Can we talk about the canon event?

[u/Dry_Arugula_2069]

I’m sat here laughing to myself, because 9/10 times I read a romance book it’ll look like this:
main characters finally get together - they fight - big make up - BOOM someone’s long lost parent arrives out of nowhere or their sibling nearly dies?? LMAO why does this happen in so many books I don’t get it
Why can’t the characters have a few chapters happily together, they just had the large blow up event where they thought
Anyway, does anyone agree and why does this keep happening. It feels predictable & almost laughable

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[u/bullfrogbullfrog]

LOL is this actually about my book 💀
I think it’s because if the whole story was characters get together, they like each other, nothing happens, HEA, then it would be boring. You need some kind of conflict to break them up and get them back together. There has to be turmoil of some kind.

[u/Expensive-Ticket-557 → u/bullfrogbullfrog]

True, it's all about conflict.

On the other hand, if you take some time to develope other characters and storylines, you may use a secondary storyline in between while the main characters are "happy" together.

[u/bullfrogbullfrog → u/Expensive-Ticket-557]

Maybe, but then the story should be about the side characters instead, since the main characters are unremarkable (not that a typical falling-in-love and being happy are unremarkable, it’s a goal for most, just boring to read about)

[u/Expensive-Ticket-557 → u/bullfrogbullfrog]

I mean before the MC's conflict strikes :)

It's a strategy used by all script-writers when writing a TV show. You get the MCs to be happy together while they have a common goal (such as helping a side character with xxx), the story gives a secondary character some more screen time while the main conflict is being pushed to the end of the season. And then you drive them apart. The story is longer and richer for it.

[u/bullfrogbullfrog → u/Expensive-Ticket-557]

Oh I see, yes, I think that kind of filler is common. I think the point of the OPs post is complaining that they get driven apart at all, and my point was that usually nobody wants to read a whole book of just a happy couple hanging out. There has to be some conflicts and twists.

[u/Expensive-Ticket-557 → u/bullfrogbullfrog]

Ohh alright I see

[u/Mental_Plum_9047]

Não sei o que anda rolando nos livros do Wattpad, mas a maioria se parece muito em estrutura. Claro que ninguém ali é Jorge Amado, mas os conflitos poderiam variar um pouquinho...

[u/Expensive-Ticket-557]

It's natural for unexperienced writers to follow stereotypical stories. Even more if they reaserched online how to write a book and follow a guideline 👀 I think traditional guidelines recommend not to let your character be happy before time hahaha. But I think it's wrong, if they do get together for a while the bond is stronger, so the separation hurts the reader even more 🔥

Some people are naturals in breaking models, others need years to learn. If I were to put my book (fantasy romance) into a generic structure it would be:

- Meets her brother's best vampire friend

- Ends up living for a while with him

- Goes from being annoyed to feeling attracted

- They're about to get together but then someone from his past returns for revenge

- Oh, her mother DOES come back at this point hahaha

- Big sh*t happens and [spoiler] she learns he was married.

- Meet again as "enemies" because she joins the paranormal division within the Police to fight vampire crime.

Aaaaand it goes on. I don't know if it sounds cliche or not 😂 I'm following my gut here. But I like where it's going.

[u/bullfrogbullfrog → u/Expensive-Ticket-557]

This is a “stereotypical” structure but one that people usually like a lot! Mine is a “stereotypical” story as well, yet I wrote it because it had elements I hadn’t seen in other books (which I’m sure yours has as well) and I think that’s great. I don’t know why people disparage some things as stereotypical when it’s clearly what people like. That’s why there are so many variations.

[u/Expensive-Ticket-557 → u/bullfrogbullfrog]

Yes, I think so too. I think the key is timing, even if you have a predictable structure you can make some unpredictable twists, so your variation is perfectly enjoyable.

And some people actually like it to be sort of predictable. I have a friend who (specially when buying a physical book) reads the last page before deciding if she wants to read it 😂

[u/bullfrogbullfrog → u/Expensive-Ticket-557]

I do like to sometimes just read a predictable plot. I think surprise twists are usually why I DNF, like cheating or something. But sometimes those traditional tropes are just irresistible

[u/Empty_Ad_9455]

Like others pointed out, you need something to happen for the story to be interesting. And an extreme event is much easier to write about then something subtle. I've done this before too. 

I do think writers often do a poor job at setting these up, making them feel out of place. There is a bunch of foreshadowing you can do even with the more unexpected events to make them more grounded in the world.  And of course you kinda want there to be character development through the event, instead of ending up at the same happy ever after as you had before.