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Writing relationships
Mar. 20th, 2012 08:58 amSo I recently read a book that made me want to tear my hair out. Having worked with teens and been a teen myself (not to mention being the parent of one), I realize that teens, like everybody else, make some stupid choices sometimes. And as a writer, I know that it's much more interesting to read a book where a character makes the wrong choice and has to deal with the consequences than a book where the character is perfect and does everything right all the time. If they are always right, there is no conflict and hence no story.
Still.
If a character is absolutely, completely freaked-out terrified about some danger that is after her, and then in the very next paragraph she decides that she might as well take a walk alone, at midnight--your reader is going to want to strangle her. Especially if it happens six times in the same book. Really? I sort of think she deserves what she gets if she can't see the problem there.
If you want your character to cause a problem by making an error, you have to convince the reader that the error was worth making--that there is truly a compelling reason for your character to think that's the right choice to make in that situation. If you have them waffle between intelligence and complete irrationality, then your reader WILL lose patience, and quickly.
Secondly, I realize that ever since vampires, people think there is something hot about powerful, good-looking, ubercontrolling boyfriends, but it makes me a little sick when I see girls gush about how hot a fictional love interest is when he leads the girl on, only to dump her--and then come back. Over and over. Or when he professes undying love, then commits violence towards her. And then she takes him back. Really? This is NOT love. This is sick. In fiction, I suppose, you can do whatever you want--but when I see teen girls read this and think that this is a strong, healthy relationship--this disturbs me.
Sorry. I try to be positive about books I read, because I know what it's like to write a book. And I enjoyed quite a lot of things about this one. But I'm just amazed when I see so many reactions of real-life readers who love love interests who act like this. Because if this is what girls truly think is the ideal--yikes.
Still.
If a character is absolutely, completely freaked-out terrified about some danger that is after her, and then in the very next paragraph she decides that she might as well take a walk alone, at midnight--your reader is going to want to strangle her. Especially if it happens six times in the same book. Really? I sort of think she deserves what she gets if she can't see the problem there.
If you want your character to cause a problem by making an error, you have to convince the reader that the error was worth making--that there is truly a compelling reason for your character to think that's the right choice to make in that situation. If you have them waffle between intelligence and complete irrationality, then your reader WILL lose patience, and quickly.
Secondly, I realize that ever since vampires, people think there is something hot about powerful, good-looking, ubercontrolling boyfriends, but it makes me a little sick when I see girls gush about how hot a fictional love interest is when he leads the girl on, only to dump her--and then come back. Over and over. Or when he professes undying love, then commits violence towards her. And then she takes him back. Really? This is NOT love. This is sick. In fiction, I suppose, you can do whatever you want--but when I see teen girls read this and think that this is a strong, healthy relationship--this disturbs me.
Sorry. I try to be positive about books I read, because I know what it's like to write a book. And I enjoyed quite a lot of things about this one. But I'm just amazed when I see so many reactions of real-life readers who love love interests who act like this. Because if this is what girls truly think is the ideal--yikes.
