Normally, I write hot contemporary
romance. And in most of my stories, I toe that line between steamy sex scenes
and erotic romance. This time, I boldly stepped over the line. Why, you might
ask? Mostly, because I like my romance hot and, this time, I wanted to explore
the concept of power dynamics between two characters. I love writing sex
scenes. I've never been one to shy away from writing them. I don’t like the
bedroom door closed in the romance I read and write because, for me, it’s all
about the emotional and physical connection between two people. Romance and
love is tightly intertwined with the mating ritual of sex. Period. For years,
women have been ridiculed and put down for reading trash or mommy porn if they
read romance or erotic romance novels. And romance writers, of all genre
writers, often bear the brunt of sly, back-handed compliments and snikers about the smut they write or they
experience out-right sexual harassment because they celebrate women who are
sensual creatures--those characters who are not afraid to discuss and explore
sexuality and the dynamics of sensuality between them and their lovers.
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| Mackenzie Lucas reading at LJS |
Romance is primarily a genre written
by women for women. Erotic romance celebrates the beautiful sensuality at the
core of the mating ritual. It is a genre where women get to define and redefine
what it means to be sexy, smart, strong, beautiful, and powerful for themselves.
So the next time someone ridicules you for reading or writing romance, give
them that knowing smile and tell them you’re redefining hot. Because what you
do when you read or write romance is tap into the human condition and celebrate
the most beautiful connection in the Universe. And that’s a pretty awesome.
Later this week (Feb. 10 & 11) I’m
attending and also coordinating Washington Romance Writers volunteers at the
Library of Congress’s What is Love? Romance in the Digital Age conference--an event that’s
free to the public. At the conference, they’ll be screening The Popular Romance
Project’s documentary, Love Between the Covers. I’m excited about this event
because panel after panel is filled with educated, articulate women who write,
study, and read romance novels. I’ll be interested to see what they have to say
about the state of the romance novel, erotic romance, and the peek the romance
genre gives us into our popular culture and the human condition. I have a
feeling they’ll say romance is thriving.
Mac, after listening to the excerpt you read on Saturday night, I cannot WAIT to get The Dom of My Heart downloaded to my ereader.
ReplyDeleteI read an op/ed last week by a woman who thinks romance is trivial because it's about love, it's about perfect people, and the characters never change. It kind of made me want to reach through the computer screen and give a little shake. It was so obvious she hadn't read in the genre. I get so tired of ill-informed people trying to tell me my choice of reading material (and writing inspiration) is somehow inferior. Bah. A pox on their houses.
Yay for the celebration of trust, sex, and love. Amen.
You are so right, Keely! Grrr. Lots of education needed out there. And, yet, love is the most important connection out there that we experience as humans. Go figure. Thanks for posting & thanks for the shout out about The Dom of My Heart. Hope you like it when it comes out. ;0)
ReplyDeleteHi MacKenzie,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your latest endeavor finding its way to readers this month!
Sometimes, I chat with creative writing students who bash Romance. Their spite is often automatic. Oftentimes, they've never read one. So I assign them a Contemporary Romance and instruct them to select any classic or traditional tale from Shakespeare, Chaucer, what have you. Without fail, my students come back with, "Holy cow! This Romance novel is like The Taming of the Shrew!" or another work.
I love that because it just goes to show exploring relationships is super-important to us, has been important to us for eons, and is just as central to some writers' works today as ever.
So, write on, Mackenzie! And congrats again!
You are so right, Nichole! We have been exploring this for eons. I was just thinking the other day how erotic romance has been around since the poems of Ovid. That's longevity.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your reading at Lady Jane's the other night. Relationships and love are universal to all of us but the forms they take are as different and unique as the participants - which makes for an infinite number of plots. I love the quote - I forget who said it - "Marriage is like sausage; only those involved know what goes into it." Romance novels explore the intimate aspects of interpersonal relationships, including sex, that are universal to all of us. That is why their popularity endures - romantic love is something that all of us can relate to.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Lisa! Well said. Love and intimacy are universal, even though we each have a very individual experience with both. I do believe that's why romance novels are predominately a fictional genre by women for women--because women are interested in exploring those interpersonal relationships that drive us all and keep society spinning on its axis. Thanks for stopping in to comment!
ReplyDelete