Friday, May 2, 2014

I write what I know

They say to write what you know....

So that's what I do.

My stories are a reflection of how life is. What do I mean by that? Well, life doesn't always go according to plan. Even in romance. You fall in love, you want to be together forever, but that doesn't mean that things are immediately going to fall into place. I've lived my life knowing that. Things are unpredictable. Hectic. Crazy.

And that kind of life reflects in my stories.

Recently, I've stumbled across a few reviews that I've simply laughed at because they state "There's too much going on."

I stop. I think. I ponder.

And then I shrug.

I tend to write my romances realistically. I write characters that are three dimensional to me because they have a complexity of things to deal with at once while they're on that path to love.  Come on, do you know one person that ever had it easy?

Take my On the 12th Date of Christmas. I'll be honest. The whole 12 dates don't show up in the story. But do you know what happens? Robin and Jonas make the best of what's thrown at them. I didn't write a story to be cute and fluffy, even though some thing that's what that kind of theme should be. Nope. Robin and Jonas have their own feelings to deal with, there's some things going on with Cheyenne and Jacob (From Secret Santa) and there are a few shocking revelations.  So it's not that my 12 dates idea got lost in a sea of other stories, no. I wrote about how I'd see it going down in real life.  Too realistic? Oops. My bad. Guess I can't make everyone happy.

I also went realistic in A Masterpiece of Our Love. Becca and Hunter reunite after he's pulled away for four years. Do you ever have things happen in a series of events that sometimes you pull away, even from the ones you care about the most? Yeah, that's Hunter. He stayed away for four years after life threw him one curve ball after another. He's complex, he has A LOT to deal with and his reunion with her only sets off a new chain of events. Too much? Well, isn't life too much sometimes?

It's hard to write new contemporary romances that stand out. The genre is huge! I try to come up with some original, or at least fresh spins on a plot, and I add character complexity. Some love it and call it exceptional, some don't know what to make of it. But that's who I am, that's how I write because that's what I know.

And you know what they say often, write what you know.


Thanks for listening to me ramble today!

Nikki Lynn Barrett

8 comments:

Ella Quinn - Romance Novelist said...

Great post, Nikki! I didn't start writing until I heard, write what you read. Tweeted.

Unknown said...

Enjoyed your post. I do LOTS of research so I can know what I write.

Brenda said...

Nikki, I write what I like and want to read in books. And like you, my plots have a fair amount happening. Life and love are hard. And I make them hard for my characters.

I love stories that reflex on real life, so bravo to you, my friend!

Judy Baker said...

Enjoyed your post and love the picture. I write what my characters tell me to and if I don't know something, then I research.

Unknown said...

Hi Nikki, great post. I write what I love to read. And when stuck I do research to fill in.

Melissa Keir said...

Great post! It's important to write things that you enjoy, whether they come from your life or realistic experiences around you! I weave small pieces of my life into each story. It helps draw the reader in and also gives a nod to some important people in my life.

Liza O'Connor said...

I'll admit, I do prefer to both read and write a story that has real life complications in it.

Toni Kelly said...

I love complexity and completely agree you should write what you know. Passion comes out then. You will never please everyone all the time. Great post!