OF ‘KILIG’ AND WRITING FROM THE HEART

International bestselling romance novelist Tessa Dare writes for the feels

International bestselling romance novelist Tessa Dare writes for the feels

Confession: I stopped reading romance novels around college, when I realized there was no knight in shining armor, no duke sitting on top of a treasure chest, no swashbuckling, arrogant, hard-on-the-outside, soft-on-theinside hero to take me away from the drudgery of real life (Where was the galloping white horse when you needed it to tackle EDSA traffic?) Picking up 50 Shades of Grey, marketed as “romance” (but whyyy), didn’t help any. So it’s been a while since I read novels with swooning women and some version of Fabio on the cover. When Tessa Dare’s books landed on my table, I groaned. Her historical romance books—13 novels and four novellas— are all bestsellers. Tessa herself is a New York Times-bestselling author, but so is EL James (shiver, shiver).

Three chapters deep into my first Tessa Dare, Romancing the Duke— and despite my reluctance—I was hooked. The characters are flawlessly written, the storyline is cleverly crafted, the clichés are sparsely used, and the feels, the feels!—I often had to put down my book and sigh (and shiver, in a good way. Not in an EL James kind of way.) And so, somewhere between Izzy Goodnight turning up at the crumbling castle and Ransom hoisting her over his broad shoulder, I fell in love. And became a fan. Knots-inthe-stomach, gooey insides, kilig kind of fan. It’s been so long since I felt the feels, I thought I had heartburn.

When I meet Tessa Dare during her trip to Manila for National Book Store’s signing event, I tell her about her book’s effect, fawned, really, and informed her that no English word equivalent to “kilig” exists. She turns to her Filipino husband Ariel and asks him what “kilig” is. “It’s like when you sit beside someone you like, and you feel…” he says, serious. “The feels?” she asks. “No, it’s more than just the feels. It’s…‘kilig!’” we say in unison. “It’s probably what you felt when you first met him?” I offer. “Kilig is, like, getting the feeling that you want to pee?” (Not helpful, I know, and maybe totally unique to me.)

A strike of inspiration: “Like, you’re a romance novelist, so I’m sure you mine your relationship for stories and details and your husband must be super duper romantic.” They exchange a meaningful glance. She speaks slowly, weighing her words, “He’s not so much about the bringing of flowers, the romantic gestures, the sweetness, but honey—” she lays a hand on his knees, looks intently into his eyes—“Maybe I haven’t said this before, but I just want to tell you thank you for the support, for being very encouraging, I’m so thankful for that.”

They’re now holding hands, and I feel like the third wheel on a date.

“I just had a baby when I wanted to write my first novel,” she says. “I wanted to quit my job as a librarian, because I wanted to try to write all the time. I was going to give up a very good job with a stable income, and it was a huge risk. And he told me, go for it, don’t worry, go after your dreams. He has always been very encouraging and I’m very, very thankful for that.”

Fifteen years ago, when she was in her 20s, Tessa lived in Palo, Leyte, sent to the Philippines as a volunteer librarian. What was initially a sixmonth stint turned into, as she became enamored of the place and its people (particularly one goodlooking local), a one-and-a-half-year sojourn. Her business trip to the Philippines, to meet her growing fanbase—coincided with her husband’s college reunion, and Tacloban City’s fiesta. For the first time since Yolanda hit, Tessa was able to visit the children’s library where she once worked. “It’s still standing, but the roof was blown away. They were able to repair it and gradually add more books from sponsoring organizations,” she happily tells us.

In an interview with MB Lifestyle, the author (who peppers her speech with “puwede na” and “’di ba” ) talks about the elements of great romance novels (she didn’t mention handcuffs), where she gets inspiration (not always from the husband), and how she finds romance in her life.

So you started writing at 30 but you’ve finished writing 15 books.

Thirteen full-length books and about four novellas. The novellas are like they’re just shorter stories in the same style so like the full-length novel is 400 pages; the novella is like 150 or something. It’s shorter. In the genre, I’m considered slow—in a year I write maybe one and a half books, but a lot of romance novelists write two or three in a year. I don’t run out of ideas because every couple has a story of how they met, how they fell in love, and there’s a lot of people to get inspiration from. I’ve visited different castles for research because there’s no substitute to actually going! It’s fun and a good excuse to take a trip.

What makes a tasteful romance novel?

As writers, we all want to write the stories we want to read. So if I try to write like somebody else, it won’t come out good, so I just try to stay true to my own voice and pray that people would want it. There’s also putting a lot of emotions and a lot of sexiness in it as well, but I focus on the emotions. I like emotional stories, but with humor. Lighthearted stories are entertaining. The big danger of writing romance is not falling into the trap of using clichés. How do you guard yourself from that?

I think that a lot of times those things are cliché because they’re a cliché for a reason. There’s a reason scenes like there’s a couple traveling together but there’s only one room work. You use those clichés but twist them up a little bit, so they don’t quite go the way you’re expecting. You try to keep the best part of it, the essence. You should keep it fresh as well. Who are your inspirations in the genre?

When I was younger I was reading Jane Austen a lot. She wasn’t writing historical romance. She was writing modern novels of her time. Julie Garwood was also a popular writer when I was a teenager. She wrote historical romances that were funny and lighthearted, and during her time, a lot of the romance writers were writing something dark, like someone gets kidnapped and things turn ugly. What are the most fun and challenging things about writing a romance novel?

The most fun thing is to live all those kilig, those exciting moment of your life. I compare it when you go to a very romantic wedding where the couple is very in love and you feel it. If you’re married you look at yourself and remember how it felt when everything was new. As the writer, we live all the moments, we remember them, and just have fun. Talking to readers as well as corresponding with them is a lot of fun, too. The challenging part is letting go because if you’re a writer and you don’t have a deadline, you try and change things and finally you have to let it go because it’s time. I have to stop myself from changing one more thing, and just letting go. Is it hard to write romance when you and Ariel are fighting?

We never fight. We don’t fight very much. Everybody has moods. It can be more challenging, though. A lot of times when you want to be inspired you watch a favorite romantic movie or read a great romance novel, just so you remember the kilig and feel inspired again. Is it hard to write with kids around? Where do you go to write?

I started writing when my son was an infant. In our house, I have an office of my own. Ariel takes care of them when he’s not working. I write while they’re at school, or I stay up late at night. Or when I really need to write, I sometimes have to book a hotel for a few days and leave them with Ariel. I really need to get away for a few days and just concentrate for a long stretch. What is the one necessary ingredient in writing a book?

Aside from romance, definitely humor. Because I like to laugh and I like to make people laugh. You can also find humor in any situation. That is a very Filipino trait. It’s like even if you have typhoons, you can still make a joke. There’s something about being able to laugh and make the problem seem a little smaller. What has been your greatest experience because of the books’ success?

Getting to come to Manila and having reporters interview you is pretty exciting. Another thing is winning the Rita Award, which is like our Oscars. It was a really exciting moment to have that and to think about what you’re going to say when you receive the award. My husband also got to be there. Which of your books did you like writing the most?

A Week to Be Wicked. It seems to be one of the readers’ favorites, too, because it was a lot of fun and the characters were different. They all go on this crazy trip, and there are twists and turns. When you write certain characters, especially the leading men, do you base their looks on real people?

I actually did base Ransom on Jamie Lannister. [Laughs]. I do look at certain actors when I need a face for a character, like someone who may be good looking and strong and rich but who underwent something so humbling. What’s the best thing anyone has ever written about you in social media?

Somebody messaged me, saying she was flying from Iloilo to Manila just for the signing. That’s such a high compliment. Sometimes somebody cries when they meet me, and it’s such a huge thing because it meant that my book actually meant something to her. It’s exciting to think that somebody loves your work as much as you do.

‘I actually did base Ransom on Jamie Lannister. [Laughs]. I do look at certain actors when I need a face for a character, like someone who may be good looking and strong and rich but who underwent something so humbling.’