by Ursula
Renée
Last
year at the Brooklyn Book Festival, a man approached the RWA/NYC table and
announced he did not believe in love as it is portrayed in romance novels. He believed
real love had three stages.
The
first was Romantic Love. During this period the couple meets and does not see
each other’s faults. The second was Realistic Love. At that stage, each party
in the relationship begins to notice the other’s faults. The final stage was
Mature Love. At this time, the couple decides to loves each other despite their
faults.
Once the
monologue was over, the author sitting next to me asked the gentleman if he
ever read a romance. His answer was, “No.”
This
year, another man approached the RWA/NYC table and rolled his eyes when asked if
he read or wrote romance. For a second I thought I was going to have the
displeasure of listening to another monologue. However, instead of bursting
into a lecture he asked, “aside from the obvious eroticism, what is in a
romance?”
I explainedthat
romances involve two (or more) people overcoming internal and external conflicts
to have a happily-ever-after or happy-for-now. I also mentioned that a novel
does not have to have sex in it to be a romance.
The
conversation evolved into a discussion about research, the publishing industry
and critique groups. Approximately fifteen minutes after he stopped by the
table, the gentleman shook my hand and wished me well.
Though neither
man read romance novels, the second was more pleasant to deal with. Instead of
approaching the table and expressing a narrow-minded view, he asked questions.
It is
easy to make assumptions about works we do not read or write. Authors unfamiliar with erotic romance may
not realize that character growth is essential to the plot. Others may believe that
characters must act a certain way (i.e. an African-American character must listen
to R&B or Jazz music) in order to stay true to their culture.
When
exposed to a sub-genre you’re not familiar, don’t simply turn your nose up and make
assumptions. Keep an open mind and ask questions. By doing so, you may develop an interest in
reading or writing something new. Even if you cannot be convinced to try a new sub-genre, by
approaching it with an open mind you will have earned the other person's respect.♥
Ursula
Renée is the President of RWA/NYC. She is the author of SWEET JAZZ, a
historical, interracial romance. When she is not writing, she enjoys
photography, drawing and stone carving. Visit her at www.ursularenee.com.