Dana Michelle Burnett
Follow on
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Books
  • Blog
  • Contact Dana Michelle Burnett
  • For Readers
  • ♥ FREE Stuff ♥

Just Call Me the Romance Rebel!

6/8/2011

2 Comments

 
I love playing around with the rules when it comes to writing!  This is a copy of an article of mine that was just published at ezinearticles.com.
I cannot remember a time that I did not want to be a writer. As a kid, I was always making up stories and telling them or acting them out for anyone that would sit still long enough. I spent high school dreaming of romantic dates and trying to make reality fit those dreams...Then I grew up.

I still enjoy writing romances because the genre offers so many opportunities for plot twists and turns. A look down the bestseller list shows that romances aren't the dominating force that they once were. Maybe the reason is that readers have grown up and are ready for something a little more cutting edge. So as writers, how can we do this?

Heroes and Heroines: Okay, outside of historical romances, it might be time to get rid of the predictable alpha male with the flowing hair. Maybe these guys aren't diamonds in the rough; maybe they are flawed individuals that our female leads would do well to stay away from. Then there are the heroines that need to be something more than damsels in distress. The romances that are making a mark today feature women that just suck it up and save themselves, getting her man is just a bonus.

Life and Relationships Aren't Perfect: Life has changed, people have affairs, and relationships are toxic. Romances for the modern reader need to show that an affairs and toxic relationships are a part of life. Are these flaws your character must overcome? Do you use a toxic relationship to show you female character's strength in overcoming it? It's long past time to bring some of these things into the forefront.

Rethinking Villains: Okay, when was the last time that you met someone that was all bad or all good? Romances today need to move deeper. Perhaps the "villain" is just a man that was deceived and now he's bitter and jaded. Maybe your "hero" and "heroine" love each other too much to stay away from each other, but never fail to bring out the worst in each other. Would this make them the villains?

Happy Endings with A Twist: No one's life ends with the perfect happily ever after and while fiction can offer an escape and give us what our lives can't, we have to be honest. Normally for our characters to be happy, someone else has to get hurt. Readers don't mind a happy ending, but the idea of they all lived happily ever after doesn't cut it anymore. Maybe the woman finds herself, but turns the guy away. Maybe they decide they are better off apart. Maybe she's married and decides the love of her husband is more important than the passion she feels for the hero.

It doesn't matter how we as writers look at it, our readers have grown up and to be a successful romance author, we have to grow up with them.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6336244
2 Comments
Jennifer
8/23/2011 02:39:24 pm

I like where you are going with your writing, it is interesting. Not much interests me anymore. Every comic book has been made into a movie, they come up with an idea for a good movie or book and they make 50 remakes or 10 in a series!! We all have grown and something has changed. The world is never in the same place, it constantly changes, EVOLVES, as should we! Our readers need someone to connect with, rather than reading along to because that is the way it has always been. I am all for twists, turns, struggles, lies, not-so-perfect hero's, perfect villains but no happily ever after. I think that is the worst idea that ever caught on and I am amazed it is still around... today it should be used as a tool to teach our children what not to expect out of life with trillions of dollars in debt hanging over their heads.
Life is more and ocean, it can not be contained nor controlled, completely unpredictable and forever changing but there is hope and ways you can get on top, you must ride it! But that wave doesn't last forever, just as life. Thank you Dana for exploring something new, I am looking forward to reading about these characters, Rob and Sarah!

Reply
How to get a girlfriend  link
9/25/2012 07:56:11 pm

I’d like to visit your weblog extra typically but recently it appears to be taking perpetually to come back up. I visit from work, and our connection there is fairly good.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Romance too Epic for Just One Lifetime...

    Stay up to date with the latest releases from Dana Michelle Burnett!
    Stay Updated

    This Girl Loves Books

    Picture
    Zazzle Store

    RSS Feed


    Affiliate Disclaimer:
    Dana Michelle Burnett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to (Amazon.com, or Endless.com, MYHABIT.com, SmallParts.com, or AmazonWireless.com).

    Archives

    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010


Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photo from Wright Way Photography