What makes an excellent romance novel in your mind?

Discussion in 'Setting Development' started by Link the Writer, Jul 24, 2011.

  1. Sundae

    Sundae New Member

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    I think throughout my post I have said that there are exceptions to everything. I can't cover all my basis and make my words absolute truth and say they are true to all situations.

    As to why emotional realism is compromised. I can't answer that without a super long in-depth analysis of each particular story. Of course things can be written in ways where it ISN'T compromised as I already stated, but this all from my views of how I see the romance market evolving through time. Too focus too much on sex, lust, physical attraction, you using words that could be used to explore other things.

    It's sort of like the economic concept of opportunity cost. It's the sacrifice forgone to pursing a different element/alternative. It sort of works the same way, however you can make the best possible choices and which to pursue to strike a right balance and get optimal output, problem is I just haven't seen many books that strike a right balance between the two other than the many classics. I have seen where emotional realism isn't compromised, but those are usually rare and few in-between and also exceptions to current trend in my opinion.

    It's not that it's not important to have physical attraction and physical reactions, it's more about balance. Too much emphasis placed in those areas detracts from the emotional realism and it works vice versa too. And right now, the focus seems to be on sex.

    It's a balance.
     
  2. Sundae

    Sundae New Member

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    I completely disagree and in my opinion it's comments like this that give the genre a bad reputation. It's the same thing as saying fantasy is only for children. It's a huge generalization.


    Again, I disagree with this. Though I will agree that some(many) people view the romance genre as being synonymous to sex or erotica, but I don't think this holds true for every reader.
     
  3. Tesoro

    Tesoro Contributor Contributor

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    LOL, actually I didn't even notice that detail, but I take that as a good sign ;) I don't know if I have ever read a "romance" novel written by a guy. Novels with plots including love, yes, but the real stuff... probably no. I know there must be a few of them, but I can't come up with an example. Any names?
     
  4. pyrosama

    pyrosama Member

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    Some of the better romance novels I've read dealt with multi-cultural issues. The woman is from a different culture than the man.
     
  5. Jewels

    Jewels New Member

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    You are so right! When I approached publishers with my first romance manuscript there was a number who were interested in it, but they all told me that it wasn't "hot" enough. I understand that sex and romance go together but it seems that romance novels are becoming more like pornography. I'm no prude but I'm quite shocked by some of the stuff out there... Luckily I found a publisher who didn't mind the low "heat" level of my book, but sadly graphic sex scenes do seem to be mandatory for most romance novels these days.
     
  6. Jewels

    Jewels New Member

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    It seems we agree that there are some very bad romance novels out there, and I think that anyone with even a modicum of good taste would also have to agree that there is one book that stands head and shoulders above the rest as the best romance novel of all time.

    Of course I'm talking about...drumroll.... Pride & Predjudice by the incomparable Jane Austen..... Misundertandings, brooding looks, gossip & innuendo, grand settings, esquisite sexual tenstion... and not a single sex scene to be found.
     
  7. teacherayala

    teacherayala New Member

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    Oh, I read those, too. But why limit yourself? Sometimes you should just read for fun, even if you know it's not going to be the next lofty "Great American Novel."
     
  8. Mallory

    Mallory Contributor Contributor

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    In order for me to keep reading a romance, both the guy and the girl involved need to maintain their independence and individuality - none of this "I love you, therefore I'm content with becoming a passive doormap" crap.

    That and good sex. ;) Partially kidding on that, but if you do do it, do it right...it's awkward when the author clearly doesn't know a thing about what they're describing.

    Edit: Just want to add that I don't usually read "romance novels" where romance is the #1 factor. I prefer stories where there's tension from something else, i.e. a conspiracy or war or rebellion, and the romance is just a good subplot.
     
  9. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    I agree, it's a generalisation. It's perhaps a prejudice I formed after reading a few historical romances, which ALL followed the most formulaic and cliche pattern ever and really, was mostly wish-fulfillment. Or it read that way, at least.

    I can see why you disagree. The majority of my experience with romance novels is teenage novels when I was a teenager myself, Mills & Boons modern stuff, and a number of historical romance (also mostly Mills & Boons I think).

    I do like the romance types by Sophie Kinsella and Elizabeth Noble - probably the only 2 authors I know in this kinda genre as I do, I admit, have a slight prejudice about romance novels. Kinsella's hilarious - predictable and utterly mindless, but hilarious, and great after a stressful day at work :) And Noble's is fairly predictable too but I enjoy the variety of relationships she has in her books (failing marriages vs failed marriage vs being single vs being a mother etc).
     
  10. Sundae

    Sundae New Member

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    Why do so many people comment and then feel the need to put a disclaimer stating that they don't read romance as if it's embarrassing?

    Almost every single book out on the market has some sort of romantic sub-plot these days, it may not be your primary reason but I don't see why a disclaimer is needed.

    So you don't read it, I don't see many people putting a disclaimer like this for Horror or Nonfiction or Thrillers or Psychological or any other genres but it seems like a staple for the romance genre.

    It seems like the genre has acquired this negative stereotype to it and while a lot of the books in the genre affirm that stereotype, there are many, many that completely defy them and are truly superb books.
     
  11. Mallory

    Mallory Contributor Contributor

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    My comment about how I don't usually read romance is not because I feel like it's "embarrassing." I wouldn't be embarrassed to read any genre and I don't care what people think. I just meant to convey that I prefer when a story has good romance AND other factors, not just the romance by itself. So I guess I was trying to say that there should be other exciting aspects of the story going on besides the love aspect.
     
  12. Link the Writer

    Link the Writer Flipping Out For A Good Story. Contributor

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    Well, embarrassing for a guy.

    I mean, when was the last time you saw a guy reading romance? Hmm??
     
  13. Mallory

    Mallory Contributor Contributor

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    I know guys who read romance. I even knew a guy from my writing workshop (my real-life one) who WRITES romance. And it's good. :)
     
  14. Sundae

    Sundae New Member

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    LOL I can see why you then have a prejudice to it then. I think a very big reason why so many have a prejudice is because of the Harlequin Romance and Mills & Boons. But it's really not surprising if you study the publishing of how these novels made a name for them in the market.

    A lot of people think romance is either chic-lit, harlequin romance or it's counter part in the U.K. Mills & Boon and a majority of these novels are very highly publicized and hold a strong market share. They are also novels that are just meant to entertain and so it's not a surprise if they are cliche and formulaic and are "steamy" and full sex.

    I guess I'm lucky in the sense that I never read romance when I was younger and so when I did start reading it, it was because I was looking for something specific. From there, I was able to make distinctions in different types.

    But yeah, I don't read the Harlequin types because they're just not for me. I hated each one I did read and I really really really hate historical romance novels because of them. I've become more of a feminist as a direct result of these types of books, I kid you not. I even wrote a paper for one my gender study classes on it.

    I think now, I stick to modern literary romances where the subject matters are of various things with love and its enemies being the ultimate thing that holds everything together. Novels like "Us" by Michael Kimball, "South of the Border, West of the Sun" by Haruki Murakami. These are ultimately the types of novels I want to write.

    And I always turn to chic-lit when I need something easy, fast, and fun and when everything else sucks around you.
     
  15. Sundae

    Sundae New Member

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    Sorry my comment wasn't directly aimed at you. I've just noticed a number of disclaimers that always seem to be present in threads about romance and it's just interesting that it never seems to be an imperative thing that needs to be stated with talks of other genres.

    But overall, yes, I agree with you.
     
  16. MRD

    MRD New Member

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    I once read a "romance" novel in which the (female) main character spent half the book getting overly horny and fantasizing about humping one of several other (male) characters.
    Suffice to say, that book was utter crap.

    A romance novel has to have more than just sex in it, it has to have actual feeling behind the characters. If I want mindless sex, I have the internet.

    This is why I never pick up books with semi-erotic pictures on the cover.


    Also, I don't like things to be too "lovey-dovey", if that makes any sense?
     
  17. Sundae

    Sundae New Member

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    I'm sorry, I am not allowed to discuss this or a hoard of angry "outed" guys will come and take me out. Today you see me, tomorrow you don't. :p

    Now that might be why we don't ever hear of it.

    I call conspiracy.
     
  18. Link the Writer

    Link the Writer Flipping Out For A Good Story. Contributor

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    Basically, the romance in my head is the romance plot, but that's not what drives the book. The plot brings them together and its their romance that tells each other, "Look, we're in a spot of hell, but we'll get through this together." and they resolve the plot through their cunning and wit (in both sexes).
     
  19. heyitsmary

    heyitsmary New Member

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    When I think romance, I think of the Harlequin paperbacks you see in supermarkets that are pure escapism/quasi fantasy. I rarely read straight romance, Harlequin paperback or otherwise, but I do read a lot of YA dystopian/fantasy romance where the actual love story is usually a subplot.
     
  20. Marranda

    Marranda New Member

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    Awww, Harlequin romance books... *sigh*... The bread and butter of my high school years :p Those are so fun to read because they're short, and so silly they make me laugh out loud at how ridiculous it is.
    I actually got grounded one summer from reading any book that wasn't school-related, because it's all I did for 5 days straight. I'd fall asleep reading, wake up, go to the bathroom, pick the book up again, shower when the sun went down, and read until I fell asleep again. I don't think my Dad would've grounded me, but my step-mom was mad I wasn't doing my chores, haha! Oops :rolleyes:
     
  21. madhoca

    madhoca Contributor Contributor

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    My life is kind of shitty right now so that's ^^ my excuse for writing them. It's also a hell of a lot easier to get published, or at least be considered for publication (fingers crossed for final word on this beginning of September) once you get the hang of it.
     
  22. MaggieStone

    MaggieStone New Member

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    Hmm what makes a great romance legendary. So many go for tragic twists that leave our lovers bereft of happiness. I feel that though this is a memorable technique, it's not my cup of tea. I find that the best type of romance is funny and witty and most of all that it is written in a series because love is so complex it needs more that one book to delight over. So as the series goes on the love grows with it.
     
  23. teacherayala

    teacherayala New Member

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    Haha! Once upon a time I had a 9th grade male student who was new to the school at the time. His dad told me in a parent conference that his favorite type of book to read was a romance novel. (I kept my internal monologue to myself, but inside my eyebrow was raised and I was thinking "And you're seriously telling me that you don't know WHY?")
     

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