Writing Update: The Romance of it All
What happened?
The end of 2025 can be summed up in one word: romance.
I reached the point in the story where the main character and love interest are meant to declare their undying love for each other. But when I tried to write it, the characters were simply…not ready. I realized I had been so focused on the plot, on getting them from point A to point B, that I had left little room (in my head, on the page) for the slow build-up of intimacy, trust, and vulnerability that is essential to falling in love.
And while the romance is a sub-plot, it is incredibly important to the main character’s growth. Without the romance, the main character would not change internally; without that internal change, she would be unable to solve the external plot problem. The two were thus inextricably linked; I had to make the romance work, or none of it would. And it had to happen at the end of Act 2B.
So I revisited Act 2B. I kept the plot events the same, but I expanded small moments and surface-level interactions into meaningful emotional beats that built upon each other. It took me some time to find the right dynamic between these characters, but finding it felt like striking gold. I threaded that gold through the plot events, simultaneously increasing their familiarity with and longing for each other.
This time, when I made it back to the end of Act 2B, they were ready to pour their hearts out. And boy did they.
I am beyond happy with the result of this effort; it is beautiful and intimate and rife with delicious tension. I have been dreaming of creating something like it for years, and now it’s finally on the page.
What’s next?
Act 3! But first…
One morning in November, I woke up at 5 am with a solution to a plot problem I’ve been nagging me for years. I’m working on implementing that solution now.
It requires some high-level thinking and planning and shifting (which is very different than the deep character work I spent the last few months doing), but I have no doubt it is the right decision for this story. I also know I don’t need to get it all perfect now, so my plan is to implement what I absolutely need to finish this draft and leave the smaller details for the next go-around.
Stay tuned!