Why I Write Clean Romance
What is clean romance? I guess everyone has their
own definition, but for me it means romance I could recommend to
anyone--including my daughter, my mother-in-law, and the young women I know at
church.
For most of my life, I
underestimated the power of romance novels. I certainly never saw myself writing one. When I did get an idea to write a romance, I resisted the urge to write. I
didn’t want to be a “romance writer.” But the idea wouldn’t leave my head, so I
wrote it just for fun. As I wrote, I began to see how important clean romance
is. I experienced the difficulty of finding clean romance writers to be my role
models. There aren’t all that many of us. At the same time, I watched teenage
girls devouring chick lit. Some of them read more than a book a day. I saw
adult women carrying stacks of romance novels from the library. Whether or not
I liked it, romance was influencing the world around me. That’s when I decided
that if I have anything to do with it, romance will be a voice for virtue.
Think about it: more than any other type of literature, clean romance
exemplifies the values of chastity and self-control. It teaches young women to
see themselves as more than objects.
Some
say that if romance is clean you are not doing it right. In contrast, I believe
the most beautiful love stories are about quirky characters who maintain high
moral standards. One aspect of Jane Austen novels that intrigues me is her
brilliant heroines. One of my favorite
characters is Elizabeth Bennet. I love her wit and the message that
intelligent, witty women can gain much more in life than those who throw
themselves at men and devalue themselves. Elizabeth’s strength captivates Mr.
Darcy so much that when he describes his feelings for her he says, “In vain
have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must
allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” No passion is missing
in this novel. If anything, writing clean romance forces the authors to think
even harder of how to articulate the feelings of their characters.
So
my questions for you are:
Who
is your favorite clean romance heroine?
What
is it about the story that captivates you?
And
what is your favorite line in the book?
So I don't have a lot of answers for you, but I have loved the Anne of Green Gables books. Not really considered romance, but I loved when Anne and Gilbert's romance started to happen. You just were never sure whether they would ever get together. She's not necessarily my favorite romance heroine.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely about clean romance - so needed for all of us.
While I never got through the book 'North and South' (it was a bit long winded), I love Margret Hale from the BBC Drama. That relationship is oozing with romance, and only a kiss at the end. I also like Rachel Nunes books, I've read almost all of them. And Sparks 'A Walk to Remember'. Clean romance has to have interesting character and good character development to keep it going.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Becky B., North and South, and love all of the Nicholas Sparks books are great! I recently stumbled across another author who I think you may enjoy, Edith M. Cortese. I read her most recent historical romantic comedy, "A Thousand Years of Johnny Von," http://www.trumpetboypress.com/ and loved it! I would definitely let my teenage daughter read it. It is about a girl who lives in Hollywood who walks dogs for a living. She is trying to get the attention of a hunky Hollywood actor. Her modern story weaves with historical love stories from the past. It is just a fun romantic, hysterical book.
ReplyDeleteHe's one of my most favorite authors of all time :}. Love Mr. Sparks! A Thousand Years of Johnny Von sure looks good. I will check that out.
DeleteSounds great Charity! I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!
DeleteGrace's best friend, and Megan, Ashton's niece. Both say it like it is and are total spitfires, regency romance
ReplyDeleteI loved Roseanna M. White's Ladies of the Manor series especially The Lost Heiress and The Reluctant Duchess ,honestly such a good reads!
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