Love is a many conflicted thing

One of the things I love most about reading romance is the conflict between hero and heroine. A verbal sparring match is fun to read, and I feel cheated if the black moment (where all seems impossible) is too wimpy. I love the angst, the drama, the conflict of two people testing each other, trying on the idea, letting down their guard and trusting.

When I took up writing romance, one of the hardest things I encountered was devising enough conflict between hero and heroine. I’m eager for that happy ending. I can see them together already.

But that wouldn’t make for a very exciting read.

Right now, I’m very wrapped up in my latest work in progress (WIP), a medical romance. It consumes my days and I’m falling in love…with the characters. So, why not write about what I’m consumed with?

In the beginning of Prescription for Love (working title), the hero and heroine both see in each other the sameundesirable traits their former spouses had. In other words, they’re attracted to a type, but it remains to be seen if they’re also different enough and willing to change enough to find happiness with each other. Each secretly envies some trait the other has, wishing they could be more like that and the attraction is more reluctant than I’ve ever written. It’s a new slant on the initial conflict for me. These two aren’t starry-eyed young twenties, they’re a bit older and one hopes, wiser. But with past emotional hurt comes baggage that must be dealt with.

In the following snippit (very much a rough draft), this is Lanna’s assessment of her new tenant. To give you a little setup, he’s arrived at the beach house he rented to find the caretaker is late. A neighbor directs him to the first aid station on the beach where she works for a kind of Baywatch facility and has since her workaholic husband’s death. Tom’s wife ditched her family to become a Hollywood reality show wife (think Housewives of Atlanta/Orange County). His twins and nanny are in the ladies room.

- – - – -

“Where do you refer cases needing follow up?” Tom asked as they stepped out onto the beach.

Lanna kept her pace sedate though the sun was warm, even for April. “We give patients a brochure with three choices. The local hospital, the nearest after hours facility and Bailey Cove Wellness Group.”

“In that order? I’ve heard BCWG is the best in town.”

“It’s a fair statement, but we don’t play favorites. Our list is in alphabetical order.”

“Well, at least we made the cut.”

“Ah. You must be the wellness group’s newest recruit.” She had to give him props for hawking his interests so soon, though it didn’t bode well that he was all business at the beach.

“Guilty as charged.”

Lanna halted outside the women’s facilities to wait for the rest of their party. “How was the trip?”

“Fine. Did you not get the message that we were arriving today?”

“I did and told Slade to send you over if I ran late. Since you found me, I guess I now owe him a beer.”

The slight hitch of his brows let Lanna know he wasn’t pleased with her answer. Such a stuffed shirt. He made her shoulders tight. Already she didn’t like him and it wasn’t because he was essentially filling the position her late husband, Garry had filled. They’d had a string of temporary doctors filling in over the last year. She was used to it.

No, something about this guy just rubbed her wrong. Probably steam pressed his socks and sorted his canned goods in alphabetical order. Maybe he’d loosen up at work. Otherwise, he’d never fit in with the casual, family-like atmosphere she and Garry had deliberately fostered among the colleagues at BCWG.

Lanna relaxed when Hargrove’s nanny and kids reappeared at the Ladies exit so they could continue on their way. The less she had to do with this uptight guy, the better.

- – - – -

And so even their initial meeting has conflict undercurrents. Without knowing it, they’ve each presented to the other traits that are deemed undesirable because they echo what they didn’t like about their former spouses. He – all business. She – too laid back and flippant, shows no regret for missing their appointment.

Though we’re also writers, the members of PFHT do our share of reading, just like we suspect you do. Do you have favorite themes or conflicts that you find yourself selecting over and over in your reading material? A favorite author because of the type of character’s, setting or theme that re-occurs?