Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Not So Perfect Holidays by Morgan Mandel

For conflict, which we all know is  essential in a good novel, it's always fun to torture our characters. One way is to keep the main characters apart for important occasions, such as Holidays.

Here are some ways I've thought of. Maybe you can think up more. If so, let us know.

Weather
Health
Misunderstandings
Another love interest
Preoccupation with work or a special project.


Here's hoping none of these apply to you for the Holidays!

Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com/

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I am currently reading "'Twas the Night" by Sandra Hill, Kate Holmes and Trish Jensen. They call it an anthology, but it reads like one story. It's about three men who grew up together, made something of themselves, and are now converging in Maine for the Christmas wedding of the man who gave them the courage to achieve. They are doing this in a blizzard, of course, and are arriving at the wedding in a rather interesting way.

I thought of it immediately when I read your blog.

Marilynne

Bob Sanchez said...

War.

Little Pickle Press said...

Not to be gloomy, but . . . depression.

Liana Laverentz said...

I'm hoping none of these apply to me over the holidays, either! How about bad transportation, as in missed/canceled flights/trains/bus rides...cruise ships that have to be towed in by barges....all those things that can go wrong during holiday travel.

Helen Ginger said...

Doesn't it seem like, if something can go wrong, it goes wrong during the holidays.

Sharon - Grandma is a Writer said...

Separation by choice is another one. I have spent so many holidays apart from my loved ones that I value every moment of being together. By my separations were by choice - the choice of being missionaries in a foreign land. Probably for the first 8 to 10 years, I would be so sad at Christmas time, missing all of the traditions I held dear as I was growing up, but especially missing my parents and siblings.

Deb Larson said...

Fear of commitment or to try again could keep the couple apart. And I can relate to unexpected or unforseen delays. Those always seem to happen during the holidays!
DL Larson