Currently paused my writing at 48,484 to post this update. I do love it when my palindrome word counts look like that.
I didn’t reach the NaNoWriMo goal, but I plan to hit the 50,000 words today! Just have to knuckle down (well, fingertip down) and write through the mess.
The second draft will be a monster to edit and rewrite, but I’m looking forward to it because it will improve my story. That’s the point, right? I won’t even bother printing my first draft; there are too many changes to make. I don’t want to waste paper, darn it.
When I first started writing my current novel, it was in third person, limited, following the female lead as she flailed through the story (her words, not mine.) After receiving beta feedback, I switched it to first person, still in the female lead’s perspective so there was no illusion that I might go into any other character’s head. The story is Celeste’s.
It’s interesting to me how varied the opinions are on POVs in romance novels. I’ve read both that readers hate third person and that they love and expect it. I’ve also read that readers prefer first person because it allows them to feel immersed in the plot, but some say they dislike it because it limits things. First person has even been called “easy.”
In my experience, it isn’t easy to write in first person. I like being able to play with all of the toys in the box, so focusing on just the feelings and thoughts of one character is challenging. It’s more fun to write, though.
Third person seems like the more traditional POV. The classics generally use it. The story being told is presented clearly and all of the important angles can be reached. This can make a story a little more boring and distant.
First person, present tense is the devil, in my opinion. I don’t want to feel like I’m reading a choose-your-own-adventure story. I know a lot of people these days like it, but it feels almost too informal to me. I want my novels to tell me a story, not make me feel like I’m telling it. I don’t want strange men touching me.
I can imagine it if I want to, but when I read I feel him/his… in novels, it mostly makes me feel grossed out.
Okay, so now that I’m replotting my novel (BIG thanks to my husband for essentially becoming my writing partner these last several months. ❤️) I’ve been thinking about comparative novels again. Comps are important when you’re trying to find representation for your book, and they need to be fresh if not immediately current. I’ve been trying to get my rewrite done in a timely manner since one of my comps is from 2023 (perfect!) and one of them is from 2019 (ehh… I might need to get a new one.)
I’m learning as I go, and though I hit a low point recently, I’m still excited by the process and the potential of my novel. Though I’m rewriting and restructuring, I’m keeping as much of my original writing as I can, as much as still works. I’m confident the muscle of my story is still strong, it just needs a sturdier skeleton.
Queries go on the back burner for now. Queries are currently not my friend.
In other non-book news, who’s excited for Barbenheimer? My husband and I are planning to see both this weekend (one on Saturday, one on Sunday.) Friends will see Barbie with us. That seems like a great movie to see with friends. Oppenheimer might be as well if you and your friends are more macabre. I’m fully expecting to cry during that one.
A lot of great things are planned for after this weekend, actually. I’ve been staggering toward August when the fun starts. Birthday parties and fancy hotel stays and concerts and Atlantic City and Lizzie Borden’s house…
Have I mentioned we’re going to Lizzie Borden’s house? Oh, don’t worry. I will write about the experience.
Oppenheimer makes me sad yet the Lizzie Borden case makes me giddy. Make no mistake, I am macabre. Perhaps just a more compassionate macabre.
Hip and with-it people reference Flight of the Conchords, don’t they?
After switching tracks with my novel, I submitted a new query letter to the query letter critique group I’m in. They seem to think that, because the novel focuses on the growth of the main heroine that it’s not romance. They suggested common romance tropes (like enemies to lovers, forced proximity, etc) are what make a book romance instead of women’s fiction. I’d argue that a novel doesn’t have to conform to (I’m sorry) tired plot themes in order to be a part of a genre. Plenty of romance novels show heroines going through stuff and the hero helps her out of it.
I’ve decided that I might submit my query letter as women’s fiction sometimes, and romance other times, and see what happens.
But first I need to finish revising it AGAIN. Don’t let it ever be said that I’m not a people-pleaser.
Reading this blog post made me realize that many writers feel like I do. Reading other books in my genre* is inspiring and the best way for me to learn how to write better, but it’s a double-edged sword at times because I become envious of other authors’ storytelling techniques.
For instance, as I read Georgie, All Along, I’m so jealous of Kate Clayborn’s ability to create such a sweet, warm story full of interesting, realistic characters. It seems effortless, but I also know it takes a lot of effort to seem effortless!
It’s important to remember that my story is mine, so of course it won’t sound like another writer’s story. Finding my voice has been a fun journey. Being inspired by others who write similar books is a good thing, but I shouldn’t let it intimidate me or make me think I need to overhaul my plot.
So give yourselves permission to love what you write, because if you fall in love with it, we can feel that. And odds are much better we’ll fall in love with it too.
Kristen Lamb
At least no one in my life has told me that I shouldn’t be a writer. Who needs that kind of negativity?
*I’m not struggling with which genre I’m writing. At least not really. It’s definitely romance. I’ve waffled a bit between calling it “new adult” or “coming-of-age” though. I’m probably just going to call it both. But at least I’m not confused about the romance aspect!
I have so many romance novels now — thank you, comps! — that I need a new bookshelf to hold them all. I told my husband that he could get me a romance shelf for our anniversary this year, so we don’t have a bookvalanche in our dining room.
As much as I love libraries, I’m a slow reader. I read several books quickly recently because the due dates made me, but I prefer being able to sit down and slowly digest what I’m reading. We went to Target with our friend recently, and I discovered to my delight that the shelves there are basically Goodreads in person.
Seriously, this looks like my feed. It’s apparently “BookTok.” I need to get past the anxiety that app gives me and check out some of their TikToks…
Buying books in the genre I’m writing has given me such joy. Research can be fun.
Just have to make sure not to overfill my new shelf!
As I’m hoping to publish a novel, I’ve been reading all kinds of novels in the same genre/niche area. “Romance” is such a broad category, and I think it’s often judged based on the old-fashioned, Fabio covers of the past. Not to say that there’s anything wrong with, as my mom calls them, bodice-rippers, but romance novels come in many assorted styles and themes. That’s why it’s still such a popular genre.
My particular niche in the genre is commonly labeled as New Adult Contemporary, meaning the characters are recent college graduates and it takes place in current-ish times. Aside from writing my novel, reading these comparable books has been my favorite part of the getting-published process so far. It’s been a joy to read other works from contemporary romance authors such as Sophie Cousens, Abbi Waxman, and Allison Ashley. What a fantastic way to find inspiration, reassurance, and a sort of camaraderie, even if only through the written pages of others.
This is something I’ve been contemplating a lot recently: although my novel is a romantic story about two young adults finding love, it’s also a love letter to the Internet communities that grow and support each other both online and off. If it weren’t for the Internet, many of my generation and younger wouldn’t have met the people who matter the most in our lives.
There’s an upcoming book that I’m looking forward to reading called Planes, Trains, and All the Feels by Livy Hart. The title makes me so happy. To share my excitement at preordering a copy, I tweeted at her. I’ve never been great at containing my enthusiasm for things I enjoy.
She replied that my tweet made her day. And, in tweeting that to me, she made mine.
Sara Mazariegos 