I think we should all pester PBW to write the book about John the half-demon cop. Really. Because that’s what she gets for writing such an interesting example in her plotting how-to.
Angela Knight has a column on erotic romance that says it all. It’s very disconcerting to hear that an editor might think things like plot and characterization aren’t needed in a novel. I can’t even imagine trying to fill an entire book with nothing but disconnected sex scenes. I’d be bored by page 50 and by page 100 they’d all start dying in horrible, mysterious ways or beds would spontaneously blow up just to have some action.
Good grief, my short story is an erotic romance, and it contains plot, setting, characterization, conflict, resolution, romance, happily ever after. And hot sex. If it was nothing but hot sex, there’d be no STORY. I’m not saying it would win any awards, but it does contain all the elements of fiction. Readers read books for stories, that seems pretty clear. So, to sum up, if there’s no story I can’t imagine who would want to write it let alone read it.
Now I’m hearing that line from Natalie Goldberg about her first novel attempt; “It has no narrative drive”.
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