"WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?"

                

                             THE DEFINITION OF ROMANCE

WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? IF WE’RE TALKING ROMANCE, EVERYTHING.

WHO, BY A SHOWING OF HANDS, EXPERIENCED AN IMMEDIATE MENTAL IMAGE OF ANGELA BASSETT AS(TINA TURNER) AND LAWRENCE FISHBURNE HER ABUSIVE HUSBAND(IKE) IN THIS ILL-FATED BIOGRAPHICAL OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP. HOPEFULLY I CAN YOUR MIND ABOUT WHAT THEY DEPICTED IN THIS STORY. LOVE IS MANY THINGS, BUT NOT THAT.

IF YOU WERE TO GOOGLE THE WORD ROMANCE, IT WOULD DESCRIBE IT AS: A FEELING OF EXCITEMENT AND MYSTERY ASSOCIATED WITH LOVE. 

NO QUESTION, THAT’S CORRECT. HOWEVER, I HAVE A LITTLE MORE TO SAY ON THE SUBJECT, SUCH AS THERE’S SOMETHING MAGICAL AS WELL EUPHORIC ABOUT THE FEELING OF BEING IN LOVE. I BELIEVE TRUE LOVE IS SOMETHING YOU EXPERIENCE ONLY ONCE IN A LIFETIME. THAT CREATES A COHESIVE BOND, A SOLEMN PROMISE, TO THAT ONE PERSON FOR LIFE. SOUL MATES, IF YOU WILL. 

THERE IS NOTHING COMPARABLE TO THE REALIZATION OF WHEN YOU’VE FOUND THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE. IF YOU’VE EXPERIENCED IT, I HAVE, AND FOUND IT TO BE OVERPOWERING AND IT HIT ME LIKE A TON OF BRICKS. IT CREATES PALPITATIONS OF THE HEART, AND FLUTTERING IN THE BELLY, AS IF A MILLION BUTTERFLIES HAVE TAKEN UP RESIDENCY INSIDE YOU. BEFORE YOU EVEN REALIZE WHAT HAPPENED.

I HAVE SO MANY FAVORITE STORIES AND MOVIES I ADMIRE TREMENDOUSLY, LET ME SHARE A FEW OF THEM WITH YOU: “LOVE JONES” THIS ICONIC ROMANCE. THAT FINE SPECIMEN OF A MAN LARENZ TATE AS DARIUS LOVEHALL AND THE BEAUTIFUL NIA LONG AS NINA MOSELY, HELPED DEFINE WHAT LOVE IS WHEN THEY BROUGHT THIS UNFORGETTABLE ROMANCE TO THE BIG SCREEN AS WELL SET IT ON FIRE. 

THIS MOVIE LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION ON ME, A CLASSIC AND REALLY INSPIRED ME TO WRITE MORE.

OH LETS NOT FORGET, “LOVE AND BASKETBALL,” OMAR EPPS AND SANAA LATHAN. HOW COULD YOU NOT FALL IN LOVE WITH THESE TWO CHARACTERS WHO BASICALLY GREW UP TOGETHER AND YOU JUST KNEW SOMEHOW THEY WOULD END UP THAT WAY IN THE END. 

LADIES, IF YOU KNOW ROMANCE THEN YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME WHEN I SAY THE “BEST MAN” WITH A LIST OF FINE BROTHERS, MY FAVORITE MORRIS CHESTNUT, YEAH WE GO WAY BACK, ALL THE WAY TO BOYS IN THE HOOD. I’M STILL NOT OVER RICKY( THE CHARACTER HE PLAYED) DYING IN THAT MOVIE. PRAISE THE LORD HE CAME BACK TO TANTALIZE US IN SO MANY OTHER GREAT MOVIES. 

LETS NOT FORGET “WAITING TO EXHALE” TERRY MCMILLAN IS A ROMANCE GENIUS. “DISAPPEARING ACT” “HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK” I WAS LIKE YOU GO GIRL. 

I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU FIND THE TERM “COUGAR” IN RELATION TO YOUNGER MAN OLDER WOMAN, OFFENSIVE, BUT WHAT DO THEY CALL MEN WHO PURSUE YOUNGER WOMEN IN A RELATIONSHIP? I DIGRESS! BUT I HAD TO ASK AND IF YOU KNOW THE ANSWER LET ME KNOW.

OKAY WELL, TERRI MCMILLAN DIDN’T WRITE THIS NEXT ONE, BUT “BROWN SUGAR” OMG, I LOOOVED THIS MOVIE, AN ALL STAR CAST OF ACTORS.

 LETS GO BACK TO 1999 “ THE WOOD” HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THIS ONE? TAYE DIGGS WITH HIS FINE CHOCOLATE SELF STARRED IN THIS MOVIE AS WELL. 

NOW LETS TALK A FEW OTHER URBAN ROMANCE AUTHORS. TONI MORRISON, “BELOVED.” MANY PEOPLE DON’T GET HER STYLE OF WRITING BUT I DO, THIS BOOK IN PARTICULAR. TONI MORRISON HAS A UNIQUE WAY OF SPINNING A TALE. AFTER ALL SHE IS AN EDUCATOR AND DID WIN THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR AMERICAN LITERATURE IN 1993.

 HOW MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE MAYA ANGELOU WROTE A BOOK AND SCRIPT CALLED SISTER, SISTER?  IT STARED DIAHANN CARROLL, IRENE CARA AND ROSILAND CASH. THIS PROBABLY WOULDN’T FALL UNDER THE HEADING OF ROMANCE BUT THAT ELEMENT WAS INTRODUCED IN THE STORY-LINE. 

TERRI WOODS, THE AUTHOR OF TRUE GAME I AND II. HER STORY IS VERY INTERESTING, SHE SOLD BOOKS FROM THE TRUNK OF HER CAR AND LATER STARTED HER OWN PUBLISHING COMPANY. I SO ADMIRE THIS LADY FOR ACHIEVING SUCCESS BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

 AS A WRITER I AM A CONNOISSEUR OF ALL AUTHORS. I DON’T LIMIT MYSELF TO JUST ONE FACET OF WRITING OR NATIONALITY. ALTHOUGH I AM UNDENIABLY AFRICAN AMERICAN AND WRITE FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE, HOWEVER I AM STILL DIVERSE AND ABLE TO CROSSOVER TO WRITE FROM DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS. 

I WRITE ABOUT PEOPLE FOR PEOPLE. NOTWITHSTANDING, IF YOU’RE AN AUTHOR AND I LIKE YOUR WORK, I WILL SHOUT IT TO THE WORLD. 

SO LETS MOVE ON TO A FEW OTHER CLASSICS, “GONE WITH THE WIND” THIS WARTIME SAGA OF WAR AND LOVE IN THE SOUTH. 

“BEAUTY AND THE BEAST” BEFORE DISNEY PUT IT’S SPIN ON IT, IT DEBUTED IN 1946 AS A MOVIE. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON, BUT MY GOAL TODAY IS NOT CENTERED ON MOVIES BUT LOVE.

THIS IS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT ROMANCE, SUCH A SPECIAL TOPIC AS WELL GENRE FOR ME. THERE ARE MANY OTHER GENRE’S ON MY LIST, BUT ROMANCE IS NUMBER ONE AND WHY I ENJOY TALKING AS WELL WRITING ABOUT IT SO MUCH.

BEING IN LOVE IS AN ART. A GREAT MASTERPIECE OF THE HEART, A ONE OF A KIND EXPERIENCE FOR EVERY PERSON, AT LEAST IT FEELS THAT WAY.

THIS IS WHAT MAKES ROMANCE WRITING WORK!

YOU BUILD ON AN ATTRACTION AND WHEN THE CHARACTERS LEAST EXPECTS IT, YOU DROP THE “L” WORD ON THEM. SNEAKY I KNOW, BUT THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE IS NECESSARY WHEN WRITING ANY STORY.

I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I WAS TRULY UNDENIABLY IN LOVE. EVERYTHING I DESCRIBED TO YOU HAPPENED. YOU WALK AROUND IN A STATE OF SUSPENDED ANIMATION, YET AT THE SAME TIME AWARE, SOMETHING WONDERFUL IS HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE.

WHEN I’M WRITING I INFUSE THESE ELEMENTS AND USE EVERY EMOTION OF THE EXPERIENCE AND PLACE IT IN MY CHARACTERS. IF YOU WANT TO SEE A STORY COME TO LIFE, THEN THIS IS HOW TO ACCOMPLISH IT. THERE IS SOMETHING SOOTHING AND CHARMING WHEN TWO PEOPLE COME TOGETHER, TOTALLY ABSORBED IN THE REALIZATION, REAL LIFE OR OTHERWISE, THAT THEY ARE IN LOVE.

 I LIKE TO SLOWLY CONSTRUCT THE NARRATIVE, NOT RUSH MY CHARACTERS TOWARD LOVE. I DON’T BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, ANYWAY. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SITUATIONS WHERE ATTRACTION AND CHEMISTRY PLAY A HUGE PART IN THE PROCESS. 

LOVE, MUCH LIKE ANY STORY IS A GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT. YOU NEED SUBSTANCE, SOMETHING TO BUILD UPON THAT WILL LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION ON THE READERS. ROMANCE SHOULD BE RELATABLE AND BEAUTIFUL ALL AT THE SAME TIME. EACH EXPERIENCE IS AS DIFFERENT AS FINGERPRINTS, OR THE ROAD MAP THAT COVERS THE PALM OF OUR HANDS. CERTAINLY, EVERY STORY HAS A BEGINNING, MIDDLE, AND AN ENDING, BUT THE JOURNEY IS UNIQUE. THUS JUSTIFIES A TRUE TEST OF SUSTAINABILITY. NO TWO PEOPLE ARE THE SAME NOR DO THEY REACT TO AFFAIRS OF THE HEART IN THAT WAY. THEREFORE, THIS CREATES DIVERSE SITUATIONS THAT GIVES WRITERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MAGIC HAPPEN ON THE PAGES OF THEIR STORIES. THIS IS WHERE IT BELONGS. 

MANIPULATION IS NECESSARY WHEN WRITING, BUT VERY DANGEROUS IF WE USE IT TO POKE AROUND IN REAL LIFE SITUATIONS. I’M NOT ACCUSING ANYONE OF MATCHMAKING, BUT THE GUILTY PARTIES KNOW WHO THEY ARE. 

GETTING BACK TO THE SUBJECT: SPONTANEITY IS A NATURAL OCCURRENCE. WE WERE ALL DESIGNED WITH A LEVEL OF CHARISMA (PERSONALITY) THAT SPARK DESIRE AS IT OBTAINS TO THE LAWS OF ATTRACTION. THIS ALSO APPLIES WHEN WRITING ROMANCE NOVELS. YOU NEED FRICTION AND FIRE TO LET THE READERS KNOW SOMETHING EXPLOSIVE IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.

 LOVE IS A VERY POWERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL THING OR AT LEAST CAN BE WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FLEETING, AND EVERLASTING. 

YOU KNOW I’VE BEEN ACCUSED OF LIKING FANTASY OR LIVING IN THAT TYPE OF WORLD. JUST AS RECENT AS LAST NIGHT, AND FOR THE MOST PART I DO AGREE WITH THIS PERSONS OPINION. MOREOVER, FANTASY IS QUITE USEFUL AS IT RELATES TO STORY TELLING. 

NEVERTHELESS, I MIGHT WRITE ABOUT IMAGINARY WORLDS AND PEOPLE, BUT I DON’T EXIST IN THAT STATE OF MIND. NEVERTHELESS, IT DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT; TANGIBLE SITUATIONS SUBSIST IN REAL LIFE TOO. IF YOU HAVEN’T GUESSED BY NOW, I AM A HOPELESS ROMANTIC. BUT YOU SEE THIS GOES ALONG WITH MY PERSONALITY. IF YOU WERE TO GOOGLE ME: THE DEFINITION WOULD BE BESIDES THE OBVIOUS MEANING OF MY NAME (LIVELY), YOU’D FIND AFFECTIONATE, CARING, ENDEARING, AND PASSIONATE. THESE ARE ALL IMPORTANT ESSENTIALS ELEMENTS OF MY CHARACTER AND THE REASON WHY I BECAME A WRITER. I RESPECT THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE, AS IT RELATES TO ROMANCE. 

IT IS UNDENIABLE, THAT WHO WE ARE AS INDIVIDUALS CARRIES OVER INTO ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIFE. OUR MAKEUP OR GOD GIVEN ATTRIBUTES HELP SHAPE US TO BECOME WHATEVER GOD HAS PLANNED.