This week: Avoiding Romance Clichés Edited by: Warped Sanity  
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You cozy up on the couch or bed, ready to read your latest romance find. A few chapters in, you realize it is pretty much the same story you've read over and over. If you are like me, you keep reading in hopes that it gets better, but many people toss the book aside.
Most of us writers want to be appreciated by a large audience, or at least those of us who have hopes of publication do. Using clichés are a way of limiting an audience.
This newsletter brings to attention some common clichés that even someone like me, who does not typically run out and buy romance novels, catches right away. |
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When I was in my early twenties, a friend of mine was about to trash several boxes of books. Being a book lover, I couldn't see that happen, so I took them all home. Approximately 80 romance novels were in those boxes. They were fairly easy to read, so I read through the whole lot pretty quickly. It didn't take long to see there were some repetitive scenarios and themes within the books, even though they were written by various authors.
Typically, romance isn't the genre I buy. Most of the romance I read now days is on WdC. I've been happily surprised by some of the great romance writers here, who create strong characters and original romance plots. Though, many times I run across those clichés I noticed in that lot of romance books. I imagine, if someone like me, who doesn't typically read romance can spot the cliche right away, the romance genre lover is probably going to be even less enthused about the writing.
I've compiled a list of the clichés that I feel are overly redundant within romance writing.
 The helpless woman who always needs the man to save her.
No means yes. It's not exciting. Yes, it happens a lot in some of the historical romances where arranged marriages are involved.
Someone overhearing something, then leaving upset, without waiting for an explanation or even asking for one.
The Billionaire who never works, especially if he's in his twenties.
Men that every woman throws herself at.
Stories where everyone is gorgeous.
The male character is a complete slut, yet falls helplessly in love with a woman, suddenly changing his ways.
They meet by literally running into each other or kiss by bumping heads.
An arrogant man falls in love with a spitfire woman.
Beauty and the beast scenarios.
He’s seeing how she has curves in all the right places.
The naive virginal woman.
As a female, when I read romance, I appreciate strong female characters. This doesn't mean that she doesn't need someone in her life. It just means she is sure of herself, knows who she is, and knows what she wants. Of course, when it comes to young love blossoming, a little innocence is expected, but a grown woman with those traits is not something the modern woman identifies with.
When it comes to male characters, strength is good too, but not in an egotistical sort of way. Just as in real life, a man that is dismissive and arrogant is not sexy.
Of course, I am approaching this from a heterosexual point of view, since that is what I identify as. There are a lot of modern LGBTQ authors who have done quite well, yet readers of LGBTQ romance probably could compile a list of clichés of their own, some of which just might be similar to mine.
What clichés would you add to my list? What type of characters and plot do you like to read in romance writing?
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Romance/Love: January 15, 2020 Issue [#9963]
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