Myth 3: Romance novels are formulaic

(a computer could write one)

The presence of structural literary convention does not make a story formulaic. The basic structure of a novel meeting the definition of 'romance' is to have the hero and heroine form the central plot in the story, include growing tension between the characters, a 'black moment' (or climactic event) and a 'happy ever after' or optimistic ending. The equivalent 'formula' in a different genre might be the importance of introducing your protagonists early in a mystery novel, drip-feeding clues to the reader throughout the novel and then having the 'who-dunnit' or 'reveal' at the end of the story. These are all non-negotiable in meeting reader expectation.

Early romance novels, particularly those published by Mills & Boon, were considered formulaic in that they created content to meet a specific market demand. At the time, the market demanded sweet, vulnerable heroines and dashing, powerful heroes. However the genesis of the formula label may lie in the fact that Mills & Boon were the first publisher to create specifications for its authors regarding style, content and layout of submissions. This practice is now a publishing industry standard across most genres. Additionally there are publishing production values that establish lengths (in the 70s most M&B novels were precisely 192 pages long for production reasons) which flow on to the manner and speed with which the stories unfold. When you have just 192 pages to tell your story, you really want your protagonists on the page together as quickly as possible, for instance.

Modern romances continue to address reader expectation and changing tastes. Today's romance heroines are more commonly feisty or kick-butt and more than a match for their heroes no matter how alpha. Story scopes range from wildly escapist themes with millionaires, sheiks and vampires to it could happen to you contemporary stories with flawed, everyday characters from the suburbs.

Author Jane Ann Krentz put it into clear context when she said

"It wasn't that long ago that mysteries were denounced as trashy reads. They appeared almost exclusively in cheap paperback editions. Their covers were lurid and provocative with lots of bosomy women and tough-looking men with five o'clock shadows and dashing trench coats. The books were accused of being formulaic and predictable. Reviewers ignored them. Educated people did not want to be seen reading them in public."

Sound familiar? Today, mysteries are the fourth highest grossing genre pulling in $650 million in 2007. What's the highest..? Romance--$1.37billion in the same period.
www.rwanational.org/cs/the_romance_genre/romance_literature_statistics