Romance Writers Weekly: Creativity Questions

Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors?

Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all... About our writing of course!

Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride!

Thanks for clicking on my link from the wonderful Collette Cameron's page, and big huge thanks for this week’s questions from Fiona Ripley.

Here we go!

1.Does humor help or hinder you in your creative process?

I don't necessarily set out to write funny characters, but sometimes they just turn out that way. :) And humor as part of my life—being able to laugh at myself or a situation—is essential. I'm lucky to have married a man with a great sense of humor, and I consider laughter a necessary part of our daily life. 

Humor helps you unwind and release tension, so it's definitely useful during my creative process.


2.What is a favorite go-to book or movie you use to unblock a problem in your writing?

Penny Dreadful's Reeve Carney and Eva Green.

Hmm, this is a great question and there are probably too many films and shows to list. However, as a historical romance author, I'd have to say that watching costume drama gets me into a sense of the history and the setting and sometimes inspires me. Any Jane Austen novel adaptation will do. :)

With my current series, Whitechapel Wagers, watching anything set in London during the late 19th century is useful, so I love watching shows like Ripper Street and Penny Dreadful.


3.What’s the most inspiring book you’ve read this week or month that’s generated a new idea?

So this might sound odd, but I really love reading outside my genre for inspiration. Alternately, I love reading nonfiction history books about the period, though they usually aren't directly related to my current plot line.

For instance, I recently finished reading Thomas Harris's Red Dragon, which is about as far from historical romance as you can get. I loved his spare style of writing, and he inspired me with his ability to sketch a character quickly yet thoroughly by giving them idiosyncratic quirks. 

I'm also reading a nonfiction book called The Fasting Girl by Michelle Stacey about a young woman during the Victorian era who claimed to live for years without consuming any food. The book has given me insight into late 19th century history and women's roles during that era. 

Now follow me over to Leslie Hachtel's blog to see how she answered these questions. :)

Thanks for visiting!