This week Sabrina York visits the blog. I met Sabrina online when we were both asked to join in a multi-author writing project in late 2015. Then I had the good fortune to meet her in person early this year in Seattle when I went to visit family. Sabrina writes contemporary and historical romance, and romantic suspense, all with a touch of humor. Her most recent release, LANA AND THE LAIRD, is a historical (hysterical?) Scottish romance. Today I asked Sabrina how she finds the balance between romance and humor.
BBTF: Writing romance with humor can be tricky. How have you found the balance between hot romance and laugh-out-loud humor while writing?
Sabrina: Oh wow. I wish there was an easy answer to this! The bald fact of the matter is that I have always had a terribly inappropriate sense of humor. I was that friend who would say that thing and everyone would whip around and stare. I long ago learned to keep my pithy observations to myself, but they were so clever, I would sneak home and write them down, just so I could remember them and, perhaps, privately gush over how freaking funny I was.
I'm not saying that's how I started writing. (I started writing because I enjoyed having total control over the universe and was perfectly satisfied with it being the one in my head.) But the day I realized I could fold my snark into my writing was a glorious one. Even more glorious still was when I discovered that there is a pocket of the reader population out there who really likes my humor. They get me. They are my peeps.
Sometimes I use humor to break the tension, when I feel it's getting too mushy, sometimes I use it to exfoliate a scene and sometimes I use it to expose the deep wounded core of a character who just needs to be loved. And sometimes, it's just me, speaking through my character, being snarky because it's fun and and funny and because my character can say that, but I probably shouldn't...
Bwahahahaha! I was right there with you, Sabrina. :D You can find out more about Sabrina York's books at her website. Be sure to buy a book and tell a friend. Happy reading!