/What is up with YA couples where the guy is constantly belittling and insulting the girl? It's not cute and it's not endearing! What, are couples that have respect for each other somehow out of vogue?/
This makes me think of a personal rule/trait I like in my romantic couples. I think to show why a couple is good together, ESPECIALLY in young couples that have to stand a serious test of time, there should be some trait in both that makes the other better.
In the current novel I'm working on now, my heroine is extremely blunt, cuts through all the bullshit, honest and loyal. She's also cold, ruthless and doesn't get the point of even mild niceties. Her loyalty will blind her to even basic human kindness if necessary. Her blunt, honest ways helps keep the hero, a GIANT bullshitter by nature, more honest. She makes him own up to his habit of keeping people at a distance and his self destructive ways. While he, someone who is always seeking out the small guy and helping him, softens her dramatic world view and keeps her kind.
Both are very broken people, but their broken parts match together in a way that, when together, make them whole.
I think this helps strengthen the relationship and will help show why, at sixteen and seventeen, they could make for the rest of their lives. Because apart, they CAN'T be as good as they are together. Most importantly, both sides are improved, so there is an equality to them, they both need the other.
If you compare that to Nora and Patch here, you see Patch is completely unchanged. He, like Edward, is considered "perfect" as is, so why change him? Despite the fact that the bad boy appeal comes COMPLETELY with change. You want a bad boy so you can change him. By having Patch remain the exact same, he isn't given the most important part of the bad boy, the redemption. Even though that is the most GENERIC change you can have your heroine bestow on the hero.
Nora DOES change. She becomes violent, jealous and clingy, to the point of worry. Her need for Patch is almost drug like. It wouldn't be hard to believe Patch secretly shoots her up with drugs to make her feel so dependent. This is such a negative change it's hard to see why you'd want it to happen. She wasn't a great character to begin with but this is awful.
Also, it makes her seem childish which makes you feel like, in a few years, she'll grow up or find someone else and switch her feelings to them. Or maybe she'll get healthier and realize this is irrational love.
The only reason you'd see the two of them lasting is if Nora remains at the exact same state of mental health where it's NEED, not want, affection or love, keeping them together.
I said earlier with my couple they'd need each other but it's different. Both are (I hope) basically good people who make mistakes in personal relationships, together they can correct the other's mistakes making them better. Apart they're still good people, but without that wonderful second person who makes them better. The need is only based off their desire to be better and their love that they found someone who can make them better. It's not like Nora's almost physical need for Patch. At least, I hope not.
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This makes me think of a personal rule/trait I like in my romantic couples. I think to show why a couple is good together, ESPECIALLY in young couples that have to stand a serious test of time, there should be some trait in both that makes the other better.
In the current novel I'm working on now, my heroine is extremely blunt, cuts through all the bullshit, honest and loyal. She's also cold, ruthless and doesn't get the point of even mild niceties. Her loyalty will blind her to even basic human kindness if necessary. Her blunt, honest ways helps keep the hero, a GIANT bullshitter by nature, more honest. She makes him own up to his habit of keeping people at a distance and his self destructive ways. While he, someone who is always seeking out the small guy and helping him, softens her dramatic world view and keeps her kind.
Both are very broken people, but their broken parts match together in a way that, when together, make them whole.
I think this helps strengthen the relationship and will help show why, at sixteen and seventeen, they could make for the rest of their lives. Because apart, they CAN'T be as good as they are together. Most importantly, both sides are improved, so there is an equality to them, they both need the other.
If you compare that to Nora and Patch here, you see Patch is completely unchanged. He, like Edward, is considered "perfect" as is, so why change him? Despite the fact that the bad boy appeal comes COMPLETELY with change. You want a bad boy so you can change him. By having Patch remain the exact same, he isn't given the most important part of the bad boy, the redemption. Even though that is the most GENERIC change you can have your heroine bestow on the hero.
Nora DOES change. She becomes violent, jealous and clingy, to the point of worry. Her need for Patch is almost drug like. It wouldn't be hard to believe Patch secretly shoots her up with drugs to make her feel so dependent. This is such a negative change it's hard to see why you'd want it to happen. She wasn't a great character to begin with but this is awful.
Also, it makes her seem childish which makes you feel like, in a few years, she'll grow up or find someone else and switch her feelings to them. Or maybe she'll get healthier and realize this is irrational love.
The only reason you'd see the two of them lasting is if Nora remains at the exact same state of mental health where it's NEED, not want, affection or love, keeping them together.
I said earlier with my couple they'd need each other but it's different. Both are (I hope) basically good people who make mistakes in personal relationships, together they can correct the other's mistakes making them better. Apart they're still good people, but without that wonderful second person who makes them better. The need is only based off their desire to be better and their love that they found someone who can make them better. It's not like Nora's almost physical need for Patch. At least, I hope not.