CYC: State of the Contemporary Romance
Today, we’re fortunate to have Christie Ridgway (a long-time favorite author of mine!) here to talk about the contemporary romance sub-genre. I’m saddened and frustrated every time I hear “contemporary is dead.” And not only because I write it, but because I love to read books by authors like Christie, Lori Foster, Rachel Gibson, Susan Andersen and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. So let’s hope good news is ahead for the contemporary romance!
Christie will be giving away a copy of How to Knit a Wild Bikini to one lucky commenter today. It’s a great book – one of my keepers!
Kelsey: Christie, you write primarily (or exclusively) contemporary romance. Why did you choose to build your career on this particular sub-genre of romance?
Christie: I started reading Harlequin romances in sixth grade and was hooked. While I read widely in the romance genre (and out of it as well), contemporary stories most resonate with me. When I started writing my own romances, I naturally thought in “modern” plot lines and they seemed the most suited for my writing style and voice.
Kelsey: What do you find are the pros and cons of writing contemporary romance?
Christie: The cons…well, they could be considered the Rodney Dangerfield of romance, in that they “can’t get no respect.” Because they’re set in our own time, I think some people assume anyone could write one and because of the short period that category books stay on the shelves it gives others the impression they’re churned out by authors.
The pros…with both category and single title romances being published, there are opportunities to tell many kinds of modern stories.
Kelsey: You write both single title and category length books. Can you share with us why you pen both, along with the number of books you average per year?
Christie: As I mentioned above, my interest in the romance genre started with Harlequin and I was thrilled to start my writing career at Harlequin/Silhouette. I love the intense focus that category romances put on the hero/heroine relationship. In single title romances, there are generally more pages and thus more room to explore other relationships or issues within the story and that has its own appeal. As to the number of books I average per year…that varies. At least a couple of books and of course I’m always thinking about or working on proposals for the next ones.
Kelsey: When I joined RWA two years ago, people were eulogizing historical romance, saying it was dead, dead, dead. The same rumors are now swirling about contemporary romance. Could you comment on this phenomenon?
Christie: The popularity of every subgenre rises and falls. If you watch the market long enough you’ll hear death declared for every one only to see it climb from the grave a few years later. It’s likely that’s natural to some extent, though publishing does have a tendency to glom onto what they perceive is a trend and then saturate the market with a certain kind of book. As for contemporary romance in particular…I think that saturation happened a few years ago when you saw so many books on the shelves with similar-looking cartoon covers. Not any subgenre will truly die, though, and single title contemporary romance is still being written by many of us who were there during that particular heyday.
Kelsey: Do you believe the current economic climate has anything to do with the (perceived) decline of the contemporary romance?
Christie: I don’t think the current economic climate has more impact on the contemporary over another romance subgenre. Harlequin says their book sales are strong, which indicates that readers realize their favorite fiction is inexpensive entertainment.
Kelsey: In a recent article on BookPage (www.BookPage.com), you discussed the concept of the “big romance.” Could you define that term and give an example or two for our readers?
Christie: “Big romance,” to me, is really just another label for what we’ve always called single title contemporary romance. However, right now there are books that include a strong sense of community/place that are resonating with readers. Robyn Carr’s Virgin River books are among my favorites of this type. Set in a rural, close-knit community, they feature manly, ex-military heroes, but also address “women’s issues” like breast cancer and rape.
Kelsey: What advice do you have for an unpublished writer of contemporary romance?
Christie: The same advice I have for any aspiring author…read, read, read. That’s how you find out what kinds of stories touch your heart and that will help you discover the ones you want to tell yourself. Then it’s write, write, write, in order to develop a distinctive narrative voice.
RU readers, do you think the contemporary romance is in decline? Why or why not?
Please take a minute to ask Christie any burning questions about this topic or her writing.
Christie Ridgway’s first romance was published by Silhouette Books and since then she has sold over thirty additional contemporary stories to Silhouette, Harlequin, Avon, and Berkley. A three-time Rita finalist, her titles have appeared on the USAToday bestseller list, and both the Borders Group/Waldenbooks mass market and romance bestseller lists.
A native of California, Christie graduated with a degree in English Language and Literature from the University of California at Santa Barbara. She worked as a technical writer and computer programmer before pursuing her dream of becoming a romance author. Since publication, she’s spoken to readers and writers and national and regional conferences as well as at schools, libraries, book clubs and bookstores. She never tires of talking about the craft of writing and the appeal of the romance genre.
Christie’s latest book is the last in her “Malibu & Ewe” trilogy. DIRTY SEXY KNITTING came out on June 2, and features a beachside knitting shop and three “sort-of” sisters. She’s currently at work on a new trilogy for Berkley Books set in the wine country of Napa Valley, California.
Please be sure to join Adrienne and Sally Balioni on Wednesday for A Tale of Two Alphas, a post that promises to make you think twice about relationships between men and women.
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Christie,
Thank you for joining us at RU! I enjoyed reading your opinion on category vs. single title. Do you find it difficult to switch between the two when writing?
Christie -
We’re so delighted you’re with us at RU today! Would you label your single title works stright contemporary or romantic comedy? Based on some recent feedback, I’m a little confused about the what editors define as one or the other.
Many thanks!
Kelsey
Hi Christie. Thank you for being with us today. I’m curious if you have an agent for your single titles. If so, did you have an agent before you sold to Harlequin/Silhouette or did the agent come after?
Thanks!
Hi Christie!! Thanks for posting today, great article!!
My question is this – do you have to plan a book differently to be a category rather than a single title? Is there a difference really from a plotting point of view, or is it just simply more pages? sorry if that’s a stupid question! Also, what lines do you target in Harlequin/Silhouette for a contemporary?
As for me, I refused to read a contemporary until a few years ago….and now I’m hooked! I agree, it may have been because of a glut of them all came out at the same time, and maybe people “overdosed” on them, but I certainly don’t think it’s dead…imho. =)
thanks for your article…very informative!
carrie
Thanks, guys! Sorry it took me so long to get here today. The new puppy had to get to the vet. I had to pick up a car at the shop. And it’s the dh’s birthday, which means I had to grocery shop (we can’t go out to dinner because we can’t leave yellow lab puppy, Hank, home alone), and shop for presents. Last minute girl this time. So… Here goes…
Tracey: I don’t find it difficult to switch between category and single title, but I am aware of the difference as I work. There are different word choices and level of sensuality between the two. Also, in single title I feel comfortable having my characters do “edgier” (for want of better word) things. For example, I have a secondary heroine who sleeps with an old flame and arranges for the secondary hero to catch her doing so (in order to push him away). I wouldn’t do that in a category romance. So there are plot point differences as well.
Kelsey: I don’t ever say I write romantic comedy because people’s views of humor are so subjective. It’s also why my characters generally don’t laugh at their own jokes (what if the reader doesn’t get it?). So, I say my books are straight contemporaries (and I do address some meaty conflicts at times), though they are packaged brightly and I’ve had many of the “cartoon” covers that were so popular some time back.
Adrienne: I have been agented since my very first sale. I “got” an agent just a couple of months before I sold my first book to Silhouette. Though I have a different agent now (and one in between), each represented both my category and single title romances. It’s more customary in single title to be agented. I have friends who rep themselves in category (and some in ST, too). Some houses will only take submissions from agented authors, but not all.
Carrie: Yes, I have to plot the category books and single title differently. Usually I have a second plot thread (usually another couple) weaving in and out of the main plot in a single title. The word count gives me that room to explore more. In a category, the focus is very tight on the hero and heroine. That’s what I love about category–the intensity of the romance is heightened because of that focus.
My category books these days are Silhouette Special Editions. While they are the “hearth and home” line, I think you can write many kinds of stories within that bracket. Mine usually don’t involve children, but the hero or heroine may be dealing with issues of family.
I’m glad you don’t think contemporaries are dead, either! Yes, there was a flood of them at one time, but I keep writing my stories and they keep getting published, so I’m happy.
Christie -
Hope your dh had a wonderful birthday and that Hank is doing well! You’ll have to let us know if you post puppy pictures at RWTTD.
Thanks for being here. Fewer comments today, but hopefully lots of readers!
Kelsey
Dh is having birthday pie at the moment and Hank seems to be none worse the wear for his shots.
If anyone has follow-on questions, feel free to email me through my website, http://www.christieridgway.com. I always enjoy talking about the craft and the business!