Thursday, April 27, 2006

Comedy or drama?

I write different types of romance. Sweet and sensual -- in other words, no sex to something a little spicier.

I also write a bit of historical, quite a lot of mystery/suspense, and paranormal. Then there are my funny stories. Okay, I hope they're funny. I do manage to make some people laugh, anyway. ;)

I have found that while I enjoy writing all types of romance, rom com is in some ways the easiest. I say that because with a comedy your Hero and heroine don't have to be almost perfect but slightly flawed. They can be completely opposite as long as they're likable. But to me, the characters are more *real*. They seem to be people that could live next door or in the next town. My humorous characters get some of their best lines straight from real-life -- my life. They live through the same kinds of problems and insecurities as the rest of us. No where in comic romance do your characters have to be 'larger than life'.

Real. Likable. The boy-next-door; the nerd at the office; the sassy waitress at the local coffee shop; the shy girl behind the perfume counter. They don't have to be spies or millionares or have a perfect voice, body, smile... or anything! So in that way, they are so much easier to create and write. And they can also be a lot more fun.

Yeah, the hard part is keeping it funny for the long haul. That's where I really give credit to other writers who 'keep it funny' in book after book after book. Jennifer Cruise is the first that comes to mind. Even her blog and website make me LOL!

To write romantic comedy you need: a sense of humor; some writing skills; a bunch of real and likable characters; and a lot of time to get it down and get it right. Hey, I've got most of that covered -- plus a few plots spinning in my head.

When the historical is done and out the door, then I'll take up one of those rom coms and finish it up. My editor and publisher will be happy, as will I. It's hard to have a bad day when you're looking for the humor in it all.

Dive into a romantic comedy soon. Sometimes the angst gets to be a bit much, don't you think? We all need a good laugh ... and a little love ... and a Happily Ever After, now and then. :)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I love to read comedy, but I think it's very hard to write. Some people just do it naturally I guess. Have a great weeknd Meg!