So here's my rant on this lovely Thursday....okay so it's not so lovely and it's supposed to rain, but I have to look at the bright side of something here. I've had a crappy week and it's heading downhill--not up.
Let's get started, shall we.
I was on a friends site last night and realized as I read some comments that there are published authors out there that have no idea what a GMC is. ARE U FREAKIN' KIDDING ME!!!
No I'm not--honestly!
For you non-writers, I expect you not to know. But so you do know, a GMC is: Goal, Motivation & Conflict.
IMO, what every book should have in it, no matter the genre.
As most of you know I'm writing paranormal and erotica. I still see no reason for each character not to have a GMC. This is just crazy. Now I will also admit that in the erotica genre this error happens more than most. Which is a catastrophic shame. More of a shame is I'm busting my butt to get it right and there are others out there that don't know or care. Nothing I can do. It is what it is, but it's my rant, so I ranted. :-P
We all read books for different reasons. Personally I want a HEA (Happy Ever After) even in erotic. I don't like sex for sex sake, and honestly it's boring. I want characters that are well rounded and have feelings, emotions, pain, suffering and all the stuff that makes them feel real to me.
I read almost every genre, but prefer romance in everything. I'm pretty well rounded in that aspect and before I ever took writing seriously, I think Vicki pounded in my head what a GMC was. We might not have known how to make it happen completely correctly - we do now - but the most important thing I can say is...IT'S IMPORTANT.
So I've told you what I like in books, tell me what you're looking for?
Hugs,
LKap
4 comments:
You're right, Vicki, however. I'm sick of conflict on page one. But the conflict doesn't have to be "action flick" explosions. Conflict can be done subtly, and I think that's lost as is *where* to put the derned thing. For instance Steinbeck did it nicely without explosions, so did Virginia Woolf. And for cryin' out loud, I don't think it belongs on page one: look, if I don't know who the character is, on page one, why should I give a rat's nose hair for their conflict?
Just my testy two cents. :)
Hey JAD
It's Laurie, I actually wrote the rant this morning. You're correct that conflict doesn't have to be on the 1st page, but I want to see that the characters have depth, and that can't happen unless, we, as writers, know their GMC.
Thanks for giving me your two cents
:-)
L
Laurie - I'm so with you on this. In fact, it's one thing that will make me want to put a book down. If there's no GMC then really to me I've got a very boring book in my hand.
I need to know what the H/H wants and why they want it, but I also need that conflict so that I can root for them while they have to work through it.
Yes! I absolutely agree. There has to be a purpose or I lose interest fast.
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