  Romance/Love
This week: Romance or Drama Edited by: Annette  
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| Hello romantically inclined readers, I am Annette and I will be your guest editor for this issue. |
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Romance or Drama
Today's Romance/Love newsletter is more of an opinion piece. My opinion. Once you're read over it, I'd love to find out in the submission box if I'm completely off, or if others feel similarly.
Almost to the day a year ago, I created a romance/love short story contest. I planned to run it once a month with a prompt. One thing that struck me was how many entries I got to my romance contest in which one of the partners in the romance was dead. After reading several entries where lovers were separated by death, I had no romantic feelings at all. I felt hollow and cheated out of a fun reading time.
Instead of reading warm and fuzzy stories of people overcoming obstacles to find each other, I was left with images of dead and mutilated characters. I felt so distraught that I stopped running the contest. I simply didn't want to read a single story about dead people when the contest specifically asked for romantic stories.
This year, I decided to revive the contest. To shield myself from death, I made it a rule that I wouldn't accept any short stories involving dead partners into the contest. That worked out. A little bit. Instead of reading about dead partners, I was now confronted with a romantic story that described a heinous crime against one of the partners. I stopped reading that story. In my review, I told the writer exactly when and why I stopped reading. Although the story was a contest entry and a review was certainly one of the perks in entering the contest, I refused to allow those images to get closer to me.
Am I too plain, too simple, too silly that I desire my romance to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Is there something wrong with me that I don't want a bucket of cold hard reality dumped over my head when reading romance?
Readers and writers of romance, what are your expectations when you think about a romantic story? Should it be mainly romantic and make you feel good in the end? Or are you okay with reading a romantic story where there is death and maiming? I'd love to get your feedback through the submission box below. Or take my poll for a quick one-click answer. "Invalid Item"
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#1937583 by Not Available. |
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#1937556 by Not Available. |
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#1937538 by Not Available. |
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Comments for my last Romance/Love newsletter "Consider Your Audience" .
Elisa: Snowman Stik  wrote: Hey, Giselle! I can't believe I just found this newsletter. I normally don't read it, but after randomly stumbling upon, I did have one question about the adult audience. Is it possible for an adult romance reader to want something between or completely removed from the two groups you mention? When I want to read something romantic, I want the piece to be as morally gray as possible. Sexual content can be relayed, but I generally like to see one scene fade to black before the author dives back into the mind games the romance plays on either the main or supporting characters. Now if the content shows the physical activity catalyzing a significant change in the game for character development, then I'm all for it. This is the approach I use when writing romance. Is there anyone out there who will read it?
I don't know. I've read books that left me frustrated because the writer set up a scene in so many pages and then faded me out just when the pay-off was supposed to happen. In other books, sensuality seemed to jump at me when I least expected it. I think what resonates with a reader is going to be very individual. In my newsletter, I merely wanted to highlight some of the bigger, defined groups of readers.
StephBee  wrote: Giselle, I loved your topic - consider your audience. It's very important. As author, I always try to be upfront about my "heat" levels because I've gotten 1/2 star reviews because someone expected a sweet story and my novel had mainstream love scenes.
Even those who gave you 1/2 star reviews could only go by their own tastes and likes. Of course none of us wants to get such a rating - and I don't think any of your stories would deserve it on the whole. Seems like that reviewer should have slept an hour longer and eaten proper breakfast before reading romance. 
ANN Counselor, Lesbian & Happy  wrote: Thank you for this newsletter. I write Lesbian and Gay men Romance for Questioning, Just Out individuals and family members who desire to understand the normaliness of those who love differently; we are normal people in every way and our reading audiences are surely the same type of readers so I am glad you taught me something new today. And, thank you for posting one of my Lesbian Romance stories. I seek to keep learning and you keep teaching me new information. Thank you very much for that. ANN "Invalid Item"
Thank you for your positive feedback to my newsletter. 
BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful  wrote: Watch out for soldiers; there's bound to be "Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer."  "What Happens at the Barracks; Stays"
I hope not too unbecoming. Lately, officers haven't been depicted in very romantic light in the news. Rather grim.
Bonnie wrote: Thank you for choosing to highlight my contest in your newsletter. "A Romance Contest - winners announced"
You're welcome. I saw there is a new round, so I featured it again. :-d
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Romance/Love: July 03, 2013 Issue [#5723]
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