Thread by @clemmiegirlnz, Me: I love paranormal romance! I love the clever worldbuilding and the [...]

🌸 Clementine Fraser 🌸

clemmiegirlnz

Me: I love paranormal romance! I love the clever worldbuilding and the magic and the character dynamics and the exciting plots!

Other People: Lol yeah I like trash reads too sometimes.

Me:

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Can we please stop calling paranormal romance trash? A thread.

Here’s a thing We all know—romance writers of any stripe don’t call other romance genres trash

Writers of other genres very frequently call romance and especially paranormal romance, trash.

First off - rude. As if PNR writers don’t work as hard on their craft as others.

When I won contests in the paranormal romance category, I had non writers in my life who laughed & quite clearly downgraded their idea of the quality of my writing.

Again—rude.

It’s worse when other writers do it, though

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I think I’m a good writer. I also know good writing is not an exception on paranormal romance. Not by a long shot.

Being able to align internal romance beats to an exciting external plot isn’t simple. Having strong worldbuilding and unique spins on familiar tropes isn’t either.

I’ve wept over a paranormal romance that cut to the heart of my feelings in my toxic marriage. (Nalini Singh’s Tangle of Need)

So if paranormal romance is trash, does that mean my intense emotional response is trash as well?

(The answer is no)

There’s a reason many people are turning to books right now. Escapism plays an important role in helping us cope.

The romance genre has always done that. Romance is primarily about hope. Hope that our wounds will heal and we will be accepted and loved for who we are.

Having romance in a book doesn’t make it trash

Having sex, even steamy sex, in a book doesn’t make it trash

Having paranormal creatures in a book doesn’t make it trash

If you don’t enjoy romance that’s cool, but just because it isn’t your thing doesn’t mean it’s inherently worse or poorly crafted than what you enjoy.

Please stop calling other people’s art trash.

And if you enjoy it, then own it!

Anyway. That’s my pre coffee rant

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Fin

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