MAKE MINE HISTORICAL

When I first thought about writing a romance, I wanted to write a historical. I've always thought that historicals offer the romance reader something that contemporaries cannot: emotional distance from the problems of modern life. A long-ago setting encourages me to relax, suspend belief, and enjoy the tale.

Tonight, dear Reader, will you be a Saxon wench kidnapped by a hot-blooded Viking who will tumble you on a bed of furs? A proud Spanish princess in the arms of a dashing corsair? A Victorian lady explorer wooed by a fabulously rich and handsome Asian prince?

Away from the latest war news, the broken FAX machine, the leaky plumbing, and the rush hour traffic, you will meet a different sort of hero, one permitted to show his power physically in a way that contemporary heroes are not.

Historical heroines are a special breed too. Before the twentieth century women had little power to make choices about their lives, but feisty, resourceful females have been present in all ages. A skillful writer can portray a spirited heroine without making her sound like a bra-burning feminist, as out of place in her century as a digital watch. To my mind a woman's struggle to control her own destiny in a man's world is a story that never dates.

For romantic read and a visit to a time when life was simpler, make mine historical.


An earlier version of this article appeared in HeartsTalk, newsletter of Romance Writers of Australia.