Understanding Forced Plots

One of the most common reasons I pass on a project is because the author has really forced the plot. Essentially, the author had to try too hard to get the characters together, get the plot moving or even come up with a decent premise. When the plot or story is forced, it comes across as not being natural. The characters seem fake, and the story seems to go no where.

Let's start with characters. In the case of a romance, the characters need to actually be people, who, in the real world, would likely be together. I know a lot of people seem to think that characters that are polar opposites of each other make a great story. It will be a real challenge to get them together. And that is the point. It is a real challenge and the only way to get them together is by creating unrealistic plot elements. 

I see the same thing when it comes to plots. This is really an issue with many people writing women's fiction. These authors often have a single character or event they think will make a great story. The reality is that there probably is not a lot to work with and this idea might be nothing more than a single scene. But, to get that word count up there, the author starts to force the story along with mindless events. 

Consider this. An author thinks writing a story about a woman who has just gone through a divorce is a great story line. Sure, we can do something with that, but if all we do is 80,000 words of doing the same thing over and over again, then the story is forced.

To remedy this requires the author to figure out what their big take away is. What do they want the readers to learn or see by the end of the story. If it is a romance, what is the theme that is going to pull these characters together. Then stick to that. Draft out that central plot and work with that. If you note that the characters are simply not going to be compatible with each other, then don't use those characters. 

Remember that both romance and women's fiction stories are designed to connect the reader with the characters. This is a reflection on the real world. If you have a story that is too over-the-top, you will lose the readers.