Wednesday, January 13, 2010

If I Am A Writer. . .

Then why can't I write a romance?

I write science fiction. I love to sit down at my laptop and just let the words flow about my MC and his family. In fact what was once a two book "set" is now both a four book series and a three book trilogy with at least one companion book. They flow from my brain as if i opened a little door on my forehead.

When I started this whole mess I actually wrote a fantasy with some romance in it as my first book. I love the book and while it needs work, (don't all first books need work?) I will revisit the world of Amalathea again sometime, maybe even turn it into a series too. There are some characters in that story that I would love to explore thier lives.

It was actually the third book I wrote, "Dominion Day" that had shoved its way to the forefront of my brain PAST the safety glass and demanded that I tell its story first. So there I stand, Emergence is being edited as I type this and I am just waiting to finish it so I can re-submit it to the publisher I really desire. Then I have the rough of Latent #2 going through my crit group right now and books 3 and 4 plotted out waiting for that month of massive motivation so I can write them. I am also waiting a little to see how the big bad guy develops in book #1 because they are more prominent in books 3 and 4.

So if the sci/fi comes so easily to me and I have some awesome ideas for two romances, why can't I write them? What is it about romance VS sci/fi or fantasy for that matter that makes my brain literally shut off? My sci/fi and fantasy have romance, I am the queen, my readers tell me, at putting two characters together and having them fall in love. If I can do that surely I can write a simple boy meets girl fall in love romance. Right?

Except my romances aren't typical. One deals with Post Partum Phychosis and the after effects of that depression and a suicide attempt. The other deals with excaping an abusive marriage and finally fulfilling their dreams. Hmmmmmmmmm...... Perhaps that is why. Maybe the simple boy meets girl would be easier.

4 comments:

Don said...

Yanno, I'm kinda the opposite, wondering why a SF fan like myself is polishing up a book that's basically a romance.

I guess you just never know.

Anonymous said...

For me, it's just about where I'm happiest. I know I'm not happy writing full romance. (I think the element of romance is necessary in every story.) I'm happy in my world of fantasy and steampunk. I tell a better story there because I care. And I'm okay with that. I'll leave romance and other genres to the people who love it and are happiest there. They'll do a better job that I can.

Andrew Rosenberg said...

Do what I did...write an outline of a romance then set it in a SF world.
Then they aren't fighting to save the world from destruction...they're fighting to be together and F the world.
The thing with romance is that the Hero doesn't have to battle supervillians...he battles with himself enough to finally let a MOS see him naked. Weird, huh?

Angie said...

Hmmm. Maybe your romances just aren't ready for you to write them yet. Maybe they need to stew a little longer. (Or maybe SF just rules!) ;)