Writer identity crisis?

I know what you are, but what am I?

Any romance writers out there? Do you ever ask yourselves, where does my writing material fall? Am I a chick lit writer? Or maybe I write contemporary? Or, is it erotic? If this is you, take a look below at a brief summary of the most popular subgenres in romance today.

Contemporary

This genre is set in present time (after World War II) and it focuses primarily on the emotional attachment between the leading characters. In contemporary romance the relationship is typically monogamous and not explicit (sexual content/language). Also, the intimacy doesn't normally deviate from the conventional. The story does have to have a HEA* for the characters, and the HEA almost always occurs in the traditional romantic sense.

This genre is set in either the present or the past. In erotic romance, both the sexual and emotional aspects of the relationship are integral to the storyline and the relationship is typically monogamous and can be explicit (sexual content/language). Also, the intimacy may be unconventional (fetish, BDSM, etc.). The story can and normally does have HEA/HFN**, and typically the HEA/HFN occurs in the traditional romantic sense.

Sensual

This genre is set in either the present or the past. In sensual romance the relationship is primary to the storyline. In sensual romance the story is spicy and steamy and the relationship is typically monogamous and not necessarily explicit (sexual content/language). Also, the intimacy may be unconventional (fetish, BDSM, etc.). The story can and normally does have HEA/HFN, and typically the HEA/HFN occurs in the traditional romantic sense.

Chick lit

This genre is set in present time (after 1970) and it focuses primarily on issues of modern womanhood topics which are often addressed humorously. Some chick lit authors weave elements of romance into their novels, but chick lit is not generally considered a subcategory of the romance genre. In chick lit the story can and normally does have HEA/HFN.

*Happily ever after

**Happy for now

There you have it friends, a quick and dirty overview!

Back in Phoenix!

Finally back home and back to my daily routine. Time to get back to the business of writing and promoting. That said, please take the time to visit www.mywritingden.net for details on my first blogging contest of 2012 to start on 4/30 - there will be prizes. Also, be sure to stop by my YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/MyWritingDen1 from time to time to keep up with my latest escapades. That's all for now folks - take care and be well! PS: hope you guys like the new blogspot layout :-)

Writing is HARD work. There I said it!

Recently, I had a conversation with a fellow writer about different writing styles. We talked about how some writers can simply sit down on a computer and write on command; I cannot. My pre-writing process can take me ten, fifteen, twenty minutes or more and it usually involves me ‘getting in to character’; I need to connect with the hero and heroine before I can delve into their lives. It is then when I’m emotionally attached that ideas begin to form I’m able to capture the thoughts and the scenes and the story begins to unfold. I can tell you that when I begin to write a story, I too experience the same nervousness that a lot of writers feel. Will anyone read my stuff? Will anyone care about what I have to say? This is the fretful process of a writer, yet, we, I, push forward and write with excitement, optimism, and a lot of discipline. On an amusing note (or maybe not so) one thing that we, writers, often encounter is that non-writers tend to think that writing is easy....

A Long Weekend Ahead :-)

Family/Friends: For many Americans this is the first big holiday since New Year's (not many people get Civil Rights or even President's Day off for that matter), so I hope you have fun plans and enjoy the time outdoors with family and friends. A quick update about my writing, I have received feedback from three publishers and although all of it has been positive it will require me to revise 75% of my work (each story is >6K words), needless to say the task at hand is somewhat dauting. I have, however, taken a couple of days just to think about the best approach and plan on implementing some of my ideas this weekend. To those of you who keep up with me (Twitter, FB, this blog, etc.) I truly appreciate it. You keep my spirits up when the 'doubt bug' creeps in. Take care and 'til next time! Maria

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