COUPLES CRAVE CONFLICT By : Alice Orr
C o u - ples Crave Conflict . W e l c o m e t o the sticky pit of conflicted r e l a t i o n - ships in compelling fiction . First , you will squirm your characters around until they are truly stuck in that pit . Then you will render their situation stickier still . And , eventually , you will set them free .
Begin with this premise : If two people agree on everything , one of them is unnecessary . Not true in day-to -day real life unless you enjoy fireworks and frustration as a steady diet . But absolutely every-minute true in storytelling , especially romantic storytelling .
In my publishing professional days , I both edited and agented Romance Novels . Too many manuscripts that landed on my desk came way too close to putting me to sleep . Their authors failed , for one thing , to understand what makes a romance story breathe on the page .
An effective romance scene springs to life in a relationship between conflicting characters . Your two main characters , the romantic couple , must battle toe-to-toe on opposing sides of your crucial story situation . Otherwise , you will have created a snooze instead of a thrill .
You must create believable interpersonal tension between these two . Trivial quibbles or bantering , no matter how clever , will not suffice . Your romantic couple ’ s conflict , the internal struggle in their relationship , must be substantial and significant enough for us as readers to care what happens to them or what happens in your story .
The anticipated outcome of their struggle must involve serious consequences . The more dramatic those consequences promise to be , the greater impact your story will have . Something important is at stake here . Both of these characters will be powerfully affected by what happens .
We teeter on the edge of our seats eager to know more — eager to know everything . Who are these two people ? What are they at odds about ? Why do they struggle so passionately ? How did they come to care so much ? Our desire for these answers makes us care passionately too .
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