Why I Write Dark, Gothic Fiction
Everyone knows a writer must read, read, and read some more to become the best possible writer. I’ve had a love affair with books since the first day my mom took me to our neighborhood library as a child. Back before we could read whole novels on the small, hand-held computers we’re all now addicted to, I carried a book with me everywhere I went.
I explored all sorts of genres as I became older. In middle school, I was loyal to the Babysitter’s Club, R.L. Stine, Lois Duncan, Christopher Pike, and Walter Dean Myers (18th Pine St. — Sort of Sisters was it for me). The older I got, I read Omar Tyree (Flyy Girl is a classic) and went through all of my mom’s Terry McMillian books when she wasn’t looking. Between them, Beverly Jenkins, Eric Jerome Dickey, and a deep love for Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert, I thought my destiny was to write romance novels. I dipped my toes in the writing pond by writing both original works and fanfiction on websites like Fiction Press and Fanfiction Dot Net.
Romance is beautiful. I smile both at couples getting engaged and couples celebrating golden anniversaries. Romance is one of the most popular genres of books because people love to love and to also bask in the love of fictional characters. While loving can be easy, romance writing is not. I have a great deal of respect for romance writers. Creating compelling characters that…
