Some argue that Romance is inherently feminist in nature. Others view it as patriarchy-affirming and regressive. Content vs. outcomes are also part of the discussion. When you take it a step farther, and ask whether Romance novels lead to empowerment and positive impacts for women readers…that’s when the debate gets really interesting.

This workshop will deconstruct feminism in Romance through the lens of popular tropes. It will highlight ways in which trope choice drives character perceptions. It will cut to the core of what feminism in fiction is really about (power dynamics) and talk about the levels of power (e.g., personal, positional, financial, familial) authors must consider in order to craft characters reflective of evolving social expectations.

Finally, it will discuss stigmas related to writing on either end of the spectrum—Romance viewed as overly feminist vs. not feminist enough—and provide concrete advice around how to signal in a way that will satisfy prospective readers.

This workshop will be given for Capitol Romance Writers. More information can be found here. This workshop will be held virtually at 2:30PM EST/11:30AM PST.