The Vampire story is dead. We've been hearing that for years—yet it's not true. So the Vampire story must be undead. Sorry. I couldn't resist. But the fact remains, people (except those who don't) love a vampire story.
The same goes for other plot types. We all have or favorites—and our un-favorites. (Not to be confused with undead.)
• Sports Stories
• Secret Baby
• Marriage of Convenience
• Reunited Lovers
• Unexpected Pregnancy
• Rags to Riches
• Mistaken Identity
• Cinderella
• Kidnapping
• Oh, no! He's Not Dead, After All!
• Oh, no! We Hate Each Other, But We're Snowed in Together!
• I'd Love You, If I hadn't Made this Death Bed Promise
• I'll Love You as Soon as We Get Out of This Mess and My Smoking Gun Cools
That's just the tip of the iceberg. I could go on. I bet you think I'm going to ask what your favorite kinds of stories are, but I'm not. We love romance--reading it and writing it, so most of us love most kinds of stories.
But we all have that one. Plotter dislikes a secret baby story. I avoid stories where the heroine pretends to be a boy.
What plot type do you not care for?
I read pretty much everything, but I don't like sad and depressing women's fiction books where nobody gets a HEA-I call the "Oprah Book Club" books.
ReplyDeleteI love a happy ending. Oh, and a hunky dude.
:-)
Oh! I love the h/h in disguise stories! LOL! For me there is always something great in a story where the characters find out they are not who they say they are.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with Christine, a happy ending is a MUST!
Actually, I guess I like all the choices you mentioned Plotter. A vampire pretending to be someone he's not, forced into a marriage of convenience only to find out his wife is the reincarnation of his past love. Now that would be AWESOME!
I have found the best way to deal with a plot you don't like, such as the secret baby story, is to write one. Seriously. I've always loathed secret baby stories, but when I was working on the book that would become my August 2010 release, I kept ending up in the same place: my heroine's young son simply had to be the hero's secret baby. So, I had to figure out a way to make it work in a way that didn't offend me, since I hate secret baby stories. I'd be curious to see if other secret baby haters think it works. :)
ReplyDeleteAll that to say, I don't think I'll ever say "never" again--there's an inherent challenge in writing something you swore you never would.
Although I still haven't written a vampire romance and don't anticipate it. ;)
Christine--I agree about the happy ending. I picked up a book recently in the bookstore and knew immediately it was not going to end well. I left it there.
ReplyDeleteKathy--I think you should go for it!
Paula--I'll pass that on to Plotter! I'd love to do a secret baby story but she might insist that the mother be dressed as the father.
Ah yes! That would be an awesome book, would it not? ;)
ReplyDeleteKathy, Plotter, you, and I should plot it together. But in our mythology, vampires have to be fertile because there has to be a secret vampire baby.
ReplyDeleteYuck! LOL! I'd love to plot it with you, but I'm not sure a secret baby fits in, unless the baby was from when the vampire was a normal Joe and he never knew he'd sired an heir. We must talk! I like this idea of us plotting together. ;)
ReplyDeleteHmmm...I'm the worst at coming up with things like this. I think any kind of story can be terrific if done well! But surely there's something out there I don't particularly care for...hmmm...must think on this one some more.
ReplyDeleteI do know some I love, though! But that wasn't the question, was it? *sigh* Maybe I'm just no good at following rules!
Kim,
ReplyDeleteYou did, in fact, follow the rules bit if give you permission to break them and tell us what you love. I need to know.
Wow. I didn't have my glasses on. That is:
ReplyDeleteKim,
You did, in fact, follow the rules but I give you permission to break them and tell us what you love. I need to know.
You're a rebel, Kim! Woo-hoo! I'm impressed. ;)
ReplyDeletePaula-I will look forward to reading your secret baby story. I am always open to see how the secret baby story might be done in a way that I would enjoy.
ReplyDeleteChristine-I am soooo with you on the Oprah Book Club novels. I actually said to my book
club one night, "Why do we keep reading these books. We don't have any thing in common with Oprah. Why are we letting her select our books?" I want a book with a HEA.
For the record, I would love to plot with Pantster and Kathy to write a mistaken identity(race and gender), secret baby, Vampire Pirate romantic comedy, historical, suspense. I really think the market is primed to explode on just such a trend!
What a marvelous idea, Plotter! Name the time and place....
ReplyDeleteI'm late as usual, *pulling up a chair*
ReplyDeleteOk, my favorite plot..."Beauty and the Beast" stories. LOVE it. (ALong with Vampire stories..!)
Now secret vampire baby...I could go for! (And yes, I'd rather find a book club that reads books with HEA's!!)
M.V.
M.V. - Maybe as twist our vampire could be terribly scarred and that would give you the beauty/beast that you need.
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone for sharing your hates/loves and plot ideas with us today!
I'm way late in replying, but wanted to share. I love reunion romances!!!! I always figured that means I must secretly (subconsciously) want to have a little rendezvous with a past flame :) If I'm not careful, every story idea I get involves "the one that got away"!
ReplyDeleteAhhh, a reunion story...another oldie but goodie!
ReplyDeleteKim- it is good to hear from you its never to late to join us. :-)
Vampires always have reunions. Some are good, some bad, but aren't they fun?
ReplyDeleteSo now we have a vampire, secret baby, reunion story to plot. ;)
Oh, then, I am really late. I agree with Christine and Panster on the Oprah books: they are too depressing! I don't like books that give me a lecture. I like to read fiction, particularly romance, strictly for enjoyment. If I want a lecture, I'll read nonfiction or read the news. I despise getting a lecture when I am in the mood for escapism and entertainment!
ReplyDelete