Mini rant!
One question I see repeatedly in writing groups is:
Why would the female protagonist not want to get together with the male love interest?
This question is always asked in the interest of generating ideas, but it bugs me on a fundamental level, as if opposite sex characters should automatically get together, regardless of whether they mesh well or not. People will suggest a ton of things, but rarely will it be that they’re just not into each other. There’s a million reasons people won’t get together. Out of all the people on earth, chances are, you’re not attracted to most of them for a variety of reasons.
Gay people exist. Asexuals exist. People can be friends but not want to bang.
Characters need a reason TO get together.
Copyright © 2019 Val Neil. All rights reserved.
Love the mini rant! And you are right- the fact that we (99%) of the time assume that those characters will get together speaks to our subscription to the trope, and our brains recognizing the pattern of romance. Write on– Rebel!!