Motivating Literacy: The Romance Genre and the Cause
of Literacy
Wednesday; April 29, 2009
By Amber Leigh Williams
Featured on The Authors Studio
In
the world today, leading countries are so obsessed with
mastering the latest technological advances that we tend to
overlook something even more fundamental: literacy. Or
should I say illiteracy? According to PROLiteracy Worldwide,
in 2005 an estimated 30 million American adults had below
average literacy skills. While many of these people proved
to be high school dropouts, many more had high school
diplomas. Even more alarming is last year’s statistic that
two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults are women.
At the age of eight,
my family moved to the Gulf Coast. I took a test to gauge my
placement among the students in my new school. I passed
every level—all except for reading skills. I was placed in a
low-level reading course with a handful of other students.
This separation from other classmates—many of whom had
advanced to the Accelerated Reading course already—created
an insecurity that culminated from the days I struggled to
learn to read. To this day, I vividly recall throwing a book
across the room because no matter how many times I read the
same story, my parents still had to sound out the word
where.
This insecurity
followed me through middle school and though I desperately
tried to overcome it, it lurked in my high school classrooms
as well. It hindered test scores, especially when taking the
state examinations and ACT which I needed to more than pass
to get into my targeted university. (I got in but just
barely. My reading score was higher than my science and math
scores but nowhere near my high marks in English and
history.) Even in college, I couldn’t shake the fear that
everyone was reading faster than me during those long study
periods. And I liked reading. I’d already fallen in
love with Nora Roberts novels and read Vogue and
Newsweek cover-to-cover religiously. Even more puzzling,
I have no learning disabilities…other than an undiagnosed
incomprehension of mathematical figures, which thousands of
writers share.
What saved me from
giving up completely on reading? My love of the romance
genre. I gobbled Nora’s latest releases and backlist week by
week. Probably because I read these novels at my leisure and
enjoyed them thoroughly, not once was I met with the
frustration that walked hand-in-hand with reading for me
until that point. It was romance that motivated me to write,
that encouraged my love of English, language arts, and even
literature. In fact, my college major was English/Language
Arts.
The impact of
romance on the literacy movement can not only be seen in my
life, but in these statistics as well. According to Romance
Writers of America,
64.6 million Americans read
at least one romance novel in the past year. And with the
current economic climate, more and more people are reaching
for those Harlequin titles and their happily-ever-afters. On
top of that, check out these numbers:
42% of romance readers have a bachelor's degree or
higher
27%
have college degrees
15%
have post-graduate work or degrees
7%
have associate degrees
17%
have attended a trade school or have some college
23%
have high school diplomas
Impressive, huh? The Today Show did a special segment
on last year’s RWA National Conference in San Francisco and
noted that romance fans are “voracious readers” who buy an
average of six books a month. Already RWA is preparing for
its next National Conference in July and more than 400
authors have already committed to the “Readers for Life”
Literacy Autographing in which all proceeds are donated to
literacy charities. As stated in the May 2009 Romance
Writers Report, “Since this partnership began, RWA and
its authors have raised more than half a million dollars to
fight illiteracy.” Wow. Now that’s impressive!
So when you pick up that next
Harlequin or Avon or Nora Roberts title, maybe you’ll recall
that by supporting the romance genre and buying those six
books a month, you’re supporting the all-too-important cause
of literacy. Trust me, it’s a nice silver lining when ruing
over your latest auto/impulse-buy and breaking this month’s
budget J
This
week I was called off my register at Books-A-Million with a
spring in my step to restock the romance section. There I
was alone amongst all those steamy covers, each of them
crooking their tempting fingers at me. I greeted friends’
names with a warm smile in passing and had to pause to fawn
over the hallowed sectors of Sherrilyn Kenyon, Nora Roberts,
J.R. Ward… As the lazy morning minutes drifted by—I admit, I
was moving at a purposely studied pace—boy, was I
awed by the diversity of our genre. And not for the first
time.
No wonder romance is the biggest genre of
fiction, a billion-dollar industry. I could feel the
talent wafting down that long, elaborate aisle—heck, I could
almost smell and taste it! (Chocolate-covered strawberries
came to mind....) And according to the sales figures and The
Today Show’s special on RWA’s National Conference in San
Francisco, romance isn’t going anywhere. It’s been on a
steady climb since it blasted onto the scene over a decade
ago. Today it’s the perfect escape from the dismal reality
of a falling economy and foreign unrest, “a silver lining”
in Today’s words. No matter the snarky critics who continue
to turn their backs; romance has come to command respect and
embody excellence.
My walk down Everything Romance Lane put my own
diversity into question. My debut novel Fox & Hound,
released February 2008 from Red Rose Publishing,is a
romantic adventure about a pair of vengeful jewel thieves
who form an unlikely alliance to prove their worth against
the mentor who betrayed them. My second, Denied Origin—launched
by The Wild Rose Press on August 1
st in e-format
and slated for print November 14th—is a sultry
suspense, “a fast-paced story that keeps the reader on the
edge of the seat and guessing…highly-charged, danger-filled”
(Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction). In May, TWRP
contracted my contemporary western novella Blackest Heart
as an addition to their bestselling Wayback, TX line, “Where
a Cowboy Falls in Love Every Eight Seconds.” Just last week,
I signed on with TWRP’s Champagne Rose imprint for my
contemporary novella A Summer’s Hope, the first book
in my five-part hometown series. Meanwhile, I’m targeting
Kensington with a World War II historical and just reached
chapter five of my first paranormal, which if all goes well
will round out into a trilogy.
And
there’s more—seventeen completed manuscripts and a whole
smorgasbord of future possibilities including a
light-hearted chick-lit, a CIA assassin trilogy, another
historical dating back to Ancient Greece, and a heavier
concept about relief workers in the heat of Africa.
Recently, I’ve even given serious consideration to crossing
into erotica and YA with new pen names.
Back
behind my till as I rang up a copy of Kathleen E.
Woodiwiss’s A Rose in Winter, I wondered if my
chronic genre-jumping was a sign of a restless
imagination—highlighted by the fact that I can’t seem to
stand more than three months on a first draft—or the natural
progression of romance across the genres. Love stories are
so transcendent that they can be translated into any era,
any character, any circumstance. Any time. Any place.
Anywhere. Big press. Small press. E or print.
I
realized that my need to write a romance in any time or
place of interest is simply an ingrained desire to prove
that love goes far beyond sub-genre…though so many
before me have already done just that—in spades. The way
things are looking for our society, that reminder has never
been more important. By the looks of those astounding
numbers, romance is reaching out farther than ever. And I’ve
never been prouder to call myself a reader and writer of the
genre.
Makes a quiet bookstore
cashier want to raise her head up high and grin
J
Location, Location, Location: How Setting Drives
Your Plot
Wednesday; March 11, 2008
By Amber Leigh Williams
Appeared on The Authors Studio
Ever
figure where we as authors would be without our colorful
settings? Just think: where would Gone With the Wind
be without sweltering Georgia? Breakfast at Tiffany’s
without ’50’s-era New York City? Northanger Abbey
without…well, creepy Northanger Abbey?
Let’s
try movies. Think Back to the Future without Hill
Valley, Batman without Gotham City, or Slumdog
Millionaire without India.
Some
plots are driven by the story’s setting. For example,
Hogwarts in the Harry Potter collection. Our favorite boy
wizard finds the Sorcerer’s Stone hidden within
Hogwarts. Tom Riddle lures Harry to the Chamber of
Secrets buried deep underneath Hogwarts. The Prisoner
of Azkaban uses a network of secret passageways in and
out of Hogwarts to get to Harry. The Goblet of Fire
transports Harry and ill-fated Cedric from the Triwizard
Tournament at Hogwarts to the pivotal graveyard scene. When
the Ministry of Magic takes over Hogwarts, Harry and Co.
form a secret society (hidden by one of the schools quirky
rooms) to aid the Order of the Phoenix. In class at
Hogwarts, Harry finds the mysterious and oddly familiar
Half-Blood Prince’s textbook who attended Hogwarts
decades ago. And, finally, the last battle of the war
between good and evil takes place at Hogwarts, and Harry
finds the last of the Deathly Hallows at…hm, you
guessed it, Hogwarts.
Readers may not realize how crucial a book’s setting can be,
but I think it’s safe to say J.K. Rowling and the rest of us
do. For my World War II historical based in Veneto, Italy, I
researched for years to fine-tune my 1944-1945 timeline. I
spent hours staring at pictures of the Italian countryside
and studying up on vineyard life. I even taught myself a bit
of Italian. Una sola lingua non è mai abbastanza.
Though Villa Renaldi—the estate where my American fighter
pilot crash lands and is hidden from the Germans and nursed
back to health by the lovely vineyard heiress—exists only in
my mind and on the page, I worked long and hard to make it
real. My characters’ handheld stroll through the rows in
springtime is made real by the scent of the damp earth
beneath their shoes and the golden light that is
quintessentially Italian, not to mention the vista of
rolling hills that spreads for miles around them, the
vineyard all but embracing them in their tender moment. What
I was determined to achieve with Villa Renaldi was to bring
to life the most ideal place imaginable to fall in love but
at the same time create a realistic domain no one would
doubt dwells in the hills of Veneto, Italy.
The
time period is also a part of the setting. World War II
created a smorgasbord of conflict for my characters. Some
might not put one hundred percent into developing a vivid
setting, but can a marketable plot exist without conflict?
No. In fact, the definition of plot is conflict.
Thinking about writing a story in the Victorian era? Be
prepared to dig deeper into the archives to get an accurate
grasp of your setting.
Paranormal authors have an advantage. Most create their
setting, or “worlds” as they are called, from scratch.
Larissa Ione’s Demonica series was inspired by one question:
where do demons go for medical care? Alas, Underworld
General Hospital was born along with those sexy,
unforgettable demon doctors Eidolon (Pleasure Unbound),
Shade (Pleasure Unchained), and Wraith (Pleasure
Unleashed). In urban fantasy novels like Cynthia Eden’s
Hotter After Midnight and Midnight Sins, the
city of Atlanta is given a little something extra with the
average John and Jane Does walking unbeknownst amongst
shifters, incubi, and other dark and intriguing demons.
Going
back to plots driven by setting, my second publication
Denied Origin was one such story. I wanted to learn
everything there was to know about select exotic locales.
“How to?” I said to my muse. “Why not,” she replied, “put a
wanted woman under the protection of a trained bodyguard on
a scavenger hunt across the globe to discover the truth of
her identity?” Denied Origin’s plot was completely
mapped out by Rio de Janeiro, the Sistine Chapel, the city
of Cairo, the Taj Mahal, and the ancient city of Intramuros.
So far, it’s the only story I felt completely comfortable
pantsing. The pins in the world map on my office wall marked
each of my major plot points and gave the story its overall
structure. Each location also inspired a different mood. The
spicy air of India sauced things up for Mark and Valentina
while a graveyard in Cairo created an element of suspense.
In Intramuros, the many twists and turns of the old fortress
raised my characters’ sense of heart-pounding urgency and an
island castle proved to be the perfect place for a sweeping
climax.
Setting can both guide and enhance our work. Ever read a
book you lost yourself in because the setting was so real?
Ever had to pry yourself out of your story because you’re so
engulfed in the world opening up under the stroke of your
keys? Ever wondered what it is about setting that can make
or break your plot? Where has setting taken you lately?
GETTING THE SKINNY ON POV
by AMBER LEIGH WILLIAMS
Issued in May 2008 Silken Sands Newsletter
Bring up POV (writer’s lingo for “point of view”) and the same discussion always crops up: single POV or
multiple POV? “POV is one of the first issues us writers deal with, I think, when we start learning our
craft,” says Donna Marie Rogers whose first print book, Welcome To Redemption, earned a four-and-a-half
star review from Romantic Times. Jordanne Ford, winner of the 2007 First Kiss Contest and finalist in
Karin Tabke's 2006 First Line Contest, adds, “POV is such a great topic… One of the biggest problems
I’ve faced.” Should a writer stay in one person’s head or switch from one character to another within a
scene? There are some who believe firmly that single POV is the way to go and others more naturally
inclined to multiple POV. There are many who are on the fence, undecided. “Reading and writing are both
horribly subjective,” in the words of Amy Atwell, a multi-contest finalist who runs a writing goals group
For someone who grew up reading Nora Roberts (who writes very smooth multiple POV), it was natural
for me to switch from one head to another when necessary while writing a scene in which more than one
character played a part. As a reader, it’s important to know what everyone is thinking and feeling. Amy
Atwell goes on to say, “I enjoy books that allow the author to narrate—we are, after all, storytellers. I like
getting into multiple POVs. I enjoy writing that way, and I enjoy books that are well-written that way.”
Admittedly, multiple POV is not for
everyone. Author of Dragonfly Dreams, If Tombstones Could
Talk, and co-author of Welcome to Redemption,
Stacey Joy Netzel (
www.staceyjoynetzel.com)
admits, “I used to be a major head-hopper. From one
paragraph to the other…
I was even in the horse's POV. I've seen it done like
this—namely Nora—and it's okay. But I've also seen it done
and it's so hard to read I won't finish the book.”
Transitions from say a hero’s thoughts to a heroine’s must
be seamless. Jordanne Ford explains: “[For
horse riders], I always thought a seamless POV switch was
like a flying lead change. It can be abrupt and disjointed,
or it can be smooth, seamless and a beautiful thing.”
How often should you switch within one
scene? In other words, how much is too much? Is there a
limit to how many characters’ heads you can jump into in one
scene? Not a written one, no. But it should only be done
when it’s absolutely necessary. Sandy Marshall just went to
contract with Forbidden Publications for her novel
Addiction and recently signed another for The
Catalyst. She says, “I can't stand to read a story that
every few lines change POV. I always go 'huh?' and have to
go back to re-read it, which draws me totally out of the
story.” Chiron O’Keefe is a writer and performer of sketch
comedies who has published multiple non-fiction articles and
hosts the challenge forum in the RWAOnline chapter. She also
provides inspiration for writers with a weekly motivational
essay on her blog, The Write Soul (
www.chironokeefe.blogspot.com).
In her words, “One thing that drives me bananas is when the
POV jumps too much. Head-hopping, I think it's called. I do
get confused and like Sandy, back up and try to figure out
who's thinking what.
Once I read a popular book by a NY Times Best Seller where
the POV jumped six times in one paragraph. Talk about
mind-boggling. While I didn't give in to temptation and slam
the book against the wall, I did make a note to myself to
avoid buying another book by the same author.”
For the most part, sticking to the
hero and heroine seems to be the common practice. If one of
them is absent and the other is conversing with a secondary
character, the author might jump in for a quick insight from
their standpoint. It’s also important to note that switching
should not occur in every paragraph or even on every page.
For Wendi Darlin, an erotic romance author published through
Siren Publishing and BookStrand (www.wendidarlin.com),
“It's important to stay in one POV for a decent length of
time before switching.” The only exception to this might be
extremely emotional scenes like love scenes. Jill James is a
writer of paranormal romantic suspense (
www.thescribersmuse.blogspot.com).
She agrees that love scenes are an acceptable place to
switch. “For me, I think this is one place to safely
head-hop and show what each h/h is feeling at this special
moment.” Wendi Darlin uses a similar method: “I don't think
love scenes need to be in one POV. I think they're usually
better in both viewpoints. Again, though, I don't switch
back and forth too quickly. I'll give a good chunk of the
scene in one POV and then let the other take over. From
what I've picked up in my reading, this seems to be the
usual way of doing things.”
What about
single POV? What are its pros and cons? It allows the writer
to get deeper into their character—to gain a better
understanding of who he/she is and subsequently strengthen
that person’s storyline. But it also limits the writer’s
emotional range with other characters within the scene. The
only way a single POV user can explain how another character
is thinking/feeling is to use imagery—gestures, expressions,
and tone for dialogue. “You can show so much in the other
person other than thoughts,” Sandy Marshall explains. “The
reader doesn't need to be told everything.”
Kris Kennedy, who writes historical romance and is
represented by the Irene Goodman Agency, adds, “For me, I
find actions and particularly the sub-text of dialogue to be
really helpful in communicating the depth of a character
when I’m not in his or her POV.”
Why does all this matter? POV
choice is an element of style. When readers open a Nora
Roberts novel, they expect multiple POV because it’s a part
of Nora’s style. When readers open a J.R. Ward novel, they
expect single POV because it’s a part of J.R.’s style. Both
use their POV choice with ease and to their plot’s
advantage. In the words of Kris Kennedy, “I used to hop all
over. I think the 'rule' of one POV/scene really helped
improve my writing, and so now I feel I've 'earned' the
right to sometimes flip about, although hopefully very
smoothly.” When readers open your novel, they expect
something. It’s what makes them come back for more: your
individual voice and style. The best way to choose between
single and multiple POV is to practice writing both. Pick
the one that makes your writing stronger and more natural.
On a personal note, I was
very comfortable with multiple POV until I began working
with my editor for Denied Origin. During edits for
Fox & Hound, the editor didn’t mention a thing about the
numerous POV shifts. When I got the edits for Denied
Origin, it was a whole different story. Though we agreed
that I could include shifts without a break in the page, I
had to limit myself to one shift per scene. I approached the
revision with dread and doubt. Switching to single POV was
like trying to walk in oversized shoes. Then I picked up the
rhythm and technique and it began to flow. When the revision
was finished, I realized the story was stronger and tighter.
If a writer stands on one side of the POV argument and
refuses to cross over and explore the other, they risk
missing out on an essential growth opportunity.
The choice between multiple
POV and single POV is a vital one. It may not be something
the reader thinks about, but for a writer it’s a fundamental
choice. Try both out. Pick the one that suits you. Always be
on the look-out for ways to grow with it. The decision isn’t
everything. Like all else in life, there’s always room for
growth with POV. Once you decide on your POV path, stay
consistent for your readers. In the end, it’s your audience
that matters most!
I have a
problem with sharing. Everyone I have ever known can vouch
for this. When I was thirteen, I had to share a bed with my
nine-year-old sister when we were living in a rental house
in Florida. We both agree it was the most challenging phase
of our sisterhood. I have found it to be much easier to
share a bed with my husband…and our three full-grown labs
(thank you good, sweet Lord for the creation of the
king-size mattress). We unfortunately have to share a
bathroom, however. I say this is unfortunate because we are
both mirror-hogs. We have given up trying to shower together
to save time: for me, the water temperature must be at least
scalding hot; for the freak I fell in love with, it must be
ice cold. Early in our relationship, he bought a two-seater
kayak and we drove each other crazy for hours
negotiating—or, more accurately, arguing—over who should be
in charge of steering.
Fortunately, the freak—I call him Jacob or honey, depending
on what I want—soon discovered after I moved in with him
that I would have to have my own space to work. He
immediately went to work carving out a section of our humble
abode (where, alas, space is limited) just for me. This
space has just enough room for my filing cabinet, a small
desk, a cushy, rolling chair, and a large bookcase my
forever-helpful honey built.
I share my
space with a stackable washer/dryer. There is no door to
separate it from the rest of the house so there is no way to
shut out noise when we have visitors. And visitors are many
when you live right next door to your in-laws and your
spouse is the second youngest of six—my God, the nieces and
nephews are endless! Thankfully, all I have to do to tune
out the noise is fire up the washer/dryer and pretend to
ignore everyone. As an added bonus, I get the laundry done
while I’m at it! It just never gets folded and put away
where it belongs.
In my
space, I have created my own little personal world. My
collection of Nora Roberts and Nicholas Sparks books is
close by if I need a distraction. In my space, John Mayer is
always there in my Windows Media Player when I need him to
serenade me. In my space, there is a window that overlooks a
flowerbed where my four rose bushes grow—in spring and
summer months, my honey brings me blooms so the fragrance is
always there for me to enjoy. In my space, motivational
quotes and pictures of loved ones surround me. In my space,
there is most often a sweet, trusty dog—or two…or
three—sleeping at my feet and keeping them warm.
In my
space, there is a printer that has become the bane of my
existence. In my space, a feud breaks out between me and
technology whenever this particular piece of machinery
decides to have an attitude. In my space, I spend hours
spilling my imagination into the pages of Microsoft Word
documents. In my space, I worship the small area of my desk
where my laptop computer hums productively every day, rain
or shine, ready to work.
I feel I
must tell you about this personal, miniscule corner of the
world because, if not for my honey’s reverential foresight
in making it for me, I think I would have mentally cracked
by now. I have nothing against the man I call my husband or
the family members that continuously march in and out of our
home as they please. But I must cite the great Ms. Roberts
to help me explain: “Writers, at least this writer, can be
moody, self-absorbed, absentminded, and inexplicably
cranky.” There are times I must be separated from the people
I love not just for the sake of my own sanity but for their
personal safety as well. Without this tiny space for me to
go to be these ugly things—and, yes, sometimes it does get
ugly—I would have become the fanatical lunatic I fear
everyone already thinks I am.
Thus,
I—and, for all the doubtful spouses out there, my
husband—highly recommend a personal space—even a wee one—for
every writer to go for those times we feel we must simply
get away.
My space is
the greatest gift the man I love has ever given me.
From The Mobile Register 8/2007 (Mobile, Ala.)
ROMANCE ON THE COAST
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
By ROBERT McCLENDON
Staff Reporter
Fabio
is on the dust jacket, puffy shirt ripped open to reveal
rippling pecs. Sometimes a buxom heroine is draped over him,
but she's optional. Usually they are posed standing in front
of a castle.
That's the image many folks conjure up when asked to picture
a romance novel, but that stereotype is out of date.
Romantic fiction is now a booming business with myriad
subgenres -- many of which have nothing to do with pirates,
highwaymen or rogues of any kind.
The largest genre in fiction, annual sales for romance
novels totaled about $1.4 billion in 2005.
And there are lots of romance writers, too. Many of them
right here on the Gulf Coast, which boasts its own chapter
of the national organization Romance Writers of America.
The work of Cynthia Eden, a young writer from Mobile, is an
example of the romance genre's diversity. Instead of brash
pirates and temporarily chaste maidens, her novels are
populated by lusty vampires and shape-shifting private
detectives. Her latest work, "Hotter After Midnight,"
features a psychologist who must track down a serial killer
with supernatural powers. It's due for release in 2008 by
New York -based Kensington Publishing Corp.
As a writer of paranormal romance and erotic romance, Eden's
work has no shortage of saucy bits -- detailed love scenes
-- but there are plenty of writers in the romance world who
keep it PG.
In fact, there are really only two rules in romance writing,
at least as far as RWA is concerned: There must by a love
connection between two main characters and they've got to
get together in the end, no maudlin it-wasn't-meant-to-be
endings allowed. After that, anything goes.
Sheri Cobb South, who has had a number of books distributed
by various publishing houses, is one of those whose writing
isn't meant to steam your windows but does aim to get your
pulse racing. She writes mystery romance now, but she used
to write Regency novels, books set in the England of Jane
Austen in the early 1800s.
Cobb South, of Chunchula, swapped genres because every
business has its trends, and romance is no different.
Regency writing is about as out of style today as the high-waisted,
lace-trimmed dresses that typified the period.
Said Cobb South, quoting another artist's advice to her:
"Write what you love, but love a lot of things."
Another chapter member, Don McNair, of Foley and the group's
only male writer, has apparently taken that motto to heart.
While he does write romance, he recently published his first
novel, "The Long Hunter," a book based in colonial America
about a young man searching for his sister.
Though the Gulf Coast Chapter of RWA counts several
published authors among its ranks, many of the writers in
the group are working on their first novel and have yet to
find a home for their work. For information, you can visit
their Web site at www.gccrwa.com. The group meets on the
first Saturday of each month.
The group also hosts a conference each year and invites
agents and editors from major publishing houses speak on
panels and meet new writers.
