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Paula looks at how out characters quarrel.
At some point in a story, our hero and heroine will usually ‘fall
out’ – quarrel, fight, argue, accuse the other character, or become involved in
some kind of altercation. It’s all part of the conflict(s) we introduce to make
life difficult for them.
For me, it’s often the hardest part of the story to write as
I dislike confrontation in ‘real life’ and do my best to avoid it.
I’m aware that there are many pitfalls when writing a
quarrel. It’s all too easy to give the impression that the heroine is a nagging
harpy, or the hero an arrogant b….d! Readers of romance usually want to escape
from the kind of squabbles that sometimes (often?) happen in real life!
Petty bickering is one sure way to turn the reader off your
characters. Equally, I think we need to avoid belittling, humiliating, and verbal abuse. Any form
of bullying or physical violence is a no-no too, as is one of characters going
into a lengthy sulk afterwards!
Obviously, there may be exceptions to the above, but,
generally speaking, a quarrel with any of these elements shouldn’t occur
between the hero and heroine unless there is a specific reason.
So what does that leave us with? Basically, there should be
a genuine reason for a quarrel or confrontation. It should be related directly
to either the internal or external conflict(s), and not just because a
character happens to be in a bad mood! And it should be a fair fight. A
heated exchange is good for upping the tension, a slanging match isn’t!
Genuine reasons can include self-defence e,g, when a
character is wrongly accused of something, or if a character feels betrayed or
badly let down by someone they trusted, or they discover the other person has lied or
cheated. Sometimes the characters may have a difference of opinion about something that is important to them both. Misunderstandings can also cause arguments, but these should be serious misunderstandings, and not something that can be resolved easily.
What reasons have you used for the quarrels between your
characters?
In my book Rachel's Retribution, Liam has cast Rachel out of his life. When they meet up again it becomes clear that he has neither forgotten or forgiven her.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember rightly, that was because he thought she had deliberately deceived him? And she couldn't prove otherwise?
DeleteThat's very true, Paula.
DeleteI think my issue here is that I make a distinction between arguments and conflict, since conflict can encompass much more than an argument about something--it can be an opposing philosophy, different goals, etc. And those are some of the things I've used for my characters. But specific arguments? Well, right now, in one of my WIPs, my hero is a forensic accountant and is responsible for an investigation into my heroine's client. When her boss finds out about their relationship, he's convinced she must have let slip some confidential information and takes her off the account. For a short time, my heroine is angry at the hero for investigating her client without telling her (he didn't realize the subject of his investigation was her client). As this isn't the main conflict of the story, they eventually resolve their issue and he helps her determine what to do about her job.
ReplyDeleteI agree there is a distinction, but conflicts can and do lead to arguments, of course. Some can be fairly easily resolved, but others are more fundamental. I was thinking more of the major ones when it seems the hero and heroine cannot reconcile their differences, for whatever reason i.e. the 'black moment' there should be when all seems lost, and the reader wonders how the couple can ever reach their HEA resolution.
ReplyDeleteOh, okay. My black moments tend to be more psychologically driven, which result in arguments, but just because the argument is resolved doesn't mean the issue is (or at least, that's my goal). So, for example, in The Seduction of Esther, Nathaniel has to learn to trust Samara in order to be able to reveal his past to her and to understand the difference between a public life and a public humiliation. They argue about what he's willing to tolerate, but it goes deeper than that.
DeleteI think all black moments are psychologically driven, as they're based on the inner feelings of both characters, which appear to be irreconcilable.
DeleteI've had characters who argue, but more often than not, it's more of a superficial banter about a disagreement. In my first book, Sharlie and Logan quarreled all the time about his returning to town when she didn't want him there. And the reason he left in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI guess that's a bit of distinction. And then there are also disagreements.
Hmn? Interesting things to ponder, Paula.
In my time travel, the hero and heroine argue about cultural values and science. He's 15th century, she's 21st century.
ReplyDeleteIn my contemporary suspense, she's into herbal medicine, he's a drug-focused Physician's assistant. Their quarrels stem from who they are before they meet-- and they both have to compromise to solve the outer plot issue.
Sorry I'm so late. We had no Internet access all evening.
ReplyDelete