Trashy, Raunchy and Lewd–OH MY!!

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How else do you follow a post titled:

When the sex is bad. Well, not bad…just not right.

With the words trashy, raunchy and lewd–that’s how!

I’ve never once thought of what I write as trashy, raunchy or lewd. (even though, I myself, can be considered all of the above) Apparently, there are those out there who do…just google “Trashy Romance Novels” and see what you get.

Then yesterday, Claire Cross/Delacroix blogged about how she still has a hard time answering the question “So, what do you do?” because of the reactions she gets.

Wow.

Now, I’ve had another author tell me I’m not a real writer because of what I write about. That just cracks me up. How am I less of a writer because I write stories about people who fall in love and wind up happily ever after? It can’t be about the sex because there is sex in oodles and oodles of books. And I know for a fact that all books that contain sex are not considered trashy. And I know that those authors are considered legitimate.

Instead of the black sheep of authors, Romance writers are the frosty-blue eyeshadowed-big-haired-writer-wannabes.

So, where does this logic come from? I don’t have enough death, dismemberment, stalking, blood, cults, darkness, angst, molestation, drug addiction, or alcoholism in my books therefore I’m not a real writer? Or suicide. If you write about suicide, then you’re legitimate.

I need to write a book about a suicidal, drug-addict who was molested as a child and grew up to be afraid of the dark only to discover that darkness is where his salvation lay–when he joins a the blood cult.

No. That’s not trash. Hell, if I wrote that, it would probably be picked by Oprah’s book club.

When I think a book is trashy, it has nothing to do with the sex content or the happily ever after. It has everything to do with the writing. (Does A Million Little Pieces ring any bells?)

I don’t know how I’ll react if (or apparently WHEN) this will happen to me again.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. And since Romance numbers holds 51% of the fiction sales, I can honestly say, I love being trashy. I think I’ll head to Wal-Mart right now for a new shade of blue eyeshadow. *grin*

5 thoughts on “Trashy, Raunchy and Lewd–OH MY!!”

  1. I’ve had similar reactions, Mel, and it sucks. I think from now on I’ll just smile and say, “You don’t know what you’re missing.” Because they don’t. šŸ™‚ Why should we feel emabarrased to either read or write a love story that ends HEA?

    Now, on the matter of the blue eyeshadow…I was actually, truly, seriously thinking of buying some. It’s been a decade–or three–since I’ve sported that look, and I thought it might be fun. LOL. šŸ™‚

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  2. Maybe it’s just because I’m having a bad neck day…

    But who gives anyone the right to judge you? And if they do–and are rude–then why should you care?

    I certainly don’t. I guess I got used to people not approving of me a long time ago and I really don’t care whether they do or not. If they catch me on the right day (like when my neck is hurting like it is now) I’ll probably tell them that too, and I might not be very nice about it.

    Can you imagine anyone saying that to a doctor? (My pet peeve today is doctors…) “Oh you’re the one who spends ten seconds talking to me, orders tests that don’t reveal anything, and then charges me outrageously?”

    And what would the doctor probably say? “Actually, I help people and sometimes save their lives.”

    And so do we… It’s all in the attitude. šŸ™‚

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