For these stories, the make or break deal is the hero and how the heroine comes into her life. This guy needs to be larger than life and not just physically attracted to this girl. When she enters his life, we need to see her truly change him.
Too often, we see stories in this line that lack that conflict. This hero can not be an easy person to change, but through the strenght of the heroine, we see those barriers that he has built up completely fall away.
One thing to stress on this one that came across in this competitors entries. Although the blurbs were essentially fine, the word count became an issue. Although editors might not be that picky about word count and yes, we know they will vary from time to time, these are guidelines. If your story is not falling in the brackets the editors have established, you might as well plan on a rejection. Being a bit over is fine, but being under word count can hurt.
Really read those guidelines.
The last 4 posts are really something to read. And I'm not even writing in this genre.
ReplyDeleteIt made me reallt stop & think about what it meant to be "English." in the 1800's. Inineach social class. How would that belief system translate into behavior for each character?Remarkable. A whole nrew way to look at plotting.
AS for women being "too equal," how fascinating is this? Saying one thing and wanting anotherm yes indeed. I watched the appearance of "forced seduction" with dismay. Of course "too equal" would logically follow that regression into print.
I realize this is a particular product line, but this request does follow months of agent and editor demands that the "heroine must be an active figure who does not depend on a man to solve her problems."
No wonder women drive men crazy. You are a most incisive thinker, as always. What a minefiled we have created for ourselves. Poor fuddled males indeed.