Is this ok?

Mr Flibble · Dec 30, 2008

OK, so I'm writing a romance sequel. Meep. So my first book was 60% MC1 and 30% MC2 ( 10% evul dude) I've upped the romantic quotient for this one too. It's pretty much 1/3 each of MC1, MC2 and MC2's love interest for POV.

From the way the first draft has gone, it looks like MC2 is gonna get some love. In fact probably be be more of a focus than MC1 ( who found love in the first book, but her and her man are...having a few issues in book 2)

Things is, the way it's going it looks like I'm going to have to have two denouements. One with MC1 and bloke - kinda sorting stuff out, realising a few things about each other etc. And MC2 - who gets the girl at the end. I'm hoping / thinking to start and finish with MC2 ( as it's kinda more his book than MC1's)

Now, do you think that would be ok? Double denouement? Going with MC2 while also dealing with MC1's romantic troubles? I think it's going to work, but am I trampling on any major conventions here?

Cathy C · Dec 30, 2008

If this is a sequel to a romance, why is MC1 in the story? Wasn't his/her story already told? If it's NOT a romance per se but a "romantic-fill-in-the-genre" then there aren't any conventions. Have fun either way.

Does that make sense, or did I make a mess of the question?

Mr Flibble · Dec 30, 2008

If this is a sequel to a romance, why is MC1 in the story? Wasn't his/her story already told?

Well yes. And no - they still have, er romantic troubles. The main romance is MC2 though ( he was in book one, and I screwed with him big time. I thought I might be nice to him this time. Eventually

).

And yes it's a fantasy romance. But kinda the romance is supposed to be a given ...

Just not sure if the double denouement is like 'no don't go there!' or whether it is kinda okay, esp as it's a sequel. I need to wrap both threads.

Put it like this: I can't find fantasy romance to read for reference in my bookshop without trawling the entire 'fiction' dept ( and all I find is vampire romance there). And the ladies say they don't actually stock any fantasy romance. Which kinda leaves me at a loss....

ELMontague · Dec 30, 2008

I don't have an issue with it. Do what feels right?

Gutenberg · Dec 30, 2008

I think it depends on whether Book 2 will be more of a continuation of Book 1 (basically, you could stick the two books together and just have one REALLY long book) or a sequel in the Romance genre sense, which IMO is more of a stand-alone novel independent of the first.

If Book 2 is a continuation, then I think it's perfectly acceptable to have both MC1 and MC2 evenly share the POV page count.

If Book 2 is supposed to be a stand-alone, then I think MC2 & MC2's love interest should hold a greater majority of the POV than 2/3rds. For example, MC2+MC love interest=75% and MC1=25%.

Geez, that looks like some crazy literary calculus.

So do the above explanations make sense?

Now, all that said, if the story works as it's written AND you're happy with it, then completely disregard all I've said and go for it.

Oh, and if you're looking for a good fantasy romance, try CL Wilson's Lord of the Fading Lands. It's how I got the husband reading Romance.

Mr Flibble · Dec 30, 2008

Yep that all makes sense. Now to work out exactly how much time each person has on stage...

MC1 is more the subplot of this book ( as MC2 was subplot of the first), so it does really need having the loose ends tied up.

Thanks guys

Oh, and if you're looking for a good fantasy romance, try CL Wilson's Lord of the Fading Lands. It's how I got the husband reading Romance.

That's actually one of my 'comparable titles' lol.

Cathy C · Dec 31, 2008

You might also try Elizabeth Vaughan's Warlord trilogy. It's a Tor fantasy romance.

Sakamonda · Dec 31, 2008

I also suggest you take a look at Anne McCaffrey's CRYSTAL SINGER trilogy. It's a sci-fi/fantasy trilogy with strong romantic elements, might also be very comparable to what you're doing.

She_wulf · Dec 31, 2008

Not fantasy romance, but Suzanne Brockmann does it quite a bit. Her troubleshooter books, as they evolve, become entangled around two or more couples as the situation evolves. Not everyone's romance ends happily, nor do the continued romances all end up with marriage and a baby. Nor are they all man + woman. That's part of the reason I like reading her works so much. She tackles things with a real life perspective and isn't afraid to put some unconventionality into the romance.

Good fantasy, IMO, it fantasy that mirrors real life. Take Tolkien for example; he created a world with wars to end all wars, then went back and unraveled the new order with another war. He takes us on journeys that end with very wounded heroes, unlikely heroes, and some happy endings. But mostly, the battles are muddy, bloody, and long.

Best of luck to you! Let me know when it hits the shelves.

Amy

Mr Flibble · Dec 31, 2008

Thanks guys. Amazon probably now has shares in my visa bill.

Best of luck to you! Let me know when it hits the shelves.

Depends how the first one does I suspect. Which is coming out in...oh crap three weeks! Shall I have the nervous breakdown now or later?

Thanks again. It's always nice to be sure before I spend another couple of months on it and find it's not suitable because of X lol.

Is this ok?

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

ELMontague

Gutenberg

Time to murder and create

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

Sakamonda

...

She_wulf

that's me

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble