You know the aphorism that there are only seven basic plots in the world?

There are also, therefore, a limited amount of character types, particularly in romance. I have started writing a new project, and am consulting The Complete Writer’s Guide to Heroes and Heroines, which was mentioned at a workshop at the recent New Jersey Romance Writers’ Conference some of us attended last month.

My heroine is the Spunky Kid–loyal, a team player, witty, and with, obviously, spunk. The hero is the Bad Boy, an irresistibly alluring man with a bad attitude, and a chip on his shoulder. He mistrusts everyone-until they win his loyalty.

It’s been fun to browse through the book and read about the types of people who could come alive in the pages of my writing, and also to see what examples the authors cite as to certain character type pairings. I am not normally one for using reference books, but this really seems to have hit a chord with me, and I am excited to use it for plotting this, and future, books.

Do you find yourself wanting to read about a certain type of hero or heroine? The librarian, the seductress, the charmer, the best friend, the chief, or some other type?

(Darcy here is the Chief).

Many years ago, I started working on an erotic historical with a former slave hero and a French whore. Because, you know, just having ONE risky character wasn’t enough. I set that aside for a long while, but have just returned to it, and it now doesn’t feel that risky at all, given what romance has exploded into in recent years.

One thing it remains, however, is far too serious. I need my characters to lighten up, for goodness’ sake. Because sex is intense and meaningful to these characters, but it doesn’t have to be so ponderous (that’s my fault as the author, not the characters. Poor things, they’d probably like to enjoy themselves).

It is hard, however, to make erotic moments humorous. It can come off as slapstick, and not funny at all. I don’t want to go that far, but I do want my characters to have fun.

I haven’t read that many erotic historicals, but I keep looking for ones that are both super-sexy and not anachronistic (hard to find, for sure). Of course Pam Rosenthal springs immediately to mind, as does Robin Schone and Alice Gaines.

Have you read, and could recommend, any erotic historicals? Meanwhile, I’ve got to go un-serious-fy these poor people who just want to get–well, you know.

Megan