Plot Lines: A Different Type of Girl.
Intro to plot lines posts…
One only has to read a handful of romance books to understand that there are only so many basic plots out there in use, in fact this is true amongst any type of fiction. You might think that this would detract from reading. i mean how many books can you go through about the same thing before it becomes so formulaic that it is no longer satisfying to read? Well I believe if a story is written well,the answer is ALOT. On the other hand any author out there who thinks they are writing about something completely unique needs to read more.
As part of this blog I would like to look at different common plots found in romance books and consider what it is that as a reader I like or dislike about them. I would love to hear from you, your opinions on this plot line, but also other plot lines you would like to discuss in future.
My first study is:
Normal girl meets ridiculously rich/famous/successful confirmed bachelor who doesn’t plan to settle down or alternatively has been burned before (often by a girl ‘similar’ to him) and is not interested in a long term relationship again. As normal girl is so unlike his ‘usual’ type (normally a model, famous, heiress, or extremely rich in some way) neither considers a ‘romantic’ attachment. Because of this they establish a more meaningful relationship based on an actual mental and emotional connection, and tend to respect and appreciate each other more, although often they don’t consciously realize this.
At some point one realizes that the other person has come to mean something important to them and that they do in fact want a romantic relationship. The other person reaches this point later after some ultimatum, but finally redeems themselves and admits their reciprocal feelings.
Whats wrong with it…
Sometimes I feel authors don’t give the reader enough insight into the heros to understand why they are so drawn to the ‘common’ girl, after dating girls based solely on the length of their legs. To explain away this dating history you often hear the line, when the hero is an actor or famous in some way, ‘that it was all just for publicity’, but that feels overused.
My biggest pet peeve about these story lines however, is living as a female we are constantly reminded that society views women who have a lot of partners as pariahs, yet women authors are writing stories with heros who unashamedly have slept with half the country. I would definitely think twice about someone who has slept with numerous people, but more than that I struggle to believe that sex is a tool for deep connection (as it is meant to be in romance, otherwise it becomes erotica) if the man has had that many partners.
Why I like it…
I like the premise of this storyline, about finding someone that is different from yourself and doesn’t therefore agree with all your implicit thoughts on how things should be. Instead of conforming to your ideas, because they are the same as your own, they challenge you to think differently about the world. There are countless examples of this out in the ‘real’ world, including relationships with people of different cultures, nationalities or religion. Partnering with people of different backgrounds make you more conscious of your own identity, both the good and the bad.
I guess the other reason people like these stories is that it often means that the ‘common girl’ (aka someone just like the reader) can end up with the rich famous stud. If that is not the ultimate girl fantasy, what is?
Leave a comment on what you like or dislike about this kind of plot. If you have any favourite books that follow this you would like to mention feel free to include them.
