Two strangers see each other across a crowded room. Their eyes meet. They're drawn to each other. They flirt. They talk. They date. They fall in love. Their parents approve. They get their HEA (happily ever after) without any drama.
While this might be the love story we want - for ourselves or our children - it's not one we want to read about. Frankly, its kinda boring. No conflict.
Two strangers see each other across a crowded room. Mary is in a relationship - it's complicated. John is fed up with women, especially complicated women. Neither is looking for anyone new. Their eyes meet. They're drawn to each other. Mary thinks he's a jerk. John thinks she's complicated. End scene.
Mary's boyfriend is arrested for fill-in-the-blank. He swears to her he is innocent (NOT). John is appointed as the boyfriend's defense attorney. Mary and John bicker and rub each other the wrong way and get under each other's skins while boyfriend sits in jail.
Mary feels awful - she kinda likes John. She shouldn't. She should stand by her man - even if he is an embezzler/thief/generally bad guy.
John feels worse. He has feelings for Mary. It's totally unprofessional. What's more, if he gets her boyfriend acquitted, he'll lose her.
Ach - the drama, the conflict, the rocky road to love. But - I bet you're wondering what happens next...
Boyfriend breaks out of jail and threatens Mary? Mary is implicated in boyfriend's crime? John's complicated ex-girlfriend shows up with a baby she claims is his? Could be...
I am oh-so-happy to live a boring HEA and I'm oh-so-happy I don't have to read about it.
Showing posts with label internal and external conflict. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internal and external conflict. Show all posts
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Shut-eye
Another weekend gone. They slide by too quickly - a haze of soccer games and dinner parties and tapping of keys.
This weekend included all three.
The dinner party was much fun until the man I was chatting with fell asleep. Granted, it was after dinner and the couch was comfortable. But still, it suggests my conversational skills are less than scintillating.
Hopefully, the results of key tapping were more interesting than my conversation.
I've been thinking about internal and external conflict for my characters of late, how one can cause the other or resolve it. So, I wonder how my current cast of characters would deal with a man who falls alseep next to them on the couch. My heroine would leave him be (the poor man must be exhausted). Her friend Clem might draw a mustache on his unsuspecting upper lip (how dare he fall asleep in her fascinating company?) Dottie would make jokes at his expense.
When he woke would he be embarrased? Grateful to Tinsley (main character) for allowing him to sleep? Furious with Clem for defacing his face? Angry that Dottie had made him the butt of clever jokes?
What did I do? Let's just say there are a few slack-jawed pictures to commemorate the night our friend stayed up past his bedtime.
This weekend included all three.
The dinner party was much fun until the man I was chatting with fell asleep. Granted, it was after dinner and the couch was comfortable. But still, it suggests my conversational skills are less than scintillating.
Hopefully, the results of key tapping were more interesting than my conversation.
I've been thinking about internal and external conflict for my characters of late, how one can cause the other or resolve it. So, I wonder how my current cast of characters would deal with a man who falls alseep next to them on the couch. My heroine would leave him be (the poor man must be exhausted). Her friend Clem might draw a mustache on his unsuspecting upper lip (how dare he fall asleep in her fascinating company?) Dottie would make jokes at his expense.
When he woke would he be embarrased? Grateful to Tinsley (main character) for allowing him to sleep? Furious with Clem for defacing his face? Angry that Dottie had made him the butt of clever jokes?
What did I do? Let's just say there are a few slack-jawed pictures to commemorate the night our friend stayed up past his bedtime.
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