What The Reader Wants
– The Mutation Factor
The original meaning of “Romance” was not a love story with
a happy ending. The term originally referred to a medieval epic poem, a tale
packed with knights and battles, often scattered about with magic and fantastic
creatures. The Song of Roland? Gawain and the Green Knight? Romance. In some,
but certainly not all of these tales, a love interest pops up with the emphasis
on pure, courtly love. Readers of the day, more often listeners since only a
small percentage of the population could read, expected action, grand,
life-threatening mistakes, heroic last stands, and noble sacrifices.
Happy endings optional.
The word morphed through the centuries. In the 17th
and 18th centuries, a Romance referred to a Gothic style
tale—horror, dread, supernatural happenings. Hardly the love story we think of
today, but the titillation factor was certainly there. Young girls weren’t
supposed to read that stuff. Too exciting. In that respect, the Gothic has much
in common with the modern Romance, that forbidden, wide-eyed, often
loin-stimulating excitement.
Skip ahead a bit to the 20th century and the
classic Harlequin style romance. What did readers expect out of these? A set,
predictable formula with set, predictable character types. We lambaste this
sort of thinking today (oh, heck, a lot of us did then) but the reader wanted
this comfort, wanted to be able to shake off the real world and bask in a world
where perfect men exist and the ending is always HEA.
While certain elements still apply, the modern romance has
mutated like a virus over the past twenty years, reader expectations both
leading and following this constant evolution. Today, the reader tends to be
more experienced, more jaded, at least in a literary sense. We know the perfect
man doesn’t exist. We don’t want perfect. We know happy doesn’t always last.
The expectations of today’s reader vary, sometimes the gulf
between one reader and another enough to toss the well-intentioned author into
the pit of despair. Becky wants yummy Alphas, but Max is sick to death of them.
April wants only HEA, but Caroline’s content with a little HFN and will even
condone a character death if done well. Tabitha wants more sex, less plot.
Aaron wants more plot, less sex. More erudite language – challenge us! Less
literary language – don’t make us look stuff up!
You get my point. The wonderful part about modern romance is
that the reader can have it all. You just have to know what you like,
understand where to find those things, and encourage those authors. What do I
look for in a romance? I’m not a traditionalist. Give me something different.
Give me damaged characters with quirks and twitches. Give me magic and
extrapolations on science and society. Give me weird and wild. Just write it
well, don’t get lazy, and for the sake of all that’s holy, please have a plot.
What do readers want? Everything. Good thing today’s romance
offers a buffet instead of a prix fixe
menu. Try a little of everything. Then come back for more.
Angel Martinez is the
erotic fiction pen name of a writer of several genres. She loves beer and
chocolate if you ever need a good bribe, writes mainly M/M fiction and is a
geeky fan girl where several other authors are concerned. Her latest?
Semper Fae:
Endangered Fae 3
Zack
thought he had a strange job before. Marine medic in a secret government base
was odd, but personal assistant to a sidhe prince is downright bizarre. Lycanthropy and loose
cannon mages conspire to make a hellish mess out of things - but the real peril
begins when Diego Sandoval, Human Consul to the Fae, loses an important piece
of his mind.
For more info on Angel’s work, visit:
Fascinating post. Love how you described what the readers want. Authors keep being told - this is what readers want so you HAVE to write it this way.
ReplyDeleteBut readers are as varied as authors. As you suggested - the readers will fine the authors whose style suits them.
Thanks Victoria for stopping by!
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ReplyDeleteWhat do readers want? Everything. Good thing today’s romance offers a buffet instead of a prix fixe menu. Try a little of everything. Then come back for more.
Exactly, Angel! The wonderful thing about e-books is we don't have to rely on what fits on the book store shelves any more-
great post! shared it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and sharing Liz!
DeleteGreat brief history of romance. I enjoyed!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by pbdiva!
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