Wicked Wednesday - paranormal romance cliches

Paranormal romance is a genre with infinite possibilities. Yet we seem to see the same situations and ideas played over and over again. I've heard a lot that the market is over-saturated, but it is still doing good business. Publishers are looking for original ideas. If you're writing a new book, here's a few tips on what to avoid.

1. Predestined soulmates. We want to be loved for our intelligence, charm, and personality. Do we honestly want love to be based on some supernatural and irresistible compulsion? Apparently many people do. This is one of the most popular cliches in paranormal romance. I'm guilty of using this one on a few occasions.

2. I hate you/I love you! Yes, the extreme emotional conflict. The protagonist hates everything about that arrogant man, yet falls in love with him at the same time. It might have to do with the aforementioned compulsion, or maybe with the fact that some of the women don't seem to know their own minds. There has to be something for the protagonist to fall in love with, something for the reader to sympathize with, or else it's silly supernatural nonsense.

3. The hot man that makes the heroine speechless. It seems that too many otherwise strong women are made into drooling schoolgirls in the presence of a gorgeous guy. You would think that all the paranormal romance worlds are filled with such awe-inspiring men.

4. Vampires, werewolves, and angels/demons, oh my! There are other paranormal creatures out there. I'm a sucker for this cliche, though. Overdone as they might be, I still love a good story with any of these creatures.

5. The virgin or the whore. We usually see one extreme or the other with the protagonists. What's wrong with a woman who's had a few boyfriends over the years? She's experienced enough, but not slutty by any means.

What cliches do you hate in paranormal romance? Which ones do you love?

Wicked Wednesday on Thursday - virgin heroines

With paranormal romance, we come across the strong and independent heroine. She knows what she wants and how to get it. Well, in some things.

It's not typical in adult paranormal romances, but sometimes we do come across the virgin heroine. She might be successful at everything else in her life, but love has always eluded her and she's not one to just sleep around. It allows an innocence and newness to the romance, drawing the reader along as she meets a mysterious and gorgeous individual whom she can't stop hungering for.

I prefer an experienced heroine, but I don't mind a virgin as long as she is well written. No one knows exactly what to do the first time around. No one has multiple orgasms the first time, nor after a minute or two in bed with her lover. Be realistic. The loss of her virginity would be a big emotional scene, a turning point in her identity. Not only in how she sees herself, but how others see her. The hero's realization that she's a virgin can also be a pivotal point. And the villain's if it is important to their evil plot!

I've heard the argument that an inexperienced heroine and a very experienced hero creates inequality in romance novels. Sometimes women do fantasize about being taken by a lover who knows exactly what to do. It's about surrendering, giving yourself, and all the emotions that go with it. It's becoming less common to find a virgin heroine and a promiscuous hero falling for one another, but the fantasy still attracts readers. Also, there is a rise in promiscuous heroines who are more experienced than the men. A few times, more so in YA than in adult books, the heroine and hero will both be virgins.

Do you like to read romances with virgin heroines? Do you think an inexperienced heroine and a promiscuous hero creates inequality in romance novels?