How do you keep up the tension in a middle book without introducing a love triangle?
Interestingly enough, although I’ve always known that I do not enjoy reading love triangles, until I was asked this question, I have never asked myself why.
But once I think about it, the answer is pretty clear. For a fictional relationship to work for me—heck, for a real life relationship to work for me—the following components are necessary: physical attraction, intellectual common ground, mutual respect, and last, but most certainly not least, emotional commitment.
The movie Titanic, for example. There are various points in the movie when Jack and Rose could have gone their separate ways, instead each time they choose to stay together. And every time they make that choice, they take their relationship to the next level, until they were in a state of absolute commitment. Death was the one thing that could rip them apart. It did. But nothing could diminish that state of absolute commitment. And the people who watched Titanic over and over again, they didn’t go for the special effects, they didn’t go for the spectacle of the boat sinking, they went for this kind of commitment.
And the reason I don’t like love triangles is that there is not enough emotional commitment in a love triangle. You have one person who is torn between two choices and that can certainly make for riveting drama, but then you do not get to see the truly interesting part, which is how two people who are committed to each other work through their challenges and change and grow.
So that’s what my middle book is all about, the same couple, working through a twist of fate that would tear them apart—that has torn them apart. It is about them asking themselves, what does their commitment to each other mean? Do they really give up so easily, in the face of this obstacle, or do they still do their best to love each other with kindness and generosity?
(And of course I lighten up my middle book with a second timeline in which my characters suffer from magical amnesia and get to fall in love with each other all over again.) :)
There are lots of ways to introduce additional tension and conflict without having to introduce an additional love interest. You can find out that this person is actually your enemy, is responsible for the death of a loved one, or has been hiding really important things from you—for reasons that are understandable from his point of view, yet nevertheless devastating to you. I came up with that list in about thirty seconds or so. If you spend some time brainstorming, there are endless possibilities.
So, go forth and explore that big wide frontier of middle books without love triangles. :)
Title: THE PERILOUS SEA (The Elemental Trilogy
#2)
Author: Sherry Thomas
Pub. Date: September 16, 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 432
Formats: Hardcover, audio, eBook
After
spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised
as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training
to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe
is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the
agents of Atlantis quickly closing in.
Soon
after arriving at school, though, Titus makes a shocking discovery, one that
makes him question everything he previously believed about their mission. Faced
with this devastating realization, Iolanthe is forced to come to terms with her
new role, while Titus must choose between following his mother's prophecies—and
forging a divergent path to an unknowable future.
Sherry Thomas is one of the most acclaimed
romance authors working today. Her books regularly receive starred reviews from
trade publications and are frequently found on best-of-the-year lists. She is
also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA® Award.
English is Sherry's second language—she has come a long way from the days when she made her laborious way through Rosemary Roger's Sweet Savage Love with an English-Chinese dictionary. She enjoys digging down to the emotional core of stories. And when she is not writing, she thinks about the zen and zaniness of her profession, plays computer games with her sons, and reads as many fabulous books as she can find. Sherry’s next book, THE PERILOUS SEA, volume two of her young adult fantasy trilogy, will be available fall 2014. Author photo by the lovely and talented Jennifer Sparks Harriman at Sparks Studio. ~ Website /Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads
English is Sherry's second language—she has come a long way from the days when she made her laborious way through Rosemary Roger's Sweet Savage Love with an English-Chinese dictionary. She enjoys digging down to the emotional core of stories. And when she is not writing, she thinks about the zen and zaniness of her profession, plays computer games with her sons, and reads as many fabulous books as she can find. Sherry’s next book, THE PERILOUS SEA, volume two of her young adult fantasy trilogy, will be available fall 2014. Author photo by the lovely and talented Jennifer Sparks Harriman at Sparks Studio. ~ Website /Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads
Giveaway
Details: US ONLY!
For First Place: 1 winner will receive. The Burning Sky, The Perilous Sea, and The Hidden Blade and a handmade solid lotion bar and some homemade face scrubs, plus a burning sky bag.
Runners Up: 2 winners will receive The Burning Sky, The Perilous Sea, and The Hidden Blade.
For First Place: 1 winner will receive. The Burning Sky, The Perilous Sea, and The Hidden Blade and a handmade solid lotion bar and some homemade face scrubs, plus a burning sky bag.
Runners Up: 2 winners will receive The Burning Sky, The Perilous Sea, and The Hidden Blade.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
9/8/2014- A Book and a Latte- Interview
9/9/2014- Such a Novel Idea- Review
9/10/2014- Fiktshun- Guest Post
9/11/2014- The Irish Banana Review- Review
9/12/2014- Bewitched Bookworms- Interview
Week Two:
9/15/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
9/16/2014- A Backwards Story- Interview
9/17/2014- Carina's Books- Guest Post
9/18/2014- Nerdophiles- Review
9/19/2014- Candace's Book Blog- Review
YES!! What a fantastic guest post from Sherry! Thank you so much for sharing it with us all Carina!
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree, I do not like love triangles in general, but when they are introduced on the second book just to add tension?? ME NOT LIKE!!
Yes, yes, yes! I absolutely agree with Sherry - emotional commitment is definitely missing in love triangles. How can you have one when one moment, you're wondering if X is perfect for you while in the next moment, you sigh wistfully over how cute Y is?
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS THE BEST THING EVER! I am ALWAYS looking for this in second books, but I rarely see it happen. I loved The Perilous Sea more than the first book, which almost never happens for me. Like you, Carina, I hope Titanic isn't the strongest couple reference for Ioanthe and Titus. NO DYING AT THE END. :( THANK YOU FOREVER for asking this!!
ReplyDeleteWell stated. Love triangles aren't romantic. They speak to a person's ambivalence to commitment.
ReplyDeleteI love this giveway ♥♥
ReplyDeleteYou've hit the nail on the head about love triangles, Sherry! They lack the amount of commitment necessary to truly root for and invest in the relationship. I have seen nothing but great things about your series and I look forward to picking it up! Thanks for the wonderful post, and giveaway, Sherry and Carina. :)
ReplyDeleteAh! What a good post! I agree so much, too. That's the kind of thing that always bothered me about those romantic reality shows, like The Bachelor. It's like "Well, up until yesterday I was dating and considering choosing this other person, but now I choose you." How is that a really decisive choice? Emotional commitment!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU, C and SHERRY - YOU ARE OFFICIALLY MY HEROES! Seriously, this post makes me sooooo beyond happy. What a perfect question and even more perfect answer. I just finished the book last night and this makes even more sense now. Their emotional commitment is stronger than ever and because of that I root for them as a couple so hard.
ReplyDelete