Thursday, June 20, 2013

Writing Romance

If you have ever read a Harlequin, you know what I'm talking about when I say cheesy.  I'm not putting them down.  Once in a while I still enjoy a good romance while it's snowing outside and I'm curled up in a chair, sipping hot cocoa.  Harlequin gave me my start in writing and I will be forever grateful to them.  But you have to admit, if you read some of the book descriptions aloud, you will not be able to keep a straight face.  The flowery prose (especially when describing a man's attributes or the way the woman feels about him) can get ridiculous.  When I was writing for them, I did it too.  I wrote some stuff that makes me cringe now.

My problem is that sometimes the stuff I learned while writing for Harlequin slips into my YA books.  It gets a bit cheesy.  Some people say they love the romances in my books and will add a 'sigh' or a 'swoon,' but others I guess want to gag on the fluff. 

Why am I putting up this post today?  Because I was working on Hunter (Order of the Spirit Realm book 2) and I was trying to describe how gorgeous Nick is and how badly Bay-Lee wants to be able to touch him.  (You won't understand this unless you read Bait, but there is a reason she can't touch him).  If I'm not careful, I find myself giving into old habits. 

My questions for you:  What is over the top?  What is too much?  When you are reading a romance, do you want poetic descriptions or do you want it straight?

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