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Jennifer’s characters have to learn to trust each other…
I prefer to write characters who have internal conflicts to
get over, rather than external ones. That’s not to say that I’m against
external conflict, but rather that I’m much more interested in reading about
characters who have deeper psychological issues to get over and therefore, I
enjoy writing about them too.
I’m less likely to write a character who’s job location is
the reason he or she can’t be with the hero and heroine. However, I might turn
that job into something that causes the other character to lose trust in him or
her!
And indeed, trust is a favorite topic of mine, if my recent
books are any indication. In The Seduction of Esther, one of Nathan’s concerns
is being made a fool of, after the experience he had with his former wife. When
it looks like Samara might do something similar to him (she wouldn’t!), he
pulls away. He has to learn to trust her before they can have a relationship.
A similar thing occurs in Miriam’s Surrender. Josh has a
secret from his past that he’s never told anyone. In fact, he’s spent his adult
life covering it up. When he finally trusts Miriam, he’s able to confess his
secret and finds out that it’s not nearly as problematic as he’s thought it has
been.
Resolving trust issues is fun for me as a writer as it
allows me to build it throughout the book, as well as go into deep POV, both of
which draw the reader in, I hope!
I've used trust issues in some of my novels, but in a slightly different way, in that the hero or heroine does something that causes the other to lose trust in them, and they then have to work at trying to win back the trust.
ReplyDeleteAlso a good way of doing things, Paula.
DeleteFood for thought, Jennifer. I never consciously use trust issues, though I can see how they play an important part in stories. Maybe it's something I need to think about.
ReplyDeleteI love learning what other writers do in their novels, Margaret.
DeleteI tend to write both internal and external conflicts. I agree, though, the internal ones are the ones that pack the most emotional punch.
ReplyDeleteThe 'theme' of one of my books is trust. It really does delve deep into the characters.
I love getting deep into their heads!
DeleteTrust is a core human issue, I feel. It plays out on many levels. It is an emotion that everyone can relate to, so it is excellent as a story theme.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's very useful!
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