Confessions of a Romance Novelist: I Write Love Stories and I Wear the Same Sweatpants Every Day by Patricia Leavy
I write love stories. Yup, I’m a proud romance novelist.
Romance books aren’t always taken seriously. Let’s face it, as a genre, it’s often trivialized. That’s a shame because if there’s anything we need more of in this world right now it’s love. Romance novels offer readers—and their writers—many important things. Here are a few of the things that romance novels bring to the world: female perspectives on love, sex, and relationships, rich fantasies, escape, joy, hope, comfort, inspiration, and, well, love. When we’re immersed in a love story, those feelings, that affection, that warmth, lives in us too. An engaging romance novel wraps us in a warm embrace. That’s a good thing.
So, my first confession is that I’m a romance junkie. I’m the gal who cries at the end of happy movies. My obsession has served me well. I’ve made a career studying the art of love, so to speak. As a scholar, I researched women’s relationships for decades. I also researched and wrote many nonfiction books about the arts. For me, love, passion, and creativity often go together. More on that later. Not satisfied with expressing what I’d learned in nonfiction, I became, you guessed it, a novelist. As such, I spend a lot of time thinking about love and romance. I write scene after scene of couples sharing intimate moments. Fiction is a form of escape so sometimes these steamy bits happen in exotic locations: sandy beaches, film sets, or private jets. Other times, they happen curled up on a couch or soaking in a bath.
In recent years, I’ve become obsessed with penning celebrity romances. There’s nothing more transporting than escaping into a celebrity love affair. As a writer, the elite sphere of the rich and famous is an exhilarating stomping ground. Private jets, exotic destinations, red carpet moments, clamoring fans, photo hounds, and a potpourri of Hollywood types populate these story worlds. A celeb falling in love with a supposedly ordinary guy or gal is a trope for a reason, and one of my favorites. Let’s face it, it’s a common fantasy. I love a read with a bit of wish fulfillment. As a writer, it’s an endless well of inspiration. Worlds colliding. The underside of fame. Magic in the mundane. Depth beneath the superficial. It’s got all the possibilities. My last novel, Hollyland, and my forthcoming novel, The Location Shoot, are definitely in this genre.
I would describe my novels as quick, feel-good reads that provide romance, escape, humor, and hopefully a bit of inspiration to live and love with passion. I adore a happy ending, one filled with love, maybe a lesson, and a touch of empowerment. My novels are character and dialogue-driven. While my novels are romantic and do include humor—smart girl humor I think—they are not rom-coms (a genre I adore, but not one I write). Really, my novels are about love itself. All-encompassing, cozy, affectionate, sexy, messy, confusing, inexplicable, meant-to-be, once-in-a-lifetime love. Second confession: I’m actually a love junkie.
At the core, my novels are about relationships and self-discovery. Plots are less important than central relationships. When there is a kidnapping, accident, or death threat, which is rare, it’s always used as a device for the characters to learn more about themselves and how to love each other better. Friendship and chosen family relationships are always important too, not just romances. Often there’s nothing more fun than writing scenes of storytelling, mockery, and clever quips between besties.
Who are my protagonists? Strong females. They’re each different in many ways but are always smart, talented, kind, and funny. I’m obsessed with ideas, creativity, and the arts so my characters are often writers, artists, actors, musicians, scholars, publishers, and editors. The guys they love are usually pretty dreamy. These are real partnerships. Lovers love each other well. They rarely hurt others, and are more likely to hurt themselves. If you prefer stories with toxic relationship drama, playing hard to get, or lots of miscommunication (which can no doubt be fun), my novels may not be your thing.
As a romance novelist, I feel no need to defend the genre I’m grateful to be a part of; however, I do feel the desire to sing its praises. Romance is such an expansive category, with everything from romantic suspense to rom-coms to erotica to historical romance, that I also want to situate and contextualize my books. Each of us is making our own mark, in our own way. Really, most simply, I write love stories, and I love doing so.
A few more confessions from my life as a romance novelist:
Eavesdropping. When I’m at the café, my headphones may not really be on.
I cry in front of my computer screen at my own writing, whispering things like, “Oh my God, that’s good.”
I eat random snacks to procrastinate. Like anything. A tub of peanut butter, a few olives, a handful of dried figs. Whatever.
I live vicariously through my characters.
I wear the same sweatpants every day. Like, every day.
By Patricia Leavy, Ph.D., author of Hollyland and The Location Shoot
