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Question for the masses

Okay, so I have about five steady visitors. Please weigh in on this little survey if you would please.

The WIP is a romance. The characters meet in Chapter One and are together the next nine out of ten chapters in some way or another. Then they get split up. They're apart for almost 10 chapters, each getting about equal POV time on the page.

My question is this: As a romance reader how long does it take you to get irritated that the hero and heroine aren't sharing the same scene?

I know I've read books where I've gotten impatient for the relationship dynamics to become the main focus again. My fear is that the readers will lose faith in the relationship between the characters. Now, I've tried figuring out if there's a way to cut out some of the separated chapters, but I don't see a way to do it and still keep the story coherent. I'm pretty sure the next chapter will see the hero and heroine reunited. The relationship will have a chance to develop and mature over the next 100 or so pages.

The romance has to work for the ending I have planned. The reader has to believe the love they feel for each other is real and deep and lasting.

Part of me realizes the writing always takes longer than the reading. The separation I'm feeling between them may be more about the time it takes to write their story than an actual reflection on how the story is going to read. I get that, but I still worry.

So what are your thoughts?
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Comments

  1. Unknown3:19 PM

    I don't know if you have watched Friends, or how much you watched it. I love that show and have seen every episode. I know television shows and novels are not quite the same thing, but the love story between Ross and Rachel was very much on-again/off-again and it kept the viewers very interested, including me. I will say though, if you toy with the readers desires to have the two be together, and don't have them together in the end, or leave it up in the air, like the show did, for me, as a reader, I would be pretty frustrated. But that is my only real advice. I guess, if you keep them apart for quite a while in the story, I would suggest to try to have them "bump into each other", if that works in the storyline, to show the feelings are still there and the awkwardness between them, so the reader knows that they haven't "lost that lovin' feeling"! HAHA! I know that probably didn't help, but I hope you find what you are looking for. I can't wait to read your book!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown3:21 PM

    That was me... Kyle was still logged in the computer and I didn't check it... Love you!!

    Vanna

    ReplyDelete
  3. Krista Heiser3:33 PM

    Well, the hero has been kidnapped by demons and the heroine's trying to rescue him. So even though they're not together, they're always on each other's mind. Except for when the succubus gets involved...that's messy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amanda5:34 PM

    Actually if there is a legitimate reason they are apart, I think separation can be good for tension/suspense. One of the rules of plotting is cause your character as much pain or angst as possible. My first draft novel has my characters separated twice. I get them back together fairly quickly (a few chapters), but if it's the core of the plot and it stays interesting, I think it can work.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Winter..........11:04 AM

    I like the idea when I read of a story line have different twist and turns. For me it keeps my interest up. Follow your heart and it will come out just as you have hoped it will!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Krista Heiser10:05 AM

    Thanks for the feedback. I don't think the story can work any other way, so I'm going to keep pushing on.

    ReplyDelete

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