Read Around the Rainbow: How to Romance a Romance Writer

When lovely Nell Iris suggested the topic for this month’s RAtR blog, it seemed perfect for the end of January in the run-up to Valentine’s Day. All the same, I was momentarily stumped as to what to write.

Good friends often jokingly tease me that since I write romance, I should conform to the image of an archetypal romance writer. They have in mind an iconic image of a grandly dressed and bejewelled lady arrayed in yards of pink tulle with matching accessories (including pink hair and a pink-tinged lapdog). Not exactly practical for someone who lives by the sea and is found in waterproof coats, woolly hats and gloves for at least half the year!

So I’ll admit it. When it comes to normal everyday life, I’m not a romantic. I was very relieved when during our group chat about the topic, others in the blog ring chimed in that they weren’t natural romantics either. That admission caused me to think about this from a different angle and gave me some inspiration for this month’s blog. Rather than focusing on romancing a romance writer, I started to ask myself, what sort of person writes romance?

From our informal exchange of opinions amongst our blog group, the answer is as varied as we are! All kinds of people write romance, from the profoundly romantic to the adamantly practical and the endless variations in between. What’s interesting is that so many diverse personalities are drawn to writing in the romance genre.

I love reading as well as writing romance for lots of reasons, but the escapist comfort of romantic love can be a welcome respite from the complicated and often harsh outside world. I also enjoy the range of wonderful writing styles that can be found amongst all my fellow bloggers and beyond.

Love tokens, hearts and flowers and the romantic trimmings may have little or no place in my life by preference, although I’ll never say no to a glass of bubbly! But curiously, as soon as I enter the imaginary world of my stories, romance takes over completely. When I’m devising a story, I’m totally engaged in the dynamic between my central couple and wholeheartedly believe in their growing feelings for each other. I put all my energy into ensuring their Happy Ever After, even shedding an emotional tear or two along the way.

This romance writer might not be easily romanced, but I will always happily engage in my own or other writers’ imaginary romantic world-building.

My post will be linked on the last Friday of every month with posts from fellow blog ring members. There are seven other writers blogging in the Read Around the Rainbow Webring this month… find their posts about Romancing A Romance Writer!

A .L. Lester : Nell Iris : Ofelia Grand : Holly Day : Addison Albright : K.L. Noone : Fiona Glass :

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