Interview With Superromance Senior Editor Wanda Ottewell

What really IS the difference between Harlequin American and
Harlequin Superromance? Readers can sense it, but an editor must define it. To
that end, we’re talking with Harlequin American editor, Kathleen Scheibling and
Superromance Senior Editor Wanda Ottewell, hoping they can lend our writers a
hand.

This week, we’ll be continuing the second half of our interview by asking questions of Wanda and she’ll be taking questions directly from you as well, March 20th! Be sure to read her answers here and post your questions on the American Vs. Supers discussion thread!

eHQ: As we asked Kathleen, there’s not too big a word count difference between American and Supers. Beyond word count, what are the biggest differences you see between the two lines?

Wanda Ottewell: With Superromance we look for stories that are realistic. The characters should remind readers of their friends or their family. Superromance characters are recognizable and familiar. The issues the characters face and the situations the characters find themselves in should resemble life. The reader should think these things could happen. Keep in mind, of course, that these books are fiction so the authors get creative license to bend the story’s world to fit their needs. And although we want the stories to be realistic, we don’t want to see the minutia of the characters’ lives—minimize the scenes surrounding coffee drinking, meal preparation, etc. Unless there is something else at work—an escalating argument between two characters perhaps—these scenes tend to be dull, have a slow pace and not contribute to the overall story. The scenes must be interesting, must contribute to the unfolding of the plot and must propel the reader through the story—we want the story to be so engrossing the reader can’t put the book down.

We also want to see the romance at the heart of the story with any subplots or themes radiating from that central relationship. So if there is a suspense plot, for example, it has to be secondary to the romance and it should work to complicate matters between the hero and heroine. Within the romance, we look for believable and sustainable conflict. What obstacles are at work to keep the hero and heroine from getting their happily ever after? If these obstacles can be eliminated by them having an honest conversation or the simple act of one character moving closer to the other, that is an unsustainable conflict. Ideally resolving the conflict will require the hero and heroine both to confront their inner beliefs or opinions or fears and willingly making compromises (I often call this the grand gesture) in order to be together. Love may not come easily but it is so worth the effort!

eHQ: Another element the two lines share are their strong supporting casts. How important are the secondary characters to Supers? Is a sense of community between them a must? Should they have their own sub plots?

WO: We do like to see the world that surrounds the hero and heroine. Superromance stories fall within the home and family type, so there are often—but not always—family members included. But secondary characters with their own subplots are not necessary. It depends on the scope of the story. In some books the romantic conflict combined with the issues the hero and heroine face individually are so complex that the author needs the entire word count to explore and resolve those elements. If secondary characters are included, not only do they need to be well developed, but also they need to be well integrated into the story. We don’t want to see characters whose only purpose is as information sources or some other plot point.

eHQ: Now, American is known as the “small-town” line, although Kathleen made sure we know that they also publish stories with mid to large sized cities as well. Does Supers have a broader scope? Would you consider international venues?

WO: Absolutely! We like to have a variety of urban and small town settings. We’ve published stories set internationally such as in Britain, Europe, New Zealand and Australia. When considering venues outside of North America we ask that authors make the settings as recognizable to the readers as possible. Obviously we don’t want a travelogue, nor do we want the locale to take over the story. But the author should provide enough detail that readers can identify with the setting.

eHQ: Now that your feet are wet with Superromance, is there a new direction you'll be taking the line? Any new sub-series? Or changes coming to the parameters of “Everlasting Love”?

WO: Essentially we’re maintaining the current direction because readers seem to be responding well to it. We regularly feature our popular themed miniseries such as Home on the Ranch, Count on a Cop and You, Me & the kids.

eHQ: When we look at the guidelines for Supers, we see a reference to "seeing the heroine's world". Is the focus of Supers generally heroine-centric? Or is it expected to have a 50/50 split between the protagonists?

WO: We’re moving away from solely heroine focus and looking for a balanced narrative. We like to see their world from both the hero’s and heroine’s point of view. However that breaks down—60/40, 50/50—will depend on the story. In many cases, the character with the most at stake in a given scene will provide the more interesting narrative. For example, if the hero has a bigger emotional journey to undertake between Chapter 1 and the happily ever after, so we might see more scenes in his point of view than the heroine’s as
he confronts his issues.

eHQ: The guidelines also ask for things to be realistic. But then, we all know real life is often stranger than fiction. What kinds of situations wouldn't be viewed as "realistic"? Could you have a hero who was a "paranormal investigator"? Are stories with ghosts completely out of the running?

WO: It’s true real life is stranger than fiction. More than once I’ve had an author tell me a seemingly unbelievable situation in her manuscript was based on real life! When writing for Superromance a question an author could ask herself is: would the reader recognize this situation, or is it beyond belief? If it’s approaching the unbelievable, is there a way you can give it more credence? We want our stories to be familiar to our readers—she could fall in love with this hero, this heroine could be her best friend, her coworkers have faced similar circumstances and this family situation has been pulled from her life. Aside from experiencing the rush of falling in love and the satisfaction of having the hero and heroine resolving their conflict, the reader should walk away from Superromance books with the reminder that love makes us strong enough to confront anything that stands in our way.

For the most part, we don’t do paranormal elements in Superromance. We might consider prophetic dreams or suggestions of ghosts, but we would expect a rational explanation for the experience.

eHQ: As Supers is known as Category's answer to Single Title, does this give the authors an opportunity to cover topics that might be deemed controversial? Such as War or characters in politics? Basically, is anything taboo?

WO: It depends how the controversial subject is approached. We often say that in the right hands almost anything can work (usually about the time I say a particular topic won’t work, an author proves me wrong!), but it really does depend on how well the author can draw the reader into the world of the story. There was a time when we avoided characters who played professional sports because they didn’t sell well. Some authors broke that taboo and now readers have shown that there is an appetite for this type of character.

eHQ: Last question: Can you recommend up to three current releases that best show the voice and spectrum of what makes a romance an Superromance? Or offer any final thoughts that might strengthen a writer’s understanding of the difference between American and Supers?

WO: Recommending books is hard! I think all of our stories show different strengths and there is such a variety in story types, author voice and tone within any given month that it’s almost impossible for me to select.

Aside from the realistic characters and situations, I advise authors to focus on the romance. Give the readers the sensation of falling in love alongside the hero and heroine. Ensure there is a believable, sustainable conflict—make the reader think, if only for a moment, that the obstacles between the hero and heroine are so big they won’t be able to surmount them.

A big hand of thanks, everyone, for Wanda for taking this time with us! Remember, post any additional questions for Wanda here so she can answer them on Wednesday. We’ll be discussing her answers and hopefully helping some of you sort out which line is the best for you!

Dee Tenorio
"The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."