Monday, March 17, 2008
You Can't put That in a Romance Novel!
Recently I began revising my first WIP. It was going along nicely when I realized there was a whole new element to the plot I hadn't seen before. I personally think this element makes it unpublishable. So, tell me what, to you, is something you can't put in a romance novel? For me it's cheating heroes. Infidelity is a big no-no for me and strips the leading man of the word hero.
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3 comments:
I think that's what does it for me too. I read a book once where he cheated. The author tried to make it better by making his wife a "bad" wife, but I didn't buy it.
And I know what you're talking about and I think it's workable, as long as you are tactful with it.
I think you have to look at the genre. In romance, cheating is a no-no. But then what about a woman on the run from her husband... and she meets the hero. It's been done. Does it count?
There are things I won't read, but I'm not sure that means it shouldn't be published. What I can say is write with effect. If you have a character who beats up on the heroine, in my book the hero better save her and teach the other guy a lesson. Readers want a good resolution. If you're going to have a really horrible character, they should be dealt with accordingly in the end. To me, that's more important than the actual element itself.
I've read books where you had an element or a terrible character or whatever and nothing happened to them in the end. I'll never read that author's work again b/c it wasn't a satisfactory resolution. At least not to me. JMO. :)
Marnee! It's good to see we agree on that one. And thanks for saying my plot point is workable. It concerns me.
Alice! Thanks for stopping by. Now you have me thinking. If the woman is on the run from a bad husband I don't know how I'd feel. I haven't read a book like that one yet. And thanks for all of your advice. You obviously know what you're talking about.
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