by Fran McNabb
Not everyone will agree
with my opinion here, but that’s okay. Everyone has different likes and
dislikes in the books they choose to read and write. Mine happens to be the
romance genre. Recently my husband and I watched a rather long movie, almost three
hours long. The time didn’t bother me, but the ending did. We watched a soldier
fight his way through a bloody war and spend months walking home to get to the woman
he loved, just to be killed after only one night with her.
Grrrr. I was mad. The
romance writer in me would never have let that happen. I know the point of the
story. War is horrible. It shouldn’t be romanticized, but the writers and
producers could have made their point another way. I won’t name the movie
because it was very well done except for the ending. It depicted the brutality
of war. The characters were well developed. The story line was intricately
woven. Too bad the ending ruined it—at least for me.
The romance genre is
predictable, at least for the endings. Getting to that satisfying ending should
not be. I love to read a romance with a unique plot,
interesting characters, and, yes, a happy or at least a satisfying ending.
On my website I have a couple of paragraphs about romance and why I write in that genre. I explain that I like a good
story that brings me to an "aaah" ending, or leaves me with a tear in my eye or a
smile on my face. I like to feel good and be entertained by the books I read or the movies I watch. There’s enough bad in this world so I
like to think my books can bring a little joy to someone’s life.
Let me know how you
feel. Do you like a feel good ending in your books or one that leaves you with
the harsh reality of life?
FRAN MCNABB loved spending time in the city library
when she was in junior high. She found the shelf with Avalon’s family-friendly romance
novels and read every one of them. Ironically, she started her writing career by publishing
with Avalon in 2006. Today she has nine published books, all in the romance
genre. Visit her at www.FranMcNabb.com or at mcnabbf@bellsouth.net.
