Monday, December 12, 2011

It Drives Me Crazy

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When it comes to books, we all have things that driver us crazy. Sometimes in a good way and other times not so much.

Here is what drives me crazy!

THE GOOD:

Reunion romances, enemies to lovers, and forbidden lovers. It seems like those have more complex conflicts and I really like that.

Amnesia plots. Those are just so much fun.

In erotic romance, I enjoy when one character walks in on the other one working themselves over, if you get my drift. 

THE BAD:

Love at first sight or they are destined to be together. That lacks conflict and I don't like that.

Secret baby plots, or marriage of convenience plots. Some authors can pull those off and make them work, but I think Harlequin has published so many books with this plot that if I see secret baby or convenient marriage in the blurb, I put the book down.

The super rich, super alfa hero, and the super nice and humble heroine. Sorry, I need real characters (or more realistic) in my stories.

The single dad and the woman who wants to play mommy. That plot became reality for me and it was more of a nightmare then a dream. 

The big misunderstanding as the main plot. Sorry, that can be a sub plot, but it always fails as the big plot because it usually lacks conflict. Sure, some authors could pull it off, but most can't.

What about you? What drives you crazy in good and bad ways?

6 comments:

  1. I don't mind marriages of convenience--especially in historicals because back then marriages were contracts, not love matches.

    But I'm not crazy about secret babies or super rich men/poor women stories. And someone will probably stake me for this, but I am really tired of vampire-anything.

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  2. Maria, in historicals it works because that was a way of life back then. But with contemporaries, in order to pull that plot off, there needs to be some very good reasons and lots of conflict.

    I'm tired of the entire vampire or werewolf trend too. There are so many other paranormal creatures that paranormal authors could use. We don't need those two. However, this is being said by the woman who is currently writing a vamp story. I'm such a hypocrite! To my defense, one publisher was doing a vampire/werewolf/paranormal antho call and I started writing the vamp story for that and then completely missed the deadline but by then I thought that the plot was good enough to stand on it's own.

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  3. lalalalalala!!! I love vampires! - says the chick with vampires still on the brain :-)

    Okay...so now that I got that said (lol!!!) I admit I am intrigued by taboo relationships, the forbidden romane, star crossed lovers.

    I am quite tired of the whole "it was all a misunderstanding" and the only thing driving the plot. Grrrr!

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  4. I agree with you, especially on the big misunderstanding plot. Especially if we know it's a misunderstanding from early on.

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  5. I can't stand perfect people with perfect lives. Those drive me nuts. I don't think every MC in YA needs to be a cheerleader with blonde hair and blue eyes. And I WAS one. But my eyes were green. However, my life was far from perfect. Give me flaws - fatal ones! I like my romance as a subplot too. Tension. Dripping with it! And mystery. If you can keep me guessing until the end, I will love you forever!

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  6. I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect life, and perfect people. If so, they are kidding themselves. :)

    Merry Christmas Angelina. Speak to you in the New Year. Enjoy.

    Suzanne :)

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