A post I wrote this week for book blogger/reviewer Emma Mitchell. This subject is something I’ve been thinking a lot about recently, so I thought I’d repost here. If you have any comments, I’d love to hear them!
Helena Fairfax
Freelance editor, author, tea drinker, Yorkshire lass
3 responses to “#AuthorTakeover Why Romance Novels Are All So Predictable by Helena Fairfax @HelenaFairfax #ChickLit #Romance #Books”
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Despite being a hulking male, I’m happy to admit I like romance novels and chic-lit; but one danger I recently noticed is when the author loses interest and starts “writing by numbers.” Took the latest Erica Fforde to work the other day and, oh dear, still competent but uninvolving. Production-line produce for old dears addicted to gin-and-tonics with all the emotional punch of a wet and rotten haddock… Which is a pity, because I rather liked Erica and her ilk, but the romance genre, like any other, has to involve, entertain and earn the reader’s empathy. In this case, I just felt like crashing an airliner onto the whole village and adding an Arnold Schwarzenegger look-alike tromping around offing perps. Oddly enough, that’s why I’m a fan of HOT FUZZ – the film took the whole “buddy-cop-in-LA” genre and dumped it headfirst in rural Worcestershire or somewhere. Hilarious. This therapy is probably a shock too far, but the lesson is not to get too comfortable or complacent. Offing a few bad guys always makes the journey a bit more interesting!
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Hi James, I’m so glad you admit to liking romance novels. What’s not to like? I don’t understand why more men don’t give them a try. I’ve told this story before, but my husband had never read a romance novel until my first book, The Silk Romance, was published. He read it on the train coming back from work and got so involved in the story he missed his stop!
That emotional punch you describe is very hard for writers to achieve – even though people still think writing romance is “easy”. I do love the idea of sending in Arnie to spice things up. That made me laugh out loud! I’m not a big fan of the middle-class chick lit village with G&Ts on the lawn, but plenty of readers love them, so each to their own. An Arnie-style rom com would be brilliant, though.
Thanks for dropping in, and for your great comment!LikeLike
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[…] several posts in defence of romantic fiction. Why I’m Fed up of Defending Romance Writing, Why Romance Novels Are All So Predictable, and Why Romance Writers Are Frittering Their Talents Away Writing a Predictable Genre are just a […]
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Helena Fairfax 
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