Love Interests: How to Make Their First Meeting Memorable
A few days ago I encountered a scene in my own WIP the first meeting of the main character and her love interest - a scene I had been both gleefully anticipating and dreading.
Like most authors, I wanted their chemistry to be palpable. I wanted him to be likable and her to be relatable. I wanted the scene to be fiery and memorable. Too much to ask?
Maybe not.
For inspiration and research, I turned to some of my favorite stories. Those I am happiest to relive over and over again. Here are 5 takeaways from those stories:
1. Know your characters’ (both your protagonist and their love interest) world views
Depth, motivation, and background all play a critical role in building your characters. This is especially highlighted when two important characters finally come together.
When outlining and creating such a scene, keep in mind the separate perspectives, deep-seated beliefs, and world views that are coming together, and use those to create more dimension, conflict, and interest.
Examples:
In Ever After, Danielle and Henry connect in Danielle’s effort to free her friend who is bound for the Americas. Henry’s privileged upbringing and superior opinion of “everyday rustics” significantly clashes with Danielle’s worldview. She grew up with a loving and progressive father who opened her eyes to different philosophies through books, and critically, she has spent her life as a servant in her own home.
In Jane Eyre, Rochester’s pessimistic view of the world and assumption of Jane’s simple naïveté clashes with her more optimistic view of her life circumstances and tragic past.
2. Take them by surprise
Everybody wants to feel special, and your protagonist is likely not exempt from such a desire. Have your protagonist surprise her love interest by displaying surprising and uncommon traits, beliefs, or behaviors.
Examples:
In Ever After, Henry is surprised to find a woman able to quote Thomas Moore, and is again caught off guard when he finds himself sparring with someone who would challenge his own beliefs and be so bold as to imply his arrogance.
In Jane Eyre, Rochester is surprised by Jane’s wit when she matches his absurd claims that she was waiting for her people - “the imps and elves and little green men,” with an equally absurd statement about them all being gone as his land is “neither wild nor savage enough for them.”
3. Understand why these two connect
Your end goal is for your love interests to, well, fall in love.
But why?
What is it that draws these two together? Hint at their connection in this first scene. Does your protagonist challenge her love interest in a way he’s never experienced? Does her passion inspire him? Are they both lonely and seeking someone who understands their deepest aches?
What can you do to help align them - spiritually, energetically, mentally, emotionally? This may require some character work. So do it! Put in the work now. Ask yourself the hard questions. Figure out what makes these characters fit together perfectly.
Examples:
Whether you ship it or not (which I spent years doing!), I think one of my ultimate favorite examples of this idea in action can be found in the newest Star Wars trilogy. Although the story isn’t focused on their love, Kylo Ren and Rey align in an intense and intoxicating way. Two broken souls - lonely, disillusioned, and heartbroken. They find each other.
The same can be said for Jane and Rochester. Almost from the moment they meet, they challenge one another, but their spirits and energy align.
4. Leave plenty unsaid
Subtext is a key ingredient for great fiction. What are your characters not saying? Whether you explicitly state or implicitly show a character’s thoughts through narration, make your scene memorable by leaving space for interpretation.
Examples:
In Ever After, Henry doesn’t directly tell his love interest, Danielle, he has never met anyone like her. He doesn’t say he’s intrigued by her and desperately wishes he could get to know her further over a cup of tea. But he begs for her name, he follows her and pushes for answers, and when she disappears when he becomes distracted, his face shows his surprise and disappointment.
In Brooklyn, Eilis and Tony meet at an Irish dance. He then offers to walk her home. However, most of the walk is spent in silence. The key is, that silence says plenty. The audience gets a taste of what is being unsaid. Of their attraction for one another and their desire to explore their relationship. All it takes to reveal this is a few well-written lines of dialogue and, of course, some meaningful glances.
5. Engage subplot characters
Your subplot characters can play important roles in shining useful light on your love interests and their relationship. How can you create reactions in subplot/secondary characters that help the audience understand the chemistry and tension the main two are finding in their interaction?
Examples:
In Jane Eyre, Mrs. Fairfax is shocked to hear that Jane is evidently responsible for Rochester’s hurt ankle. This automatically gives our two characters a secret they share. She also displays surprise and curiosity at the banter in which they instantly engage. As an audience, we learn a great deal about Jane’s wit, boldness, inner strength, and character from the way Mrs. Fairfax reacts to her dialogue.
In Brooklyn, Eilis’s housemates give context to her encounter with Tony. They are clearly curious, interested, and even jealous when he chooses Eilis, spends the night dancing with only her, and when they leave together.
To get started:
Sit down with the scene in which your two lovebirds meet and take time to answer and brainstorm ideas for each of these 5 techniques.
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In Outline Your Novel, you’ll learn exactly what these beats are, why they matter, and how to outline them effectively to make your story sing.
