tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post8712824519762206470..comments2024-02-04T04:40:23.122-08:00Comments on Harlequin Heartwarming: Romance Authors Often Write About Love that Hurts our Characters by Roz Denny FoxPamela Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05834270662017246137noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-60443585278547285152016-10-29T19:29:30.212-07:002016-10-29T19:29:30.212-07:00Beth - you're so right! (Sorry, Roz. Didn...Beth - you're so right! (Sorry, Roz. Didn't meant to get in above you, but had to chime in on Beth's remark. I once had a hero's former wife and child hit by a car and killed while playing on their front lawn. A reader wrote to me and said the same thing had happened to her husband and child. Then she asked me, "How do I go on?" Fortunately, my sister was a nun andMuriel Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065629068634892645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-75048791230462779992016-10-29T09:23:11.951-07:002016-10-29T09:23:11.951-07:00Beth, you are so correct about our influence even ...Beth, you are so correct about our influence even though our work is clearly labeled "fiction". I'm sort of glad to see we've stopped killing off all of the parents, however. Now we're retiring more of them I've noticed. rozdennyfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506701706951201107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-43098229058357162092016-10-29T08:29:51.313-07:002016-10-29T08:29:51.313-07:00Romance writers show their protaginists moving fro...Romance writers show their protaginists moving from pain to happiness, which I think gives hope. I wrote a short story in which a woman's husband left her for another women, he comes back and asks for forgiveness, and she decides she's better off without him. A reviewer mentioned it helped with her own decision in a similar situations. Whoa! We have to realize that although we're Beth Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447148196867821907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-32556581756922782192016-10-29T07:09:23.753-07:002016-10-29T07:09:23.753-07:00Laurie, Thanks for popping by. I honestly think th...Laurie, Thanks for popping by. I honestly think there are as many different ways to be inspired with ideas as there are writers snagging them and writing about them. I used to say there was an idea bank in the sky and they floated by and we'd reach up and grab one. I've noticed lately its harder.rozdennyfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506701706951201107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-58200662621649931362016-10-29T06:39:50.725-07:002016-10-29T06:39:50.725-07:00Hi, Roz,
This was a most thought-provoking and ins...Hi, Roz,<br />This was a most thought-provoking and insightful blog. As the author of a non-fiction book on abuse, which I wrote twenty years ago, it is still mind-boggling to me that the statistics have not diminished. A woman is beaten every 6 minutes in this country alone. At the time of my book tour for "The Evolving Woman", I visited dozens of women's shelters from the AtlanticCatherine Laniganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09457540593573242387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-75046537923226520902016-10-28T20:00:57.012-07:002016-10-28T20:00:57.012-07:00This is very interesting. I enjoyed this post and ...This is very interesting. I enjoyed this post and the comments. Sometimes I wonder how writing material is inspired. Laurie Ihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05251033150576051700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-13715277328034717242016-10-28T16:34:58.126-07:002016-10-28T16:34:58.126-07:00Merrillee, Wow, you were brave to take on moving b...Merrillee, Wow, you were brave to take on moving both H & H forward in what had been broken relationships. But yay for you that you did it.rozdennyfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506701706951201107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-53972627997193646252016-10-28T16:33:57.226-07:002016-10-28T16:33:57.226-07:00Sam, I think a chronically abused person who isn&#...Sam, I think a chronically abused person who isn't able to get out of a relationship wouldn't be a candidate for our HEA books. But unfortunately there are probably too many in those situations.rozdennyfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506701706951201107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-40415708729437929912016-10-28T14:28:51.295-07:002016-10-28T14:28:51.295-07:00I once heard someone say of caregiving, "You ...I once heard someone say of caregiving, "You don't owe anyone else your own life." But that balance between care of a loved one and self can be very hard to achieve.Leigh Rikerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09614965296068207696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-11116597823572166832016-10-28T14:02:01.279-07:002016-10-28T14:02:01.279-07:00In my latest book my hero and heroine are both afr...In my latest book my hero and heroine are both afraid of repeating a bad experience with love.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04727952110511274222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-15163415097751650582016-10-28T13:16:13.446-07:002016-10-28T13:16:13.446-07:00Hi Roz: How about the person who is "chronic...Hi Roz: How about the person who is "chronically" abused and thinks there is no way out? Like the bird flying into its reflection, she keeps going back, banging her head in the window thinking that next time will be different. Poor choice and mistrust can lead to anything but a HEA ending. OR a person who is so trapped in grief that he/she won't seek help. That means that the Samwritinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15263634156402158904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-92164714620777148452016-10-28T11:27:33.653-07:002016-10-28T11:27:33.653-07:00Muriel, what a good point about delving into women...Muriel, what a good point about delving into women's magazines for up-to-date issues. Finding someone to fall in love with is so different for today's young women than for when I was young. Back then you really had to be introduced. But of course it was easier for people to hide various types of abuse.rozdennyfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506701706951201107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-13376387342836499932016-10-28T11:24:11.507-07:002016-10-28T11:24:11.507-07:00Patti, that's so spot on. I'm going to pay...Patti, that's so spot on. I'm going to pay more attention to how long it takes a character to begin to emerge from their internal trauma. rozdennyfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506701706951201107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-38623654456970371872016-10-28T11:21:54.112-07:002016-10-28T11:21:54.112-07:00Laurie, Thanks for dropping by and giving your opi...Laurie, Thanks for dropping by and giving your opinion. Interesting that you thought at first that such a background wouldn't appeal.rozdennyfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506701706951201107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-88583179343681736712016-10-28T11:19:33.100-07:002016-10-28T11:19:33.100-07:00Laura, Your insight is right on. We all have tende...Laura, Your insight is right on. We all have tender feelings, really, and are easily hurt. A big question is how long the hurt lasts. Longer for some than for others.rozdennyfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506701706951201107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-89222226521317219712016-10-28T10:55:59.654-07:002016-10-28T10:55:59.654-07:00Hi, Roz! Thought-provoking post. Women's mag...Hi, Roz! Thought-provoking post. Women's magazines have a lot of articles about what women are dealing with at this point in time. That's sometimes a good starting point for me. My problem is that love is so strong, that something equally strong (or awful) ha to keep the hero and heroine from getting together. Since I like to use humor a lot, there's a limit to awful things can Muriel Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12065629068634892645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-54055591952733447402016-10-28T10:34:31.379-07:002016-10-28T10:34:31.379-07:00Thanks for this post, Roz. You always have such i...Thanks for this post, Roz. You always have such insightful things to say. Characters who learn from their bad choices are so much more interesting to me than those who never seem to learn, grow, and change their behavior. They're like sitcom characters who make the same mistakes over and over. They're funny, but stunted.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-8060473969625983472016-10-28T09:51:02.430-07:002016-10-28T09:51:02.430-07:00Roz, you always come up with such cool topics! Bef...Roz, you always come up with such cool topics! Before reading your post I would've said "oh, I don't like stories where the characters made bad choices because that's so convenient," then started thinking about my own and realized that almost all of 'em DID that. Oops...guess it works after all. :)<br /><br />And then your explanation of why it does, why love is such a Laurie Schnebly Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10354145165557149787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-44637804015851726022016-10-28T09:36:13.365-07:002016-10-28T09:36:13.365-07:00Roz, what an intriguing post. I am a big fan of se...Roz, what an intriguing post. I am a big fan of self-help books, too. Many of my characters have had their tender feelings crushed, and aren't sure they can trust anyone. You've nailed one part of why they've suffered! They sure do need to be available for a new love. I also think that is what many people experience in life. They've risked their heart and been disappointed or Laura Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04853245627578360220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-68228366980428567652016-10-28T09:07:25.276-07:002016-10-28T09:07:25.276-07:00Liz, you pose a great "character question&quo...Liz, you pose a great "character question". I can see where that works not only when molding a character, but at the beginning of various scenes. Thanks.rozdennyfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506701706951201107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-59262388757240731062016-10-28T09:05:28.014-07:002016-10-28T09:05:28.014-07:00LeAnne, I remember one time a group of writers wer...LeAnne, I remember one time a group of writers were out to dinner with one of our editors. There was a couple across the restaurant having an intense conversation, and around our table we each said what we thought was going on in their lives. It was hilarious. And we never knew, of course, if any of us were right.rozdennyfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506701706951201107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-53458730628926202682016-10-28T08:56:29.899-07:002016-10-28T08:56:29.899-07:00Great question, Roz! I do see it as organic, a s...Great question, Roz! I do see it as organic, a story coming together from all the elements in the lives of the people. One important question I ask as I write is, "Why are they here, in this place, at this time?" The answer has to include a lot of emotional history, and all kinds of plot points emerge from it. Liz McClurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15233379693057603629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-23226840758012371562016-10-28T08:18:11.487-07:002016-10-28T08:18:11.487-07:00I love coming up with background stories to explai...I love coming up with background stories to explains behavior I see or conversations I hear out n public. My husband thinks I'm weird because I make up wild tales about perfect strangers. They are a great source of inspiration. (shhh...I use my friends too, but don't tell them.) LeAnne Bristowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00501073617194057481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-91432379713553543672016-10-28T08:11:24.057-07:002016-10-28T08:11:24.057-07:00Cynthia, I agree about not using friends and famil...Cynthia, I agree about not using friends and family, but sometimes I have friends who think they see another person we know in my stories. I go back and can't see it at all, because I work hard to use anonymous people and situations. I admit I got more ideas when I worked, because of people doing exactly what you say: "let me tell you..."rozdennyfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506701706951201107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2442063056672240555.post-26044384829640331862016-10-28T08:08:44.143-07:002016-10-28T08:08:44.143-07:00Mel, that's important too. How many times do w...Mel, that's important too. How many times do we hear at conference that editors are looking for new and different? It pays to keep an ear to the ground everywhere we go.rozdennyfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506701706951201107noreply@blogger.com