If this is in the wrong category then I am sorry. I know that romances are supposed to have an HEA or HFN, but would a story still be considered a romance if the story focuses on the romance between two characters but does not end HEA or HFN? The character will have a horrible break up with the love interest, but has a deeper understanding of herself and is more or less happy.
No HEA
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Nope. Not a romance.
Requirements according to RWA:
A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.
An Emotionally-Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love.
You do not have an optimistic ending with respect to the relationship.
Requirements according to RWA:
A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel.
An Emotionally-Satisfying and Optimistic Ending: In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love.
You do not have an optimistic ending with respect to the relationship.
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Romance publishers won't consider it a romance. Neither would most romance readers.
It sounds like women's fiction though, so you're in the right thread
It sounds like women's fiction though, so you're in the right thread
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I will cut your balls off(and/or ovaries out) and use them to hunt ostriches if you sell me a romance with no HEA or HFN.
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One of the main things you need for a romance is a HEA. But your story sounds like women's fiction with elements of romance. Is it written in 1st person POV (from the female protagonist)? That would be another indicator that it is not romance. Gay romance can get away with 1st person, but M/F generally is 3rd person, with POV shifts from the female and male leads.
Huh? I'll take note of that, and remember to keep my 1st person, female protag, big fat epic fantasy a fantasy with romantic elements. I'd wanted to spice it up with more sex and aim it at the erotic romance e-pub market. But if they're that hung up on guidelines, I won't bother.
I like multiple POV because it lets me get into characters' heads more easily. But some stories really dictate how they will be told. I have to admit, I'd be less than thrilled to rewrite to another POV style if the editor could only give 'it's customary' for the reason.
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Ummm, I've read a lot of first person romance lately. Take a look at some of the top sellers, a great deal of them are first person romance.
Filigree- I'm also working on a high fantasy first person erotic romance.
Filigree- I'm also working on a high fantasy first person erotic romance.
And I write a lot of 3rd person limited in both romance and erotic. Hmmm, maybe I am doing it wrong. lol
Third person is more common in romance, but it isn't required by most publishers. I've read a lot of first person romance lately, too. Especially in erotic romance.
I have a paranormal romance series that is written in first person, although one could argue it's more urban fantasy romance. But it's still romance.
I have a paranormal romance series that is written in first person, although one could argue it's more urban fantasy romance. But it's still romance.
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I do write 1st person, but it's not my default. 3rd person limited is my default. One of these days, I will stretch my wings and try a 3rd person omni. lol I think POV is like any tool. The more we use the blade saw, the more comfortable we are with it. But sometimes, we need to use the drill. At first, it doesn't feel like a blade saw, but the more we use it, the more we appreciate what the drill can do that a blade saw can't and the more comfortable we get.
Terrible analogy, I know. But you get the drift. lol POV is a tool. I use the POV that tells the story I'm writing the best. For me, romances are told in 3rd person limited. I have a couple of stories that must be told in 1st, however, or something will be lost. So I will use 1st.
Terrible analogy, I know. But you get the drift. lol POV is a tool. I use the POV that tells the story I'm writing the best. For me, romances are told in 3rd person limited. I have a couple of stories that must be told in 1st, however, or something will be lost. So I will use 1st.
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First person is irrelevant. The only things that make or break a romance are the relationship plot and the optimistic ending.
I don't see how POV is irrelevant. Maybe it is different for e-pubs. I only read M/M e-pubbed romances, and yes, a lot of them are 1st person. But go as far as traditional publishing, they still want 3rd person, and POV from the hero and heroine. Go into any bookstore, go to the romance section, and pick a book at random. It would be very hard to find a 1st person romance. Not saying they aren't out there. They might be. But I own hundreds, and have read hundreds more. The only 1st person romance I have read is M/M and epubbed books.
So I stand by what I said
So I stand by what I said
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It's irrelevant because it's not a guideline for genre. Any genre can be written in any person. The romance genre has two criteria, the main plot is relationship and it ends in an optimistic ending. It can be written in first, second or third and it will still be a romance. Make the relationship secondary or take away the optimistic ending, it won't be a romance
I saw a statistic a while back that about 1/3 of romance novels were first person, but I believe it's grown in popularity since then. I can't say why you haven't found any. I see them quite frequently.
However popular first person is or isn't, it won't help the OP or anyone else figure out genre.
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That's quite the challenge you've set forth. Since there aren't any bookstores in my little corner of the rural south, i just went to amazon, and their top ten list:
Amazon's top ten paid in Romance:
1. Entwined with you, Sylvia Day 1st person
2. Honeymoon for one, Beth Orsoff 1st person
3. Beauty from Surrender, Georgia Cates, 1st Person
4. Conquer your love, JC Reed, 1st Person (prologue was in 3rd however)
5. Crazy little thing, Tracy Brogan, 1st person
6. My Side, Tara Brown, 1st person
7. Breath of Scandal, Sandra Brown, 3rd person
8. Beauty from Pain, Georgia Cates, 1st Person
9. One pink line, Dina Silver, 1st Person
10. Whiskey Beach, Nora Roberts, 3rd Person
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Whether you see much first person really depends on what kinds of romance you read.
Less than 10% of the romances on my e-reader are in first person. I read contemporary and historical. I have never read a historical romance in first person. Most of the contemporary romances I've read in first person have been erotic romances, though I don't read a great deal of erotic romances overall. I have no trouble believing that a good fraction of romances are indeed written in first person, but I rarely come across them myself.
I do agree it is irrelevant to classification.
Less than 10% of the romances on my e-reader are in first person. I read contemporary and historical. I have never read a historical romance in first person. Most of the contemporary romances I've read in first person have been erotic romances, though I don't read a great deal of erotic romances overall. I have no trouble believing that a good fraction of romances are indeed written in first person, but I rarely come across them myself.
I do agree it is irrelevant to classification.
Thanks, I will check some of these out. I actually trunked a M/F romance I was writing because 1st person is my default and I had a hard time writing in 3rd. I would love to be able to write it in 1st.
In fact, I will look up the publishers for these books as well. It would be nice to know which pubs will take 1st person POV for romances.
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Most publishers will take first. I don't think Harlequin category lines take first but that might be more convention than guideline. some of their single titles are, though.
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