Since my book is sci-fi it's almost like a love/hate relationship. My plot starts off in the present time today, and ends up in the far future kinda like futurama. At the start there was a sorta romantic scene that ends up in tragedy. I had a few girls and guys read my first part of my book. Just girls gott hooked in the beginning then lose interest when he ends up in the future. The guys enjoy reading the far future part especially it being about war. Most of the book involves war, political turmoil, people being enslaved (a other thread I started about), and little romance which develops later on in the story. I'm trying to balance both interest of both genders, and writing the plot how I want it to be. All the girls seem to care about is romance, and love everything is irrelevant.
write it for yourself first. the girl didn't like the ending maybe you can slip in some romance to keep her interested and for the boy, I wouldn't worry, if he read it all the way he obviously like the beginning to some degree and was then pleasantly surprise
Take into consideration what these people would be reading if you hadn't talked them into reading your work. If the girls are mostly consumers of romance, then that is what they will pay attention to in your book. If the guys mostly pay attention to violent action in movies, games, and books, then that's what they will pay attention to in yours.
It's your style and flow that will attract readers, not necessarily plot. I love Charles Dickens but i also love Stephen King, both have a way with words that i respect, even envy, immensely. Writers like that can write virtually anything and entertain with word play alone.
Don't open with the romance, open with something a little more gender neutral, especially if your book is mainly gonna be about war and political turmoil, you run the risk of misleading the reader, who will become very disappointed and wind up remember you as a bad writer and put you on their "avoid" list forevermore. Start with something that will engage both genders - war is not necessarily gonna put girls off if you write it right, but best not start with too much grit and blood. Start with your target audience in mind, you don't wanna alienate the very people you wanna appeal to by starting with the wrong scene thus misleading your readers into thinking it's about something else.
When the MC wakes up he is torn apart, being emotionally devastated trying to cope with his past life, the people he cared about and adapting to this futuristic life. I have one side of me that wants to get straight to the point but I thought it would be best to have the first part of the book that doesn't really involve war or romance but more of a introduction to the dark sinister future, character development or bonding, and political turmoil that is brewing. Basically a building foundation to the main climax of the book. The MC starts off with a triangle friendship with young boy and girl who same age as the MC. When the war breaks out, they end up being more about survival, and that's where I have the MC and the girl friendship becomes more of a relationship. It's toward the end though. That's the problem I'm having, the romance doesn't start off right away when he ends up in the future. There is action, and adventure between the climax and the beginning. One girl suggested that I should ax the first part of him being in the present time or put off later, and as the plot develops; give the reader clues, and he/she can put the puzzle pieces of his past life together. Keep the reader guessing. Problem with that is the first part just has one making out scene nothing more than that but the first set of chapters lays down the foundation for the moral point of the whole book. I already have over 50,000 words but I've been reading terribleminds just getting the book done is like trying to storm Omaha beach, and finish the damn book regardless how bad it is. I love reading books that have whole a lot adventure and action in it, but its even better if it involves a little romance.
it's just one of the headaches you have to figure out for yourself. It's part of being a writer... i think it's always better if you figure it out yourself. Just apply brain and it will come.
