Infusion of Contrasts and Opposites

I moved to the desert because I’d lived in a fairly rainy place all my life and I wanted a change, most especially a change for something drier. Now that I’m in the desert (and nearing the summer), I’m dreading the heat the next few months will bring and most definitely not a fan of the sun which probably shines almost 360 days of the year here.

I know the saying that we are never happy is a common and true one, but I still wonder why that is. Why is it that opposites attract or that we love contrasts? Even in writing novels, we are told to build in conflicts to hold readers’ interest. In romance novels, you will most often see the heroes and heroines starting out at odds. That’s because while we want the happily ever after, we want some strife and conflict at the beginning. Why would it be interesting to read about two happy people with no issues for 350 pages? It’s not, and I’m sure that in that answer lay deep psychological complexities that we’ll tackle another day.

As I write this blog, I’m half watching the movie Leap Year, which is basically about a woman who decides to propose to her boyfriend on February 29th as part of an Irish tradition. Her aim is to get to Dublin where he is attending a conference so she can go through with her proposal. For nearly the entire movie, the woman and her designated driver to Dublin (who is of course not her boyfriend) bicker. Of course there are moments of tenderness and chemistry, which gives it that “reel them in and let them loose” effect. And well, it’s a romance so you can guess there is a happy ending, but with who? The perfect, predictable boyfriend or the unpredictable, not-so-perfect designated driver? I’ll let you guess.

What about you all, what do you feel is attractive in conflict? Is there something in your real-life hero that is opposite to you and oh-so-appealing?

Thanks for joining me and happy writing this week!

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writer's Life