Romance is a genre that everyone can write, no matter what other people may think! NaNo Participant Stella Fosse gives us advice on writing seasoned romance.
Years ago, I read an article by a Romance author in her fifties advising her sister Romance writers that if they wanted to be published, they should create characters in their twenties. Shades of the Bronte sisters, forced to take male pen names! Fortunately, times have changed. With so many Romance readers past midlife, publishers have caught on and created a category called âSeasoned Romance.â
The Personal is Political
Ageism is not exactly news to anyone over fifty. And studies have shown that a positive attitude about aging helps us live longer and healthier. Telling stories about the vivid lives of people our age is essential. If we want to change the cultural narrative, we are the ones to do it.
Why Seasoned Romance?
By now, we have lived the role of romance character several times. We have known all kinds of people and witnessed their romantic fortunes. Autofiction was made for us: Mixing people, situations, and settings can lead to fascinating Romance.
Plus, you get to write about sex. And Romance novels tend to be on the short sideâperfect for NaNoWriMo. Not to mention, Romance sells a lotâmore than Mystery and Science Fiction combined.
Sex, money, and dishing your exes: whatâs not to like?
How to Write Romance?
Not every story that includes romance is a âRomance.â The genre expectations look like this:
Plot: The main plot in a genre Romance is the romance itself. There is an external plotâwhich would be the main plot in any other novel. But in a Romance, the back-and-forth in the relationship drives the story.
Characters: Each of the two main characters has a character flaw that makes them ambivalent about getting involved. They may have conflicts in goals and values (like the bookstore owner and the chain bookstore developer in âYouâve Got Mailâ). And each main character has a sidekickâa confidante to share hopes and fears about the relationship.
Three Act Structure: Hereâs a typical setup for a Romance novel.
Act One: Establish the lives of each main character before they meet. Engineer the meeting (the âmeet cuteâ). Show the attraction and the conflict between the characters. Create an external situation that keeps them in each otherâs lives throughout the story.
Act Two: Lots of ambivalence. The characters take turns chasing and running away. The external plot adds complexity. The sidekicks weigh in, to encourage or discourage the liaison. What looks like a final breakup occurs at the end of this act.
Act Three: Much soul-searching, resulting in each main character owning and resolving their character flaws. They bridge differences in goals and values, enjoy their mutual attraction (at mild, moderate, or spicy levels of heat), and begin a committed relationship.
But waitâI hear you say: Isnât that awfully formulaic? Sure, but so is a sonnet. Structure can be liberating.
Victorians were scandalized by early Romance novels because they highlighted female passion. Yet the genre became the stereotyped province of thin, young, white, able-bodied heroines. More recently, itâs broadened to include stories about LGBTQ+ characters, polyamorous characters, and characters of color (Stacey Abrams writes Romance under the pen name Selena Montgomery). And with the advent of Seasoned Romance, we Writers of a Certain Age can tell vivid stories about characters like us.
Stella Fosse writes stories of vibrant women and teaches about writing boldly after midlife. Her books include:
Aphroditeâs Pen: The Power of Writing Erotica after Midlife (North Atlantic Books)
A story collection, The Erotic Pandemic Ball: Tales of Love in Lockdown
And her debut novel at age 68, Brilliant Charming Bastard
She has taught romance writing through Secure Senior Connections.
Stella blogs at www.stellafosse.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter , LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
A queer vampire with a historical fiction backstory falls hard for a middle-aged woman-- whatâs not to like? Throw in ethically sourced blood, and youâve got me hook, line and sinker. This delightful paranormal and partly historical sapphic romance reminds me of some of my favorites authors (Anne Rice, Pamela Rosenfeld and Tamsyn Muir), but itâs an original. Stella Fosseâs craft is top-notch; I didnât put the book down until I finished it. Excellent world-building, sensual language, and a feminist, anti-ageist slant made this novel a first-rate read. Sequel, please!
Hot Sex After Midlife! Book Launch Party for Aphrodite's Pen: The Power of Writing Erotica after Midlife
Tuesday, September 24, 6:00-7:30pm, Free Good Vibrations 2504 San Pablo Avenue (at Dwight), Berkeley
Join us with the writers of Aphrodite's Pen: The Power of Writing Erotica after Midlife for an evening celebrating this one-of-a-kind new book! These talented writers are thrilled to launch this volume--sharing their erotic tales that empower and highlight women of a certain age. Folx of all ages are encouraged to attend! Bring your friends, and treat yourself to a fabulous evening of shared stories, complimentary sips and 10% off shopping. Learn more: https://stellafosse.com
In 2016, Stella and her friend Susan Kuchinskas founded a writing group called Elderotica for women over fifty. With monthly meetings to share story writing and friendship, Elderotica has become a great support group for Bay Area women exploring creativity and sexuality after midlife.
Stella leads erotic writing workshops based on the concept of creativity as play. Her new book empowering women through erotic writing âAphroditeâs Pen: The Power of Writing Erotica After Midlifeâ will be published by North Atlantic Press in late summer 2019. Through anecdote, playful exercises, interviews and writing samples, the book encourages ripe women to explore erotic writing as a joyful practice. Stella plans to expand this writing group concept to other locations, including her new home state of North Carolina.
I'm reading Stella Fosse's interview with me aloud at the launch of her new book at the Berkeley Good Vibrations on Sept. 24! Reserve your seat now for some sexy reflections on writing erotica by a bunch of experienced women. đ
