Defying Genre Conventions

Today, I'm over at Babes in Boyland, writing about not always playing according to the rules when writing genre fiction. I'd love it if you'd come by and take a look, maybe leave a comment...

In part, I say:

I admit it—I have never been one for whom the rules of genre apply.

Sometimes, I think that’s to my detriment as a writer because I know as sure as I’m sitting here in Seattle, looking out my window at a gray and damp January day, that if I would just play by the rules I’d sell more books.

Romances? Over and over, I’ve been told that it’s the happily-ever-afters that sell, or, for the love of God, if you can’t do that, at least give me a happily-for-now. And I can do that—sometimes—if my characters follow that course and it doesn’t betray my story line. I’ve been told that we need alpha males or certain types of heroes and I get that. Readers want to open a book and know what to expect.

So, writers who deliver the expected, like restaurants that reliably turn out the same food whether you’re in Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Denver or San Francisco, are rewarded. They often see predictably good sales.

So why can’t I just say the hell with it? I want to make as much money as I can, so I’ll write m/m romances with heroic men who end up in the arms of their own true loves by the end of the story, with a sterling and bright future ahead of them. Why not do that?

You know what I wrote above? About characters? That’s why...

Read the complete blog here.

Hope to see you there.