Since I write multiple genres, this combined blog will consist of posts ranging from mysteries to romance to historical fiction and more! This post is coming from Angelica
French, my romance persona, has published STREETWALKER and is in the process of publishing LUCINDA, a historical romance mystery. More on that in another post! But
since romance is at heart (so to speak) about relationships, here is something to mull.

I can’t help myself. The fact that you clicked on this link to read this blog means you’re just like me. Admit it.

The Internet is rife with articles about how to interview, how to know if he’s really into you, and what it means when she wears certain clothes. I’m hooked. Cannot resist collecting these things.

But, I have an excuse. Several in fact. I write blogs about relationships sorts of stuff. I tweet (@RomanceRighter), and I maintain my Angelica French Facebook posts. Oh, and
I write erotic and other romances. So that’s why I collect this stuff. I use it! One article I read forever ago about 5 types of women men go for. How could I not have been drawn to it? In this article, there were character sketches of women to include in your stories! You could read the descriptions and come up with questions about plot lines and BINGO! A book!

Let’s try one. But first, here are the five types in that article. To be clear, some articles list 9 or 11, so this is NOT definitive.
Type #1: The older woman
Type #2: The woman who’s “just one of the guys”
Type #3: The free spirit
Type #4: The intellectual
Type #5: The seductress

Here’s my process:
Because I’m into Crone Lit, I chose the first. Old rules!

So, Type #1: The older woman is described as a sophisticate who’s been placed, seen things, and done a lot more. She knows who she is and what she wants. She can act as
a mentor to both younger men and women helping them gain perspective on life. Being desirable isn’t an age but a way of being. A man needs to find ways to please a woman
who isn’t looking to start a family.

After listing the traits from the article, I generate questions for me to answer:
What has she accomplished? What are her goals at this time of life?
Is she looking for love? What gives her the greatest satisfaction?

For conflicts, I can contrast her with male or female characters who are opposite her goals and accomplishments.

Then to the what-ifs:
What if a woman who just lost her husband and son met a man on a cruise who looked
like her son but acted the opposite?
What if this guy is oblivious to her curiosity about him?
What if he is attracted to a younger woman who is so wrong for him and the older
woman wants to save him?
What if in the process of distracting him, they discover a mutual interest?
And so on.

After that, I would list ten key events and build out to 35-40 scenes from them. A book waiting to be born.
Your turn! How would you exploit the remaining four types? Comments?

(c) 2023 Sharon Moore