Even though I admittedly hadn’t read much within the romance genre until I started writing a romance novel — that sounds so funny to me — it is always the romantic plot line that holds my interest in any movie, television show, or really any story of any kind.
The subtle emotions inherent in a romance always draw me in. If a show doesn’t have that or if the friends are strictly friends with no hope for something more it is always a disappointment. Even if the show is a children’s program.
In my twenties, I religiously watched The X-Files. I loved the quirky stories; the conspiracies were my favorite. However, the real reason I watched was that I desperately wanted the long-drawn-out love interest to bloom between Mulder and Scully. When an episode was void of any stolen glances, hints of jealousy, or flirty banter, I felt I’d otherwise wasted an hour of my life.
I want the romance! I watch with anticipation for the awkward attempts at flirting or the innuendo and banter. I love to watch a character reconcile their interest in someone else. First kisses are simply the best!
I love all the classic romantic movies we all probably know and love.Those 80s John Hughes movies played on a continuous loop in my head for much of my angsty adolescence.
I’d sporadically read a romance here and there. I still remember finding a tattered copy of Jean M. Auel’s Clan of the Cave Bear. At an appallingly tender age, I managed to get my hands on the entire series, and boy did it ever teach me a thing or two!
Not only have I been influenced by romance stories of all varieties, I have been hopelessly boy-crazy my entire life. I have very early memories from preschool of chasing the boys. I had countless crushes on nearly every boy in my school. What? Don’t judge, I went to a small school. Sadly, I must admit that more of my personal stories were of the unrequited love variety. But as the eternal optimist, I knew one day I’d have my happily ever after. Thankfully, I was right!
So when I set out to write the story fighting for space in my head, it was no surprise that it was a romance.
