How to Break All the Rules and Still Write a Great Romance Novel: Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins

Damn you, Kristan Higgins.

Don’t you just hate it when a writer breaks all the genre rules, and still ends up with a great genre book?

I say hate, but what I really mean is don’t you wish you had the guts to write it yourself?

After reading Catch of the Day, you’ll look at the limits you (and by you, of course, I certainly don’t mean me…) put on your own writing and think, “Hey, Kristan Higgins is one brave soul.”

Yes, this is week two of my Read All the Single Title Contemporary Rita Finalists marathon and today we feature the remarkable newcomer, Kristan Higgins.

Here are just some of the romance writing rules Higgins broke in Catch of the Day and why it was still a great read.

Rule #1: Never write in first person.
I cringed when I realized on page one that Catch of the Day was written in first person. I don’t like first person for all the usual reasons, but the biggest reason I don’t like it is laziness. So many first person books are just the author’s voice, saying what the author would say if the author were that very character that she’s putting on the page. Plus, the author is too lazy to try to figure out what the other characters are thinking and doing. If there’s not a damn good reason for first person, I get fed up fast.

In Catch of the Day, there is a good reason for the first person treatment: the hero. I don’t want to say too much about him because I don't want to spoil this very fun book for you, but getting into his POV (point-of-view) would ruin the fun. In this book, the first person works. It's not lazy, it's just how it had to be.

Damn that Kristan Higgins.

Rule #2: Make Sure the hero and heroine are likable
What’s better than falling in love instantly with a likeble hero? How about falling in love, slowly, over the course of a book, with a not-necessarily-likeable hero, whose layers (and I don’t mean his clothes) are pulled off bit by bit to expose his soul. Very nice.

Damn that Kristan Higgins!

Rule #3: Don't put puppies on the covers of books for grown-ups.
Okay, so this is just my own personal rule. I hate puppies on covers. I know authors have almost no control whatsoever over their covers, especially a newbie like Higgins. So, I’ll give Higgins the cute puppy cover. This once. I know it’s not her fault. Wait, there are puppies on all Higgins's covers. Well, okay. I'll forgive her twice. She's that good.

Rule #3 Really: The more sex the better.
There’s no sex scenes in Catch of the Day. I loved this. Sure, the characters have sex. But Higgins discretely closes the door once the characters start to sigh and moan. (I guess to lock the puppy out.) Thank you, Kristan. This was very refreshing.

The moral of this story? You can write a great first person book with no sex and a very untraditional hero and still be a finalist in the Single Title Contemporary category of the Ritas. So don't listen to the rules! Follow your heart....

Damn that Kristan Higgins!