I keep mentioning these mysterious books I’ve been working on but I never explain what they’re about, or what writing problems I’ve been trying to solve in them. So I thought I would let you in on my current dilemma.
One is a memoir-turned-novel… or at least, I am trying to turn it into a readable novel… to protect the guilty, including me. Yeah, I did something bad.
The other is a memoir with the actual title of “Guilt” because yes, I did something else bad. I seem to have a lot of regrets as I age.
Anyway, the first one is the one I am working on now (and please forget I ever said it was a memoir because consequences):
It’s called Green Card and it’s about, you guessed it, a young woman who marries a foreigner so he can stay in the U.S. (Some of you may have already read the first draft when I shared it by email as I wrote it a couple of years ago. Now, I am finally getting down to revisions.)
So here’s the problem as I see it:
The story starts out as a quirky romance but it doesn’t end that way.
The trouble is that when you promise your reader a romance, they expect a happy ending. The ending IS happy, just not ROMANTICALLY happy. (SPOILER ALERT: The two lovers do not stay together.)
Now, I could fictionalize a romantically happy ending, but I kind of prefer the one that I have: the heroine realizes through watching her husband’s efforts to become successful in his career — even as it drives him away from her — that she wants a career too. And by the end, achieves it.
They say goodbye as friends and go off on their separate ways to new adventures.
It’s not the traditional ending for a Romance novel, so am I disappointing the reader by not delivering on the promise at the beginning?
That’s the question I am wrestling with. I am not a fan of Romance novels (no offense if you are!) Maybe I shouldn’t promise a romance in the beginning at all. But the beginning is what it is: funny, romantic, and sexy. Who would want to change that?
So I guess the solution is not to market the book as a Romance
Don’t have a bodice-ripping cover, for instance.
But in his brilliant book, The Story Grid, author/publisher/editor/literary agent Shawn Coyne makes it very clear: EVERY BOOK MUST FIT IN A GENRE. He’s not talking about genres in the way we normally think of them, like cheesy crime novels or formula mysteries.
“Genre choices are the most important decisions you need to make.
“Those choices will tell the reader what they are in for if they pick up your book. They will direct all efforts from your publisher from the front cover art to the publicity tour. If you are not writing in “genre,” you’re lost. Every Story ever told has genre classifications.”
Understanding and choosing genre helps the writer make critical decisions from beginning to end. So I need to choose my genre before I go much further. And Romance it is not, simply because the obligatory happy (romantic) ending isn’t there.
Or is it?
Coyne says every genre has conventions and obligatory scenes, like the hero-at-the-mercy-of-the-villain scene in every thriller.
Romances have:
- meet-cute scene CHECK
- first kiss scene CHECK
- misunderstandings CHECK
- an antagonist who threatens their relationship CHECK
- overcoming the threat together CHECK
- crisis –doubts about the relationship and potential breakup CHECK
- getting back together/happy ending NOT CHECKED
But he also says that every good book finds new and unique ways to create these conventions and obligatory scenes.
Okay, maybe I can do that. Or maybe I will just have to live with not writing the perfect Romance novel.
Would you mind terribly?
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U can always modify the beginning & delete the word ” promise ”…
My regards, Lucy.
Sorry, I should have said that the promise is implied by the content and tone of the story. The word itself is not used.
Is it written in the STYLE of a romance novel? That is the crucial thing for me as to the genre. Many intelligent books include love stories (and now you can guess what my preferences are), but it’s how it’s all presented.
Imo you write your book the way you want it. You can get the romance and the struggle and the personal growth thing and to me the very important factor that the female protagonist does not stay at home barefoot in the kitchen, supporting her strong man in his life goal, she actually gets to have one too! There is love in parting on the right terms, there is hope, and it’s also a kind of fairy tale for many people. It’s not Barbara Cartland, but then you simply have to find the genre that fits your book, not the other way round.
You’re a vulnerable person but you’re also a total badass. Write all of that. Authenticity is much more believable and interesting in a book than swooning. (for the record, I hate hate hate movies where the women scream every time something happens.)
Really, I see no need in clinging to archane notions about ideal relationships, one true love, forever and ever, it’s a cultural thing created to keep the masses in check. Write real. Then find out if it’s chick lit or something else entirely. Look at books you enjoy, what genres are they in?
From what I hear, they’re not your mother’s Romance novels any more. And Romance heroines aren’t what they used to be. They’re strong and independent and they have careers. The first adult novel I read as a kid was Jane Eyre — the epitome of a Romance — but it was also literary fiction… which is the genre I read most often.
So what I really want to write is literary fiction. But that feels like an impossible goal for me, who never finished college — never even took a creative writing course.
I take that back. What I really want to write is memoir — in the STYLE of literary fiction. I have no interest in writing fiction, normally. But for legal reasons, this book must be a novel.
All I can think to say is… sounds like one woman’s journey to find herself. What was her motivation in marrying this guy to begin with? To help him out? That’s all? What was in it for her in the beginning? Then through time she realizes she is finding herself… apart from being a part of the husband’s life. And so she journies on alone… and successful, and hopefully happy. Was she ever happy with him? Or was she seeking happiness in that relationship anyway? now I am not even making sense to myself… so travel on… your writing will be successful whatever you decide.
Wow, great questions, Charlene — thank you!!!
You are most welcome. Was not awake yet, no breakfast, so didn’t know if I was communicating. Just made breakfast at 12:45pm. Whatzup with that???
As I was reading this post, a couple of things occurred to me. First, “traditional” romance stories don’t usually have much to do with real life. They’re kind of escapist. So, this is more of a Realist romance novel. (And if the two main characters are happy at the end, then it’s a Happy Ending – just not a Traditional one, yes?) Second, what you described to me sounds like a Coming Of Age story, confirmed by Charlene’s comments. But again, there’s a twist, because the Coming Of Age comes *after* the Romance, instead of Coming Of Age Leads To Romance. This probably doesn’t lead to any clarity, but the bottom line is it sounds like a “with a twist” story, whether it’s COA or Romance. And Romance Meets COA is a lot more like Real Life. People who want Escapist might not like it (you can’t please everyone) but people who want to be able to relate might just love it. And read it over and over and over. And tell their friends to buy it.
Excellent points, thanks Susan! You intuited something I didn’t think to mention, that I feel it’s a Coming of Age story too… even though the main character is well out of her teens. Some of us are late bloomers, lol.
Hey, great post. Genre conventions can make you feel like a prisoner in your own novel. I had some thoughts about your dilemma. First, you could clue readers in to the ending through the title. For example, in the movie The Breakup, the protagonists don’t end up together but learned from the mistakes of their relationship. Secondly, you could have an epilogue that places the romance within the greater context of the character’s life, like in the japanese manga Paradise Kiss, which is about first love. The characters move on to seperate lives, but were brought to their points of growth through the relationship. Happy writing
Great tips, thanks, Irene!
From your outline on “the green card” I’m thinking the card itself is not the “Thing” but rather the outcome, ie your growth into a new career path perhaps.
So maybe “The Green arrow”, or “he showed me the way”, or “Love led me to this”, or “From love to new beginnings, a tale of growth”
🙂