October 17, 2007
your feedback please
I wanted to try my hand at writing something scary. Why? I wanted to see if I could do it. And because I found myself stumped with my TR thing again last night, I decided to work on my scary short story instead. This is how it turned out... IMHO, I don't think it's scary, more like gory. Eww.
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Had to delete it `cause it got okayed Well, technically I have yet to revise it But that's where it's headed
October 06, 2007
Q&A
A few days back, a certain student e-mailed me some questions for her paper. Being the accommodating person that I am, I of course obliged. Here's how the e-mail interview went:
What made you start writing romance novels? And why do you write romance novels?
Reading romance novels has always been my passion since I was ten. To this day, I have yet to outgrow my fondness for the genre. Writing seemed like a natural progression for me. Save for when bouts of writer's block plague, I generally derive pleasure from writing romance novels. That's the primary reason why I write them. It's fun to create characters and make-up stories. The payoff comes from knowing that someone somewhere at one time or another found pleasure (even if it's in the slightest degree) in reading my work.
Who are or what are your inspirations?
I can't really give you a definite answer for this since I get my inspiration from any number of sources. As I've said, I love reading romance books. I also love watching films and I have this habit of observing people in public places, how they behave, how they react etc. all the while, I'm making up stories in my head as to why they're that way.
Describe your ideal man. Describe your ideal woman.
Human, that is he/she is not perfect (this makes them interesting, imo) but despite imperfections they strive to be better people. In essence, he/she must be good, kind and fair.
What are the primary insights and ideas you wish to convey when you write romance novels?
There was a time when I felt I had an obligation to make a conscious effort to incorporate socially relevant messages in my stories. That was before I realized that doing so would defeat the main purpose of the genre, which is to entertain the readers.
Readers read romance novels because they want to "escape" reality NOT be reminded of it. I figured, helping them forget their worries even for a while is service enough.
Do you aspire to be in similar situations depicted in your novels?
Of course. The key ingredient of a romance novel is a happily-ever-after (HEA) ending. Who wouldn't want that?
A common theme in romance novels is the damsel-in-distress rescued by the knight-in-shining-armor. This has been disputed by feminist theorists (such as Angela Carter and Jane Yolen) as anti-feminist. Following this, the romance novel genre, while almost exclusively consumed by women, is actually against women because it gives them the wrong perception of dependence on man. Can you please share your insights concerning this?
IMO, critics dwell on the damsel-in-distress character because this is another excuse for them to make potshots at the genre. They choose not to acknowledge the fact that this character type is only one of several heroine archetypes (the boss, the nurturer, the free spirit etc).
Further, the damsel in distress theme is passe already. Sure there's still some around but I believe they are few and far between. That is, as far as CONTEMPORARY romance novels are concerned. Why? The key to enjoying a romance novel is being able to empathize and relate with the main character (usually but not always the heroine). As such, there should be parity between the traits of the modern day reader and the heroine. The more recent contemporary romance novels depict a more independent breed of heroines because that's generally how modern day women are--independent, won’t take crap if their lives depended on it, and they know what they want (it just so happens that what they want is their man)
I'm not a fan of historical romances so I can't really say if the damsel in distress plot is prevalent in this sub-genre. What I know is, the more popular(?) historical romances depict heroines that are freethinkers and can stand their ground. Much like Jane Austen's Lizzie Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.
What made you start writing romance novels? And why do you write romance novels?
Reading romance novels has always been my passion since I was ten. To this day, I have yet to outgrow my fondness for the genre. Writing seemed like a natural progression for me. Save for when bouts of writer's block plague, I generally derive pleasure from writing romance novels. That's the primary reason why I write them. It's fun to create characters and make-up stories. The payoff comes from knowing that someone somewhere at one time or another found pleasure (even if it's in the slightest degree) in reading my work.
Who are or what are your inspirations?
I can't really give you a definite answer for this since I get my inspiration from any number of sources. As I've said, I love reading romance books. I also love watching films and I have this habit of observing people in public places, how they behave, how they react etc. all the while, I'm making up stories in my head as to why they're that way.
Describe your ideal man. Describe your ideal woman.
Human, that is he/she is not perfect (this makes them interesting, imo) but despite imperfections they strive to be better people. In essence, he/she must be good, kind and fair.
What are the primary insights and ideas you wish to convey when you write romance novels?
There was a time when I felt I had an obligation to make a conscious effort to incorporate socially relevant messages in my stories. That was before I realized that doing so would defeat the main purpose of the genre, which is to entertain the readers.
Readers read romance novels because they want to "escape" reality NOT be reminded of it. I figured, helping them forget their worries even for a while is service enough.
Do you aspire to be in similar situations depicted in your novels?
Of course. The key ingredient of a romance novel is a happily-ever-after (HEA) ending. Who wouldn't want that?
A common theme in romance novels is the damsel-in-distress rescued by the knight-in-shining-armor. This has been disputed by feminist theorists (such as Angela Carter and Jane Yolen) as anti-feminist. Following this, the romance novel genre, while almost exclusively consumed by women, is actually against women because it gives them the wrong perception of dependence on man. Can you please share your insights concerning this?
IMO, critics dwell on the damsel-in-distress character because this is another excuse for them to make potshots at the genre. They choose not to acknowledge the fact that this character type is only one of several heroine archetypes (the boss, the nurturer, the free spirit etc).
Further, the damsel in distress theme is passe already. Sure there's still some around but I believe they are few and far between. That is, as far as CONTEMPORARY romance novels are concerned. Why? The key to enjoying a romance novel is being able to empathize and relate with the main character (usually but not always the heroine). As such, there should be parity between the traits of the modern day reader and the heroine. The more recent contemporary romance novels depict a more independent breed of heroines because that's generally how modern day women are--independent, won’t take crap if their lives depended on it, and they know what they want (it just so happens that what they want is their man)
I'm not a fan of historical romances so I can't really say if the damsel in distress plot is prevalent in this sub-genre. What I know is, the more popular(?) historical romances depict heroines that are freethinkers and can stand their ground. Much like Jane Austen's Lizzie Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.
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