In Need of Issues

You're talking about classic interpersonal conflict, y'know.

What makes them perfect together, yet makes them the worst for each other at the same time.

This is the dichotomy that leads to such pairings as the arsonist and the firefighter, the thief and the cop, the prince(ss) and the peasant, etc.

What beliefs, social customs, etc, does the world have that might affect these two lovers? What's so important to both of them, that they're on the opposite sides of, that can't be settled with a simple conversation?

For it to work, it has to stem from within the two characters and what they hold dear. And that's something you need to find, as the author. I'm not sure how anyone who doesn't know your characters can help you, outside of pointing you in the right direction.

Good luck.

To get you started:

They want two different things that are incompatible. (For instance, one wants children -- a lot -- and the other one never wants children.)

They are not allowed to be together. (They both work for a company that forbids dating. Or they are of very different social rank. Or they belong to enemy camps or countries.)

They are of different and incompatible religions.

And so forth.

Personal secrets are sometimes the most powerful things that undermine a relationship. They are also wonderful for fiction writing because they can be released gradually so the reader is held in the same suspense and uncertainty as the other character.

Baggage from past life events can also be a psychological barrier that prevents a person from giving themselves fully to another person.

Then there are the more practical things--like a full-on meat-lover wondering if he can live with a confirmed vegan or the other way around. Two characters on opposite sides of the political spectrum. Cultural differences. Age differences. Alcoholism and drug abuse.

One thing that can prevent a couple from taking the final step is a different stance on wanting to be parents.

The list can go on and on.

Then there is the fairly common theme of two people getting all tied up in the infatuation stage of a relationship, with all of the physical intensity, and then finding out they really don't have all that much in common. This is a danger of the current "hook up" generation, I suspect.

NOTE: cross-posted with Beth (above).

This is cross-wise to the question, but wouldn't it be easier to start an entirely new novel if you're going back with such a major revision? It seems to me like this is something you really needed to include from the start.

classic Romeo and Juliet: outside forces, they are placed on opposing sides of an intergenerational conflicts...

kayleebonraylee said:

What can keep two people from loving each other?
. . .
something that happens constantly.
. . .
something that keeps them from loving each other but never makes them love each other less.

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Genre matters, i think. Not sure what genre your novel is.

If every time they look at each other they are reminded of some tragedy in their past, death of a child, maybe. They can't bear it, looking at each other they see their child. They love each other but can't get past that.

Somebody already mentioned some secret one is keeping from the other one, or perhaps one of them knows something about the other and that knowledge is an unspoken wedge. . .

One is an intellectual, the other, not so much. (or any other kind of Felix/Oscar odd couple scenario)

Thinking outside the box:

One is dead and doesn't know it.

One is a figment of the other's imagination.

They are close blood relatives. . .

A more fundamental question: What do you mean by "loving each other"?

Classic romance trope is the inability to commit because of so many reasons: parents bad relationship, doesn't want to be tied down, doesn't think they're good enough for the other person, previous heartbreak, etc. And then the person who can't commit for whatever reason falls in love with a person who needs commitment and then you have your conflict. Voila!

Secrets. Everyone has them. What secrets are your characters keeping from one another?

I don't get it. You want to write a book wherein you make the two protagonists miserable by keeping them apart for some artificial reason you haven't even decided on yet and you think this will be entertaining for people to read?

Why do you want to write this story? Are you just feeling really dry on inspiration? Also, will it be a tragedy like Romeo and Juliet? Will they overcome the artificial problem and have a happy ending? What do you expect your readers to get out of this story? Do you want them to feel tension, or happiness or romantic or sad or what?

I think if you really want to go ahead with this, you should get to know the characters first and see why they love each other, why they can't live without each other, why despite the artificial problem, they want to make the relationship work. Why can't they just dump the other one and upgrade to someone without issues? What is the glue that binds?

I'm not trying to hassle you with too many questions but I hope they questions help.

Perhaps one of them has a crazy ex/stalker?

I also second the idea of personal secrets, they always create tension, re-building of trust etc.

lolchemist said:

I don't get it. You want to write a book wherein you make the two protagonists miserable by keeping them apart for some artificial reason you haven't even decided on yet and you think this will be entertaining for people to read?

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I have to say I disagree with your sentiments in this reply. I myself write as I go, if I plot I become less interested in my story and I lose my enthusiasm. As a result I've written a whole bunch of stories where nothing really happened, that I then went back and added actually plot to.

As it happens, this is how it works for me. Perhaps OP has a really great relationship between her two MCs and they have a strong profile, but then in creating all that, the actually story got lost, so needs to be found.

This is just how the creative process works for me, so I still think this could be a readable story, and commend the OP for recognizing the missing antagonist.

julzperri said:

I have to say I disagree with your sentiments in this reply. I myself write as I go, if I plot I become less interested in my story and I lose my enthusiasm. As a result I've written a whole bunch of stories where nothing really happened, that I then went back and added actually plot to.

As it happens, this is how it works for me. Perhaps OP has a really great relationship between her two MCs and they have a strong profile, but then in creating all that, the actually story got lost, so needs to be found.

This is just how the creative process works for me, so I still think this could be a readable story, and commend the OP for recognizing the missing antagonist.

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I'm not sure what you thought my sentiment was but I'd like to hear you clarify it. Honestly the inserting 'artificial drama' (or... I guess... 'plot,' which is what you're talking about) part bothers me waaaaay less than the 'Let me write a story where the lovers are constantly quarreling and bickering and being pulled apart' part. It just feels like it would be such a stressful read. I guess that's why I was sounding so crabby. I shouldn't be so opinionated though, A HUUUUGE amount of people love the crap out of Wuthering Heights so, I'm just one tiny opinion.

But yeah I have no problems at all with creating characters first and sticking a plot in later, in fact that's what I was suggesting for the OP to do, to build the characters and let the plot reveal itself.

The problem could literally be as miniscule as Lover A loves cats and Lover B is allergic to cats or as huge as Lover A is a rapist/murderer/serial killer who murders humans and makes face cream out of them and Lover B must come to terms with if they can ever look past Lover A's disgusting and horrifying life choices (and what if Lover A is just a total psycho with no plans of stopping and changing and wants Lover B to be their partner in crime???) How will the author know what these characters are capable of if the author has not stopped to get to know the characters? Any suggestions we can give will be like Cinderella's shoe with a very small chance of fitting!

What if one of them was married?

Night_Writer said:

What if one of them was married?

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At first I was going to say "Instant bad-guy!" and then I realized "Mr. Rochester!"

One of them is married to someone who has been in a coma for a year or is just has brain damage and lives in a care facility of some sort.

One of them has a kid with some sort of serious problems -- legal problems, mental health problems, behavioral problems, etc.

One of them gets promoted/relocated in their job which causes physical separation and/or increasing time commitments.

One of them really has a different name/identity than they claim. Because they committed a crime in a past life. Or because they were a victim and went into witness protection. Or for some other reason.

Here are some examples from books & movies that might spark other ideas:

The Time Traveler's Wife - Henry can't help the fact that he spontaneously time travels to different points in his life.

Something Borrowed - Main character is in love with her best friend's fiancee (and she's the maid of honor).

Shrek - The princess turns into an ogre every night.

Pirates of the Carribean - Orlando Bloom's character gets stuck on that creepy ship and can only see Keira Knightley's character every 10 years.

The Host - MC is actually a creature from another planet who has taken over another person's body and falls in love with a human.

My two can't be together because one of them simply cannot believe they can be loved.

kayleebonraylee said:

My novel is about two lovers, ... they need is some consistent obstacle they must overcome in order to be together.

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If you need specific plot advice... this probably should go down to the sandbox.

But I can wax philosophic in general about conflict in storytelling.
(jo gets out her philosophical wax.)

You, the writer, are charged with inventing dreadful things to happen to your folk. You want to make your characters suffer.

Maybe they have a desperate, unslakable need. Maybe they hafta flee something dangerous that is breathing down their necks. Or they fight and lose. Maybe they don't fit the world they're born into. Or they sacrifice everything for a cause and it betrays them. Or they behave badly and are ashamed. They're injured and bankrupted and disgraced and imprisoned unjustly and lose the family farm and get embarrassed in front of Math class and their dog gets shingles.



Are you making your people too comfortable? Is there a lack of bad stuff happening between them because nothing bad happens in general?

Look at the central conflict to your story. That may be the place to find the protagonists' conflict.

In Need of Issues

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I have plenty of issues, and I'd be happy to give some away!



(Sorry, couldn't help myself!)