Romance Novelist

When I was about 15 I started writing romantic fiction. It was somewhat unexpected since I don’t think I had really even kissed a boy at that point, but my heart was pure and my pen was willing.

It started slowly enough with me writing using characters for my favorite television show at the time, Remington Steele. Since Laura wasn’t putting out in that show, I didn’t have to stress myself with trying to come up with lurid details. Essentially, I was writing “Hollywood Movie Sex” full of longing, glances filled with something potent, yet indefinable, heartbreak and love—always love, never lust.

As I began to explore the mysteries of the hidden romantic world of my imagination, my friends were forced to come along for the ride. I learned to pay attention to structure (which I’ve since abandoned) and try for useful spelling tips (remember—no spell check back in the day). I found spelling to be almost as important as a solid story at one point. After all “striking a chord within her” and “striking a cord within her” are actually two very different things—and one is much harder to explain.

At some point, my friends wanted me to start writing for them and particularly men. Movie starts, the guy at the mall, the person they were actually dating—it really didn’t matter. And since I was still in the “wayward crest of rippling undulations” stage, it never landed in the “too much information” side of the experience.

I’m not sure why I stopped writing. Perhaps the novelty had worn off, or perhaps I was too busy to focus anymore (a trend that has remained with me), but the entire exercise lasted mere months.

Well, it took a couple of decades, but I think “rippling undulations” is making a comeback.

It started as a joke. A friend wrote to me and said, “Tell me about that time we met ____”. Rather than just laughing and saying, “That was a great day”, I started writing a story. I think it amounted to no more than 2 or 3 sentences. She was amused, and has now challenged me to add a sentence every morning. I have no doubt the people at work monitoring our emails will be enthralled.

I think I missed my calling. It may be time to just go with all my worst tendencies and best inclinations. My fictional encounters with men are bound to be more entertaining than my real life ones, right? Right? Anyone? Ahem.

So, look out world—purple prose through a soft focus lens may be headed your way very soon.

7 comments on “Romance Novelist”

  1. danielletbd

    So you wrote fan fiction "back in the day?" Why did I not know about this sooner???and um…want to write some about Jensen? 😀

  2. Kate, Dating in LA

    LOL!! I did– though I'm not sure the term had been invented yet.I'll have to watch one of his interviews to try to get his style down– otherwise it probably wont be as much fun for you.

  3. Helen

    I have a feeling there's going to be far too many "glances filled with something potent" and far too few "rippling undulations" for my taste in your story of courtly love. Nevertheless, I'm hooked! At this point only Glee and vodka are doing more to improve upon my emotional well-being.

  4. Helen

    p.s. You just need an appropriate pen name and you can have a successful career at Harlequin! Maybe in the books Kate will actually date. Or at least exchange a few meaningful looks! You can even do historical romances and set all of your stories in that time of innocence before the war on pubic hair and anal bleaching. Heck, you could even have your characters know each other before they sleep together–imagine that!

  5. Kate, Dating in LA

    Helen, that's crazy talk! Know each other? Who does that? 😉 Oh, right… :)And you are correct– glances filled with portent are definitely on the horizon.

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