Need and Want

Posted on 20 November 2009

So, I may not be the most well-read person on Earth—far from it, in my experience—but as I mentioned earlier, there is an interesting fact that romantic subplots are super common, partly due to being “the most common subplot” of real life.  Yet so many, in both life and novels, are very, very poorly executed.  Now, in life, there are myriad reasons, but even a “bad relationship” in a novel can still be good, in the fact of it having been intentional and well written.  But, there are just plain ol’ poor written ones too.  Right now, I want to focus on a particular offender: the happy ending.

OK, so Char is chasing Actor (see what I did there?).  Whatever will ensue does ensue, and then the dam breaks, whatever prevented them from being together is overcome, and they live happily ever after.  In theory, a fine, generic formula with lots of room to play.  But what irritates me is when you get the mutation of the formula where Char just cannot life without Actor.  Char needs to be with Actor, and the way the novel is written, this is actually romantic.  Yes, that irritates me.

Mainly because in reality, relationships like that are usually, if not always, self-destructive.  Someone who NEEDS to be in a relationship is going to drain anyone they get attached to like a vampire at twilight.  (See what I did there? hur hur)  Char needs Actor, and even if Actor needs Char back, it is very unlikely to be as much (or perhaps could be more).  Then it’s like watching a feedback loop in a flux capacitor at 1.21 Gigawatts.  Wait . . . heh, sorry.  But yeah, one drains faster, and boom, relationship explodes when drainee NEEDS a break from drainer.

So, what should the good relationship end with?  Want.  Char wants to be with Actor, but does not need to be, and vice versa.  Well adjusted individuals able to take care of themselves, but that wish to “complicate” their lives with another person, or to be less a pessimist, wish to share their lives.  I’d go so far as to say that could even be a good romance novel base-plot.  A character having to learn to want instead of need.  Hmm… *note to self*.  We shall see . . . . (NOT!)