A guy writing romance novels? Hey, I know, I know, what can I say? My early writing was a far cry from writing romance novels. I was an Electro Mechanical Engineer and had to write technical manuals. In addition, I traveled and lectured to other Engineers. This subject matter can make for an extremely boring presentation. But, with my wild creative imagination, I was able to spice things up and keep the audience interested. However, for the real beginning to my romantic writing I think we have to go back … way back.
I guess it all started back when I was 11 years old. I wrote letters to an out-of-town girl. Now I would hardly classify them as love letters at that age, but I did learn how to express my feelings.
However, I believe that my real start with romance began as a sophomore in high school. I was just an average looking guy. Being president of the bowling league hardly put me in competition with the captain of the football team. I needed something else. Something to catch a girl’s attention. Something to set me apart from the popular jocks.
So … I started to write poems to the girls I dated. I always made sure to use their name in the poem so they knew it was special, just for them. Surprisingly, I was pretty good at it and the word spread. The more popular girls started to show interest. They began to say, “Yes” when I asked them for a date. I knew they probably said yes more out of curiosity, than because of my stunning good looks!
Writing poetry uses the beauty of words to evoke deep feelings. To write something is much easier than to express those feelings out loud. I never read my poems from the paper; I always memorized them and quoted them directly to the girl. I quickly became comfortable with expressing my deep feelings. I believe to share those innermost feelings, is the language of romance. I no longer needed poetry to put into words how I felt. This was no longer a learned trait, this was me! It was just a small step from there, to writing romance novels. Although this came after I met my sweetheart.
Speaking of sweetheart, I met my wife on a blind date. A date that neither one of us wanted to go on, but did so at the relentless urging of mutual friends. I immediately realized that she was way out of my league. I was operating out of my class with this, intelligent, good-looking woman.
On our second date, I wrote her a poem. As we stood with the beautiful downtown Chicago skyline as a background, I quoted her my poem. The language of romance worked again! She was interested!
We separated for six months due to my military commitment. I wrote her many love letters from my bunk during those long lonely nights in the service. Thank God for the practice when I was 11 years old. (Smile.) I feared that old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Pen and paper was the only link to the love of my life. I had to keep the fires of love burning in her heart too.
Shortly after my return from the service, I took her back to that special place in downtown Chicago where we stood when I quoted her my first poem. I recited the poem again, only this time I changed the last two lines to ask her to be my wife. She accepted, and the rest is history.
Sometimes marriage is the end of romance. How sad. For me it is only the beginning. The world … the universe … eternity … are all yours when you have a heart filled with the passions of love and romance.
Was I born a hopeless romantic or is it something I learned? I don't know! My guess is that I was born that way. What I do know is that nothing stirs our deepest emotions more than love and romance. It is with these deep emotions that I wrote, That Funny Empty Feeling.
Learn more about Matt Joswick at his website.