There's no doubt about it, romance as a genre has a bad name among the uninitiated. Whenever I see a poorly-informed, dismissive article about romance in a newspaper or on the internet, I feel indignant. Or at least I used to. Now it doesn't bother me quite so much.
I've learned that it's almost impossible to change someone else's opinion about something, particularly if it is based on nothing but prejudice. And most particularly if you are working from the inside. Of course a romance writer is going to defend the genre. Why would our words carry weight with someone determined to despise us?
So I think the best way to deal with the critics is to show them what a great time we're having over here. Romance is the definitive popular fiction. That's not to say romances can't have literary merit or social impact, but let's all acknowledge that the intent of romance is to entertain. And in that it succeeds extremely well.
In fact, it makes up 39.3% of all fiction sold.
Can you hear me chortle?
So what about you? Why do you read romance?
6 comments:
Great, Christine! The number of times I've had to sit through supposedly intelligent people giving me the lowdown about a genre I've read in depth and they've never touched, it makes me want to growl and spit and basically carry on like a grumpy Tasmanian devil (is there any other kind?). Or the people who tell me that reading romance is actually making the world more sexist. Que? Books written by women with women as central characters about things a lot of women care about - family, love, hope, loyalty, etc., etc. Oh, of course, that's way more sexist than any of that male escapist stuff. Give me a break!
That's so true, Anna! Women are sneered at for caring about all those 'touchy-feely' things but where would the world be if we didn't?
Any time I hear someone trashing romance I always ask them if they've read it. Inevitably the answer is no. To which I usually respond, 'well informed then, are we?' Then a fight breaks out, there's bloodshed, the cops are called, I have to firm up a solid alibi...it's a big mess.
But I read romance because I love reading about human relationships, and what relationship is more compelling than a romantic one?
Kelly, let me buy you a cyber cocktail!
I'll drink to that! In fact, now I'm not longer pregnant, I'll drink to just about anything:)
Yeah, Wells, but unlike my cyber bar buddy Kelly, you drink the REAL stuff!
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