Quote:
Originally Posted by 3894
And that's the entire point of a romance novel, just as a mystery is the entire point of a mystery novel. It's predictable. Formulaic. The writers are hacks, not necessarily meaning they're bad writers (some are, some aren't) but that they're writers-for-hire writing to specific stylistic and editorial guidelines, including euphamisms and descriptions (called "tags"), length of manuscript, monogamous relationship for heroine, and happy ending.
The reader of romance novels knows what she's getting, just as the reader of mystery novels knows what she's getting. People read romance novels to be taken away from stuff IRL. Think of a reader in a hospital waiting room or on the subway to or from a stressful job. She just wants to be taken out of her life for a little bit. Romance novels do that.
Those sex scenes. With a few exceptions (like Ellora's Cave Publishing), the sex scene is supposed to advance the plot. A lot of it isn't true to female sexuality, IMO. It reads mechanical when the reader isn't invested in the characters and the outcome of the romance.
Those horrible covers. Here's the inside scoop: the bodice-ripper cover(called "clinch cover") intentionally appeals to older readers, as in 60 and older.
The romance novel industry is heading in new directions. The readership is aging. In Feb of this year, Harlequin launched a new contemporary romance series called Everlasting, series romance spanning years or an entire lifetime, depending. Harlequin NEXT is a new-stages-of-life imprint: "From that first baby at 45 to the first date after divorce or widowhood; from that first day of college-accompanied by your freshman daughter! - to dealing with three generations living in the same house".
I'm heading in new directions, too. My writing career has evolved and I am writing with my husband now. We just sold a manuscript about a mystery we solved on an Indian reservation. Yes, true story. No, not a murder mystery. When the book is out, I'm so hawking it to you.
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I hope you don't think I'm insulting you. The truth is, I have a "collection" of romance novels for a reason... I like reading them
I think I plowed through the entire Johanna Lindsay collection in my teens
It's just that I'm acknowledging my interest in them has more to do with the setting than the "scenes". So, in truth, my interest relies even more upon the actual work the author puts into their novel, in terms of period research, their skill at weaving the story into the setting in a manner suitable to the time period, etc.