1. Reading and Writing the Romance Novel Dr. Virginia Lyn Neylon Cuyamaca College An analysis of romance fiction and its place in the community college classroom

2. WHAT IS THE POPULAR ROMANCE NOVEL? Popular romance stems from the literary traditions of the romance & the novel MODE [story characteristics that differentiate a romance novel from other genres] MEDIUM [characteristics of the novel]

3. ROMANTIC MODE Main story goal must be the romance Challenges and obstacles to the union of the heroine & hero Emotionally satisfying, optimistic ending Female lead who succeeds in her goals Romance creates an equal partnership between heroine & hero Romance raises both heroine & hero

4. MEDIUM / Characteristics Illustrates possible real life occurrences in everyday language Settings, people, places and time described realistically Story progresses through eyes of individualized characters Inner and outer projection Allows for reader identification

5. MARRIAGE OF MODE & MEDIUM It’s the journey – not the destination Romance isn’t necessarily about the end! Individual characters Inner outer Optimistic ending Female Lead Accessibl e language Partners Romanc e obstacle s Realism Love Story

6. WHO READS POPULAR ROMANCE NOVELS? **Would be the same people who read short story 55% of all paperback fiction is romance 7 % science fiction & 28% mystery/suspense 51.1 million readers in North America 93% of readers are women 98% of writers are women…sorry boys

7. HOW DO POPULAR ROMANCE STORIES AFFECT WRITERS & READERS? Writers reflect shifts in cultural beliefs about love and marriage Writers suggest ways to survive in a society where women have little power Readers see positive images of women who struggle towards their goals and succeed Readers change their own lives after seeing positive models Recent shift toward male protagonists…

8. SHOULD WE USE POPULAR ROMANCE STORIES IN THE CLASSROOM? Of the 51.1 million readers of romance, 71% are college age women Popular romance novels stem from valid literary traditions Studies show positive benefits to women readers and writers Studies show greater improvement in reading and writing when using popular romance novels What about high school?

9. POPULAR ROMANCE Don’t judge the book by the cover! Still…what do these covers reveal about the audience of these stories?