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I watched that SNL skit about Gray Adult Pigtails a dozen times. The whole thing is golden. Five wild women celebrate their sexy older years—and their delivery is spot-on. My favorite line: “You were married to that golf-playing doctor for way too long.” When the women’s mutual manfriend Richard said of their chosen hairstyle, “Can’t ride a bike with no handlebars,” I just lost it. For New Yorkers, the SNL crowd knows the SF Bay Area poly scene very well. Pretty sure I dated Richard—and so did all my friends.
Meanwhile, back in North Carolina, I made a floral graphic that said, “Thee and Me Could Write a Bad Romance.” I posted this picture various places and said I was thinking of running an online course by that name. And before I knew it, I was signed up to teach a two-month series on Romance writing for a social group of olders. Hey, I thought. Piece of cake. I’ve written an entire book on writing Erotica. Surely you just water down Erotica to get to Romance.
Well, no. I’ve spent most of May writing curriculum and had my ego handed to me on a plate. You see, Romance has its own set of rules. Some call it formulaic (but you notice nobody calls sonnets “formulaic”). The entire genre is based on approach and avoidance: two characters who take turns chasing and running away. That dance is paramount; the events that would comprise the main plot in any other novel are secondary. And then there’s the requisite Happy Ending when attraction wins at last.
The funny thing is, I thought my novel, Brilliant Charming Bastard, was a romance. Not so fast. Sure, Bastard has romantic elements. But a story that centers on three smart women taking their sexy revenge is a different animal. Which is just fine; not every poem is a sonnet, either.
That does mean teaching a class on a form of literature that is new to me. And I’m excited about that. This season of life is all about trying new things, so here goes! Once I’ve taught Romance, I’m sure to try my hand at writing a story that fits the rules. I look forward to offering this class again when I can open it up to all of you. Look for an announcement in the coming months.
I’m catching on, slowly. By the time I offer this class again, I should know what I’m doing. Look for an announcement about that offering in the coming months.
Why choose a genre with such negative press? Although it gets a bad rap from the “bodice ripper” era, over the course of its history Romance has been a great driver of social change. It can be that again, as more older women explore sexy stories with happy endings. And anyway, it’s fun. No wonder Romance is consistently the top selling fiction genre.
Fortunately for me, the coauthor of our book on creative retirement took the lead on that manuscript while I’ve shredded curriculum drafts. As a psychologist and painter, Steevie Jane Parks is eminently qualified to write about women who have come into our own at a Certain Age. She has great examples of women’s stories too. I’m excited about that book and look forward to sharing it with beta readers this Fall.
Hope you’re enjoying Spring, wherever you are. Here in North Carolina, it’s sixty degrees some days and ninety others. We have had our share of thunderstorms, and the corn is growing in the back veggie garden. Time to put my hair in Gray Adult Pigtails.
Have fun and keep the pen moving,
All the best,
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