Yesterday, we talked out the PLOT or EXTERNAL Obstacles (Why Nots) that keep our characters apart. The point of a great romance is for love to overcome the obstacles and triumph! So, without obstacles….well, there’s no story.
I’ll say it again. YOU MUST HAVE EXTERNAL OBSTACLES! (Yes, that was shouting).
Now that we have that settled…let’s turn to the Internal Reasons why we (and our characters) run from love. This is the easy part. We can all come up with a long list of the reasons why we are unloveable. Our sins, our flaws, or fears, our idiosyncrasies….you name it. It’s a wonder we don’t all live in an igloo.
The problem with finding internal obstacles is often authors either;
1. Pick too many or…
2. Focus on ONLY the internals as the obstacles to love. This is very circular and myopic. Just sayin’.
We pick too many obstacles because they are so easy to pick! We just climb inside the skin of our character and say….why won’t she love you? Let the bemoaning begin! So…how do we solve this problem?
Obviously…well, well pick ONE. One Big Why Not. One Big Why Not that has many facets. One Big Why Not that has many facets that is built off of a wound in your character’s past. One wound, from one event. One event that they can then share with the heroine when the time is right.
Here are some possible woundings that might create internal Why Nots:
“I am afraid of love because my mother left me on my aunt’s doorstep when I was six. I still remember her driving away. Thus, I am afraid of abandonment.”
“I drove drunk when I was seventeen, and got into an accident that killed my high school sweetheart. I’m afraid to love because everyone I love gets hurt.”
“The man I loved got me pregnant and left me the sophomore year of college. I am afraid of loving because I know I’ll be rejected and left with the pieces of my future.”
See…if you create an event in your characters past, something that leaves a deep wound, then your character will do anything not to be wounded in this way again, and thus, will walk around trying to protect themselves. Including turning their back on True Love if they think they’ll get hurt.
How do you find that wound?
Ask your character: What is the worst thing that ever happened to you (preferably romantically, but it can be anything that involves the heart) and what wound did it leave?
Make sure, remember, that it is an actual event, something they can tell the heroine (or hero) later. I often see people use general events – eg: my character comes from a broken home, so he’s afraid of love. That’s a starting place, but I always push them to find a singular event inside that overall situation that epitomizes their wound. And that, most of all, it is compelling enough to create a wound in the first place. It makes for a heartbreaking and poignant scene when they share it with the one they love.
And for triumph when they are loved….anyway!
Going back to your favorite movies, what Internal Why Nots keep your hero and hero apart? Go over to www.mybooktherapy.ning.com and add your voice to the discussion of Why/Why Not!
Everyone who leaves a comment will be eligible to receive a copy of my new book, Sons of Thunder!
Winners will be announced on Monday! Have a great weekend!
Susie May
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