Don’t Fence Me In - R.G. Alexander

Today we’re lucky to have fabulous debut author R.G. Alexander as a guest! Her first release Who Wants to Date a Superhero? about a futuristic game show where women via for a date with a real live superhero, is out now! I cannot wait to read this one – I mean, really, who doesn’t want a shot at Batman, right? ;) So, take it away, R.G….

I have always been surprised by the way people view me. In my head I was a mysterious, Lara Croft-esque adventurer with sex appeal and savvy. Yet, people persisted in seeing me as a short, rather curvy cutie-pie. A sweetheart. Naïve. Wouldn’t hurt a fly. Couldn’t possibly write erotic romance without blushing and having the hero turn off the lights. Being patted on the head and dismissed wasn’t exactly flattering…but at least I was under the radar.

This view would never have been tarnished if my older sister, who has always reveled in her talent for shock and awe, hadn’t decided to tell everyone I’ve ever met in my entire life about my website, my recent book releases and their content.
“Romance,” they said. “Oh that sounds like our R.G.—ever the romantic.”
“Um, no,” my sister chuckled. “Romance…with sex. Graphic sex. Have you ever watched porn?”

Sigh. Great. So now I’m a closet porn writer. Not the comparison I would have used. Usually I just say something like, “You know when you watch a romantic movie and the couple’s kiss, you can see the bed in the background and then the scene fades out?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t fade out.”

But the cat’s out of the bag and I can tell exactly what they are all thinking.
“She was so sweet. Where did we go wrong? What’s next—streetwalking?”

Don’t get me wrong, I have a very supportive group of family and friends. They may cringe when they see the man nipple on my covers, but they are still counting down the days with me, approaching strangers in lingerie stores and at bus stops to tell them about my upcoming releases. You gotta love family.

Though I think my mother is still hoping this is a gateway genre, and that someday I will find my way to an Oprah booklist with an important work of fiction that will change the world, I’m perfectly content to make my little corner of the planet blush and smile.

But since everything relates to writing (of course), this situation reminded me of archetypes. The innocent Miss and the Vamp. Films in the twenties differentiated these two with incredibly specific hair styles and fashion. But you can look at most ancient mythology, folklore, even present day advertising and you will find these two very different women…begging the question—is it really either/or?

An archetype is a model of a person, personality, or behavior. Often an over exaggerated model. Modern women wear so many hats, maiden, mother and crone—as well as businesswoman, scientist, writer…that the normal stereotypes no longer seem to apply.

I happen to know envelope pushing erotica authors whose normal day to day life sounds like an episode of Donna Reed. I think that’s wonderful. I also know people who write YA and Chick Lit who could teach me a thing or two about Vamping it up. You really can’t—or shouldn’t—judge a book by its cover.

So people who knew me before they knew what I was writing look at me sideways, waiting for me to shorten my skirts, don dark red lipstick and start behaving as the Vamp I have become.
But I am still me. I still prefer fuzzy socks to stockings, I’m still short and too curvy and maybe a bit naïve. It’s only that now, I’m this too. At least through my characters.

Have any of you ever experienced this? That people expect you to behave in a particular way because of your writing style and/or job?

~R.G. Alexander
www.rgalexander.com