Of Soul Mates and Nausea

I’m struggling.

See, I’ve decided to write for a line of romances that takes a lower word count (most romances require 70,000 – 100,000 words, this one only requires 55,000). As homework, I promptly headed to my library and checked out about 25 books in the two similar lines I’m aiming for to get a better feel for the kind of story and writing that the editors want.

Can it be possible that the editors want sappy romances with little plot or conflict? That’s the impression I get from the two books I’ve read so far, and one of them had such potential in the plotline. That potential was utterly lost in the writing. The story is unbelievable and improbable, and the writing (if I do say so myself… uh, I guess there’s really no other way to say it, is there?) is … well, really, really awful. It’s so full of clichés and overused metaphors I can hardly stand it.

The hero, from the moment he meets the heroine, knows somehow that she’s “Meant For Him” – i.e. soul mates. The heroine feels exactly the same. And they harp on that fact over, and over, and over…. ad nauseum.

The conflict between them falling madly in love and living HEA? What could it be that’s strong enough to keep even soul mates apart? Why, he’s ten years older than her, of course. Serious stuff. I mean, what a scandal if they should be married, huh?

So, now what? Good grief, I can’t write crud like that … and I know – she’s published (this author actually has several books published in this line) and I’m not, so clearly I have no business criticizing her.

Then the question for me needs to be this: Am I willing to write for the market instead of writing what’s in my heart if what’s in my heart will probably never be published?

**sigh**

That’s almost as tough to answer as that old chicken and the egg question.

And, no, I’m not going to include this book in my reading log. If I ever get it up and running.

But that’s another story.

Hey! I know… I can write about a heroine who is trying to learn HTML and the hero is disgusted by (albeit terribly attracted to) a woman who can’t grasp basic computer languages. He’s knows that they’re meant for each other, but in all his imaginings, his soul mate speaks HTML fluently. It’s a deal breaker. She will, of course, break through this barrier by applying herself diligently to her classes because, she knows in her heart that they are soul mates.

I’m going to get busy on that one right now. I think it shows promise.