Isn’t it Romantic? The Enduring Popularity of Literature’s Most Successful Genre

I didn’t set out to write romance. Not intentionally, anyway. I started writing because I was in love with words, not because I was in love with love.

Growing up as an only child, books were my closest friends. I was a voracious reader, and my taste ran the gamut. Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Judy Blume, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, Sylvia Plath…these women, both real and fictional, shaped my love for reading and prose. For life too, now that I think about it. Those books made me thirsty for new experiences, on the page and off.

One of my favorite childhood books was Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. It might have been the first book that brought me to tears. As an adult, when I began to give writing a serious try, this was the type of book I thought I wanted to write—a classic animal story. I began by writing short stories, eventually entering the American Kennel Club’s Annual Short Fiction Contest. Months after I entered, the editor of the AKC’s monthly magazine, Family Dog, called to tell me I’d won third place. She also wanted to ask me if I’d realized what I was writing wasn’t animal fiction. It was romance.

I was surprised.

“No, I hadn’t realized,” I told her. We chatted for a bit, and after we hung up, I reread my most recent short stories.

People were falling in love all over the pages. The animals may have even been falling in love. I don’t remember specifically what I found, but the editor was right. Boy, was she ever. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it myself.

Within a week, I began writing my first romance novel. That was ten years ago. I’ve now written sixteen. Last year, one of them was made into a movie for the Hallmark Channel. There were dozens (and dozens!) of dogs in my film, but make no mistake. It was very much a romantic comedy.

Romance is literature’s most widely read genre. It’s not only the most popular genre, but according to the Romance Writers of America, it also outsells more than all the others combined. Critics are quick to chalk this up to steamy content. But inspirational and sweet romance novels don’t contain love scenes at all and are just as widely read as erotic romance. It’s a mistake to simplify the appeal of romance down to the nitty gritty: sex.

I like sexy books. Sexy books are fun to read. (And write.) The genre has done great things for women as far as making them feel empowered and confident in their sexuality. But not every romance novel contains sex. Let me repeat that: NOT EVERY ROMANCE NOVEL CONTAINS SEX. There is, however, one thing you will find in every single romance novel on shelves.

Emotion.

Emotion is the common thread among all of romance’s many subgenres. The hero might be a gentleman in Regency England. He might be a modern day werewolf. The heroine could be a time-traveler. Or a princess. Or a FBI agent. Possibly all three. Or you could be reading a LGBT romance. No matter who the characters are, if it’s a well written romance, they will take you on an emotional journey.

This is how I found myself accidentally writing romance when I thought I was writing animal stories. It goes all the way back to my love for Black Beauty. What I loved so much about that book as a little girl was the way those words made me feel. And that’s what I was trying to do when I started writing—touch the reader. Make the reader experience something. Make her or him feel.

That’s romance. It’s the fluttering heart, the pounding pulse, the tears.

Books that leave me gutted are my favorite reads. (I’m looking at you, Jojo Moyes.) Whether I’m watching a movie or reading a book, I want to feel something when it’s over. Those who love romance know exactly what I’m talking about. The genre is so popular because these emotions are a universal part of the human experience.

As a genre, what sets romance aside from other emotional reads is the happy ending. Every romance novel ends on a good note. Books about romantic relationships that do not end happily are love stories, not romances. I adore these reads, too. But I think the hopeful nature of romance touches readers in a special way. We all want to believe in a happy ending, don’t we? Everyone wants to experience love. We all want to love someone and be loved in return.

Love, loss, heartbreak, pain, pleasure, wanting, bliss, hope, fulfillment—these are the reasons I read. For me, they’re what make a book worth reading, worth writing. Probably because they also happen to be what make life worth living.

And that’s why readers keep picking up those books, no matter how they’re labeled.

—

Teri Wilson is a romance novelist for Harlequin Books, as well as a contributing writer at HelloGiggles.com, a lifestyle and entertainment website founded by Zooey Deschanel and now a division of People Magazine. Teri is the author of UNLEASHING MR. DARCY, now a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. She’s currently working on a new series of books set at a Tiffany-esque jewelry store, slated for publication next year. She loves books, travel, animals and dancing every day. Visit Teri at  www.teriwilson.net or on Twitter @TeriWilsonauthr.

Tags: featured, romance writers, women writers

Category: On Writing