Need relationship advice for my novel.
By ChaJudLeoBit
@ChaJudLeoBit (1656)
United States
April 13, 2009 12:08am CST
Here is a small part of the plot:
A woman is taken from her husband and put in a facility. The patients are not allowed any contact with the outside world. Her marriage is null and void and people tell her that he has moved on. She doesn't know if that is true, but he won't answer her letters. (she doesn't know that they are being held)
Anyway, she is 'living' with a really nice guy. He's caring and sweet and appealing, but she keeps him at arm's length while waiting to hear from her husband. Time goes by and they start to bond. He is falling for her, but tries to respect her need to hang on to her previous life, even though he knows she will never see him again.
So here is my question:
How long is a reasonable amount of time before she starts to fall for the second guy? She needs his comfort and falling in love with him will be easy... once she decides to allow herself to feel for him. So how long do you think that would be? Take into account how her life has been turned upside down and he has been her rock through everything.
PLEASE HELP.
I want as many opinions as possible. Thanks
3 people like this
3 responses
@anotherxidentity (1434)
• United States
13 Apr 09
The best thing to do I think is to drag it on. Your audience is going to be waiting for that relationship to emerge. So if you are thinking about doing a series I would leave it till one of the later books. Think about Twilight... it took 4 books for them to finally get to that point where we all wanted to be at. Just make it to where they have small touches here and there but the big moment is towards the end.
1 person likes this
@ChaJudLeoBit (1656)
• United States
14 Apr 09
Well, I can't drag it out for too long, as it is a pivitol part of the plot. I have been building it with getting to know each other, then mild flirting and hanging out, to the point where she realises she has feelings for him, but denys them. I just don't have the timeline of that worked out too much yet.
What would your opinion be for the amount of time reasonable for her to hold out, out of love for her husband?
@anotherxidentity (1434)
• United States
14 Apr 09
When you think about actual life a widow is going to take a few years before she is comfortable so thats what I would probably set the timeline up to be. I'm not exactly sure how many years you want to span your book or how exactly you are going to show time being passed.
1 person likes this
@ChaJudLeoBit (1656)
• United States
16 Apr 09
The timeline actually will span several years, but in the meantime I need their relastionship to be growing. SO I'm not letting her wait more than a year. I am thinking a few months, maybe 6 or even less... She will see her husband again and needs to have a solid relationship with the new guy. Gotta make it akward and painful, right?
@ChaJudLeoBit (1656)
• United States
14 Apr 09
OUCH!! A year?!?! I guess that is reasonable, but she's actually living with this other man and has no one else in the world to comfort her. (It isn't her choice to live with him, but he's there. And he is falling in love with her.)
@estherlou (5015)
• United States
16 Apr 09
You might get some interesting answers that show the differences in generations. If she...in her heart...is still married...she needs to stay that way, but you have her really close physically to this nice guy as well as bonding emotionally. The emotional bond is harder to resist. If she knows her marraige is over, than it's okay to move on when she quits holding out for her husband and actually relizes she is in love with the new guy...thus showing she's done with the grieving period.
