I’ve been a romance reader since age fourteen.  You can blame my sister.  I’ll be giving away my age and hers here, but her husband went to Vietnam for the second time in his military career, and she moved home with her toddler son for that time period.  During that year, she introduced me to Days of Our Lives and romance novels.  No, I don’t watch Days of Our Lives anymore (I did for about 20 years, though!), but the romance novel thing really took.

Years later, I married, delivered three kids into the world in four years, and quit my job to stay home and care for my family.  Shortly after I quit working, my sister decided to unload her groaning bookshelves by passing off six large, overflowing boxes of romance novels – none of which I’d read.  Heaven.  Yes, it was.  Thank you.

It was in one of those boxes that I read a wallbanger.  I only vaguely remember the name, but I remember the exact moment I uttered the life changing phrase:  “I can write better than that.”  I had no notion of what I was getting into, but after years and years of reading, I figured how hard could this be?

Ha!  I know you are rolling on the floor laughing now, so I’ll pause for a moment and wait until you compose yourself again.

Fortunately, through the entire learning process – the manuscripts over which I slaved, the ones in the drawer and the ones now published - I never gave up the dream.  I want to write category romances and sell to Harlequin.  I’ve achieved one, but not the other — yet.

I love writing category romances.  I especially love creating the small town atmosphere, the family life, and of course the romance of our hero and heroine.  I figure if I get to the end of the book and I’ve made myself cry, then I know the ‘aww’ factor is there.  Over the years I’ve been working on these type of books, I’ve grown comfortable with the parameters needed and my own creation process.

In 2007, I went to my first Romance Writers of America convention in San Francisco.  There, for the first time, I met my crit group – three wonderful ladies who continue to teach me valuable things about my writing, who never give up on my career even when I want to throw in the towel.  Besides the dinners and slumber parties, we had many conversations about our writing.  On our last night there, one of my crit partners made the comment that I was working in my comfort zone and that I needed to go home and challenge myself.  The conversation went something like this:

“So, Patti, what are you going to go home and work on?”

“Oh, I thought I’d work on two new books for my Echo Falls series at The Wild Rose Press.”

“Nope.  That’s your comfort zone.”

“Well, I have one finished manuscript in the drawer that’s romantic suspense that needs an edit.”

“Nope.  That’s your comfort zone.  Pitch me something else.”

Relentless?  Yes, she was.  But for a very long time I have had an idea niggling at the back of my mind, so I said: “I have an idea for a futuristic military romantic suspense.”

She said, “Pitch it to me.”

I did.  And in that short five minute pitch, I got stunning, postive responses.  We brainstormed and my idea became a working project.

So, bolstered by Nationals, I came home and commenced work on it.

Only to find I was so far outside my comfort zone I needed a plane ticket to find my way back. 

As compelling and interesting as this project is to me, I find I can only work a few hours a week on it because I quickly become exhausted from stretching my writing skills and talents into this new and thrilling area.  In fact, I literally have days where I just want my simple category comfort zone back and am ready to chuck said project in a box never to see the light of day again.   But then the idea keeps working on me, the characters  keep talking to me, I read Suzanne Brockmann, or some such thing and I’m back plunking down words into a now partially-finished manuscript. 

As I was trying to figure out what to write for this column, I decided to tell you my experience because let’s face it,  I’m curious.  I like to compare my work habits and ideas to what other writers are doing to see if we have common work issues or if Sophie – my muse – is making me a stark raving lunatic.  What are your comfort zones with your writing?  Do you ever challenge yourself?  Attempt something new?  Or are you happy with the stories you tell now?

P.S. Note to self:  Go thank sister for leading me into this wonderful, challenging, thrilling profession.