Frustrated
Ok, so I had this great aha! moment and now trying to work with it, I keep running into a brick wall.
I spent a good chunk of time today taking the writing exercises at end of Chapter Five on Conflict in Leigh Michael’s book On Writing Romance
On one hand, it feels like I’m trying to start the story WAY too early for a romance. On the other hand, it’s just way too hero-centric for a romance. It’s possible I picked a horrible story to try to do this with, but I’m stubborn (if you haven’t figured that out by now). I will make this work.
Brainstorming conflicts that met the criteria Michaels sets forth for workable conflict (related short-term and long-term problems combined with a force that keeps them from walking away in frustration), I came up with the idea that he feels obligated to rescue her or afraid the gypsy will curse him, but perhaps the heroine wasn’t entirely upset by “being kidnapped” in the first place? Maybe she thinks she’s just been invited to stay at their country house for a while? The long-term problems are even fuzzier. Why would these two make the worst match possible on first impression?
It makes so much more sense when I’m looking at this from the outside.
That story with the gypsy and the kidnapped chick is a toughy. I’d have trouble with it for sure. I have an “evil” 3rd party in Ruined. Well, the hero and heroine think he’s evil. He turns out to be cool, but he’s their main problem once they get past an earlier conflict. Meh It’s hard to describe, but something’s out of whack in it. Eventually, I’ll go back to it. Prolly once I’ve got McKenna her HEA.
Why don’t you give the hero or the heroine a dark secret, or physical impediment? Something of the anguished register.
Ever read any books by Laura Kinsale? Nobody does this better than her. I’d recommend either THE PRINCE OF MIDNIGHT or FLOWERS FROM THE STORM.
(Tell me you’ve read THE WINDFLOWER by Laura London, aka Tom and Sharon Curtis…)
Good luck with your writing. Happy TT.