge has already brought its fruits:

First, I have a problem! Yep. It’s official. I have made myself take a real, long look at my reading habits, and how I motivate myself to reading, and I found I have a flickering motivation.

Second, it allowed me to go in search of all the books I own, or at least the majority of them, and have a notion of how I have been making choices just by not choosing. And not choosing is a bad thing, isn’t it?

Third, I’m feeling more energised by the attempts of organising my readings. Which already had made me do things I have been postponing for ages, like creating a sheet for all of my books, and setting a new more objective goal for this year, and not just the amount of readings I’ll be doing.

Keeping my readings organised helps me getting my head clear about what I want to read, and what I need to read, and what would be beneficial if I read.

And I guess that’s why I have not gone about it this way… too much pressure and constraints.

Also, reading for research must have a specific time bound, while reading for mere pleasure has other restraints. And these are important notions to have. Adding to our reading materials must come with a time stamp on it (so you don’t end up like me, as you’ll see soon enough).

And, never forgetting that we should be careful of what we are reading while we are working on some of our writing projects, lest we confuse our writing voice. Creativity fuels herself with all it gathers around her (us). We must be careful so it doesn’t take over while we are writing in our own voice.

I find that keeping our readings more directional towards the kind of writer we want to be is an effort that has a ton of value.

But I also believe that we should expose ourselves to the most diverse lot we can arrange. This feeds our imagination and helps create those worlds we wish to live in or just write about.

Balance is key. And unbalanced is the creative spirit. Or at least is what it seems sometimes… the constant duality of life, isn’t it?

So, the three ideas I wish you would keep in mind:

Reading is instrumental to Writing.
Choosing what to read is important.
Reading diversity is what makes us versatile.

What do you think about this?

Thanks for being here and for being willing to talk about writing!

Please leave a comment and subscribe for more content.

Bye and Keep writing! ✍🏼

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My favorite writing-craft books

favorite books

Hello all! Welcome back to this blog.

This week is the final stretch before Christmas, as is celebrated by yours truly.

I have been on my usual predicaments, writing and reading, and more writing, and editing, but I’ve decided to share with you some of my favorite writing-craft books.

So, if you are thinking about giving a book to your favorite author/reader, feel free to pick one, or several, of these books. I’ll share a bit of my opinion about them, of course…

1. ‘Bird by Bird’ by Anne Lamott

I wish I could just share the impact of this book with you. This is a book for writer’s and for writer’s friends and family. It helps others understand a bit of what ails us.

Written by Anne Lamott, which I am a fan, and have read most of her other books also, never feeling disappointed by any of those. But I do feel this ‘Bird by Bird’ had made a great impact in me and in my writing.

If you like writerly themes, if you have an aspiring author in your life, if you want to gift someone with a great book about the writing craft, this is the book for you.

2. ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron

Is it a book? Is it a course? Is it guidance from above? All of those. I found this book in a very tricky phase of my life.

I was going through some life altering changes, and doubting myself, and my writing efforts. This book got me through a lot of doubts. It helped me get in line with my program and devote myself to my writing efforts, respecting myself as a creative person.

This is a book for people who lost or are losing hope in their creativity. I can’t recommend it enough.

3. ‘Writing Fiction for Dummies’ by Randy Ingermanson and Peter Economy

What can I say? Everybody is a dummy before learning to be something else.

This book has so many basics about writing and creating our stories, and methods, and writing techniques, and themes, and loads of other important information that is hard to list them all. I found this book very enlightening and go back to it repeatedly.

If you want to know some basics of the writing craft this is the book for you.

4. ‘The Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art’ by Joyce Carol Oates

Having the undiluted view of a writer about her craft, and how it impacts life, it’s a priceless gift.

Through this book we get to learn how struggles make our path in writing a true one. Oates guides us through our most recurrent themes, showing us that it’s our faith and our devotion to reading and learning that get us through the difficult patches.

It’s a must read.

5. ‘Letters to a Young Writer’ by Rainer Maria Rilke

To have a teacher as Rilke telling us about devotion to our writing craft, in this particular case directed towards a young wanna be poet, is touching.

Life, writing, devotion, work, all are themes for Rilke to discourse upon, and for us to accept the vision of a very wise man.

You’ll find nuggets of wisdom that will make ou wonder how this could be…

6. ‘Why I write’ by George Orwell

A book made of several essays but it’s this ‘Why I Write’ that allows us to discern how Orwell’s thought about the writing craft.

It’s a very enlightening essay, full of technical questions and subsequent answers. The big premise of them all being inserted by the list of reasons that get someone to became a writer.

It’s a must read essay about the writing life and craft.

7. ‘How to read Literature like a Professor’ by Thomas C. Foster

Oh! This was a fun book to read. As a true Professor, Foster knows how to captivate his audience and make us see what might have been lost because of sheer boredom.

His way of handling the writing subjects, the meanings behind techniques and making us look for just good, unbiased, writing, is a gift for all that get to read this title.

I do recommend it if you are an aspiring author. It made a huge impact in me.

8. ‘Turning Pro’ by Steven Pressfield

Turning Pro is the nudge we all need to get in touch with our life’s program. Pressfield writes about his life and his experience in becoming a well-known writer.

There are some powerful lessons inside this book. No sugarcoating the thing, no handling with care, no lies about what we need to accept in our live’s if we want to pursue the writing craft.

It’s an eye opener of sorts. I do recommend it most vividly.

9. ‘Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear’ by Elizabeth Gilbert

This is road trip through all of our most ingrained fears and tremors about the writing life. Always reaching for a positive and transformative point of view on all matters, Gilbert help us having a new perspective of the writer’s life choices.

There are myths in here being debunked with the personal flair of this writer.

It’s a fun and helpful book if you are an aspiring writer.

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I hope you found these suggestions inspiring. I’m always on the look out for other favorites so, let me know if you have one to suggest.

Let me know if you read any of these and your opinion about them. And, please feel free to suggest a few of your favorite books on the writing-craft.

Please leave a comment and subscribe for more content.

Bye and Keep writing! ✍🏼

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