Can Romance Lend Itself to an Epiphany?

I had an epiphany today. I was editing my second novel, which is a romance that is taking on more and more chick lit overtones the more I revise it, and I wondered once again, why everything I write turns into a romance novel? I don't even like romance novels! And this particular novel, like the first one I wrote started as a mystery!

But as I'm revising I'm doing my best to keep everything light and fun. My goal is to create a temporary escape for the reader not to write the next great American novel. So what genre lends itself best to that? Romance! It all makes sense now. If I want it light and I avoid heavy stuff what's left? Romance! A revelation!

Why do I not like romance novels? They tend to be cheesey, the writing itself isn't usually very good and there's too much - well- romance. So I try to lighten up on all that, focus a bit more on the heroine's character, her day to day life and the significant relationships she has, and what I end up with is romance with heavy chick lit overtones or chick lit with romantic overtones - I'm not sure which - but it sure is what I write. In the industry it would be called Chick Lit/Romance.

I guess I don't mind so much now that I understand it. I may not like romance, but I do tend to like chick lit. I know I'm not supposed to say that because it shows a want of intellectual prowess, but let's face it, I don't particularly care how intellectual I look.

The Lesser Known of the Bronte's.

I'd never read a book by Anne Bronte before. I'd read 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte and 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte. I adored 'Jane Eyre' and detested 'Wuthering Heights' and Anne Bronte got ignored.

I have no real complaint about the writing in 'Wuthering Heights mind you, I just thought it was depressing. Even people who love the book would never call it optimistic.

Jane Eyre, on the other hand, is more optimistic. There's a glowing ending in which everyone is happy and well. Some people don't think endings like that are valid but I love it when a book ends that way. All kinds of horrible garbage can happen in the middle of the book, but as long as it ends well I enjoy it. I know there are purists out there gasping at that but that's just the way it is!

Having said all that I decided it was high time to give Anne Bronte a try. I chose to read 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.' I liked it. 

And here's the thing this book did for me. It made me profoundly grateful for my husband! And not just a little at that. I'm sorry to say it, but not only is he far superior to the horrible men in the book, but he's better than the good ones too!

It really makes me wonder what kind of nasty men were in Anne Bronte's life that even her good men aren't that great. We all know the Bronte sisters had a wild brother and we don't have to wonder where the example of the less than savory characters came from. But what about the better ones? Wasn't there any exemplary men in her life that would have helped with that?

  I guess it struck me because if it hadn't been for Richard I might be thinking the same thing. I might not have known how good men can be.

Anyway, I've been thinking about how an author's life experience effects their writing. Anne Bronte wrote 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall' deliberately with a moral in mind knowing it would effect the quality of the finished product, but quality was secondary to her primary goal. It was worth it to her to sacrifice her art to make a point.

For this reason she is considered a sub-standard writer and most experts agree that she is only remembered today for being a Bronte sister. They feel if it weren't for that she would have been long forgotten.

This may well be true, but if she made me feel this good about my husband in 2012 with a book she published in 1848 perhaps her writing is more effective than they are giving her credit for!