It is first important to remember what romance writing is about. This is a story of a couple, coming to know each other, overcoming some obstacles along the way, and then, the mandatory element, they reach a "Happily Ever After." The plot of the story just happens to be the road they are traveling along the way to get to that moment. The goal of the author is to show the building relationship along the way.
A good way to understand romance is to look at Mark Knapp's model examining the stages of a relationship.
For romance, the focus is on the first half of this model. Readers know that after they hit that HEA, they will be together for a while, and work on that relationship, and yes, we know that things may fall apart or they simply die. We aren't looking for that part of the story.
Now here is the key. Since we are watching in on this intimate building of a relationship, and we want to feel all of those great emotions the characters are feeling along the way, we have to like the characters. We have to get to know the characters just like they learn to get to know each other. If the plot starts getting in our way of getting to know those characters, the emotional satisfaction is not going to be there.
My wife and two daughters have been hooked on watching the Netflix series, REIGN. This is the story of Mary, Queen of Scots. In an episode they watched recently, the writers had the characters dealing with a death of a little girl. Now, I fully get they were hoping for the viewers to be going through boxes of tissues. Was the scene touching? Yes. Did it have the impact? No. The reason is that this plot of the story had over-shadowed the connection to the girl that was needed. Because the viewers had been focused on the other plot line, and did not get a chance to really get involved with the girl, to get to know her, the impact was just not there.
As an agent, this is part of the reason that during pitches, I will not let people read their memorized pitches to me. I want to hear them talk. When they do, if the story is too plot focused, all they tell me are the actions that take place in the story. If, however, they are writing about characters, I have to ask additional questions to know the plot.
Plots are necessary. The things in the story have to be logical and everything needs to be connected together. But, if you are not taking the time to really let us get to know your hero and heroine, you are missing the point.
Your last paragraph is a little confusing.
ReplyDeleteYou WANT a situation where you can't figure out the plot of the story without asking additional questions?
I've heard agents say that if the author can't summarize their story in a few sentences, that's a major problem no matter how good the story (and characters) are themselves.