I'm excited the Blog Queens asked me to carry on this blogversation about western romance. If you don't know me, I'm Paty Jager the author of 45+ books half of which are western romance the other half are mysteries with a strong western flavor (there are horses, rural areas, and the cowboy qualities I admire).
Whether you are writing historical or contemporary western romance you need to know a bit about horses, domestic animals, and rural living. Farming or ranching are a good thing as well. While you don't have to have lived that way (I do) it helps. You don't have to do as much research. But... if you do plan to write about these genres, if you haven't lived it or experienced it, you really need to connect with someone who has.
My first critique partner was a writer back east who had ridden a horse once and didn't know the difference between a fetlock and a wither. We partnered and she helped me hone my writing skills and I helped her get horse and other ranch things correct. It was a successful pairing.
I believe half of what makes a romance book work is the chemistry and the other half is environment they are in. My first contemporary western is Perfectly Good Nanny. I made my heroine a city person running away from her life and finding a job (nanny) as far from there as possible. I put her on a cattle ranch in the middle of the SE Oregon desert country. She is out of her element but fighting to stay because she doesn't want to go back. The hero didn't hire her- his twelve-year-old daughter did. Over the internet with the help of a meddling Native American neighbor. There are two scenes in the book that happened to me with cattle that I changed up a bit, but used as ways to bring the hero and heroine together.
What do you think? Do you read fiction, especially western romance, to live the western (historical or contemporary) life with the characters? If so, what part do you like the best?
8 comments:
In Western Historicals, I love learning the history. I alwys learn something new from yours, Paty. In comtemporaries and mysteries, I love the close connection with the land and the natural world, and the interesting characters who are not afraid of hard work and responsibility. I also enjoy learning about Native American culture and beliefs.
I love to read books set in a different time and place than where I live. I remember being that damsel in distress and being rescued by the hero - and then I grew up!
There is much to love about a close connection to nature, seeing the sky on fire with stars, hearing the wind soughing through trees, smelling the scent of freshly mowed hay, laughing and telling stories around a campfire while licking fingers sticky from toasted marshmallows.
The hard work, feeling responsible for livestock, crops, the land - all have elements that are appealing to me. However (yep, there is a "but") the idea of no flush toilets keeps me experiencing that historical lifestyle through books.
Sarah, Thank you! That is one thing I like to do when I write a book. I like there to be one or two things in each book that I hope the reader goes, I didn't know that? I love learning and I do that with each book whether it is history, a culture, an occupation, or even a location or way of life. I love the fact that reading can be entertaining and educational. Thanks for joining the blogversation!
Judith, you made me laugh about the flush toilets! I do love the outdoors and the animals. Even if having them is a 24-7 job. They need fed, they need worked, they can get out of their pastures, fixing fence, growing the hay to feed them. But I love it all. There's been several times, I've squat in the middle of an alfalfa field because it was quicker and easier than trying to get to the house. ;) That's just the way it is and I love that aspect and enjoy putting all of that into my books to make them realistic so, you, the reader can experience it all without having to be there. Thanks for kicking of this blogversation!
I love Western history, and often read Western historical romance. But I also like the open, more rural, country so it's fun to read Western romances for that reason too! Confession time: I don't know anything abut horses. :-)
"I believe half of what makes a romance book work is the chemistry and the other half is environment they are in."
That is so true, Paty. If the chemistry is great but the environment isn't fully realized there isn't much of a story in my opinion. For me, stories about living in the country bring that sense of a more down-to-earth and hard-working life that defines who you are. The historical westerns are most interesting to me because I love learning about the past. For your historical westerns, because they tend to deal with Native Americans or other disenfranchised groups, I always learn something new that was never part of my formal history education.
LOL Lynn! You don't need to but you can learn some about them by reading western romance. At least if the writer has scenes with horses and in the case of my one book, you learn something about cattle. Always fun. Thanks for chatting!
I agree, Maggie. You or your characters are defined by how or where they live. Thanks for stopping in.
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