1. X Equestris

    X Equestris Contributor Contributor

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    How to keep this character an active participant in the external conflict?

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by X Equestris, Jan 30, 2022.

    I just started adapting my romantic suspense/superhero romance novelette “Law, Love, and the Whippoorwill” into a full-fledged novel, and keeping both of my main characters active participants in the suspense plot for the entire story is shaping up to be a real challenge.

    The premise, based on my query letter for the novelette:
    My trouble arises once they get to the cabin. The novelette didn’t linger there very long—it couldn’t because of the word limit—but allowing their reconciliation and romance to develop at a nice, organic pace pretty much requires this to be a big chunk of the novel. Right now, it looks like somewhere between a quarter and a third.

    Both characters are driving the romance, Topsannah remains active keeping track of Ironsides, but Madi doesn’t have anything to do when it comes to external conflict. Although her office is currently prosecuting the Bricktown Boys—including their ringleader, who placed the contract on Madi—she can’t participate without becoming a sitting duck.

    In the novelette, this isn’t much of a problem. The “Cabin Phase” is brief, and Madi showcases her skills as a prosecutor after she leaves hiding. But with a longer stretch where she isn’t an active player in the suspense plot, there’s a risk readers will see her as nothing but a damsel in distress.

    I really want to avoid that.

    Madi taking part in the Bricktown Boys’ trials seems like the best solution, since they and the corruption they represent are the true villains of the suspense plot, but doing so in a way that makes sense seems almost impossible.

    Thoughts?
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2022

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