One of my favorite romance authors is Judith McNaught. I was hooked after reading just one of her books – Paradise. Since then, I’ve read many of her novels, and read them many times.
When I began thinking about writing some stories of my own, I went back and read through a few of my old favorites, including a couple by McNaught. It’s funny, but this talented, New York Times bestselling author just might have a hard time if she were starting out today.
I’m guessing she’d be told that her story starts in the wrong place. Not enough action. There’s waaaay too much back story. No body cares. Chop, chop. The pacing is too slow. Get to the point.
In Paradise, the heroine doesn’t even meet the hero until page seventy-six! Copyrighted in 1991, the book is twenty years old. Yes, I get that times have changed. People supposedly have less time to read (never mind that each generation thinks they’re the busiest ever) and won’t tolerate pages that aren’t action-packed from the get-go. Sadly, impatient give-it-to-me-quick readers will miss a few gems.
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