I need help in 3 different spots in a piece that I'm writing in a piece. The first being the proposal of the boyfriend to the main character. When should it occur? 1. Christmas: Good- Both families are around to share the moment; Bad- A little cliche, busy time of the year, and the moment may not be as special. 2. Valentine's Day: Good- Can be creatively written and the date would always be memorable; Bad- Very cliche, not very unique, predictable 3. He proposes one day and then that night, while she's with her mom in the car, they argue (as always), and then BANG! the car crash: Good- Gives a reason for the car crash that will eventually occur; Bad- Too much for one day 4. Any other ideas that you can suggest. The second thing that I need help with goes along with the first one. How should the proposal be done? I guess it really depends on when it's done, but I want to do something creative, but realistic at the same time. The third thing is when does the person who's supposed to adopt the MC's twins tell her that she doesn't want to adopt the twins anymore? Should it be early on so the the MC has time to think over her options? Or the same day as the car crash that will send her into premature labor? That way she has to kind of make a rash decision. Thank you for any advice and help in advance. ~Cassie P.S. If you need any more information about the characters or the plot itself, feel free to ask.
1 - doesnt matter when. People ARE cliched and often choose cliched dates so they are easily remembered - i.e. The days above and, A birthday, a date that is a palindrome e.g. 1/1/01 or repeatable e.g. 2 / 12 / 2 ad so on. Whats mroe important is how the MC agonises, or not, over the proposal and how it occurs and is received. 2 - How shouldit be done - depends on your MC and the other character - stay in character for both of them. 3 - timing - Possibly even before - leads to an argument that causes the crash etc. Timing depends ont he other plots going on.
Do not purpose to a woman on a holiday, on vacation or her birthday. If the engagement fails she can argue that the engagement ring is a gift, and that she does not need to keep it. So he would be wise to avoid those dates. pick a random
I was proposed to on Valentines day (It didn't work out - turns out the bloke WAS predictable, cliche and unoriginal... LOL) The way a guy proposes says a lot about him, don't you think? It's interesting to see the various ways people have done it and how the woman reacts - a bad proposal could certainly affect the answer, like with Phoebe in Friends, lol. One way I would NEVER want to be proposed to is in front of a crowd, ESPECIALLY of your family and friends. Aside from the fact that it would be embarrassing and intrusive, spoiling what should be a romantic and private moment, but you've then got the weight of expectation not only of your prospective fiance, but everyone else too. No pressure or anything! I think my favourite proposal I've ever heard of was by Brendan Fraser. He's a bit of an amateur photographer, and when he and his girlfriend were on holiday in Paris, he set up his camera to take a photo of them on the Pont Neuf (famous bridge over the Seine) then quickly ran to her side to pose with her. When he showed her the picture (I presume it was a polaroid) it showed a post it note on his jacket saying 'will you marry me?'. I thought that was really cute, creative, and said a lot about his character.
Also, proposing in public is a bad idea. It might seem romantic at first, and who wouldn't want a bunch of people celebrating with you? Especially if all those people are your friends and family. The problem is the more people there are, the more pressure there is to say yes. I mean if you are with someone you love in a restaurant with two dozen other people and he/she propose to you, how can you say no? Saying no would be painful enough as it is, but imagine how embarassing it would be for everyone. Besides, if he/she says yes, wouldn't you want to celebrate it as your private moment?
I think the most meaningful way would depend entirely on the relationship so far, or even the people themselves. Maybe the two of them have a certain place, or date, that holds some sort of significance. Or there's creative way based on their occupation (A cute one that comes to mind is the way Gaylord proposes to his girlfriend in Meet the Fockers...he has her Kindergarten class hold up signs asking her to marry him). I think the best thing to do is to avoid overly-used and completely cliche'd and go for more personal ones...the reader will, hopefully, be able to appreciate the intimacy of this more. ...and I agree...no huge audience, or family.
How and when a man proposes very much depends on his personality, and that of his girlfriend. Are they family-orientated, extroverted, shy, romantic, cheesy? I think if you know what these people are like it will be easier to imagine a realistic proposal.
Now, about the proposals - I don't like any of your ideas. Valentine's cheaper than cheap and Christmas in front of family just sounds like Eastenders with a bad ending waiting to happen. If you make it too obviously happy, your readers will guess the disaster ahead of time. The first thought that came to me was the 1st May. That is the "valentine's day" in the Czech Republic - it is not called Valentine's Day, simply the 1st May and it's a public holiday in celebration of spring and spring flowers, also based on a love poem entitled 1st May. It is traditional that couples will take a stroll around a park to admire the spring flowers, especially cherry blossoms, and then kiss under a tree. And that's it. No presents, no dates, no pressure with making everything super special - a simple walk, hand in hand, around loads of gorgeous spring flowers in the sunshine and a kiss from your loved one. To turn it into a proposal, I'd have the man give me a gentle kiss on the lips, a small moment of silence, and then a whisper, "Marry me." And then possibly go on one knee and raise the ring My husband proposed to me twice - the first got nullified cus he got cold feet, so I made him propose again when our relationship became strong again. The first time was all right - it was in an Italian restaurant, public proposal where the waitress brought us champagne and he knelt on one knee in front of everyone. I remember it, it was nice, but the second time was much better. The second time was private. We were sitting in a park in the sun - I love the sun and nature - and we were just giggling, kissing, cuddling like teenagers. Not on top of each other, just innocent romance. And he was leaning really close, sitting beside me, holding my hand, and he sneaked the ring from his coat with his other hand and asked me quietly to marry him. It was the most romantic thing ever. I think simple is best, really. You could do it on her birthday - still cliche but less so than Valentine's or Christmas. I vote for the 1st May personally but then again, my husband's Czech so that's probably why
I agree - avoid all cliched dates and public. I know it's tradition in some cultures to propose in front of family (my dad did it with my mom because that's how Italian's did it), however that was after a private conversation and she had already said yes. It was more of a presentation of the ring in public. I love Mckk's idea - that way it can be symbolic (you know and the reader might figure it out) without it being overt and in their face. I know the Japanese also have their own Valentine's day as well, I think it's called White Day or something to that effect, but it's a twist. Women are expected to give presents to the men in their life - usually just chocolate. My husband is really romantic (to me) and did the whole beach, sunset, etc. Yeah it's cliched, but it doesn't negate the fact that it was incredibly romantic. Unfortunately for him, I'm a pain and tend to ruin everything romantic he does with my awkwardness. So it has turned into a really hysterical story with a romantic end.
Ask people how they met and how he proposed. It won't take very long to get a boat load of great ideas. Real life makes for very strange stories, believe me you'll find some that aren't at all cliche.
Is there any way you can make the proposition significant in regards to other elements of the plot? Something that ties in to other places that have something to do with the story? Places that are meaningful to the character(s)? Rickswan's not big on romance, unless it is significant and advances the plot.
