Have you ever wondered how many manuscripts hit an editor’s desk each day?
I once worked for a small publisher and I know it was at least ten so I can only imagine the deluge publishers like Harlequin deal with every week.
What has this got to do with this month’s topic about ways to come up with original plots?
When you think about stories and what ‘they’re about’ you know there are only so many out there. The majority are based loosely around the tried and true. In the case of romances that’s boy meets girl, things don’t go smoothly but boy pursues girl, they fall in love but things go wrong but the story has a happy ever after.
You probably know when you submit a manuscript you’re competing with lots of other writers so I always say if you offer your buyer (the editor) something different, they’re not only likely to sit up and take notice, but more likely to buy what you’re selling.
Here are five ways you can turn a done too many times story into something fresh…
Switch the Roles
I often see it’s the hero who’s commitment and marriage shy so how about having him ready to settle down but that’s the last thing the heroine wants to do?
Change the POV
Try writing a scene from two points of view and then switch things up. Change what one person did and thought and hand it over to the other one and vice versa.
Change the Tense
I’ve recently been revamping back titles and one thing I’ve found that can give them a new feel is to change the tense. For example, switch from past to present. It gives the story that immediate in the here and now feel and it’s almost like writing a new story.
Change From Third to First (or vice versa)
Another way you can change things up is to try and write in first person or if that’s your go to tense, how about third. Even try mixing and matching past and present tense.
Set In It Another Time
If you think about Sherlock Holmes and how many times those stories have been on TV, retold over and over again. Now think about the new version, the one that’s not set in Victorian times when the books were written. Could your contemporary be an historical or vice versa? Maybe it could even be set in the future where you, the writer, make the new rules of society and give the editor truly something new.
Do you have a writing question you’d like answered or what to see a specific topic covered in the Writer’s Room? Leave a comment and let me know.
Susan Palmquist is the author of 100 plus books including writing instruction, lifestyle, romances and mysteries. Under her pen name, Vanessa Devereaux, she writes erotic romances and erotica.
Since 2010 she’s been tutoring aspiring authors and offering workshops through various chapters of Romance Writers of America. She recently launched a mentoring/coaching service for both aspiring and established writers. You can learn more about Susan and her work at www.susanpalmquist.com www.vanessadevereaux.com and her writing blog at www.thiswriterslife.com and check out her self- paced writing classes at https://writersroom.zenler.com/
Contact Susan about her coaching/mentoring service at susanpalm2010@gmail.com
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