I’m editing one of my old backlist titles—I mean really old. My first historical romance was sold in 1982, and this one dates to the late 80’s. It’s a western of over 160k words, divided into three sections. I’m seriously considering re-issuing it as three separate books because the range of the story is immense. And that’s what has me thinking about the changes and direction of romantic fiction.
Obviously, the late 1970s and early 1980s, the boom years of historical romance, were an entirely different world. The technological changes since then practically make anything pre-computer seem likeancient history. Until that point, we’d not seen sex on television, and we’d certainly not read it in anything except a Harold Robbins novel or pornography.
We had leisure time for reading huge books since most of us probably had no cable TV. Books became the soap operas we loved. Some authors had their heroines roaming from English society to harems, sampling the men along the way. Others gave their heroines a variety of choices of heroes and let them experience poverty and wealth, sailing ships, and frontiers. We could pack all that into a single romance story.
But today’s reader can find sex on her computer, soap operas on every cable channel, and heroes on YouTube. She can go to Netflix and watch movies on sailing ships and harems and castles. What can a romance author offer today’s readers?
And as far as I can see, the answer is still—romance. We still want to experience the breathless sensation of meeting someone special and discovering the heart-racing emotions of new love. Which turns the question into—what exactly constitutes a good romance in today’s world?
Once upon a time we could write about rape and brutality and adventures on the high seas and the hero who learned to love his heroine through all the travails of adventure and pioneering. But highwaymen and pirates don’t seem to appeal to the modern reader. These days, romances need to be cosseted in aristocracy and sumptuous surroundings, and violence of any sort is frowned upon. There are exceptions to every rule—I understand that. But look at the list of bestsellers and tell me nine out of ten of them aren’t about dukes and lords. So how are we celebrating the triumph of romance over adversity when the most dangerous thing a heroine has to do is knee a bad guy in the groin? (which is probably not historically accurate unless the lady is wearing trousers, but that’s another tale)
Humor, clever wit, and strong characters will win me every time, but very few authors can consistently produce these without repeating themselves. I can get hooked on a fascinating clan like Jo Beverley’s Mallorens. Anne Gracie’s whimsical heroines and situations make me smile with delight. Mary Jo’s intensely heroic, intelligent characters provide fascinating psychological studies. So for me, apparently, it’s the characters and not necessarily the adventure that speaks to my desire for that heart-pounding, uplifting sensation of falling in love.
Authors with strong voices carve out a romantic niche that speaks to their readers. What about you? Can you define what makes a romance work for you?