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Most romance novels focus on the hero and heroine falling in love. However some women’s fiction and cozy mystery romance threads involve a love triangle. Since my current release, Cobblered to Death, is a clean cozy mystery with two love interests, I thought I’d share my do and don’t suggestions in writing a love triangle.
Do create attractive love interests. This covers more than looks. It includes personality, occupations, activities and general outlook on life. Give each love interest a personality trait that draws the protagonist to them. Example: One love interest shares the same love of classic movies as the protagonist. The other love interest and the protagonist volunteer on the same community betterment project.
Don’t make the love interests perfect. Give them flaws. Make them clumsy or overly helpful, stubborn in certain instances or generous to a fault.
Do keep the love interests different. Although some people have a certain ‘type’ of person they are attracted too, if your love interests twin each other in physical traits, speech patterns or occupations, it will confuse the reader. Use an opposite approach. One might be a home body while the other enjoys socialization. Example: A detective and a pastor bring vastly different world views to the relationship which could help or hinder the protagonist figuring out the whodunit part of your plot.
Don’t forget to have each love interest provide a different emotional support to the protagonist. One could be the voice of reason while the other points out possibility. Both should show concern for the protagonist’s safety and wellbeing.
Do keep the love interests civil to each other despite their jealous feelings. It’s okay to show their jealousy in words, tones or actions, but not to the point of an argument or fist fight. The love interests can’t torment or taunt the other about spending time with the protagonist. After all, you want your reader to cheer both of them on and wonder who the protagonist will choose by the end of the book or series.
Don’t have the protagonist pit the love interests against each other. The protagonist must be upfront with both love interests that they don’t have an exclusive relationship. This allows flexibility in each book to have the main character favor one love interest over the other to keep the reader guessing, and hopefully buying the next book if it is a series!
That’s my list. Do any of you have more do and don’t suggestions on love triangles? Do you like to read books where the main character has more than one love interest? If so, have you ever been disappointed in the characters choice?
I’ll be giving away one copy of Cobblered to Death to a U. S. resident (sorry…foreign postage costs more than the book). Leave a comment to enter the drawing!
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Blurb: Courtney Archer is known for hosting the show Cooking with the Farmer’s Daughter … despite the fact that she’s actually a pediatrician’s daughter. Now she’s signed on for a role on The American Baking Battle. On this reality show, she can start developing a more authentic image for herself—and as a bonus, the usual backstabbing and manufactured drama isn’t part of the Baking Battle script. But genuine drama is heating up behind the scenes …
During a film shoot in the scenic Pocono Mountains, Courtney has to juggle career commitments like pots on a six-burner stove. Adding to the stress is Mick, a contestant who finds out about her fake farm-girl story. Determined to succeed at her new gig, she whips up a cherry cobbler in a cast-iron fry pan one evening and leaves it out to cool. But the next morning, it’s Mick’s body that’s cooling—right next to Courtney’s pan, now classified as a murder weapon …
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Rose, I love seeing you dipping your toes into the cozy mystery genre. It's so much fun to write! I love it!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd Cobblered to Death sounds like a hoot.... I can't wait to read it. Welcome back under a NEW NAME!!!!! With the same amazing storytelling abilities! Go get 'em, Tiger!
Thank you! And thanks to all the Seekerville members for inviting me back!
DeleteSo good to see you here, Rose! I haven't read a cozy mystery for awhile, but I'm convinced that yours has to be the next one i pick up :) As far as love triangles go, I certainly don't have any tips, but a triangle is always good for upping the conflict! Great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Glynis!
ReplyDeleteYes, a love triangle does up conflict in a story...which is always a good thing to keep readers interested.
Rose! It was fun to see you at your booksigning on Sunday! I wish we'd gotten a picture. But you were BUSY!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd that's a good thing.
Cobblered to Death is such a great read! How exciting to try something new and fresh!
Welcome today.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a wonderful list to keep on hand when writing.
quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
Hi Lori,
DeleteThanks for stopping by today. Good luck in the drawing.
Thanks, Mary! AND Thank you for coming to the signing and buying books! We will have to plan a lunch so we can visit.
ReplyDeleteI love cozy mysteries! I grew up reading Trixie Belden books and I started reading Agatha Christie mysteries in high school. I've read a lot of cozies with love triangles. I prefer the character making a decision rather early in the series (a la Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy's Harry who chose Fair over Blair pretty early on, which I thought was the right choice) rather than drawing it out. I think some fans of cozies are wary of a newcomer winning over the heroine rather than one of the two in the triangle. So yes, one time I was disappointed in the choice because the choice seemed to come out of nowhere. Overall, I love cozy mysteries. Yours sounds like a great one because of a sense of community/setting and justice which are two reasons I read cozies. And my twins love a certain baking show and so your book really sounds like one I'll be reading soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Tanya,
ReplyDeleteI SO agree on making the love triangle choice early on....there is a quite popular cozy series that has kept the love triangle going for lots and lots and lots of books, but I like to see them choose one. There can always be conflicts in the relationship, right? Thanks for stopping by!
Rose, I wonder if you are referring to the same series I was thinking about that goes on and on without ever resolving. I really don't like when it drags out.
DeleteGreat to see you here, Rose. No need to put me in the drawing. I already have the book and stayed up too late last night finishing it. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next one. The love triangle you set up worked really well. However, I definitely know who I hope she picks! I just wrote a review on Amazon.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you liked the book! Although, sorry about the sleep deprivation! I've been there with a book I just couldn't put down! Thank you for the review.
DeleteSo glad to see you here today, Rose! A fun post. I wrote a kinda-sorta love triangle in my Christmas novella, His Perfect Christmas. I had fun with it, and ended up wanting to redeem the somewhat jerky guy who lost out in the next novella. That was fun, too! :)
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd had your list when I wrote my story! :)
Hi Missy,
ReplyDeleteThat is always fun to redeem a character in another book!
Hi Rose - thanks for sharing. I think your list is excellent. I don't think I'd enjoy a novel very much, no matter which genre, if people were fighting over each other and hoping to come out the winner when it came to love. Too much drama and just not my cup of tea. (Don't enter me in the draw since I'm north of the border). Lee-Ann
ReplyDeleteHi Lee-Ann! Thanks for stopping by today.
DeleteOk, I'll be honest and say love triangles are NOT my most favorite troupe in fiction & generally avoid them. I just hate to see one person "lose" at love. Unless the author features that character in the next book and they get their happily-ever-after, then I can forgive the writer, lol! ;-)
ReplyDeleteSince I don't read too many of these type of stories, I have been disappointed a time or two in who the hero or heroine chooses at the end. Just like in real life, if you're rooting for one person over the other, you kind of feel let down when they aren't chosen.
On the flip side, I have read really well written love triangles. I guess it just depends on how much and what kind of conflict the author includes in the book.
Hi Trixi,
DeleteI have had two reviewers and a reader tell me they have already chosen the love interest they want the main character, Courtney, to choose! One even told me she is on Team Eric. Which is fun for me as an author. The love triangle in my mystery is a small, small subplot.
I'm don't read very many cozy mystery books, but your book sounds really interesting!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Good luck in the entry!
DeleteSounds like a fresh twist on a cozy! Thanks for the chance. paulams49ATsbcglobalDOTnet
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! Thanks for stopping by today!
ReplyDeleteI love that you're writing cozies, Rose. Next to romance, they're my favorite genre to read. Thanks for visiting at Seekerville today.
ReplyDeleteThanks for having me!
DeleteI enjoy love the tension of love triangles. Enjoyed reading your so and din’t Lists.
DeleteI don't mind love triangles, but I really don't like to read about insta-love.
ReplyDelete