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| Dave Thome Man Writing A Romance |
Dave posited the theory that my work was breaking some genre rules. It was fun thinking about being a "rule breaker" in romance writing since I didn't set out to become one. Generally, I'm one of those people who are okay with the system until I see it's not working anymore. Then like most Baby Boomers, I think nothing of rebelling when I have to foster the cause I'm working on, which in the case of my writing just ended up being pretty much everything, including publishing my own work.
Still, answering the question made me wonder if I had written murder mysteries or science fiction with 40-72 yr old characters if anyone would have thought it odd. Some of my still not released paranormal stories have older characters, too. Granted, there are no 900 year old vampires or 300 year old werewolves who look 30, but I'm definitely trying to break through the ageist glass ceiling of what's sexy and planning to do it in multiple genres. I'm looking forward to getting some of my paranormal stories out next year. There is a lot of fun in writing science fiction and by nature it lends itself nicely to breaking rules of all sorts.
The other interview question was about body issues. Romances are a way for me to give an entertaining voice to issues that often get swept under the rug by the sound bite media world we live in. Walking in a character's shoes for the entirety of a book can provide an experience of that issue, if I've done my job well enough. I love to laugh, and I enjoy sarcasm and satire that isn't too mean-spirited. For example, in Dating A Cougar, there is a subtlety to the reader looking through Casey Carter's eyes as people stare at his cane. I also like the reader being on the inside of Casey's awareness of his issue, and how he handles it with humor and/or uses it to get his way. Casey found ways for the cane to add to his machismo, not take away from it, such as when he used it cleverly in a fight with hot-tempered Alexa.
Maybe my headstone will one day read "Donna McDonald: A Writer Who Broke Rules". That thought only makes me laugh. I mean, who makes the rules anyway? Personally, I would say my readers do every time they buy one of my books and write to tell me they liked the story.
In closing out my thanks to Dave Thome who is both eloquent in his word choices and funny, I am at a loss for original words to show appreciation for fellow writer support. So to make up for my lack I will use a Dolphin quote about heartfelt thanks from A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but give it a Latin twist for the funny. Vale et gratias pro piscis, Dave.
(FYI, when Dave gets ready to release his book Fast Lane, I'll be featuring him here. Check his blog for posts about how it's coming along.)
2 comments:
Donna, I think you just need to break all the rules you want, because it's definitely working for you! And you're right, who actually wrote the rules? I think certain standards just came to be expected over the years, but times have changed, and reader expectations have changed. If you don't adapt, you'll sink.
I don't think you need to worry about sinking. Keep plugging away girl.
LOVE to hear you have paranormals in the works. YAY!
JM, Thanks for the comment.
I am very excited thinking about putting out my paranormals next year. I love sci-fi stuff and that's actually what I was writing in the 90's. Back then I placed third in one of the major RWA contests in the genre. It was the first validation I ever received. However, when the contest judges (probably editors or agents) asked me for a full manuscript, I didn't have one and wasn't sure I was ever going to get there. :(
This has been quite a year for me.
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