Writing College Romance
When I set out to write Calling Calling Calling Me, I knew I wanted to tell a story about two people who fell in love while coming to understand who they are. I feel like this is a lot of what college is about: that journey towards figuring out what you care about and who you want to be in the world, often while living on your own for the first time. College gave me an idea of what was out there, what I could have or strive for, and connected me with people outside of the bubble I’d lived in as a kid. For my protagonists Patrick and Josh, this is what college does for them too. It allows them to spread their wings.
Depending on where you go to college, though, it can be a different sort of experience for you. Patrick and Josh come from opposite ends of the spectrum – Patrick wants nothing more than to leave his childhood and hometown behind and start completely fresh in San Francisco, but Josh is grounded in the place he’s grown up, more comfortable being where he knows it backwards and forwards and feels safe. These different visions sometimes create tension between them, but they also allow them to be what each other needs: for Patrick, Josh is a tour guide, and for Josh, Patrick helps him to see what’s beautiful about the city he’s come to take for granted.
I think for a lot of people who are queer, college can be the first place they encounter a queer community, have a group of queer friends, and feel able to explore that identity. This is definitely true for Patrick, who’s spent his high school years feeling isolated and like a freak. Suddenly in college he’s being taken to clubs where nobody blinks if two guys are dancing dirty, meeting roommates who only care about his sexuality in the sense that they want to get him laid (Boys? Girls? Whatever you’re into!), and celebrating the drunken debauchery that is Halloween in San Francisco, where costumes give you a chance to be whoever you want to be, even if it’s just for the night. These many first times are so much a part of the college experience, and for Patrick, this new freedom leads him to his first kisses, first hook-ups, and first time falling in love.
Patrick and Josh’s relationship is so intense because it’s grounded in those firsts. Writing a college romance was honestly so much fun for me, because there were so many opportunities to write about that journey of self-discovery, that moment in time when all roads seem open to you, when you’re free to set your own course and see where it leads.
Calling Calling Calling Me by Natasha Washington
Publisher: Natasha Washington
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Subgenre: Contemporary Queer Romance/New Adult
Tropes/Themes: college romance, first time, fish out of water
Book Synopsis:
Patrick Mahoney has one goal in mind: get out of his native Fresno and find freedom in the rainbow and glitter-painted streets of San Francisco. As a college freshman, he’s sure he’ll finally have the chance to be himself, away from the judgmental eyes of his conservative hometown.
Josh Dirda’s never wanted to be tied down before, preferring the emotional ease of the one night stand. But when Patrick moves into the apartment that Josh shares with three friends, Josh is caught up in Patrick’s sly wit and quietly creative spirit. As Patrick’s self-appointed tour guide, Josh can be Patrick’s introduction to the city he loves. But after a drunken Halloween hook-up crosses lines, Patrick and Josh must reckon with their true feelings—and decide whether they can let go of the ghosts that haunt them.
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About Natasha Washington:
Natasha Washington lives in Philadelphia, where she writes queer love stories in both YA (as Sonia Belasco) and romance. She has spent much of her professional life working with young people as a mentor, tutor, or therapist. When not writing, she is likely cooking, taking long, meandering walks, or listening to dance music or 90s hip-hop.
Connect with Natasha: Website | Twitter | Instagram
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