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Procastination on editing my romantic novel: What I picked up on reading my first draft and issues with my hero and heroine

I'm writing a romance novel. I've completed the first draft and now I'm doing the edit though I spend all my time surfing the internet and googling terms that will make it easy for me.

I am procastinating and I'm not sure why.  I'm still thinking and mulling over doing Holly Lisle's course - How To Revise Your Novel but firstly I can't afford it and even if I could I think I'd see procastate over it. I am also mulling over doing another course - a bit cheaper with a tutor and lastly joining a critique website. These are just thoughts and I don't expect to act on them otherwise that will cease to be procastination.

So I'm looking for an easy way to edit but nothing seems to come to mind. I think deep down I want a perfect draft and I feel my skills may not be up to stratch. Or I'm looking for a formular instead if trusting my own gut instinct.

Characters and romance

Romance. Well to be honest I thought it would be a great writing exercise. I read a few Mills and Boons of the 50,000 word vareity. I didn't think I could stomach a larger word count. Then I outlined my novel and decided to put pen to paper.

I finally finished my first draft - put away and now I feel I've  lost motivation and the characters are alien to me.

 Mills and Boon Alpha heros

My hero comes over a complete moron. Arrogrant and a bit of a sleazeball but that was what I thought most of apha-males hero were in the Mills & Boon books. I would use profanity but I've decided not to swear. And most of them just think with their pants - I'm serious. Creepy, sex-obsessed imbeciles with more money than sense. A lot of growls, scowls and lean hips. Get my drift?

Oh and they have some silly story to make them see human - some childhood trauma that made him into the uncaring dickhead he is today. Okay, I've finally pointed it out. Most of these romantic men in the catergory romantic novels I've read are dickheads. The only one who writes about real men in a distinct style is Nora Roberts - her men are cool but then she long graduated from the catergory cookie cutter hero.

The bottom line is what appealed to me when I was 17 years old doesn't appeal to me now. The excapism isn't what I what.  I guess that is the problem.


My heroine isn't any better because she is also self-obssessed about a few things.  She is a paper thin character and I need to make her more rounded.  I'm not selling my book here am I? Well that is what I'm working on now.


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