Message Board Topic 10/20

[Comsie]

Ahh love. It's happy, it's bright, it makes you feel all gushy and sweet inside. And then...as a nice bonus, you get to have all the hot but naked sex you want! It's a lovely thing, ain't it?

 

And then...there...lurking in the shadows, is that evil demon in the dark cloak. The heartbreak, the mistrust, the jealousy, the infidelity, and the ever present 'misunderstanding'. Let's be honest, out of all the relationships that people have in their lifetime...only a chosen few are sure to last for any real length of time. And when that awful 'break-up' happens...it isn't always a 'sunshine day'!

 

So...when approaching break-ups in stories between the main characters, what are some of the best ways to handle it in the writing? How do you build up to it? How do you make a conflict that's strong enough to split up your star crossed lovers...but not so strong as to 'demonize' them or make them out to be the bad guy? After all, I'm assuming that he goal is to get them back together at some point, right? Or...is it?

 

A penny for your thoughts! A quarter for an actual post! ::Giggles:: Whaddya say?

[Graeme]

I want a quarter!

 

There are different types of breakups, and they are approached in different ways.

 

There's the slow breakup, where they just start drifting apart. They start doing different things, and mixing with others as individuals, rather than as a couple. Eventually, they find they just aren't spending time with each other and they'll either fix that, or acknowledge it and separate (or maybe one will try to fix it and the other will try to acknowledge it....). From a writing point of view, you can introduce this one early -- having each character do different activities, and then have those activities start to take more and more of their time:

 

"Joe, how about we go see a movie on Saturday night?"

 

"Sorry, Rick, but I've got to help set up the stage for the drama club's play."

 

"You've been working with them for the last three Saturdays. When are you going to spend time with

me

?

 

"Hey, I know we haven't been going out much recently, but it's a big thing for them. They're depending on me!"

 

There's the traumatic breakup, where something happens to tear them apart. Usually, it'll involve one person break trust, or appearing to break trust. If you want them back together, you have to make sure that it's all a big misundertanding, but a lack of communication stops them from working that out.

 

Then there are lots of variations in between. The couple that starts to drift apart, and then a misunderstanding occurs that rips them apart.

Edited October 21, 2008 by Graeme