You write to satisfy your own standard first and foremost or else you're fucked. You write to please your idea of what a good book should be.

That's true if you know what a good book is. There are a lot of writers out there who don't.

And I think it's an admirable ideal, but not always practical if you want to *sell* your book. You might write a really great romance, let's say, where the hero dies tragically. And it might rock hard. But not many people *who like romance* will want to read it, because it's not what they expect. Which means most editors won't buy it in the first place. There is a reason for expectations, especially in genre fiction.

If you're talking about writing the next Ulysses, on the other hand, well, more power to you!

Here they're demanding that the author do the rewrite: [link]

Ooh! Can I demand that directors redo movies I didn't like?

There is a reason for expectations, especially in genre fiction.

I could be wrong but it's my impression that romance is especially restrictive in this sense. Science fiction, mystery, horror or thrillers have more latitude in plot outcome than Romance. I think you can hit all the beats in those other genres and have a variety of outcomes, but Romance has to end happily so the narrative suspense is somewhat muted.

But...I've never really read a Romance (unless Precious Bane counts) so I'm just going on general impressions and speculation.

From the outside, it does seem like a lot of rules. Some people object if they bump uglies too early, for instance.

Science fiction, mystery, horror or thrillers have more latitude in plot outcome than Romance. I think you can hit all the beats in those other genres and have a variety of outcomes

But expectations don't cover *only* the outcome. Other genres do allow for more than one kind of ending, but each genre demands certain elements ... or a book doesn't fall within the genre anymore.

From the outside, it does seem like a lot of rules. Some people object if they bump uglies too early, for instance.

Some people get upset if they call it "bumping uglies" too.

I think "bumping uglies" is my very favorite euphemism for sex.

I actually did read a parody romance written to flaunt the "rules" once, although, you're right, they still didn't call it *that*, no.

But expectations don't cover *only* the outcome. Other genres do allow for more than one kind of ending, but each genre demands certain elements ... or a book doesn't fall within the genre anymore.

That's true. But the genre elements are less plot defining except in perhaps Mysteries which - like Romance - needs a money shot satisfying ending. Science Fiction can go just about anywhere storywise, it just needs elements addressing how advances in technology can affect the story. Similarly a Western is defined by it's setting and era and to a lesser extent it's themes, but within that can tell any story it wants.

But mystery has about fifty billion categories, which is cool, until you start think about how Chandler would feel about being shelved next to the mystery solving Siameses. Then, it's a little sad.