I dislike the romances I’ve read that feature protagonists in the military. Admittedly, I haven’t read very many, but every one I have picked up seems to be written for people who have never been exposed to military life. Using a common military acronym like MRE (”Hey, you want a MRE?”) and then replying, “Meals Ready to Eat? Sure, pass me one.” is not only lame, it’s totally unrealistic. Glamorizing or romanticizing the military is also unrealistic, and you’re talking to a gal who loved every minute of her time in the military. But it’s not glamorous or romantic. *sigh* Just not my cuppa, I guess. I wonder if military stories written outside of romance are also written this way?
Maybe it’s the editors saying, “What is this? Can you explain for the layman?” Dunno. But it doesn’t work for me. I keep getting yanked out of the story.
I can’t remember reading a story about a man in the military. I do love lawmen. *g*
by Cheyenne McCray January 20th, 2006 at 7:56 amI love milroms, but the lame explanations are annoying. And yes, I’m sure it’s editors who want things explained…just like the editors at M&B wanted my snow terms explained or removed, even though they totally gave flavor to the story.
And yeah, romanticising the military is probably unrealistic, but really…so is romanticising life in the middle ages, or life on historical ships, or life on a ranch. You gotta strike a balance with any story, because when it comes right down to it, life itself isn’t always romantic! :hug:
by Larissa January 20th, 2006 at 8:59 amI love military, well really ex-military, heroes. My favorite heroes are always ex-special ops, who left and are now working for some bad ass so-secret-we-can’t-tell-you-who-they-really-are group doing hush hush bad ass jobs.
They can kill with a Q-tip, and make grown women cry with a peek at their scuplted abs. And those abs weren’t made in a gym, oh no, they were made climbing mountains and saving baby dolphins.
But military life itself… no, nothing exciting there for me. I think I read two category books in 2005 that had military heroes, and neither of them made it two the keeper shelf.
by Karen January 20th, 2006 at 9:07 amTo me, subtle implications would be good. I mean if you’re asking someone if they’re hungry and if they want an MRE, surely they can surmise it’s food.
My husband was pretty much sick of MRE’s by the time he was out of the military…I guess some people like them though. :banned:
by Kendra Clark January 20th, 2006 at 10:40 amI think I’ve hit the wrong emoticon:shifty: THERE! That’s better
by Kendra Clark January 20th, 2006 at 10:41 amI like ex-special ops romances too. There the only contemporary romances that I truly enjoy. Of course, I’ve never been in the military. *ggg*
by Jordan January 20th, 2006 at 4:58 pmAs an Army vet as well, I’m completely with you on not enjoying military romances. The few I’ve read did not impress me. I guess it’s just that being too close to the subject matter mars it, because in the Army most of the time you’re either risking your life for a stupid reason or you’re bored out of your mind, and neither situation is exciting. And I also don’t understand the in-story explanations for things like MREs — if it’s got to be explained, why not an author’s note or glossary at the beginning or end of the book. Otherwise, that stuff just yanks me out of the story.
by Beverly January 20th, 2006 at 6:22 pmThis is very true, Larissa.
by SylviaI’m a huge fan of milroms (and have half-a-dozen milroms in some point in the writing process even now). But I was reading one of my favorite milrom writers the other day (who shall remain nameless but is very successful) and was struck by how annoyed I got with the jargon explanations stuck in the middle of the story. Things like “…they did a a HALO jump - leaving the plane at a high altitude and opening their parachuttes at a much lower altitude - into the dangerous country…”. I started to fear I was going to be forced to shoehorn such indelicate info-dumping and was feeling kind of ill.
But then I picked up a Linda Howard in which the hero is a fighter pilot. She had the characters speak to each other as if the reader knew what was going on. And for the most part, from context you could figure out anything you didn’t already know. Like Kendra said, if someone is hungry and is offered an MRE, surely it doesn’t take a PhD to figure out an MRE is some sort of food. And unless it is necessary to specify what kind of food (like, gross tasting mush), then that’s plenty of info.
I’ve never been in the military, so I have no argument that it is probably very unglamorous. But I’m with Larissa. If romances portrayed truly glamorous or romantic professions, I think all of the heroes and heroines would be unemployed because nothing is perfect when you know the details. So give me a military man any day. He’s the 21st century equivalent of the knight in shining armor.:smile:
by Lynn M January 21st, 2006 at 1:06 pmWell damn, does that I won’t be able to sell mine lol? If I ever get the thing edited of course.
Anyway, I’m not explaining jargon. No one explained it to me when I went in the Army, surely a reader can figure it out. 
I certainly agree that many of the milroms are way over explained though. Who doesn’t know what an MRE is anyway lol!?
by Lori January 22nd, 2006 at 1:34 pmThere’s jargon for every subgroup. I’m sure you had to explain a few nautical terms, too. I know I had to define a bunch of society words and collegiate terms. It’s going to be worse with the sequel, because the first time I got to define it to a character who wasn’t fmailiar with it. This time around, she will be, but I’ll stilll have to define it.
by Diana January 23rd, 2006 at 8:21 am