Why Romance Novels are More Serious Than You Think with Francesca Frost
Main Topic: Why Romance Novels Are More Serious Than People Think, with Francesca Frost
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Announcements/Author Updates:
I'm talking to a woman today about doing the breath work, sound healing, and yoga for the retreat. valerieihsan.com/retreat waitlist.
Free Mini writing retreat for patron members (paid and unpaid) is Thursday, August 27th at 5:00 p.m. MT. 2 hours long (cozy, candle; oracle card pull to set intention; check-in: 1 struggle, 1 win, what you are working on tonight; guided meditation; writing words; share word count (optional)); The link is in the last post in Patreon.
finished a client project
retreat in Uvita for the day. Sound healing was amazing.
Structure and Spark (writing process and book planning) more editing
What are you reading?
Just finished: •
Creative Act (Rick Rubin)
Fiction: Cold Comfort Farm (Stella Gibbons)
(Main Topic):
Why Romance Novels Are More Serious Than People Think,
with Francesca Frost
1. You said that love stories are doing some of the most interesting intellectual and emotional work in contemporary literature. Say more about that.
When did literary fiction get less dirty? The Atlantic
Sally Rooney "Intermezzo"
Colleen hoover, sold 35 million copies; 5 on best seller list at the same time.
Successful because of her
Current themes of polyamory, and gender fluidity.
2. You like to talk about how Fiction can be used as a Way to Rewrite our Real Lives. Say more about that.
Atonement (Ian McEwan) rewrites their story. That's her atonement. Write the stories we deserve. Rewrite our ones. Give them the story they didn't have.
What if it didn't happen that way? What if xxx was run by a moral person? Effective Altruism. Make money for the purposes of giving it away.
3. Why do you think romance novels are more serious than you think?
More deep than I thought. Fiction is rehearsal room for life. Simulate social experience.
Collecting first chapters and premise and plots of romance novels to use as study guides.
4. Heard it said that romance is the hardest to write because the formula is one of the strongest of genres and the ending is already preset with that HEA. Do you agree? And how have you managed to combat those constrictions?
HEAs are Moral structures, despite all bad, two people can do the work and there is always hope.
Read craft books, writing retreat, master class courses, webinars, immerse self in how stories work. Wired for Story was favorite. And Bird by Bird. (For two years.) Then studied romance, read 500 novels. About five years to write first books.
Constraints force creativity. Learning to write a hopeful ending emotional journey for her. Natural inclination would be to write thrillers, kill off the characters. But took the 50 Shades of Gray approach. Introduced the reader to the world through a love story.
Introduce cryptocurrency world through a love story, need more women in cryptocurrency.
~Wish I was stronger when talking to editors; pick your battles,
The Crypto King's Muse by Francesca Frost
Use Spotify playlists to match the novels. Playlist Crypto King's Muse.
Writing a book is a strange experience. Years alone with imaginary people and hope that one day they will matter to real people.
Valerie's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valerieihsan
Erick's Linktree link: https://linktr.ee/erickmertzauthor
Tools:
ProWriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=9378 (affiliate link)
