Since the announcement regarding my identification of a new subgenre of romance - coined post-trauma romance - I have received messages from writers asking whether their work classifies. To make identification simpler, I have decided to write this blog in which I outline the differences between romance, trauma romance, and post-trauma romance.
What is romance? My definition of romance is a work of fiction that includes a love story as the central element, between two or more characters, with a happy and satisfying ending. It must: 1. Feature a love story with a HEA (happily-ever- after) or HFN (happy-for-now) as a central element of the narrative What is trauma romance? My definition is a work of fiction that depicts a traumatic experience/s within a romantic narrative. It must: 1. Feature a love story with a HEA (happily-ever-after) or HFN (happy-for-now) as a central element of the narrative 2. Feature at least one love interest who has experienced trauma 3. Describe and/or explore the trauma, and its associated symptoms What is post-trauma romance? My definition is a work of fiction that depocts a traumatic experience/s and the processes of recovery from the traumatic experience/s within a romantic narrative. It must: 1. Feature a love story with a HEA (happily-ever-after) or HFN (happy-for-now) as a central element of the narrative 2. Feature at least one love interest who has experienced trauma 3. Describe and/or explore the trauma, and its associated symptoms 4. Include a representation of post-trauma recovery attempts in the narrative I hope this makes the distinctions clearer. Do you have questions about this subgenre of romance? Pop them in the comments. Yours in love and romance books, A.K. xo
0 Comments
|
About A.K. LeighA.K. Leigh is an international-selling romance author, identical triplet, writing instructor, incurable romantic, love guru, self-love advocate, amateur mystic, mother, sometimes blogger and vlogger, and trauma survivor. Archives
November 2021
|