Yasmin: How long have you been writing romances and what is it about romance that keeps you constantly publishing new ones, year after year?

Francine: I have written romances for ten or more years. (In my head, all my adult and teenage life . I simply like the entire concept of romance because I think it adds so much to life. Romance gives you a decided lift, it captures your spirit and takes you places you may or may not be able to go otherwise. And to those who mock romance, I want to point out the Bible that we so love. The love stories to be found there are glorious. Consider “Song of Solomon” for instance. Can you imagine anything more beautiful? And there are others; just read through and search for. Stories come into my head and romantic people just live there and demand that I write about them. And I do and will.

Yasmin: Has the romance writing business changed a lot since you started? How so?

Francine: The romance writing business has changed since I started.  The stories are far more immediate, racier far less laid back.  I’ve gotten comments that a book was “slow” when I had wondered if it wasn’t too “fast.”  The pace is decidedly swifter and I happen to like the more leisurely approach, but such is life.  Change is a fact of life.  Also books tend to be much shorter than when I began.  My first ones were l00,000 words.  My book after my March book will be 70,000.

Yasmin: How many romance novels do you write in a year and what is your writing process like?

Francine: I write two  romance novels a year and work on a long-term mainstream novel in progress.  I work with research and outlining first, the latter by pen, then write on computer and rewrite with pen.  I’ve been told that my real feeling comes in when I pick up my pen and there’s a reason.  My beloved maternal grandfather gave me a burgundy Parker pen when I was seven and I’ve been writing with a similar pen ever since.

I very much feel his spirit when I write anything.

Yasmin: What steps did you take in getting your first romance novel published?

Francine: Getting my first romance novel published was a piece of cake, but don’t worry if that isn’t the case for you. I had these characters and this story that I liked and like very much (I have alluded to it in this questionnaire). It was originally written with white characters and was widely praised by romance editors who felt that it was too sophisticated for their line then and was too mainstream. So when I read that Leticia Peoples was buying A-A romances I redid it with a multicultural cast and setting and sent it to her and she accepted for publication, but went out of business. I sent to Harlequin (yes, the same Harlequin I write for now) and they turned it down with a very nice form rejection letter.

I immediately sent to Monica Harris of the Arabesque line for Kensington Publishers and she called me two days after she received it and made me an offer for two books and I’ve been writing for whoever held this line ever since. Last year I was switched to Kimani Romance and find Mavis Allen a joy to work with. I’ve been blessed here because all my editors have been living dolls, knowledgeable and on their toes.

So, I guess it wasn’t exactly a piece of cake, but I still feel like it was. Such joy! Such satisfaction!

Yasmin: Will you move to mainstream fiction writing soon like so many romance writers are doing today?

Francine: Yes, I am already writing mainstream and will continue to do so.  I haven’t actually sold anything in mainstream yet, nor have I tried.  I’ve been pretty busy with my contemporary romances.

Yasmin: What advice would you give an aspiring writer who wants to write romance?

Francine: My best advice to an aspiring writer who wants to write romance is probably quite different from much of the advice others would give. I would say:

 l) Be sure you want to write romance and have a mature attitude toward it. I find far too many writers really don’t believe in romance and think of themselves as writing beneath them with an eye to doing something “better.” There’s nothing wrong with doing both, but respect romance. To me, it’s one of the greatest genres of all. Romance, leavened with love and caring and common sense, makes the world go around.

2) Study romance. Read, read, read, and please don’t just read what’s written now, read what’s been written like the old, old “Rebecca” and “Nine Coaches waiting.” Then certainly concentrate on what’s being written now. Absorb, but use your own voice and creativity, and read what other writers write about the craft.

3) Take all the courses you can. Correspondence courses, I think, are available if you’re out in the boonies. There are people who are gifted to just begin writing with never a course, but this is not most of us. A few of my fellow writers are available for courses. I believe Altonya Washington is.

4) Write and write and write some more. Practice reading aloud what you’ve written, acting out your parts. I promise you’ll be fascinated with the results, and

5) Last, believe in yourself (put this in bold in your own mind,) because if you don’t, no one else will really believe in you. Have faith and trust and don’t be afraid to pray for what you want. All creativity is a gift from God and we are all blessed with it in some form or other. Here’s to you and your great life as a romance writer!  Thank you.

About the Author:  Francine Craft is the pen name of Washington, D.C. based writer who has enjoyed writing for many years. She has been writing romance since 1995 and has a total of 21 titles – 16 novels and 4 anthologies. Never Without You . . . Again is her latest Kimani Romance release. Visit her online at www.francinecraft.com or www.myspace.com/francinecraft for more information. 

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