Cactus Rose group helps romance writers hone their craft

By Jeff O'Brien

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008 | midnight

Once a month at the Sahara West Library, a group of 20 or so people gather to hone their craft and share their passion for romance writing — a skill they say requires dedication and a keen understanding of human emotions.

Cactus Rose, the Las Vegas chapter of Romance Writers of America, is designed to support those who are serious about writing romance novels, whether they are beginners or seasoned writers. Romance Writers of America has more than 10,000 members in the United States and Canada.

The president of Cactus Rose is Anita Boyer, a Summerlin resident who has lived in The Pueblos since 2003. At each meeting, the chapter provides workshops and training seminars and occasionally hosts guest speakers.

"Most of us just have an idea and start writing," Boyer said. "Then, we go about learning how to do it. After your first group meeting, you think to yourself, 'Oh, I'd better rewrite that book.'"

Chapter member Tami Cowden describes her style of writing as "romance and mystery with a touch of humor."

The first step in becoming a good romance writer, she said, is dedication.

"Insert butt in chair and write," Cowden said. "You also have to understand human emotions. Romance writers not only write a story, but we also bring personalities into it. Characters play a huge role."

According to a study by the Romance Writers of America, romance books dominated the fiction category in 2007 with more than $1.3 billion in sales — roughly $600 million more than science fiction generated.

About 8,090 romance titles were released in 2007, the vast majority of them novels as opposed to short stories, Cowden said.

"Our readers want to read about people getting together, being separated due to conflict and then being pulled back together," Cowden said. "They love that back-and-forth interaction, and it takes time for that to develop within a story."

Joyce Brennan, who has lived in Sun City Summerlin since 1997, wrote a 343-page romance novel entitled "Small Town Affairs" that she paid to have self-published in 2007.

The plot centers on New York advertising executive Olivia McDougle, who flees to her childhood home in Rexford, Ohio, after discovering her fiance with another woman.

McDougle takes over the family newspaper and falls in love with a doctor, but their wedding plans are destroyed after she writes an editorial exposing the misdeeds of a local judge. The judge retaliates by spreading lies and rumors about McDougle, which divide the town.

"Small Town Affairs" took about eight months to complete, Brennan said. She joined Cactus Rose simply because she wanted to write.

"When I heard about this group, I joined and really learned the nuances of creative writing," Brennan said. "It's a fabulously supportive group. Our focus is really to support writers and encourage them."

Nadine Haag, a resident of The Trails in Summerlin, has found more free time to write now that she's retired.

"Writing is like a calling," Haag said. "To be able to talk with and belong to a group of people who are similarly motivated is worth its weight in gold. You bounce ideas off each other."

While some people might say the stories are "always the same" in the romance genre, Haag said, she was drawn by the uniqueness of it.

"Anyone who has ever been in a relationship or had a sweetheart has experienced romance, and the story is never the same," she said. "In real life, everyone's romantic experiences are different and unique. It's the same way with romance writing."

Jeff O’Brien can be reached at 990-8957 or [email protected].