Happy New Year, Campers. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Ours involved 80-100mph winds and no electricity. We had a daring chicken rescue as well but that’s a story for another time.
Last month we covered some of the sub-genres of Romance – Romantic Comedy, Chick-Lit, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, Historical, Inspirational. Wow, that’s a lot. We also “touched” – haha, get it? – on the different heat levels in some of the genres.
This month, we’re going to finish up with sub-genres. We’ll look at the vast world of Paranormal and also talk about Regency Romance.
Let’s do Regency first, shall we? Regency romance has a very strict set of rules.
• It must be set in England in 1812 (okay you can fudge just a smidge on this – but not much)
• It must be historically accurate for the time and place. It was a time of violence and danger lurked around every corner. The streets weren’t safe. King George III was on the edge of insane and England was embroiled in the Napoleonic Wars.
• It must include kings, and dukes, and lords and ladies and titled nobility of all sorts. And you have to keep them straight and right. Your readers will.
• It must include accurate character names that fit the times. Keep your classes straight and your names fitting.
• It must use the language of the times. Peculiar terms and phrases abound in Regency.
With Regency – the authors writing this sub-genre are well versed readers first.
If you come across the term “Regency-set historicals” think Regencies set in locations other than England. America was fighting a war too at the time.
Want to write Regencies? Read Regencies.
Now on to Paranormal.
Included in Paranormal Romance are Fantasy Romance, SciFi Romance and Futuristic Romance, Time Travel Romance, Reality based vampires and werewolves and such, Ghosts and Angels and Goddesses, and also more sinister creatures of the night.
Fantasy Romance will include the world building common in all fantasy fiction – from complete other worlds to earth realities that have their own rules.
SciFi and Futuristic Romance can include elements of SciFi, Space Opera, etc. The difference between the two is SciFi is outer space based and Futuristic is Earth based.
Time Travel Romance – pretty self explanatory. Might Outlander fit this category?
Reality based creatures – these would be stories much like Contemporary Romances with vampires or werewolves in staring roles.
The term Light Paranormal refers to your ghost stories and angel stories – suggesting that these paranormal creatures are friendlies. Dark Paranormal would be your blood suckers and baddies of every variety. Fairies and leprechauns and selkies and such can be creatures of light or creatures of darkness. You get to decide.
But remember, in all these sub-genres, the key is the Romance. It must be front and center. Any and all of these sub-genres can and do have further categories such as Young Adult and New Adult.
After I finished this list, I realized I’d left out the paranormal I’ve written. It’s a reincarnation story. So there’s another category.
Confused? Don’t be. Just be aware that the variety inside Romance is LIMITLESS. There’s something for anyone who loves happily ever after.
Regency = 1811 – 1820, when George IV was Regent of England during his father’s bout(s) with madness. Extended Regency as early as 1783, and as late as 1830. And to write Regency, read lots of research books, just like any other sub-genre of Historical.
http://www.regencyhistory.net/2012/09/when-is-regency-era.html.
Thanks for clarifying, Mari!
Thank you, ma’am!