Romance readers’ expectations:
- Sizzle and chemistry between the two main characters, the hero and heroine
- Witty banter
- A “happily ever after” ending (or at least a “happy for now” ending)
- Roadblocks to the happily ever after
Finding the best setbacks and obstacles for my couple to overcome is one of my greatest challenges in crafting a satisfying plot. One of my biggest turn offs, in books, series shows, and movies, is when the writer or producer manufactures reasons for the couple to not be together.
I gave Emily in Paris several seasons to bring Emily and Gabriel together. But after (spoiler alert!) numerous times when one was single while the other was in a relationship, or vice versa, culminating in a fake pregnancy and Gabriel being a jerk, I’m officially done.
I never gave up on Luke and Lorelai in Gilmore Girls, but they didn’t make it easy. Another spoiler alert: The writing staff even went so far as to have Luke discover he had a teenage daughter and keep that news from Lorelai, who then questioned their relationship.
As I writer, I feel an obligation to deliver obstacles that make sense. Something that can’t be resolved by having an honest conversation.
So:
- Obstacles need to build on each other
- They need to grow organically from the characters’ flaws and fears
- The obstacles need to show character growth as they’re overcome
- They should build anticipation for the final reconciliation and the happy ending
That’s a big load for a plot point to carry.
Despite keeping viewers in suspense for ten seasons, Friends delivered a happy ending for Ross and Rachel when she got off the plane. They had to survive communication issues, co-parenting, differing financial circumstances, and jealousy.
The Office ended with Jim and Pam committed to each other, their family, and their future. They overcame relationship issues (Pam was engaged to someone else at the beginning of the series), Jim’s predilection for making life decisions without consulting Pam, coupled with her lack of assertiveness.
Bethany Turner’s Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish is an enemies-to-friends-to-more trope story. Max humiliates Hadley on a competition cooking show, then has a spectacular meltdown resulting in a career reset. Later, the two chefs are forced to work together on a new show. One obstacle to their relationship is their opposite personalities. Max is known for his anger control issues and Hadley for her always cool and calm persona. As they progress from enemies to friends, Hadley must learn to trust Max and he must demonstrate that he’s changed and is worthy of her trust and forgiveness.
Bestselling and Christy Award winning author and writing teacher Susan May Warren says the hero/heroine heals the other’s wound (the emotional effects of a lie they believe about themselves) and God heals the lie by showing the character truth.
For instance, in While You Were Sleeping, Lucy’s wound was her father’s illness and death which meant she couldn’t travel and get her passport stamped visiting countries she and her dad dreamed about seeing. Jack takes Lucy to Florence, Italy and she finally gets that passport stamp. Her lie was that since she lost her father, she’d always be alone. God gave her not just a loving husband, but his family who adopted her as one of their own.
The next time I’m stuck, I’ll remember:
The best obstacle to a “happily ever after” ending is using the character’s lie, wound, or flaw to create a roadblock
- Force the character to face things in their past they’d rather stay buried.
- Move them out of their comfort zone.
- When things can’t get any worse, make it worse.
- Then use their love interest to heal their wounds and give them their happy ending.
Use obstacle and roadblocks to hook your readers and give them a story that leaves them confident that your characters earned their “happily ever after.” Because even fictional characters deserve to find love.
Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever afters. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. She recently signed a contract with Sunrise Publishing to co-write a romance novel with New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hauck that will be published in 2022. Carrie and her husband live in the country with their high-maintenance cat and laid-back dog, within driving distance of their six grandchildren.
You can find her online at:
- Twitter: CarriePadgett
- Instagram: carpadwriter
- Facebook: WriterCarriePadgett
- Amazon Author Page: Carrie Padgett
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