Good Monday Morning. Today's post is about love triangles. I've been reading books these last weeks (because I jinxed myself when I said the kitchen reno was over -- it's not, and I just can't concentrate to write when I still have to finish painting).
Reading lots of my old historical faves, and most of them have love triangles. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, boy does something stupid and girl finds another boy, first boy apologizes to try and get girl back, but girl doesn't know which boy she really loves. Or something like that. You know the trope.
In my own books, I have the triangles. I love the triangles. I think the triangles are the coolest of the cool story plots because one never really knows who the girl will end up with until right at the very end. (Remember Genna and Tony and Pete? How much fun was that?)
I personally, have never been involved in a love triangle. Believe it or not. I'm a one man girl. Oh sure, I looked, but I never touched. But that's not to say that some of my smarmier boyfriends didn't. And they didn't last long after that. (Usually about 20 minutes after I found out.)
Tell me -- Do you write triangles? Do you like to use them in your stories or not? Have you ever been involved in a love triangle?
24 comments:
I write all sorts of triangles, love and otherwise. Triangles are an inherent source of conflict, the lifeblood of fiction.
Linda -- So true, inherent source of conflict. Never thought of it like that. Thanks.
I haven't ever written about them, but find myself very engaged when I am reading about them. Usually I have a clear favorite!
I LOVE love love triangles!! But I've never written one. Probably because my books are short and I don't have the needed space to do one justice. But maybe someday... :-)
Liza -- I know, usually when I pick, the character chooses the other one.
Jennifer -- Oh, that's too bad. They're so much fun!
I've never been in a love triangle, but I love, love, love to write them. I tend to write them all the time.
Triangle? I've been lucky just to make a single line in my relationships!
Oh, I have love triangles everywhere in my books. I love them to bits- they add tension and I love the idea of having to choose between two very different guys who each hold a different pull on you. I don't think I've been in a love triangle so much as I've always had a boyfriend when another guy comes along and tries to coerce me into being with him. There was a guy I was doing a play with who almost succeeded in getting me to leave my boyfriend (there was an 'almost' kiss) but I got cold feet. Ex boyfriends would call me up, knowing full well I had moved on and try and convince me to go see a movie they know I'd love or go out to a restaurant for my favorite meal #hardtosaynotofoodbutidid. But I think the worst is when I was caught between two old flames at a party and they both wanted to take me home #awkward.
I've definitely written a triangle or two... but they're not always LOVE triangles, if that makes any sense.
I think for a (fictional) love triangle to work, it has to really feel... idk... inherent to the story, I guess. Only because I think the (YA) market is so flooded with them, sometimes they seem to be there just for the sake of being there. But, BUT, when they're done well, I LOVE them :)
Christine -- I know, aren't they fun? I think I manage to insert them in all my books whether they needed them or not.
Alex -- But sometimes a straight line is the best way to go!
Katie -- #awkward. Yeah, but look at all the material you've gotten over the years.
Sarah -- Sometimes you don't need a 'love' triangle to have one. They are really great for playing people off each other.
Hmmm...mostly the relationships I write are so intense that the other woman only makes a fleeting appearing, but I have something in mind that'll be a little different from the usual. Love triangles definitely aren't my thing on a personal level.
Love triangles are standard in books. It's all about conflict.
Now that I think about it, all five of my fiction books have love triangles. What does it mean???
Joy -- Not mine either. And do tell about the something in mind...You have me intrigued.
Lisa -- Conflict...and angst.
Diane -- It doesn't mean anything. It's a great writing plot. All of mine (so far) have them too!
I've never been involved in a love traingle, but I seem virtually incapable of writing a story without one. I've tried and it always slips in.
I've written them both ways -- where the female has to choose between two guys (and it's even better if it's hard for the reader to choose between the two guys)...and I've done the thing where the female is competing against another female for the hero's attention.
Love them. They're so deliciously twisted, those love triangles.
The first and third books of my trilogy have love triangles. It was fun to write, and yes, you wondered all the way to the end, even though you knew who she SHOULD end up with.
Yup; I did the triangle thing myself in real life. Weird. Not as much fun as it looks on TV.
.......dhole
I've written about one ambiguous love triangle, and I really liked all the dynamic issues that came up in the interactions involving any of the triangle members. It's so complicated and emotional! I've been in a real love triangle once and I'd like to avoid anymore of those in the future!
I've never written a love triangle. Not sure I'd like to, either. Can't say I've read many books with a triangle in it. It's not something I really enjoy.
I enjoy love triangles... oh, the conflict! And the angst! I don't write them well, though (mainly because I don't write love well, period). But I do enjoy reading them.
Tracy -- Deliciously twisted. I know, isn't it fun?
Donna -- That's why I love them, to keep the reader guessing.
Domey -- The dynamics are intriguing. Especially in real life. Thanks for sharing.
Stacy -- I'm sorry you feel that way.
Jennifer -- Yes, but you write thrillers well so that makes up for it. And they are fun to read.
I love a good love triangle! I haven't written one... yet.
I've written a couple, I guess, but I don't do the back and forth "Who will end up with who?" thing. That can get tiresome pretty quickly, and romance is not central to what I write. I'm much more interested in what happens after the wedding. That's when things get really interesting.
One thing I'm doing now is a non-triangle, actually. Guy is happily married, but also has some mutual attraction with a good friend (who is also in a relationship). Everybody knows about it, he gets teased occasionally, and nothing happens. Very rare in fiction -- especially movies, where extramarital attraction is almost always acted on. Quite common in real life. though.
I've also got a couple of triads (three-way relationships). In my writing, of course, not in my life. :-)
Love the triangle! Always have. My favorite is still Brenda-Dylan-Kelly from 90210. I don't think I've ever been involved in a triangle, not a juicy one anyhow. Maybe a couple lame ones where neither guy was really worth it in the first place.
Talli -- Perhaps after Willow you can. They're a lot of fun.
Anthony Lee -- I like the idea of what you're doing now. I've been involved in those kinds of triangles personally, and find them quite interesting to explore (now that I'm far removed from the situation).
Nicki -- I always liked Kelly. Of course the big question was why she would go out with Dylan in the first place. He was so much better suited to Brenda.
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