The Wedding Date; A Romance Subgenre

The story of a woman needing a date for a family wedding isn't that rare. It's almost a subgenre, like Secret Baby books. The main plot involves an event like a wedding or class reunion where the heroine (it's always the heroine) wants to prove that all those people in her past were wrong about her, that other people--better people--value her the way those people never did. There's always a tinge of desperation about the heroine because she fears those people have a near-magical ability to make her doubt herself the way she did "back then." This desperation drives her to find an escort who is so good/handsome/funny/charming/rich/wonderful (pick any or all) so that no one will be able to make her feel like that fat/shy/clumsy/homely/gawky/stupid (usually one will do) girl she believed herself to be "back then."

These stories speak to a lot of us who remember too vividly how awful it felt to be so awkward, out of place, and doubtful about our worth. It's also possible that they hold their power over us because we have unresolved issues about that part of our lives. We expect to achieve a vicarious resolution through these stories, and woe to the author who doesn't deliver.

That's what happened with a book I just finished. In this case the heroine's long-time buddy agrees to play the loving beau and escort the heroine home for her evil step-sister's wedding. Of course, thrown into this close proximity, sparks fly. The couple denies the attraction; they argue; nearly step over the line; back away, and then . . . Then, to my total dismay, the hero allows the truly evil step-sister to seduce him on the eve of her wedding.

I finished the book. Mostly to see if the writer could recover from this misstep. I was skeptical that it could be done. In the end, though she came close, the author failed to rescue the story. Why? Not because he had sex with someone other than the heroine (although that would be enough for some readers) but because the hero betrayed the heroine with her arch-rival. He slept with the one person who was capable of and willing to drive a stake through her heart. Even though, in his mind, it was "only sex," the magnitude of this betrayal made it unforgivable. Some things are. 

Have you seen behavior in a romance that you felt was unforgivable? If not, what would qualify?

Book Review: Front Page Affair by Mira Lyn Kelly

Mira Lyn Kelly caught my attention when I read the review at Dear Author for her first book Wild Fling or Wedding Ring (yes, I know. Terrible title.) It became one of my favorite books of the year, so I was delighted to lay my hands on her second book, Front Page Affair.

Ms. Kelly's strength is in pulling me emotionally through the story. Her characters can do a complete 180 emotional reversal, but the author never lets go of the reader's hand, never asks her to cover her eyes and pretend she "didn't see that."

Too often, that's precisely what other authors do. And I, like Dorothy in the Emerald City, am unable to ignore the author behind the curtain who is attempting to manipulate my emotions.

The sin of course isn't in manipulating my emotions. After all, that's precisely what I want from a book. The sin is in letting me see it. That just doesn't happen with Ms. Kelly. When Payton (the heroine) hopes that Nate (the hero) loves her, I'm there. And near the end of the book, when she give up that hope, practically between one heartbeat and the next, I make that transition with her, because Ms. Kelly understands how that change happens inside the heart, and she finds just the right words, not just to show that change in the heroine, but to make me feel it as well. And I find myself so skillfully manipulated that I want to beg for more.

With all this raving, one might get the idea that I think the book is perfect. It's not. A long-standing animosity between Nate and Payton's brother that dates back to high school provides the initial story complication. Ms. Kelly takes her time revealing the details of the falling out between the two men, which may be why I didn't really zero in on my difficulty with this part of the story until after I'd finished the book. My first impression was that they had been friends, but later it seemed that they'd associated more because they needed something from each other. It's a false step in  my eyes, because I can't reconcile the way Payton and Nate remember their past association when it hinges on his relationship with her brother which wasn't that of a friend.

Later still, when Payton's brother learned that she is seeing Nate, I expected him to create another obstacle for their relationship. Indeed, I felt this was an implied promise. Instead, he was the catalyst for one of the emotional changes mentioned above. As I was reading the story, I was caught up enough in the heroine's emotions that I accepted this, but on a subliminal level, it tugged at me. Not enough to do serious damage to the story, and my faith in the author is strong enough to believe that, had the story been just a bit longer (the publisher's length requirement may account for this) she would have addressed this with the same skill she displayed in the rest of the story. I do know that this flaw wasn't enough to stop my heart from crying "Nooooo! I want more!" as I approached the last few pages of the book.

And that's what really counts in the end, that Nate and Payton's emotions ring true. Using that yardstick, what the book delivers can only be expressed with a deep sigh of satisfaction on the last page.

I'm not sure how I'm going to amuse myself while I wait for the next one of Ms. Kelly's books to be released, but you can bet I'll have it preordered.

GMC: Goal Motivation & Conflict by Debra Dixon: A Review

Once you've been around the writing scene for a while, you know that there's hundreds of middle of the road books about writing that don't offer anything new, but sometimes new information isn't what you need. You need something that helps you grapple with the principles you already know. A new way to see story elements that's going to click with the way your mind works. This is one of those extraordinary books that does that.

In a recent story I wrote, my hero and heroine started life with full-blown goals, motivations, and conflicts. I knew exactly what each of them wanted from page one, why they wanted it, and what stood in their way. It was a gift from the gods. All I had to do was stand back and watch them fight for what they wanted. *sigh* If only all characters came so fully equipped.

Most of the time you have to equip your characters yourself. How to do that is the main thrust of GMC. Even if you already know that your characters must want something (goal) and you know why they want it (motivation) and why they can't have it (conflict), this book is still worth having in your library.

One of the reasons is because, if you're anything like me, you sometimes confuse the elements. And it's easy to do. If you'd asked me before I read this what my heroine's goal was in the story I channeled, I'd have said, "to have a family of her own" but that's actually her motivation.

GMC provides a formula to encompass the three elements. That formula comes down to 3 words: want, because, but.

The little girl wants ice cream because all the other children at her birthday party are having ice cream but she's lactose intolerant.

And there you have it. Goal, motivation, and conflict. Interestingly enough, this formula comes in handy when you need to pitch your story.

But it's not always that easy for me. One of the examples Dixon uses extensively in GMC is Casablanca. In the beginning of the movie, Rick's goal is to keep the bar open, but what's the motivation? Initially, I drew a blank because, for me, the fact that he needs money is so basic and so universal that I skate right over it. It's a "duh" motivation. But apparently, "duh" motivations are valid. My guess is, however, that if you have a "duh" motivation, your either going to need interesting goals and conflicts or have additional goals for the character to keep the reader engaged.

While identifying the GMC is the books main thrust, Dixon touches on other things: black moments, showing vs. telling, viewpoint, dominant impressions, urgency, and query writing because these things tie to GMC. She handles each subject with the clarity that has made so many aspiring writers find a permanent place on their bookshelf for this book.

What revelations have you found in writing books, magazines, or websites? Which resources do you recommend to others?

If you'd like to see reviews of other writing sources, go here.