An interview with Sarah Winn, of Raleigh, North Carolina, the author
of 'The Silver Heiress.' She says writing romance novels has forced her to
get more closely in touch with her feminine nature.
What type of romance novels do you
write?
Historical romance.
How long have you been writing romance
novels?
I've been dabbling at it for fifteen years. I got serious about it
five year ago.
How did you first become involved with writing
romance novels?
I've wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember, but didn't
know what to write. I tried mainstream and mystery, but they didn't
fit.
During an illness, someone brought me an early Rosemary Rogers'
historical. After reading that, I not only became hooked on reading romance
but decided it was what I could write.
What is it about you that makes you able to
write romance novels? What type of talent, thought process, and creative
intuition is needed to write a really good romance novel?
I've always made up stories in my head. I was called a day- dreamer
as a child. I like to solve puzzles, and plotting is mainly
puzzle-solving.
I like to laugh a lot, have a good cry occasionally, watch people,
and am not afraid to be alone. But I suppose these qualities would be good
for any writer. So, why do I write romance? Because I can.
What is the most difficult and challenging
aspect of writing romance novels?
Getting the whole thing right! Anybody can dream up a terrific premise,
or picture a riveting scene, or imagine a highly motivated
character.
Getting a whole book full of this in a logical, mistake-free order
is the really, really hard part.
Where do you get your ideas and material for
your romance novels? Does much of it come from life? From fantasy? From knowing
what women want to read about?
All of the above and then some. Sometimes a minor event or secondary
character in a novel or movie jumps out at me and says tell my story. The
type of books I read can also influence me.
Without realizing it, I recently read a number of Regencies. Suddenly
I had an ideal for a Regency novel even though I've never considered writing
in that period.
Tell us about the romance novels you write.
What is your specialty? Do you write about modern romances or historical
romances?
To date, I'd have to say westerns are my specialty. My one published
novel is set in the Southwest in the 1880's.
I have three yet-to-be published novels also set in the west during
the cattle-drive era. And then I wrote a time-travel with a contemporary
setting, and now I'm toying with ideas for a science-fiction fantasy or a
Regency. I guess, I don't want to be specialized.
Is getting a romance novel published very
difficult? How did you go about finding a publisher for your
work?
Yes! Everything I know about becoming published I learned after joining
the Romance Writer's of America (RWA) about five years ago. I've only had
one novel published electronically and am still trying to break into the
print publishing.
Thank goodness electronic books have come along and opened up the
tight market a bit.
What is the most enjoyable and fun aspect
of writing romance novels?
Those moments when the book tells me where it wants to go and the
characters speak for themselves are magic.
Has writing romance novels somehow changed
how you view yourself? Are you different--perhaps more romantic--because
of the work you do?
Writing romances has forced me to closely examine what makes women
different from men. I can't say I'm more romantic, but I'm definitely more
in touch with my feminine nature.
In your opinion, what are women looking for
when they read a romance novel? Have the tastes of women changed in recent
years?
The primary thing they're looking for is entertainment geared toward
women's special sensibilities--something that's not easy to find in other
types of media.
Tastes have definitely changed since I read my first Rosemary Rogers'
novel. Modern readers demand more sensitive heroes and less violence, especially
violence against women.
What tips and advice do you have for our
Commitment readers who dream of writing romance novels?
Advice: Do it for love--not money.
Tips: Read a lot of different types of romance to learn what is being
published and what you should write.
If you don't like to read it, you won't like to write it. If you're
a writing novice look for courses on writing at a local university, adult
education program, or on-line. While creativity is necessary so is knowledge
of the mechanics of writing. Join RWA and network, network,
network.
What is your favorite romance novel and characters
in literature? Why are these your favorites?
FLOWERS FROM THE STORM by Laura Kinsale is a beautifully written
book that makes the reader feel what the main characters are
feeling.
The hero is an arrogant, powerful man who loses everything due to
factors beyond his control but slowly recovers with the help of a good woman.
If that's not a super, female fantasy, I don't know what is.
Is there ever a time you get writer's block?
If so, how do you cope with it?
I really don't believe in writer's block. It's more amatter of will
or won't rather than can't. I've found if I force myself to sit and write
long enough decent ideas will come.
What type of skill is needed to write a romance
novel? What must a writer understand about the art of writing these
novels?
The principals of good writing are the same no matter what you write,
but a romance novel has added requirements.
It must be about situations and characters that women can empathize
with and be written with strong sensual and emotional elements.
Do you think romance novels fail to get the
recognition and respect they deserve?
Yes--but who's responsible for this? A lot of writers grumble about
the critics and academicians who ignore romance novels, but I think the problem
runs deeper.
The publishers who evaluate their authors solely on sales figures
and the authors who allow themselves to slip into an "it's only romance"
mind-set all contribute to the problem.
Tell us about a character you created that
is closest to your heart.
A secondary character became so strong in one of my westerns that
I had to cut some of her scenes to keep her from stealing the book. I liked
her so much, that I finally decided to write a sequel and tell her love story
even though she's not the usual heroine one finds in romances. Sally Sweets
is the most notorious madam in the old West. I hope you will get a chance
to read about her someday. |
