If there’s one thing I know about my writing, it’s that my personal experiences have shaped the stories I’ve created. If you have read my previous blogs, I talk about how important travel was to me and immersing myself in nature. These experiences shape my writing, but even more so, my personality and my relationships have radically affected my stories.
I believe everyone’s desires, personalities, and quirks make it into their writing, whether intended or not. My advice is simple- let it happen! If you spend all your time writing trying to write something that you’re not passionate about, how can you expect your readers to love and follow your work? One of the greatest things I ever did for my writing was let myself feel all my emotions about the things that have happened to me. The good, the bad (whatever it was), there was a lesson there that shapes my books. So, embrace what life has given you, and let the story flow from those experiences.
Feelings Demand to be Felt
When I first started writing, one of my strongest feelings was fear. Maybe you feel that way, too. I was scared I wasn’t good enough to be a writer or that I didn’t have a story worth telling. I doubted my characters and I was worried others wouldn’t fall in love with them the way I had. I didn’t tell anyone about this fear for so long and I pushed it aside, trying to blame anything else for why I wasn’t getting my books out into the world.
I wish I had figured out how to acknowledge those feelings much faster, and I wish I had listened to the other part of me that was sure my stories were good. By writing my clean romance novels, I pulled from some of my own experiences and I had to realize I wasn’t letting myself acknowledge all the feelings I had about my past. We can all think back on that one person who was such a good friend and we always wished they’d be something more, or the coworker who’d wanted a workplace romance, or even the heartache we’ve had in the past. All of these experiences fueled my story, but not until I took the time to acknowledge them and see how they were what I needed to make my story flourish.
Life as a Hopeless Romantic
Being a hopeless romantic, has been both a blessing and a curse in my life. Whether it’s in the movies I watch or the books I read, it’s a clear pattern that I am always rooting for love. In my own life, things are no different- and clearly, in my writing, I feel the same way. Here’s another moment in my life where I needed to embrace who I was. If you’re reading this, you may also be a hopeless romantic, and I’m here to tell you it’s a good thing!
As a writer of clean romance novels that are full of workplace romance, friends to lovers, and small town romances, being a hopeless romantic gives me a passion for making sure my characters get the ending they deserve. I want my characters to fall in love, and I want them to have deep emotions and relatable journeys to find their true love. If I wasn’t a hopeless romantic, I think I’d be missing a crucial part to writing the romance novels that make readers swoon.
My Biggest Lesson: Readers are Searching for Answers to Their Own Experiences
This is huge–readers are searching for something. I think about it like this. When I pick up a book, and I get that feeling like I’m lost in the pages, not caring what time it is or what else might be going on- just completely captivated by the story in front of me, I know I’ve picked a good book. I am always searching for stories that give me that feeling.
So, what are all of us searching for? We are searching for an escape, and often an answer to our own experiences. Especially in women’s romantic fiction, we are looking at love stories and learning lessons about what we want, what we expect, and the heartache we want to avoid. If I’m not writing with those real-life experiences in mind, then I’m missing the point. I’m missing the incredible experience that I could be giving my readers if I would just let my life, my feelings, and my passions influence the stories I’m creating.
Embrace Your Story
Look, I know it’s easier said than done, but if you’re reading this you are either a reader, or a writer, and both of these groups of people are dreamers. Maybe you haven’t had some grand love story, but chances are you’ve dreamed of one. Maybe your heart hasn’t been broken, but you could have fears surrounding the chance of it happening.
Explore those feelings, and those dreams, and don’t be afraid of what they might bring to the table for your story. It wasn’t until I was able to embrace these raw, and emotional experiences that I was able to create stories that meant something to me and that I wanted to share with my readers. Let your love and passion influence your story- I promise, there’s nothing like it. The connection you’ll feel to your work is indescribable. How beautiful to give a piece of your soul, and your story to your readers.
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