Tag: writing romance

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: 

Writing Dark Romance in Fantasy Worlds

dark romance

Hello all! Welcome back to this blog!

Today I want to talk about some of my favorite writing genres.

Writing has its tricks. Writing in some particular genre, or cross-genres as is more frequent, also obeys to some rules. It has a certain way it should be done, it has tropes, it starts, progresses and end, in a certain way.

Even if we think we are writing something different from what is considered mainstream for the genre, truth is that it can go in one of two ways:

  • Or we are writing something that doesn’t have readers interested in it;
  • Or it fits some genre that already exist we just weren’t as well read as we thought we were, and weren’t able to categorize it properly.

Either way, we seem to be at a lost to whom our books may be of interest.

For example, I love to write romance. I love to write romance in different genres.

About this theme, I truly think that life without love isn’t easy… or worth it. I also don’t think that loving is easy. It is hard work and a discovery process that is painful enough.

But I do believe that, it is the search for love that helps us cope with the ugly demons of this world… us.

So I love to write romance in Contemporary, Fantasy, Urban, Supernatural genres. It is not fluffy, next door vibe kind of romance. It’s painful, gritty, pain induced, self-discovery journey, which Love helps set right.

I believe that a story is as compelling as characters try to chase their inner demons out of their lives or, at least, invite them to tea and lay out the ground rules for coping in the same body and mind.

Throughout the years, I have been writing some tragic short stories, some of them quite supernatural themed. I always seem to gravitate that way when I write short-stories and I frankly don’t know why.

But it’s on the longer fiction that I find solace in delivering some satisfying endings. I put them through hell but in the end they find meaning in their sufferings… The eternal hope for those that, no matter how much they suffer in life, just have to keep hoping to find some meaning in all of it.

While growing up, and learning about stories in books, films and series, I always thought a story benefited greatly from a good, sometimes not achieved but always latent, love interest.

Some of those stories weren’t romances at all. In some of those we were not supposed to follow that thread except as a backstory that accompanied throughout the pursuit of some main quest. Several crime series come to mind.

But, truth be told, it was in those snippets of almost conquering something that shouldn’t be (and weren’t) the main concern of the story that picked my interest. I do remember this clearly in lot’s of series and films, through my teenager ears. That and a great interest in sci-fi, supernatural and drama.

I keep trying to find my way through these genres and personal tendencies while I write my stories. I keep seeing the plots and sub-plots as worlds that are worth exploring. Worlds of pain and grief, and expectations unmet, betrayal and pure unadulterated love… or not so much. Finding demons to subdue through the oh so human need to love and feel loved.

Does this give me an all fluffy, next door vibe kind of romance? Not quite. But it gives me some dark personal universes to work with.

And I enjoy every moment of it. If I could just make it darker, as it should be… 

Please leave a comment and subscribe for more content.

Bye and Keep writing! ✍🏼

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