Like a dog with a bone

I'm not letting this go. Maybe I need to stop trying to improve my writing and just write. It wasn't long ago I was complaining about how books by Christian writers should be easily identifiable from works by authors without an element of faith. It went something like this.

Tonight I attended another webinar. i attempted to attend would be the correct statement. I may have missed some key information because my internet was spotty. I may need to retract everything I'm about to opine on. However, I don't think this will be the case.

There are too many statistics which prove the romance genre is what readers are choosing to argue against its merits. They are the best-sellers. Women purchase more books than men. Women read romance. Regardless of the genre they are reading, the stats tell us an element of romance is/should be included if you want to sell.

My question is should a Christian fiction writer include romance (outside the genre) in order to increase marketability?  I've never fit in as the target demographic. A good story doesn't have to be 25% romance to keep me intrigued.

Honestly, I think a lot of writers suck at writing romance. I've said it. There romances are cliched and recycled from other books/series. Writers use the same terms of endearments and it becomes cringe-inducing. Some writers use the same outline for their series. Each epilogue consists of a proposal/wedding/five years in the future with a house, white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and dog which follows 35+ chapters of intriguing action. While this is a great escape from real life, I find reading the same book with different characters to be a waste of time.

I'm more than halfway through a book which is a great read. The romance element is present. I think it detracts from the story. It isn't overabundant right now so if it doesn't get too heavy-handed it might not ruin the book. I'll give my opinion when I reach the end. However, the circumstances surrounding this "attraction" really isn't conducive to a blooming love. If this book's epilogue had a "six months later" and the main male character showed up to ask the female to dinner, I might buy that. However, I don't think this author can refrain from their love story beginning in the middle of manhunt.

I can see "attraction" beginning at inopportune times, but I do believe most adults are possible of realizing while people are shooting at you it isn't the time to trade favorites lists. I don't buy into the theory of you can't help who you fall in love with. I also don't believe you can't shut it down if the timing isn't right. A good story should be able to stand on its own without tonsil hockey and breathtaking beauty.

This will take more research. The Bible doesn't say "man will not be attracted to woman while their lives are threatened." However, I do believe our actions should glorify God. Therefore I would expect a Christian character in fiction to not be attracted to someone who is married. I would expect a Christian character to pursue God's will for their life in all aspects. Often the romantic aspect is overlooked because the guy is just that hot and the girl is just that intriguing.

I'm annoyed. It's ruining my appreciation of books. I'm disturbed by the counsel given by industry leaders which don't set themselves farther apart from books meant to titillate the world.