Welcome to the Round Table discussion about Spanking Romance! Today's topic is hosted by: Lucy Appleby
Though I am still green to books on the market I am an avid reader of this genre. The first/sample chapter has to have a combination of things going on to entice me to actually purchase the book. To be frank I know what I like and if it is not there I will pass it on.
First - What am I looking for?
Are the characters well described? Do they have a dynamic opening/meeting moment? Does main character one trip over main character two and they laugh about it and go from there? Does one turn around and shove the other? Are they bratty? A whole bunch of anticipation after the initial meet-up builds in hopes of a second run in - re-union ect.
From a writer's point of view I want to make that moment memorable. I happen to write M/f for now and my sole focus is to get the two of them to share a tender minute usually while one of them is acting goofy or completely uninterested.
My characters are incorrigible sometimes but I digress. My current work in progress has the main girl nearly falling headfirst down a flight of steep steps. The main male prevents her fall and 'Poof' she is intrigued. This scene is absolutely the basis to get my readers asking questions and wanting to know more!
Second - Are they believable in relation to the niche (paranormal, fantasy, contemporary, historical...)?
If I am reading a contemporary and the main character sprouts wings and flies away I am not going to keep reading. I will chalk it up to a bad drug experience for the poor thing and move on. If however I am reading a clearly paranormal story I may wonder if this character is part fae. Hey, stranger things have happened.
As a writer I need to make my characters believable and mostly approachable. I have a bad bad habit of creating brats...wait I know you just rolled your eyes there. Bratty Addy writes about brats? Shocking! Please stay with me. My female leads have all been super passionate and fiercely independent whether by circumstance or unfortunate incident. I like writing strong women who happen to get into a situation where they need to depend on someone else. It makes for a nice dance of wanting to be dominant yet allowing others to assist. This is my favorite type of set-up as both a reader and writer.
Third- What event throws them together?
Did someone get thrown out of a bar? Is the main character's life in danger? Did the main character just have a bad day at work?
Reading and writing is the same on this last point. There must be action or I am not happy. You almost fell down a mountain but the helicopter arrived and zoomed you away? Yey! There are bad guys chasing the two of you across town on motorbikes? Sweet. I do make a slight exception for historical but a sword fight or horse chase will also hook me in. I like to do something, anything, dramatic to really get my reader's interest piqued. THIS is important to have the next page turned...or you know slide of the finger.
Overall?
Give me some strong characters and I will write my own to share with you. I want to see action and believable characters who are thrown together for a random event or circumstance and I will also return the favor. I love to read what I love to write. Of course the story must contain spankings, sexy spankings, punishment spankings, really any kind. They make EVERY story more interesting. ;)
Go check out the rest of the round table posts!
<3
Addy
These are such great (and helpful, to me) points, Addy. Gotta learn to do this ASAP. Thank you for taking the time to write it up and very glad I stopped in!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to visit everyone later on tonight. Thank you so much for stopping by!
DeleteI love a bratty character. Just saying. When you are reading a spanking romance and expecting said character to get spanked, it helps if they are bratty. And it is usually entertaining!
ReplyDeleteGood post, Bratty Addy :)
LOL I think I earned the nickname. :)
DeleteGreat post Addy. I think it's very helpful to all of us. I enjoyed that you spoke both as a writer as well as a reader. I do the same thing when shopping for a good book. If that 10% Excerpt doesn't hook me... I normally don't slide my finger over to the buy button.
ReplyDeleteI guess I just want to say that I want it all! I have one more post to go and I agree with each one which is in a way contradictory! I am just going to say that I want it all!!!
ReplyDeleteI love your 1, 2, 3 check list. That's a great way to start thinking up ideas for stories too.
ReplyDeleteSome great points there, Addy. The one re having believable and strong characters that we can identify with is so important - and if they happen to be engaging in spanking - even better :)
ReplyDeleteGreat checklist, those ideas are what makes a good story
ReplyDeleteThe characters make or break the book. How they come across on those first few pages or chapters absolutely decides weather a reader will read on or not. Great list!
ReplyDeleteoh I love this, Adaline, getting both your perspective as a reader and writer.
ReplyDeleteYes, I absolutely agree!!
ReplyDelete