I've recently started a project that I have a basic concept of, but I'm unsure of what direction I want to take it. The concept is an insecure, early 20s young woman who has a habit of saving everyone but herself meets a charismatic young man who seems to have his life together and they start to develop together. She grows comfortable with him and slowly starts to see cracks in his facade. He's less attentive, distracted, seems like a different person. She later finds out he's hearing the voice of his dead friend in his head. The friend is the sweet, caring, kid she's come to love, the young man who's still alive is toxic and unpredictable. This is where my indecision comes in. Do I take them down the romantic road and just detail the break up and her finding her way away from him? Do I delve deeper into the toxicity of their relationship? Do I focus on her learning to love herself enough to walk away from someone she can't fix? Do I bring the aspect of sex and the way they use each other into it? I can't decide. Thoughts?
I'm afraid no one can tell you want you want to write. I'd be most interested in why/how this guy came to be affected by his dead friend, but that's not even an option you listed. You seem to want to focus on the relationship itself, which I'd personally find markedly less interesting than the supernatural(?) aspect - but it's not my story to tell! I suggest doing some brainstorming about what kinds of scenes and what kind of tone each prospective story would have. Keep in mind too that a lot of these things can probably be included or at least touched on in one cohesive story. MC meets the guy > we see the romance > we see their relationship begin to deteriorate and dive into the toxicity of it, incl. the sexual aspect > at some point she learns his secret > she begins to realize she can't save him / he's not worth saving? / she needs to focus on herself > break-up and recovery. You could put a closer focus on any of these things, but you could also just do all of it.
Sounds interesting. I like it! I'd think you can pursue either/some/all of these avenues and be successful. Without delving into all the intricacies of your plot, I would think that the multiple-personality aspects of the male MC would dominate the story, so your arc would likely follow along those lines. A clue here, a reveal there, eventually a realization, and then some spectacular (to whatever degree) event that blows the whole thing apart. You'll likely need some kind of driving engine to keep the plot moving. Otherwise it's just two people doing relationship things in a vacuum, which isn't likely to be very interesting once the initial gags play themselves out. And there probably needs to be some danger for you female MC beyond heartbreak and increasing insecurity. While those are certainly compelling emotions, emotional stakes by themselves will only compel a reader so far. I'm not saying he has to try to cut her throat in the middle of a cornfield in a thunderstorm at the end or anything, but he's clearly mentally ill and the reader will probably expect some kind of satisfaction. What you described seems to have psychological thriller written all over it, but that may not be the effect you're going for.
you appear to to a character writer (the two types are plot writers and character writers to what is their preference/ strength is one or the other) I am a plot writer (though characters are just important) from what you have said you sound to be a character writer. My advice is to ask your self what do you want to do for your character? where do you want her to end up what is the ending do you find you would be satisfied with. Make a list of the problems/conflicts you want to pit against your character(s) then set up a list of ways to fix/ fight them for your character(s). As for the secrets for the plot why the dead person talking in your male MC its important to delve into the why (or you are missing on a great opportunity in using and having that in the story in the first place) its a readers pet peeve that a possible important part of a story is skipped or barely mentioned by an author. (example: main character saves girl from falling off a cliff, "oh thank you I couldn't hold on much longer"-girl, " hey no problem I am just glad I got to you, and strong enough to pull you up, would have been awkward if I needing to call for another rescuer to save not just you but me as well" MC grinning down at the cute girl) see you would ask why was the girl hanging off the cliff in the first case did she slip? get pushed? heard a strange noise that made her want to peer over the edge? was she collecting something that was hanging on edge of the cliff? how did the main character know she was in trouble? did she yell out for help? did he follow unusual tracks that lead to her?, do they know each other? will they get a connection other then her saying thanks and leaving?. A story can be made more exciting if you add the details to theses types of questions. maybe in looking to why the dead person is talking in her boyfriend's head she meet more of the dead friend's family and friends or a guy who is mutual friend to both the dead friend and the boyfriend someone she can really connect with slowly as the course of the story goes on mutual friend and her get more closer which make current boyfriend jealous more conflict more options for what you want to do or even just become friends with the dead friend's sister and they play Nancy Drew on how and why dead friend is communicating in boyfriend's head (maybe boyfriend could have saved his friend but didn't,or maybe he killed his friend and the friend is haunting him) the list can go on and you can make a journey about finding out why and how it is happening and what the characters can do about it, the relationships which go up and down, strong or weak, crash and burn, new characters and who their relationships effect and develop with each other and the main characters, where they all go, what they face and how they face challenges is what makes and breaks a story. I hope this helps in some way
