DEVELOPING THE ROMANTIC PLOT
 By KELSEY ROBERTS

 Don't confuse Romance with Plot. They are two different things. You are
writing a romance novel. That romance novel must have a plot. THE
DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIP BY ITSELF DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A PLOT.

 The plot is the action, issue or problem to be worked out during the
course of the story. That is the plot. The organization of the incidents
into some coherent form. The romance is woven into the action/issue/problems
throughout the course of the story. The romantic elements should change and
 evolve as the story progresses.

 Think of the plot as a straight line. The subplots are the branches off
the line. They should be consistent, though do not have to begin and end
simultaneously with the main plot.

How do you begin?

This is a personal/stylistic answer. I think you need the following:

 1. The main idea i.e. I want to write a marriage of convenience
 story.

 2. Characters: What kinds of people would allow themselves to
 be manipulated in this fashion? Would a woman with a successful career and
 financial independence fit? Why or why not. What kind of man would you
 need? (arrogance).

 3. The Synopsis: This is the single biggest mistakes made by
 beginning writers. I know, I've certainly been there. A synopsis is a
 narrative outline of the book. It should include the major plot points from
 beginning to end. Even though you need a completed manuscript to make your
 first sale, you still have to have a synopsis. AND you can't write an
 outline without your synopsis. Without a synopsis, you run the risk of
 having your story filled with holes and poorly paced.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 PAT KAY'S CHECKLIST is a very helpful tool for this, unfortunately I don't
 have a copy on hand.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Assignment: Write a Synopsis (Can be as short as one page).

 Plot Patterns:

 1. The Ticking Clock: This is a time is of the essence story. The
 hero or heroine has a limited period to accomplish/prevent something.
 Retrieve a letter; find an antidote; raise money, etc., The time & romance
 elements must come at the reader quickly and the pacing must be fast in order
 to maintain the tension.

 2. The Unsolved Crime: (Gothics, RS, Historicals) This is a step by
 step plot that must be carefully explained to the reader so that he/she can
 follow along and help solve the crime. The key here is to surprise but not
 to cheat!

 3. The Developing Relationship: If your plot line deals primarily
 with the interrelationship of the characters, you must delve deeply into the
 psychology of the relationship. You MUST establish strong characters who
 contrast sharply with each other. You MUST provide logical motivations for
 the contrast. This is very hard to maintain throughout a book.

 4. Evolution of a Family: Frequently the characters and/or their
 environment are pitted against each other. This plot pattern lends itself
 well to big historical novels.

 5. Other Worlds/Time Travel/Future Worlds: Setting is of paramount
 importance here & must be believable. You must create a reason why the
 traveler would want to go back and an equally strong reason to stay. Then
 decide what will happen in the end. Future/Other worlds must have full
 attention to detail in order to provide the feeling of authenticity.

 6. Vengeance: This works for both Historicals and contemporaries.
 Motivation is the governing factor here, and it must be strong enough to
 continue through the book. This is the major 'conversation book' area.

 7. Personal Struggle/Search for Self: The overcoming tragedy
 book. This is usually an angst book, and its major pitfall is poor
 characterization. I.e. all women are evil, we meet the women in the hero's
 life and they are all sleazy witches. This doesn't say much for the hero.

 8. Adventure: This is a larger-than-life plot. (Romancing the Stone).
 The characters must be physically and mentally geared for such adventures or
 they must have to overcome physical/mental frailties (African Queen).

 9. Quest: This can be a search for a parent or child, or for an object
 or a treasure hunt. Whatever it is, it is always a fixed goal. The key
 element here is that the protagonists must be totally committed to seeing
 things through.

 10. Historical/Pageantry: A historical novel is based on historical
 fact and the plot is determined by these same historical events. Dialogue,
 etc., is fictionalized. Pageantry Historicals use actual events and actual
 historical characters but these are functional roles to help set the stage
 (Gone with the Wind). Fictionalized characters are the protagonists.

 11. Survival: (Two Alone) This can be a struggle to regain self-esteem
 after a shattering experience or it can be an actual man v. the elements
 storyline. Tension is important and usually setting becomes a character.
 This is often entertained with the Ticking Clock plot pattern.

 12. Social/Society & Civilization/Lifestyles: Although the plot must
 focus on the characters and their conflicts, the way of life portrayed
 creates its own drama. The Regency novel is an example of this device.

 13. Power Play/Political Intrigue: One person or group attempts to
 control another. This demands a pursuit of power as the main goal of the
 characters. This pattern combines well with Ticking Clock and Revenge. In a
 romance, the heroine may not win the power, but she always wins the hero.

 There are others, but these encompass most of the current themes in romance.