I find myself caught in a creative stump! I’m writing about characters that fall in love through enemies to lovers, but they are from different economic backgrounds. How should I got about bringing them closer together? They’ve already met, I’m just finding myself a bit confused on how I want it to evolve.
There are ways to do this. Here's one I just thought of now: - Rich girl mocks poor guy, poor guy mocks rich girl = enemies - RG & PG find common ground (in anything at all ... e.g. stuffy parents) - RG helps PG = frenemies - PG helps RG = confused feelings. Maybe "the other" isn't so bad after all? - They go out without telling parents ... and maybe share a kiss, etc. - Ta-da! As far as Hollywood is concerned, they're married. Sure, there's a heck of a lot more to it than that. That's just a summary. Sounds good?
Maybe you can make use of plot devices like assumptions and misunderstandings. The characters believe things about others that are not true. The boy (or the girl) misinterprets something the girl (or the boy) said or did, and that leads to events based on the misunderstanding. It may even include intentional lies. But in the end, the truth becomes known and the air is cleared, and an understanding grows between the characters.
How about the old fashioned way? They don't need to jump into bed in chapter 2, but when people meet each other, the first thing they notice usually isn't their background or economic position.
I found a good article at the link that outlines several different ways to use misunderstandings to build conflict https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/37343/making-conflicts-based-on-misunderstanding
Any trauma will bond people that are from different backgrounds, including culture differences. Traumatic ordeals embed a deep feeling for supporters and relationships and are not soon forgotten. For instance, if the cartel kidnapped a couple for ransom, they would quickly start depending on each other and revealing their vulnerabilities and strengths.
Also, it depends on what genre you're writing. If you're writing detective fiction, it is crucial that the romance does not include the detective. The reason is simple: your detective must remain impartial. He/she is the spirit of justice, the conquering angel. To be this, it is imperative that he/she stays out of romantic entanglements. This is something that Hollywood has never grasped, and is the reason why, when they try making mystery motion pictures, the said motion pictures stink.
Think about how you made friends in school: common ground. I had friends from different backgrounds. Racial, cultural, economical, etc. Those things werent apprent when we first met. It was "oh coool! You like listening to [insert music] too??" And "wow, that anime is my favorite too!" Even "yeah, i hate that class too" In college, it was we were stuck on a hw assignment together. We got to know eachother and we became friends. I have had 2-3 friends who started out as enemies: 2nd grade. Dont really know how we started hating each other. She would punch me whenever she saw me, and i would push her to thebground and kick her. This went on for a while. Then, after multiple instances of getting sent to the office, our moms made us apologize to each other. Then we were best friends after that. Literally inseperable. She moved away in the 4th grade, but we've been friends ever since. Last time we spoke, it was her sending me a picture of her new baby and i sent him a little stuffed toy and baby blaket! In HS, i had a rival. We were bothbhigh acheivers academically and athletically. We always seemed to be right behind each other in everything. But she was considered popular and i was not. We never hung out outside of school or sports. BUT, it seemed like whenever inwas upset, she was there for me and i was too stubborn to realize it. I was crying once before class and she sat with me. Her boyfriend made funnof me infront of the whole class once, and by the end of the day, she'd found out and made him apologize to me. At an away meet, i was assulted, and she let me stay in her hotel room with her and her mom. After we graduated, i told her how greatful i was to her for everything and how sorry i was that we werent better friends. A guy who, at the time, was the best friend of the friend of the guy i was set up with. The friend was a jerk and made jokes about me online. And his friend (the guy who would be my friend) always cosigned. I blocked both of them. Well after a time, the guy texted me, introducing himself officially, and apologized for his friend and his behavior. He said i was a cool person andnhoped we could be friends. That was 10th grade. We've been friends ever since and text each other during holidays and birthdays. All 3 examples were from different economical backgrounds.
Yeah isn't that weird, how that can work? once you've fought with somebody, be it verbally or physically, you've shared something really intimate in a way, a lot closer than you share with most people you know, who you treat politely. Politeness is a distancing device. Friends and enemies don't keep that distance, they ignore norms of social niceties and just get real with each other. it's something you won't do with most people in your life except your closest firends and family. There can slo be bonding experiences, sort of like trauma bonding, but it doesn't need to be that extreme (though trauma bonding will be much closer). Just going through some experience together, like getting stuck in an elevator together for six hours or something, Maybe that's not enough though. Playing together on a sports team could do it, because you spend a lot of time together and share the same goals, especially if you're both really good and really driven, or maybe you both hate sports and are really bad. It needs to be something where you share emotional ups and downs beyond what you do with most strangers, and discover you share certain traits or likes or something along the way.
Hello @DonnaGene you have some good replies. This is just a personal view, so don't take it as gospel but I highlighted quotes from others that I feel works really well: I love miscommunication, not in real life, but in story telling as it leaves the scope of two people being arch enemies or friends... it is a very good ploy in story development. This is one I think is very very effective. For romance to be real, I believe, characters have to be vulnerable, insecure even and having situations where this can arise will push a reader to the story by virtue of character development. Showing weakness is a great way to see if a character can overcome their flaws and that two people with opposite traits can come together and 'learn' from each other thus developing a friendship. Showing the vulnerabilities of a character to the reader is a powerful tool that can be used. I think this is good too... the passage of time and also the 'start-again' aspect from one person. In everything, if there is this intention then there is character growth and that can lead to forgiveness and... ... creating a bond. Xoic made a wonderful suggestion here too, in that a trauma can pull two characters together, even an event where two people are trapped together for a period of time (fall into a cave, trapped in an elevator) where two characters can learn about each other, this can remove the barriers of class and background. The problems with different backgrounds are highlighted if the characters are kept in their same environment. Remove this and put them into a new situation and the traits and characters of your characters will then come to the fore, thus you can weave your magic to create a romantic beginning.
I write historical semi-fiction. The story I am working right now has two characters (both experienced trauma) of unequal background having mysterious meeting, falling in love and having child together. The child dies and parents marry the lady off to a loveless marriage. Lover boy started to drink alcohol. Lady is having a few more children, and then re-unites with her first love and having a child together. Husband finding out and makes the scene. Lady turns the tables and having him killed in the domestic violence. The love of her life is terrified and finding another lover. Lady is trying to win him back. In the middle of all of that dark forces interfere and kill the lover-boy... Lady carries on the ideas her lover died for and becomes a giver of light for humanity, also forgotten for a few hundred years. That was true historical sequence. I am looking for female collaborator to make a commercially successful book out of this...
I have to disagree here. Attraction between the detective and a suspect or witness can be a useful Complication. Or the suspect using Attraction or seduction to hinder or distract the investigation. The famous scene from Fatal Attraction is a good example. You have the detective's internal struggle with the Attraction, and the external struggle of the consequences of giving into the Attraction to build the drama. I think your point is more fitting for the how, not the what of this situation. It is how Hollywood deals with this type of complication rather than the complication itself.
No. That would be nearly impossible because of the complexity of historical material/context. And, I probably cannot afford it. I tried commercial ghostwriter for my first book. She (it did not matter to me) wrote about 25 chapters while I wrote 85 or so. I thanked her, paid the bill and re-wrote some of the material. I consider the experience unhealthy. The book is a flop, also some readers need medical attention while reading it.
If you want a collaboration then you need to give the person credit for their writing, and a share of any profit. Or you can do your research and learn to write a female character yourself.
My recommendation is to avoid cliches and stereotypes. Look, people are people, right? It doesn't matter what economic background they are from, what matters is their chemistry. Are they on the same wavelength? Do they both like something similar? (favorite band, book or work of art etc.) Do they share similar habits? (e.g. both twist the door handle five times to ensure the door is locked after leaving their home) Do they see the world through a similar lens? (so many way to work with that) and most importantly do they like each other as people? (e.g. "Sarah didn't know much about Chris's motivations and his odd choice of cheap clothes was an abomination, but in that moment she knew she could rely on him one hundred and one percent.")
Credit would not be a problem, if one is desired (material is controversial and some people would prefer to remain anonymous), and profit is absolutely not a problem, if there is one to talk about.
