Shewanda Pugh's Blog: The Wandering Mind of a Romance Writer - Posts Tagged "shewanda-pugh"
The Literary Romance
After my tedious diatribe about the pigeon holing of romance novels, I did a little research. And by research I mean going to Amazon.com and keying in literary romance. (Don't snap at me; that DOES count.) Anyway, after a fair amount of research, say 45 to 60 seconds, I realized the subgenre of serious literary romance does exist. Perhaps it's this subgenre that allows for escape from the rigid structure of traditional romance. I'm not talking about mere semantics here; after all, if your romance reads like a menage trois on steroids, then I dare say it belongs elsewhere. But I digress, so, back to the subject of literary romance.
Apparently, among the criteria for acceptance into this illustrious field is the death of said author. Think Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, anything yesteryear.
So, barring my premature demise, I'll have to look elsewhere for categorical inclusion. For now, we'll call it a crisis of classification.
Apparently, among the criteria for acceptance into this illustrious field is the death of said author. Think Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, anything yesteryear.
So, barring my premature demise, I'll have to look elsewhere for categorical inclusion. For now, we'll call it a crisis of classification.
Love & Stereotypes
To some degree, I would wager that any novelist choosing to write about interracial romances sours at the thought of stereotypes. For these writers, the idea of each character fitting into a pre-made box easily labeled by any reader is something to abhor. Perhaps I should back up.
I’ve been asked time and again where the inspiration for my characters comes from. In my debut, Crimson Footprints, Deena Hammond is a woman of color and an architect. In reality, less than 25% of all architects are women and less than 2% are African American. Although I’ve heard a great many theories as to why this may be, I’ll leave the experts to surmise a credible answer.
But I digress. How was it that Deena Hammond as architect came to be? Well, in her earliest stages Deena went through several careers. She was a grad student in political science and a mid-level manager in a huge corporation, before “architect” fell into place. You may notice that none of her positions feature stellar representation for her demographic, but then again, which are the ones that do?
Let’s take a look at another character with a less than likely career. Takumi Tanaka, Deena’s beau, is a Japanese American guy with bohemian swag whose never worked a hard day in his life. Yes, he’s managed to chalk out a living as an up-and-coming painter, but a fat trust fund has ensured that he’ll never need work.
So, what’s my point? In an upcoming 7 book series, I explore the relationship of an African American girl and an Asian Indian boy who fall in love after growing up in two close knit families. In another, a down south Carolina boy with a “South will rise” attitude falls for the sister who moves in next door, turning families and town upside down. I say all that, to say this. Love is never just love. And stereotypes are boring.
I’ve been asked time and again where the inspiration for my characters comes from. In my debut, Crimson Footprints, Deena Hammond is a woman of color and an architect. In reality, less than 25% of all architects are women and less than 2% are African American. Although I’ve heard a great many theories as to why this may be, I’ll leave the experts to surmise a credible answer.
But I digress. How was it that Deena Hammond as architect came to be? Well, in her earliest stages Deena went through several careers. She was a grad student in political science and a mid-level manager in a huge corporation, before “architect” fell into place. You may notice that none of her positions feature stellar representation for her demographic, but then again, which are the ones that do?
Let’s take a look at another character with a less than likely career. Takumi Tanaka, Deena’s beau, is a Japanese American guy with bohemian swag whose never worked a hard day in his life. Yes, he’s managed to chalk out a living as an up-and-coming painter, but a fat trust fund has ensured that he’ll never need work.
So, what’s my point? In an upcoming 7 book series, I explore the relationship of an African American girl and an Asian Indian boy who fall in love after growing up in two close knit families. In another, a down south Carolina boy with a “South will rise” attitude falls for the sister who moves in next door, turning families and town upside down. I say all that, to say this. Love is never just love. And stereotypes are boring.
Mood, Music & Inspiration
Authors are sponges. We absorb, regurgitate, manipulate, polish and present. There are days when I sit down and bang out 7 or 8 hours worth of material without hesitation. There are days when I sit and stare. I’m the sort of writer who has only the vaguest notion of what’s going to happen to characters before I begin. Sometimes, they do as I tell them, other times they rebel. There are instances when I begin to craft a scene only to find that said characters will not cooperate. Often, this is because I’ve constructed them so carefully and completely that an act contrary to their intrinsic construction simply won’t manifest. Other times, it’s because of what’s going on around me. What do I mean?
If I’m writing a bit of fiction and a radio station is on, the mood of said music will affect my scene. Completely. If it’s angry rap, my characters begin to argue. If it’s a ballad, suddenly they’re in the mood for romance and a bit of yum yum give me some. Over the years, I’ve learned to channel music to suit my scenes, especially when I’m shooting blanks.
For my debut novel, Crimson Footprints, Robin Thicke’s second CD, The Evolution of Robin Thicke, got a lot of spin time. And for grittier scenes, Lil’ Wayne was the man. Now, as I work on a new project, various portions of the novel require different sounds. The Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D. has jumped start my literary motor time and again, as has Miguel, Cold Play, Jack’s Mannequin and more. Again, what I listen to depends on what I need.
What do other author’s listen to?
If I’m writing a bit of fiction and a radio station is on, the mood of said music will affect my scene. Completely. If it’s angry rap, my characters begin to argue. If it’s a ballad, suddenly they’re in the mood for romance and a bit of yum yum give me some. Over the years, I’ve learned to channel music to suit my scenes, especially when I’m shooting blanks.
For my debut novel, Crimson Footprints, Robin Thicke’s second CD, The Evolution of Robin Thicke, got a lot of spin time. And for grittier scenes, Lil’ Wayne was the man. Now, as I work on a new project, various portions of the novel require different sounds. The Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D. has jumped start my literary motor time and again, as has Miguel, Cold Play, Jack’s Mannequin and more. Again, what I listen to depends on what I need.
What do other author’s listen to?
The Writer's Cardinal Sin
I once made the worst writer's mistake known to man. Far worse than a simple grammatical error, head hop, or issue of formatting--I committed the writer's cardinal sin.
I was boring.
For some writers, there are other, more egregious errors--but for the reader, this is simply unforgivable. Nothing equates it, except perhaps sheer goobledygook on a page.
Thankfully, my instance was eons ago, in a graduate level wirting course headed by Brenda Serotte, author of "The Fortune Teller's Kiss. For those of you who have ever had the unequivocal pleasure of meeting the Bronx diva, her belligerent scrolling of "BORING" across the front of my paper in firey red will come as no surprise. Since then, I've implemented a a rather effective checklist to ensure that I never bore the melanin off a reader again.
1. Does this scene move the story towards its eventual goal or climax?
2. Could this scene stand alone as an interesting read?
3. Does something happen at the end of every chapter, upon which the reader is forced to think "I need to see what happens next?"
4. Are my characters behaving naturally? Am I driving them or are they driving me? Ideally, I prefer to keep a loose goal in mind and allow the characters to surprise me with the story.
And finally, the most important question of all:
5. Am I bored yet? Because if I'm bored, then the reader has already closed the book.
I was boring.
For some writers, there are other, more egregious errors--but for the reader, this is simply unforgivable. Nothing equates it, except perhaps sheer goobledygook on a page.
Thankfully, my instance was eons ago, in a graduate level wirting course headed by Brenda Serotte, author of "The Fortune Teller's Kiss. For those of you who have ever had the unequivocal pleasure of meeting the Bronx diva, her belligerent scrolling of "BORING" across the front of my paper in firey red will come as no surprise. Since then, I've implemented a a rather effective checklist to ensure that I never bore the melanin off a reader again.
1. Does this scene move the story towards its eventual goal or climax?
2. Could this scene stand alone as an interesting read?
3. Does something happen at the end of every chapter, upon which the reader is forced to think "I need to see what happens next?"
4. Are my characters behaving naturally? Am I driving them or are they driving me? Ideally, I prefer to keep a loose goal in mind and allow the characters to surprise me with the story.
And finally, the most important question of all:
5. Am I bored yet? Because if I'm bored, then the reader has already closed the book.
Just What the Heck is Women's Fiction
The term “women’s fiction” is broad and encompasses a wide range of work. Among its breadth are romance novels, so-called “chick lit” and many works otherwise thought mainstream. What they all have in common is that they are deemed “marketable to women.”
Sexist language aside, women’s fiction is often described in muddled, near incoherent fashion by an industry who oft-times seems as confused by what constitutes the genre as those who actually seek the answer. “Books marketable to women” is a definition so vague and borderline offensive as to be deemed worthy of dismissal. Yet, it is the description most often relied upon. On FindmeanAuthor.com, women’s fiction is described as able to “touch the reader in ways other fiction cannot. Relationship stories, generational sagas, love stories and women's commercial fiction must touch on subjects women can relate to in their real lives. Put another way: Women's fiction taps into the hopes, fears, dreams and even secret fantasies of women today.” Agent Scott Eagan states that women’s fiction must “follow the female journey and learn what it takes to be a female.” This is the most concise and approachable definition I’ve found to date.
Since women’s fiction encompasses a range of specialties, it runs the gamut from superficial to sobering. Romance novels have been around for a few hundred years. Samuel Richardson’s Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded was an early romance considered a breakthrough on two fronts. One, romance was the primary force of the story. Two, said story was told from the view of a female protagonist. Richardson would pave the way for Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and publishers Mills and Boon and Harlequin, which succeeded in marketing romance to the masses. Romance novels, while largely criticized as fluff and thoughtless fiction, or, at times referred to as “bodice rippers” are the bread and butter of publishers. According to Romance Writer’s of America, romance is and continues to be the largest producer of book sales in the industry. Not only did romance fiction generate $1.358 billion in sales in 2010, but also it remained the largest share of the consumer market at 13.4 percent. The following is a breakdown of sub-genre’s the organization claims under the umbrella of romance and the associated sales:
Romance Subgenres Published in 2011
Romance fiction: $1.358 billion in estimated revenue for 2010
Religion/inspirational: $759 million
Mystery: $682 million
Science fiction/fantasy: $559 million
Classic literary fiction: $455 million
More information on this phenomenon can be found here.
The category known as “chick-lit” was ushered in with Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary in 1996. Traits of the work include a light-hearted approach to the issues of modern woman and, according to Suzanne Ferris, author of In the Classroom or In the Bedroom, “often feature a career-driven heroine, an obsession with appearance, and a passion for shopping.” As a monster unto itself, chick-lit is a major enterprise, with television shows and movies like Sex in the City garnering a tidal wave of fans.
Chick-lit and romance aside, the rest of women’s fiction is a conglomerate of paths, ideas and works all deemed to be “marketable to women.” Each deals with the female experience—whether that be how she relates to her mother/sister/husband or children, or, in any context in the outside world. It cannot be stressed enough how broad and all encompassing this definition is, thereby defying any all-inclusive definition altogether. Many of the literary world’s best known authors write women’s fiction, imcluding Amy Tan, Sue Monk Kidd, Lisa See and Jodi Piccoult, leading us all to beg the question of just “what the heck is women’s fiction,” once again. For a novel that finds itself women's fiction and romance (circular argument, I suppose), check out my debut, Crimson Footprints, today.
Sexist language aside, women’s fiction is often described in muddled, near incoherent fashion by an industry who oft-times seems as confused by what constitutes the genre as those who actually seek the answer. “Books marketable to women” is a definition so vague and borderline offensive as to be deemed worthy of dismissal. Yet, it is the description most often relied upon. On FindmeanAuthor.com, women’s fiction is described as able to “touch the reader in ways other fiction cannot. Relationship stories, generational sagas, love stories and women's commercial fiction must touch on subjects women can relate to in their real lives. Put another way: Women's fiction taps into the hopes, fears, dreams and even secret fantasies of women today.” Agent Scott Eagan states that women’s fiction must “follow the female journey and learn what it takes to be a female.” This is the most concise and approachable definition I’ve found to date.
Since women’s fiction encompasses a range of specialties, it runs the gamut from superficial to sobering. Romance novels have been around for a few hundred years. Samuel Richardson’s Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded was an early romance considered a breakthrough on two fronts. One, romance was the primary force of the story. Two, said story was told from the view of a female protagonist. Richardson would pave the way for Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and publishers Mills and Boon and Harlequin, which succeeded in marketing romance to the masses. Romance novels, while largely criticized as fluff and thoughtless fiction, or, at times referred to as “bodice rippers” are the bread and butter of publishers. According to Romance Writer’s of America, romance is and continues to be the largest producer of book sales in the industry. Not only did romance fiction generate $1.358 billion in sales in 2010, but also it remained the largest share of the consumer market at 13.4 percent. The following is a breakdown of sub-genre’s the organization claims under the umbrella of romance and the associated sales:
Romance Subgenres Published in 2011
Romance fiction: $1.358 billion in estimated revenue for 2010
Religion/inspirational: $759 million
Mystery: $682 million
Science fiction/fantasy: $559 million
Classic literary fiction: $455 million
More information on this phenomenon can be found here.
The category known as “chick-lit” was ushered in with Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary in 1996. Traits of the work include a light-hearted approach to the issues of modern woman and, according to Suzanne Ferris, author of In the Classroom or In the Bedroom, “often feature a career-driven heroine, an obsession with appearance, and a passion for shopping.” As a monster unto itself, chick-lit is a major enterprise, with television shows and movies like Sex in the City garnering a tidal wave of fans.
Chick-lit and romance aside, the rest of women’s fiction is a conglomerate of paths, ideas and works all deemed to be “marketable to women.” Each deals with the female experience—whether that be how she relates to her mother/sister/husband or children, or, in any context in the outside world. It cannot be stressed enough how broad and all encompassing this definition is, thereby defying any all-inclusive definition altogether. Many of the literary world’s best known authors write women’s fiction, imcluding Amy Tan, Sue Monk Kidd, Lisa See and Jodi Piccoult, leading us all to beg the question of just “what the heck is women’s fiction,” once again. For a novel that finds itself women's fiction and romance (circular argument, I suppose), check out my debut, Crimson Footprints, today.
Midnight in Paris
So, I just got around to seeing Midnight in Paris the other day. For those of you who don't know, it's a romantic comedy directed by Woody Allen and starring Owen Wilson. In it, Wilson stars as a screenwriter vacationing in Paris who gets transported to the 1920s each night to party with his artistic heroes. He rubs shoulders with Earnest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso and tons of other notables. And the premise got me to thinking. If an antique car pulled up to transport me to my literary heroes, where would I go and who would be there?
Of course, on first thinking it, I run into a myriad of problems. The people I adore most occupy different times and places, how could I possibly choose between one and the other? But then I realize, there’s but one place for me, truly: Old Harlem.
Imagine it for a moment. Poetry nights with Langston Hughes on the mic, discussing folklore with Zora Neale Hurston, picking the brain of W.E.B. Dubois, Marcus Garvey, or A. Phillip Randolph. Imagine crowding in to the Cotton Club, Apollo Theatre, or some other hot spot for legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong or Josephine Baker. And in the face of all that, it seems to me, that the Harlem Renaissance is where I’d want to be.
How about you?
Of course, on first thinking it, I run into a myriad of problems. The people I adore most occupy different times and places, how could I possibly choose between one and the other? But then I realize, there’s but one place for me, truly: Old Harlem.
Imagine it for a moment. Poetry nights with Langston Hughes on the mic, discussing folklore with Zora Neale Hurston, picking the brain of W.E.B. Dubois, Marcus Garvey, or A. Phillip Randolph. Imagine crowding in to the Cotton Club, Apollo Theatre, or some other hot spot for legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong or Josephine Baker. And in the face of all that, it seems to me, that the Harlem Renaissance is where I’d want to be.
How about you?
A Chat With the Characters of Crimson Footprints
Ever wanted to ask the characters of Crimson Footprints a few questions? Check out the interviews with Deena and Grandma Emma @ Rachelle's Window: http://www.rachelleayala.com/2012/08/...
Lizzie Hammond
For many, my debut novel, Crimson Footprints, proved a fascinating read, though it ultimately left them wondering. Wondering about Lizzie Hammond, the younger sister who plummeted frightfully into self-destruction before their wary eyes. Readers wanted a sense of finality where she was concerned. Considering all that she'd gone through during the course of the first novel, their angst certainly was predictable. Unfortunately, bringing finality to the character of Lizzie Hammond felt not just unlikely, but impractical, insofar as believability was concerned. For me, that sort of self-destruction isn't remedied in a few tidy pages, unless of course, finality comes in the form of death. As fans have openly speculated for some time now, I had other plans for Lizzie Hammond and the Crimson Footprints series.
On Amazon
Crimson Footprints II: New Beginnings
On Goodreads
Crimson Footprints: New Beginnings
Crimson Footprints
Ring the Alarm
So. We are days, DAYS, from Love Edy's debut on June 24th and I have to confess: whenever I get this close to release day, I dine on fingernails morning, noon, and night. I'm a "there-there" girl in distress and I need my own bat signal. Help a girl out, will ya?
I'm sorry. I've lied. There is
I'm so excited about sharing my darling with you. When I wrote Love Edy, Hassan and Edy literally ignited for me. Not just in terms of chemistry, but well, you'll see. Anyway, I'll leave you to be the judge. I do wish I could give everyone on the planet a copy. Since I can't, I'll opt for the next best thing. Drop in on my Facebook Virtual Release Party and win one. I'll be SO glad you came. June 23-24th, noon to noon eastern time.
The Love Edy Withdrawal Playlist
So, Love Edy has finally been set free. In honor of that, I've created
The Love Edy Withdrawal Playlist to be enjoyed after you've read the book. Relive every moment of the romance with these twenty-three songs or feel free to suggest a few of your own.
"Is This Love" by Corinne Bailey Rae
"Please Don’t Leave" by Pink
"Glad You Came" by The Wanted
"One Headlight" by The Wallflowers
"Another Again" by John Legend
"Butterflies" by Michael Jackson
"Can’t Help But Wait" by Trey Songz
"If I Were A Boy" by Beyonce
"Fallin" by Alicia Keys
"Colorblind" by Counting Crows
"Imma Be" by Black Eyed Peas
"Where Are you Going" by Dave Matthews Band
"Thinking About You" by Frank Ocean
"Love Songs" by Anjulie
"If You’re Gone" by Matchbox Twenty
"All I Do Is Win" DJ Khaled feat. Ludacris, Rick Ross, T-Pain & Snoop
"Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls
"Only Girl" by Rihanna
"Love On Top" by Beyonce
"Raining in Baltimore" by "Counting Crows"
"Happy" by Pharrell
"If I Ain’t Got You" by Alicia Keys
"Ruff Ryders’ Anthem" by DMX
Bonus Track
"Sweet Pea" by Amos Lee
The Wandering Mind of a Romance Writer
This is the official blog of novelist Shewanda Pugh. Author of Crimson Footprints, and in general, works of sweeping interracial/multiracial novels that celebrate culture and diversity, challenge our
...more
- Shewanda Pugh's profile
- 248 followers
