 | 22 Feb 10 |
I recently finished reading a romance that I enjoyed. The characters were likable, exercised common sense, and were respectful of each other all the way through. They were reunited lovers–one of my favorite storylines–and there were some fundamental personality changes that needed to take place in order to reach a resolution. I finished the story with a smile. However, it didn’t make my “keeper shelf” where the books I’m certain to re-read go. In a while, I’ll probably forget I read the story.
Why? That’s the question I asked myself when I closed the book. What was missing that made the story forgettable?
Looking back, I realized it was lack of conflict for the heroine. The couple broke up because of issues the hero had and those issues had to be resolved to achieve their happily ever after. But the heroine hadn’t had, nor been part of, the problem and while the hero had to make some big internal changes, she didn’t. She was the same woman he fell in love with and she didn’t have to alter in any way to make them work as a couple.
There was conflict elsewhere in the story–external and the hero’s internal–but it missed the ahhh sensation due to the heroine not having a personal conflict of her own to deal with.
As I was contemplating this further, I was reminded of the scene in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening where Betty Buckley (playing a nutjob, which was creepier for me because of her past roles as the mom on Eight is Enough and the sweet gym teacher in Carrie) asks Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel, “Who’s chasing whom?” explaining that in every romantic relationship one person is always chasing the other.
In the books I love most, not only are the protagonists chasing each other, they’re chasing their personal dreams, and they’re conflicted about how to make them happen and still get their (wo)man. My favorite books are those where the internal conflicts of each character morph and grow as the story progresses, where the changes they need to make take place before the end of the book and initiate the need for even more changes. This doesn’t mean the book has to be angsty and/or dark. Even romantic comedies can have characters dealing with layered, personal internal conflicts in addition to their romantic and external ones.
Stories can still be enjoyable with only one of the main protagonists dealing with a major (or multiple major conflicts). The non-conflicted character can still be admirable and real. They can have faults and foibles, goals and full lives. But without some friction, there’s not as much for me to root for and become invested in as a reader. I really, really dislike conflict in my daily life, but I really, really crave it in my reading material. 
So how about you? Are you a conflict junky, too? What are some of your favorite conflicted heroes/heroines? Were their partners equally driven to change and grow? And just for fun, because it’s Monday and we all have a new week in which to rock our respective worlds, I’ll give away a tote bag and winner’s choice of my backlist (anthologies are iffy, but if I have it, I’ll send it.) to one of the commentors. Winner will be announced this weekend.
Happy Monday!
© 2010, Sylvia Day. All rights reserved.
Sylvia Day is the national bestselling, award-winning author of seventeen novels. A wife and mother of two, she is a former Russian linguist for the U.S. Army Military Intelligence. In addition to her novels, she's written numerous novellas and short stories for both print and electronic-original release. Sylvia's work has been called an "exhilarating adventure" by Publishers Weekly and "wickedly entertaining" by Booklist. Her stories have been translated into Russian, Japanese, Portuguese, German, Czech, Italian, and Thai. She's been honored with the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, the EPPIE award, the National Readers' Choice Award, and multiple finalist nominations for Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA Award of Excellence.
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Ah, that sounds a lot like a book I own, but haven’t read yet.
Conflict between and changes from both the hero and heroine are necessary to make a relationship believable, and therefore more relatable, and thus more likely to connect with readers. In my opinion, anyhoo
I prefer to read about relationships rather than romance-with-guaranteed-HEA.
by Tez Miller February 22nd, 2010 at 7:55 amI agree with you about relationships, and relationships are more interesting to me when both characters are complete enough to stand on their own, including having a goal and conflicts that are individual to them.
by S. J. Day February 22nd, 2010 at 12:09 pmS.J., you said it, sister! Both characters should morph and grow and things should get worse for them. Maybe they each paint themselves in a corner and can’t get out. Or it doesn’t look as if they will.
I think some writers are even-keeled personality-wise and don’t like conflict in their lives so find it hard to have conflict in their stories. I’m like that so I have to work extra hard to make up for it. An even-keeled life is great in human terms, but in protagonist terms—it’s deadly.
by jake February 22nd, 2010 at 9:12 amI love escalating conflicts!
by S. J. Day February 22nd, 2010 at 12:13 pmTimely, blog, as I’m struggling with that in the book that’s next in the queue–I need to nail down a concrete conflict, because like you, it’s what makes the story pop. It makes it interesting to read, and interesting to write.
I finished a book that had the same effect, I’m like…what? There’s setting and characterization and sweet-ish sex, but no conflict and the story fell flat. Big time.
by Lori Armstrong February 22nd, 2010 at 9:21 amI’ve read books like that. I don’t understand them and I get bored really quickly. If it’s a foregone conclusion that everyone is going to get what they state in Chapter One that they want, why read any further?
by S. J. Day February 22nd, 2010 at 12:31 pmSocial comments and analytics for this post…
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by uberVU - social comments February 22nd, 2010 at 10:12 amInteresting question! I prefer a lot of internal conflict to outside forces pulling the characters apart, definitely. It’s important to me that both characters grow and change as a result of the relationship, but when I’m writing, I do tend to have one character who carries more baggage than the other. It’s a balancing act, because romances where both hero and heroine are completely messed up and laden with issues tend to make me tired. : )
by Louisa Edwards February 22nd, 2010 at 10:22 amI’m also not a fan of books in which the baggage is overwhelming. It’s exhausting going through the painful process of putting someone seriously broken back together again, let alone going through it for two characters.
I just like stories where both characters have some independent goal to reach that isn’t an easy one. Doesn’t have to be emotional, angsty, or even internal.
Stories where one character’s sole conflict is whether or not the other character is going to work through their issues seem so one-sided to me. It leaves me with nothing to root for in regards to that character.
by S. J. Day February 22nd, 2010 at 12:40 pmSJ, great blog–and I agree… If I read a story where there’s no internal conflict between the couple, then it’s too easily a forgone conclusion and we’re just treading water. Boring. I want to see people grapple with their problems and have to work out solutions and figure out compromises and ways to communicate. I want to see them want it, not be able to have it easily, and have to work for it–that’s what makes the story a story and not just an anecdote.
by Toni McGee Causey February 22nd, 2010 at 11:34 amI think – hope – I am getting better at conflict as I go along. At every pivotal point of the book I try to make things harder for my heroine (and hero) – really piling on the problems but always addressing their core conflicts to make them confront them.
It was a really interesting challenge in my last project, when I was proposing a 3-book series that would present the heroine with two men to choose from, to come up with a conflict that would address both heros’ own arcs. It was a tricky puzzle, but really satisfying when I felt like I’d nailed it. Only oops, I kind of fell for both heroes and now I don’t know which one she’ll pick! But that’s a book three problem…
by Sophie Littlefield February 22nd, 2010 at 11:52 amBoth!
by Karin Tabke February 22nd, 2010 at 1:11 pmhee hee hee…i’m not sure if it’s that kind of series, but if so, I’ll step up and do my best!
by Sophie Littlefield February 22nd, 2010 at 7:06 pmPardon me while I make copious notes here!
I totally agree, SJ. Conflict should affect (and be a part of the emotional makeup) of both the heroine and hero. If they both don’t have a struggle, how do they grow and develop as characters? If there is no external conflict, how can bad things happen so the reader is rooting for them to get back together and deserve their HEA?
Like Sophie, I hope I’m getting better at balancing both types of conflict, and spreading both between the characters. Great post, SJ!
by Silver James February 22nd, 2010 at 12:56 pmI’m with you, Syl. Both characters need conflict! Wonderful post!
by Debra Webb February 22nd, 2010 at 1:12 pmGimme conflict or give me a pillow! I love stories where it’s just there. Not forced, not contrived, not a plot device.
by Karin Tabke February 22nd, 2010 at 1:13 pmHi SJ! Great post! I’m with Karen, if there’s no conflict the story just isn’t as fun, or complex or interesting. Snnnnoooze. But it’s gotta be well woven in, I think, or like you mentioned, the baggage becomes overwhelming and you don’t like the characters that much. Too much is tedious, too little and the story’s facile…
by Jeanne Adams AKA la Duchesse February 22nd, 2010 at 3:40 pmI have to confess that I’m better at external conflict than internal, but I’m getting better…I hope! Ha! Like Silver James, I’m making notes…
I also get bored with books like this! I think the relationships need some conflict to make them work for me. It keeps my interest up.
by Quilt Lady February 22nd, 2010 at 5:44 pmConflicted characters are definitely more interesting. I like seeing how the hero or heroine deals with the internal conflict, what choices should they make.
by Jane February 22nd, 2010 at 6:18 pmI’d rather read about conflicted characters.
by chey February 22nd, 2010 at 7:45 pm(don’t enter me)
*G* I love conflict.
by Shiloh Walker February 22nd, 2010 at 8:32 pmI WOULD RATHER READ ABOUT CONFLICTED CHARACTERS NOT CONFLICTS. BOOKS WITH CONFLICTS MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I’M READING A DIALOG SIMILAR TO “THE BACHELOR.”
by Lisa G February 22nd, 2010 at 8:38 pmYes, I think the story works better if both H/H are conflicted in some way. As a reader I can get more into the story if both characters have to work to be together.
by Linda Henderson February 22nd, 2010 at 10:16 pmI’m not a big fan of relationship stories when that is basically all there is to the story. I’m sure some may have conflict and growth for both H & H, but most don’t. I need conflict, suspense, growth and compromise for all characters. The heroine needs to have equal standing with the hero and needs to face her own conflict. The little woman waiting around for the hero to realize she is right for him is not my cup of tea.
by Patricia Barraclough February 23rd, 2010 at 12:50 ami like a balance of both hero/herione
by kh February 23rd, 2010 at 1:38 ami like reading about both them and both havin g problems to solve
I guess I’m a conflict junckie too. I really love reading those conflicts that make the HEA so hard to catch for the H/H. Just last week I read The Next Best Thing which was FULL of conflicts. It was almost painful at times (heck, it was gut-wrenching) but it made the Happy End even sweeter imo. I’m definitely one of those masochist readers
by Emmanuelle February 23rd, 2010 at 6:13 amI find that I enjoy the HEA more if both the hero and the heroine has their share of conflict and struggles. They both need to experience a change, I feel, in order for the end to be worth reading the book for.
by Kellie February 23rd, 2010 at 10:57 amI want conflict too and the best all time characters I found was in Constance O’Banyons Savage Desire and Savage Esctasy.
by jocelyn devon February 23rd, 2010 at 11:28 amI agree with what everyone else siad…conflicting characters just work.
by Monica February 23rd, 2010 at 3:45 pmI agree – both main characters need to have conflict to resolve or the story is too one-sided. They both need to learn and grow to reach a point where they can have their HEA.
by Barbara Elness February 23rd, 2010 at 4:05 pmA great post today. I enjoy reading about characters with depth who have issues but end up resolving their conflicts.
by pearl February 23rd, 2010 at 5:16 pm[...] leave a response 28Feb10 The winner of reader’s choice from S. J.’s backlist (offered here) is: jocelyn [...]
by Winner! | Murder She Writes March 1st, 2010 at 5:37 pm