What Makes a Dynamic Fictional Couple

This is something I found myself asking recently. Who are my favorite fictional couples? Why? Do the characters I write measure up to the same standards?

Friendship (or enemyship) First

Insta-love has never done it for me. Here's why: a good relationship is always based on a strong foundation. Sure, "love at first sight" can exist, IRL as well as fiction. But that instant attraction will soon wither away if it isn't cultivated with a reason to stay connected. Do your characters personality types fit well together so they form a friendship quickly with subtle flirtation? Or do they clash and form a bond of mutual resentment? Sometimes we cover up uncomfortable feelings like attraction with negative feelings, and that's okay for fiction. Think Lady Mary and Matthew Crawly from "Downton Abbey".

Odds Are Stacked Against Them

A good love story, whether the center of your writing, or in the background, could always use a dash of angst. Give your characters a reason they have to stay apart, at least for a time. Is one trapped in a not so great relationship? Is one going to move to a third world country for two years to give medical attention to sick orphans? One of the reasons I loved Richard Cypher and Kahlan Amnell from The Sword of Truth is because they loved each other deeply and stayed faithful despite the fact that Kahlan's magical gift prevented them from being intimate. When a problem insists on keeping characters from being truly happy, you feel their pain and want them to be together even more.

Overcoming Crisis Together

Okay. Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games weren't exactly friends at first, but they still had somewhat of a history before being thrown into the Games together. If they were going to make it out alive, they had to work together. Give your characters something to work towards. Easy. In fantasy, have them save the world together despite outrageous odds. If you like more contemporary, have them fight a terminal disease together. Nothing defines and tests the bounds of a relationship like adversity and hardship. Give your readers something to root for.

Banter (but don't over do it)

Obviously, a good couple has chemistry. That chemistry should always be reflected in your dialogue. It's not just about the narrative of oh he's so hot with his pressed white shirt and stubble on his chin. What is their tone when they speak to each other? Sarcastic? Flirty? Is one character kind of awkward? What emotions are evoked by what the other just said? Kingdom From Ashes is a great example of good couple banter with Bennua and Zahid.

Also with banter, make sure you have the right amount. Too much back-and-forth can get awkward and boring. Like when you're hanging out with friends and two of them will just not stop flirting and openly admit they like each other already. You know it. Everyone else knows it. Let's move on. 

 

Realistic Characters

One of my all-time favorite fictional couples is Jim and Pam from "The Office". Why? They're nothing special. They don't have magical powers and they aren't royalty. They flirt over a reception desk and get caught up in office shenanigans. They are good, well meaning, everyday people. Anyone could be Jim and Pam and that's why everyone likes them as a couple.

Just so we're clear: magical powers and secret royal heritage are great in the right concept. I truly love it. Even if you write fantasy. you can still make sure your characters are well rounded. What are their flaws? What's holding them back? What do the other characters not about them? Have believable characters and you'll have a believable romance.  

Love and War

Couples fight. Everyone does it. And if Romeo and Juliet had lived long enough, they would have fought eventually, too. No matter how compatible two people are, they are not the same, and sometimes their differences will cause problems. Think about what would cause a rift in your characters' relationship. How do each of them react to the fight(s)? Does it affect the overall goal they are trying to accomplish? How do they resolve it?

Give and Take

It's important to understand what each character gets out of they relationship, and for your readers to understand the motivation as well. One reason I never liked a very popular couple was because I could never pin-point what it was that attracted them to each other. Besides of course their smokin' good looks. But a real relationship is more than just looks. What is the glue that holds the couple together? Without it, you don't have a couple. You have a fling.

If you're having a hard time with this, think about your own current or past relationships. Why are you with the person you are now? What do they do for you? If you're currently between relationships, think about someone from the past that didn't work out. What more did you need from that person in order to have made the relationship work? To get a little personal, one of the reasons I ended up with my husband (besides his smokin' hot good looks) is because I need his positive energy in my life. Seriously, I can't live without it. He is usually always upbeat and making me laugh and we have so much fun together, even if we are just cutting his hair or getting the oil changed in the car. He is the perfect balance to me, who battles depression and constantly worries about everything. What does he get out of the relationship? Well, I have my guesses, but really you'd have to ask him. ;)

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I hope this helps someone. I am a Lover of Loving Love and an advocate for healthy relationships. If you have any other points as to what makes a dynamic fictional couple, I'd love to read them in the comments!

 Happy Valentines Day!

Tips and Tricks: Choosing a Title

It's one of the hardest tasks in the writing process: summing up your entire manuscript in just a few syllables. . It's likely the first impression your book will make, so you better make it memorable. But no pressure, right?

Maybe you've had a title in mind from the minute the idea started brewing, only to find out it's already been snatched up. Or maybe you've played around with a string of words but nothing seems to fit. Just take a deep breath, you can do it! Here are a few quick tips I've learned from other authors, bloggers, and observations from watching the market.

(These tips are meant for YA and Adult genres. Children's, Middle Age, and Non-Fiction are each a different ballgame. These "rules" are generalized. There are exceptions. This article is merely advice and a record of observation.)

List significant symbols, events, and settings.

Step one: What are the key highlights of your book? Every good story has objects that represent themes. A tattered old couch. A pair of shiny high heels. A bow and arrow. Write them down and picture them in your mind as you ponder your story. What's going on in your story? Does it take place over a holiday? A carnival? A funeral? "Walk" through these settings and events as you search for the right phrase to represent your story. Does any particular trinket, face, or sound stick out to you? 

 

Avoid using character names.

 You may be tempted to take your star character and state exactly what they are going through. Amelia's Dilemma, Staci's Wedding, Jack's Aquatic Adventure, or The Reformation of Stuart Cruise are all boring and vauge. Your reader doesn't know who Amelia and Jack are. There is no feeling connected with these names unless this book is in an established series.These titles don't suggest anything except there is a character with a problem, an adventure, or a change. Ya think? It's a book. It's going to have one of those things and a good book will have all three. 

If you are married to the idea of using your character's name, rest assured there is a time and place for this: subtitles. Subtitles work best for books that are part of a series. They can be title of the overarching story, or the title for the particular installment in the series. For instance, Lilliana's Trial: The Mage Tournaments, Book One. This title not only tells us that Lilliana is being tested, but that it's all part of a magical competition. The Morph-ling Studies Book 4: Jaxon, lets us know this sci-fi series will feature one character for each book and tell their story. 

Personally, I try to avoid using subtitles. They tend to be wordy and can be confusing when a reader is searching for a book. Some of the best selling series' have no subtitle. The Hunger Games, Twilight, Legend, The Maze Runner. Keep this in mind if your book is in a series and you can avoid a subtitle.  

 

Image is everything.  

A friend of mine was really excited because he'd come up with the perfect title for his book: The Drugarr Riders of Raisnguard. Unfortunately, I could not be excited with him. As a general reader, I was confused. What is a Druggar? Something you can ride, I guess. But where the heck is Raisnguard? Obviously a fantasy place, but was it a city, a kingdom, a wasteland? The name tells me nothing and leaves the canvas in my mind blank. It's best if your tittle strikes up some kind of image in the reader's mind; something they can immediately associate and picture in their head. Something the brain will latch on to. While made up creatures and settings are imaginative and can hook a reader once they're invested in the story, they don't make good titles.  

 

Five syllables or less. 

This is my golden rule for coming up with tittles. While there are always exceptions, it's best to assume you are not one of them. When a reader is recommended a title, it has to be something they can remember. The fewer the syllables, the better. If someone says, "I just read the most amazing book: The Fires That Light The Way To Home" Are you likely to remember that? Probably not all of it. By the time you search the local bookstore or google it, you're likely to only be able to type or say a few words. What was that book again? Fires of Home? Light the Way Home? If you're like me, you probably won't waste much time thinking about it and move on with your day. 

Just take a quick look at the bestseller list on Amazon. Most of those titles are 5 syllables or less. The Husband's Secret, Big Little Lies, Red Queen, Leaving Time, Girl On A Train. You get the idea. Again, there are definitely exceptions. Take A Discovery of Witches for example. If you believe you are one of those exceptions, don't let me stop you. Just an observation.

 

 

Be careful with one word titles. 

  There are plenty of successful books with one word titles. It's just a bit risky. Let's say you've settled on the title "Siren". It definitely puts an image in the mind; a seductive mermaid or a screeching alarm. But go ahead and type that into Amazon Books. 11,613 results. It's unlikely your new book will be the first result to pop up. To give you an idea, there are seven books titled "Siren" on the first page. Adding just one more word will drastically change your book's status. For example, "Siren's Dance" only yields about 3,600 results and there are only two "Siren's Dance" on the first page. The bestselling one of the two earned the top result.  

Check Amazon.

  This one may seem obvious, but let me tell you why it's important. Having another book with the same title isn't a deal breaker, but remember that the top selling book will get the top result on the search page. Random people who hear about your book will probably only remember the title, not nessecarily the author name. When they search for it, they could end up with the wrong book!

When I had come up with the title for Onyx Moon, there were no other books with that title on the market. Three years later when it was finally published, that had been taken as a subtitle and was also included in a three word title. Since they were not of the same genre, this didn't bother me too much so I stuck with my decision. 

 

 

Type it out. Say it out loud. 

Write it down. Type it out. Say it out loud. Over and over again, since that is what you will have to do for promotion, emails, and telling people on the street. Make sure it's something that you are comfortable saying six times a day and that easily rolls off the tongue. Just like naming a pet or a child, don't give your book a name that doesn't sync or sounds strange when you say it.

Take a nap.

That's pretty much my advice for anything. :) But if nothing brilliant is coming, you probably need to sleep on it. Most writers love naps. If not, do whatever it is you do to clear your head and draw inspiration. Letting a manuscript simmer for a few days/weeks can help you see things in a new perspective. Keep writing, but give yourself time to think for goodness sake! 


Again, I am not an expert, just a player in the game. I hope this helps you through the struggle. Let me know if you like my ideas or if you have some of your own methods for choosing a title. Happy writing!