1. Reagan

    Reagan New Member

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    Together From the Start. Need Advice.

    Discussion in 'Character Development' started by Reagan, Sep 22, 2018.

    Okay so hi, I'm currently attempting to write the first in hopefully a multi book series, but I've run into a major snag, namely, I am good at writing romance scenes, I am good at writing two characters in a romantic relationship, even all the small things that come with it.

    But actually building up said relationship, like say in a slowburn, or just making them slowly realize they want to be with the other, I am completely unable to write it properly. I pretty much suck. Like I've tried, of course I've tried, and I get some ideas from time to time, like how they would finally get together.

    But actually writing that build up, the slow realization of their feelings for one another, I just can't get it to feel organic. Like if I force myself to write what I can, it will do nothing but hurt the book in the long run.

    So I was just thinking, and have to ask, how would everyone here feel about a book series that starts with the main couple already together. Like maybe I might include flashbacks later on to show how it happened, but at the start of the book, they're already a couple.

    Is this a bad idea? A good idea? Would you ever want to read a book that doesn't have any build up leading to the two getting together? And like, if not, do you have any advice on how I could learn to write the build up properly? Any articles I can read that might help??

    Last thing, I should probably have mentioned this before now, but the book/series is Urban Fantasy.
     
  2. Andrew Vord

    Andrew Vord New Member

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    I don't read much romance, I'm more of a military fantasy/sci fi guy myself, but I think if you had not only flashbacks of when they were just starting out, combined with current relationship conflicts and scenes of similar issues in the past, with their partner or previous ones, it could work well
     
  3. Nariac

    Nariac Contributor Contributor

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    The main issue I can see is it limits an avenue for character growth. If a couple begins together and in love, that removes one of the potential things that can be included in their character journey. You can of course find other things they can do together or apart which can try to substitute for that, but it won't be the same. It suggests they had a story, the story of how they fell in love, but we won't get to see it because it's done.

    The few examples I've seen where this was the case, one of the characters usually died fairly early, and that death then shaped the development of the survivor. I don't think it sounds like you want to go down this road though.
     
  4. S A Lee

    S A Lee Contributor Contributor

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    When you first start dating, there's a shyness to it. First dates are nerve wracking, especially when it's your first significant other.

    As an example, my boyfriend gauged my feelings after our first date by reaching to my hand while we were at a pelican crossing. I took him up on that wordless offer, and that led to dialogue which shifted us from friends to significant others.
     
  5. Reagan

    Reagan New Member

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    Well I don't know if this helps, probably should have mentioned this, but they've only just started dating, so nothing is really serious between them yet, they haven't even said "I love you" yet. So there will still be quite a bit of growth between them.

    On the other hand I do get what you're saying, and part of me does loathe not including how they fell for each other, but when I try writing that progress it just comes out either fake or sudden. I can write big moments, but the slow build up of feelings over time, I can't seem to get the hang of.

    Way I figure I'd do this is more, I guess real, I mean the type of epic romances featured in most books don't really happen.

    These are just two people who have known each other for a while and one day just decided, "Hey ya wanna go out?" and the book starts shortly after that, maybe after the third or so date. And develop their relationship from there.
     
  6. Irina Samarskaya

    Irina Samarskaya Senior Member

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    There's nothing wrong with a story's protagonist already starting-off in a relationship. Tons of stories do that.

    As for writing the creation of relationships; it's very easy, but it depends on the personalities involved.

    Blunt, straightforward types are the easiest: one needs simply say something along the lines of: "Yo, I think you're hot. I wanna know if you'll make a great mother of my children. See me at X Park and I'll see if my instincts are right about you". The woman propositioned might say "yes" or "no" depending on a myriad of possibilities. Assuming she's attracted to the straight-forward, a simple "Sure' is enough. Assuming she's not, then some kind of rejection.

    Shy types are much harder, although I don't think I have to give examples since countless love stories on film and print have made it a cliche that shy types can never confess their feelings until a dozen awkward scenarios have passed. You could fast-forward this by having the shy guy just come out with it (in much the same manner as the blunt guy but without the coolness or confidence). Or even has a third character tell the girl the guy is into her.

    Other characters vary. Realistically many people who date had an attraction to each other (that is mostly sexual) from the start and just pretend to play coy and dodge around. Other types of people are more or less as direct as above but might say something like "Hey, let's go grab a coffee" instead of getting straight to business (as some types my respond with "Why?" because they don't have time for "coffee").

    Dates wise, it varies depending on the personalities involved. Straight-forward types get straight to business, asking about the other's past and expectations and life-goals. Shy types will meander forever. Coy types won't bother to ask. Some people just don't think much about the future and thus just try to "have fun in the moment". Others will try to turn the dates into sex through indirect gestures and tests of the other. She might give Him signals, He might notice them and reciprocate (or he might not notice and thus not get laid). He might bore Her with stuff he's interested in and she might not stop him. She might bore him with stuff he's not interested in... etc. etc.

    Have I covered enough?
     
  7. LordWarGod

    LordWarGod Banned

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    I think this is a matter of who your target audience is. There are some people, like me, who hate romantic movies/books where the couple is already together because there's no chase, there's no hardships or anything. To me, if a couple is together then the mission was a success, they finally "got together" and I don't see any reason to read past that point. I like to imagine they just live happily forever after in some house on a beautiful meadow. But to others, they will enjoy watching couples struggle together and try to pull through no matter what obstacles are put in their way. I find that one of the best ways to show this is to have one of them be afflicted with a life-threatening disease or illness like cancer or AIDs.

    I especially like it when it's put into that context because then it becomes much more meaningful than if we just watched them be a regular couple doing regular things. Instead, we have a huge prime conflict that could threaten to destroy a beautiful relationship where both sides clearly care about each other and love each other. If you can portray your main couple as a loving, happy couple without any of the cliches and lots of quirks that compliment each others' personalities then inflict a life-threatening disease on one of them, you'll definitely get someone like me to care. It doesn't have to be a life-threatening disease but it has to be something major, cheating or betrayal isn't really up there on my list of things that would get me to care to be honest. But I can't speak for other people.

    As for the writing part, I have to admit that I'm in a similar position. Someone told me that what I tend to do is write "blocks" of text that attempts to cram as much as possible into it without allowing my story to breathe, without pacing it out and letting things happen naturally. I have a robotic approach to it and am quite literal when it comes to describing things or setting up a scene. So, I can relate a lot to your struggle and also have no idea how to make my story feel organic so it can flow like a well-written story.

    I suppose we just need to keep reading, learning and write from what we learn.
     
  8. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    I see zero problem with this. If it's a romance, of course (well, I assume) you'd want to see the romance progress. But otherwise, no problem.
     
  9. The Dapper Hooligan

    The Dapper Hooligan (V) ( ;,,;) (v) Contributor

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    It kinda puts a damper on the 'will they, won't they,' which is generally what I enjoy about romance novels.
     
  10. Reagan

    Reagan New Member

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    Thanks for all your help so far everyone. :love:

    It really helps a lot, and I think I will go with my first instinct on having them together at the start. There will be hardships though yes, one of which will be a major plot point of the series in total. :3

    Also no one needs to worry about this being a romance novel, hehe, there will be quite a few romantic scenes between the two, but the series overall is like a dark urban fantasy. :3

    Oh and hehe, probably should of said this earlier as well, but the couple are two women. :3 I actually first got a real drive to start writing when I came to realize how little f/f fiction there was other then slice of life type stories.
     
  11. DK3654

    DK3654 Almost a Productive Member of Society Contributor

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    You have my interest :read2::read:
     
  12. Reagan

    Reagan New Member

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    Hehe, I'd love to tell you more, sadly I came to realize the other day that my planned books just kinda don't fit from one book to the next, kinda jerkingly.

    So I'm currently looking over all the bts stuff I've written to try and work something out.

    I had a number of old series' that I once attempted to make that were more singular in theme. But over time I dropped them for one reason or another. The current series is kind of a mash up of them. Well, it started that way anyway.
     
  13. l nimbus

    l nimbus Member

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    Would you believe i'm writing a romance sub plot between a minotaur and a Hood girl turned vampire?


    Don't just focus on the feelins, focus on their dynamic, on how they interact from day to day, how they work together, yada yada yada. Eventually, it'll work out.
     
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  14. Reagan

    Reagan New Member

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    One of my girls is a desire demon, and the other's a vampire. :D

    I actually created my own version of vampires. :3
     
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  15. DK3654

    DK3654 Almost a Productive Member of Society Contributor

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    :superthink: I have a lesbian romance between a vampire and a succubus (or you might say, desire demon) :superthink:
    Get out of my head.

    I have to read your story now. It has been foretold.
     
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  16. Reagan

    Reagan New Member

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    Hehe, I'd love to let you if I actually had anything written yet. As is all I have are random scene ideas. Some are actually written out, others are just lines of dialogue and simple descriptions of what's happening.
     
  17. DK3654

    DK3654 Almost a Productive Member of Society Contributor

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    Don't worry, I can wait... :twisted:
     
  18. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    Look at Love in the Time of Cholera. It's probably my favorite book ever. It starts when they're super old. The female MC's husband has just died and this other man who pined for her pretty much his whole life shows up. You might think, "Well, what's the point? They're super old. This is the end of their lives." But it's a beautiful story. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a true master. And this is just one example of a perfect story done by him.
     
  19. Mckk

    Mckk Member Supporter Contributor

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    I remember my friend once said she really likes a particular relationship portrayed in Scrubs and also in Friends (two hugely successful American sitcoms) - that is, between the characters Carla and Turk (Scrubs) and Monica and Chandler (Friends) because it's very rare that TV explores the difficulties that arise from within a relationship, and just how the couple face them and keep the relationship together. (Both couples get married within the first couple of seasons - not sure when it happens in Scrubs, early on I think, and in Friends it happens I wanna say around Season 5?) So much of romance is focused on will they/won't they but few explore how to actually keep the relationship in the long run.

    So I'd say it's a less common approach, but I don't see why it'd be a bad thing :)
     
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