Okay, so I'm about a quarter of a way through with my novel. One of my friends is helping me out and telling me what she thinks as I go along. We were discussing my plans on how the story should progress, and she said it would seem like I went off track if I did what I'm planning. Anyway, the story has three main characters, a girl and two guys. The girl has been thrown into a three-thousand year relationship with Guy 1(an incubus), but she doesn't remember him (she was involved with him in a past life and had trapped him in a castle in the Otherworld). Meanwhile, she's falling for Guy 2, who is basically Guy 1's slave. I want the girl to end up with Guy 2, but my friend said that it would make it seem like I went off on a tangent and forgot about the original plot, because the beginning was kind of all about Guy 1. Does it seem like I'm straying from the original plot? Please tell me if I made no sense in this post.
Kind of a hard one to answer with so little info (you're making sense, it's just not really relevant info, imo). I think you can make her end up with whomever you wish. Certainly if she gradually falls for guy2 and doesn't remember guy1 I don't see where it looks like you're going off on any kind of tangent. I'm not reading it though, she is. Also I would caution that stories often end up far from where you imagined them to be and for some writers trying to stick to a plot that you've already laid out can be stifling. Honestly I think all of this will be better answered in the editing process. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful. EDIT: So if your friend is pushing you to stick to a plot you originally laid out (not just helpfully pointing out spelling errors and possible plot holes) while you're beginning to feel that the story needs to go in a different direction, you're going to have to put your foot down and explain that you've simply changed your mind. Because you can.
Huh. It seems like you are still introducing the characters and establishing the initial character relationships. It sounds like you still are on track. however, be sure to solidify the story you want to tell. Make a map of the plotline you want to tell. You can always revise it and edit as you feel necessary.
The way I see it it's not about how it ends but rather about what happens inbetween. Make an interesting plot and you're good to go. If the content is good and well planned it won't matter who she'll end up with.
If you feel that the main character should stay stick with Guy 2, that is fine. Go with your first instance and then once you have completed the story, have your friend to review it and see what changes she wants to make. I find it difficult to inquire validation from your friend while you're still in the process of writing the novel than it is if you were to be done with it first. Once you are done writing the entire novel, or first draft, your friend may begin to understand how much sense the story will make as exposed to sharing only a half of the draft to her. Then she may or may not change her mind about how your story should go.
If it seems to you like she should end up with Guy 2, she probably should. You just have to do it in a way so that it makes sense. After 3,000 years of being with the same guy, there had better be a good reason why she'd be in love with Guy 2. And you can always go back and rewrite your first part so that it makes sense with the ending.
Build more into the story with how the female MC will relate to Guy 1 and Guy 2. So if you think that Guy 2 should be with her, then build a plot around how she will be to him and how she'll act around with Guy 1. It doesn't really matter who she ends up with... As long as the plot is good and it remains interesting, then it'll work. ^^
How about spending writing time on Guy 1 as well? He's been rejected and will have a whole bunch of reactions to it I'm sure. It may be a great opportunity to complicate the plot rather than ending up a forgotten character or seeming like you have gone off on a tangent. Bringing Guy 1 back in the later part of the story might work. He could have sabotaged her relationship with Guy 2, or fallen in love with some other character who is her mortal enemy and so on. I don't think it'll read like you've gone off on a tangent unless you never mention Guy 1 again once she starts to fall for Guy 2. Also, light blue on white is very hard to read
Steamwolf: Sorry about that. I automatically do it. The sites I go on usually have a black background lol I was planning on still having Guy 1 involved in the story. I decided that she would be struggling to find who it is she cares for more because, even though she has been in a relationship with him for 3000 years, she only has a faint remnant of what she once felt for him because she knew him less and less with each of her incarnations. Thanks you guys!
