Help?

[Katyusha]

I've been working on Chapter 3 of I Need Him, and I'm stuck. For those of you who haven't read the first two chapters, the long and the short of them is that it's two people, one married, one engaged, having a clandestine affair that wouldn't have happened had they not both been on a flight where their luggage was lost. They go to the female lead's condo for their rendezvous, and so far, they haven't been caught.

Chapter 3 is supposed to deal with getting caught. I just realized that I've written the first two chapters without giving my female lead a name (oops), so bear with me. Standard problem, husband comes home while she's with her lover in the bedroom and finds them together. Except, the husband has brought a girlfriend home.

Here's where I'm stuck. Part of me wants to turn this bad situation into some group sex, but I worry that might be too cliched and predictable, given the genre of these stories. Part of me wants to have it be a situation where the boyfriend and girlfriend leave awkwardly and the female lead has it out with her husband, although I don't yet know where I would take it from there. I would most definitely appreciate suggestions and ideas...just email me (PM? Is that how that works?) or post them here.

If you need to read the first two chapters to get a feel for what's going on, here are the links:

I Need Him

I Need Him Ch. 02

Katyusha <------ wonders if she's committing a taboo by revealing the premise of the third chapter...

 

[Antfarmer77]

Why not have the three way, but it just weirds them both out so much they split, and she has it out with her hubby and moves on with her life,
"...and maybe go to Bloomingdales and get some dresses and maybe a facial. Then call a decorator cuz....damn." (Sorry about the Men In Black quote...LOL)

 

[ElizabethWest]

Realistically, I'm not sure you can turn this into group sex. That wouldn't be the expected or normal turn of events in this situation. At least not for me. I would probably quit reading at that point.

A confrontation is more likely if these characters feel anything for each other. I think jealousy and anger and fear are much stronger emotions and more likely to surface than lust in this situation even though they are both cheating.

JMO

 

[3113]

Talk to your Characters!

How about this: Husband and wife start to have it out in front of boy/girl friend. As their argument escalades, boy/girlfriend start discussing their lovers--what wants and needs their bickering lovers aren't fullfilling...and start to get it on.

Husband/wife turn to see their respective lovers engaged--as they turn their fury on the respective lovers, the respective lovers basically say: "Join us or leave, you're ruining the mood!"

This allows husband/wife to really think about what they want--monogomy? Open marriage? Why the affairs? What's lacking and what do they want? And was sneaking around part of it (that's what got them off?) or did they really want just to experiment and were afraid the other spouse would refuse?

So ends Chapter 3.

Now. At this point in the story, we cannot help you. At this point in the story only the CHARACTERS can help you. By answering those questions. Go ahead. Sit down, close your eyes--imagine them there in the room. Now ask them why they're doing this and what they're about and what they really want. Let them talk, and you'll know where the story goes from there.

One bit of advice: never remove an option just because you fear it might be cliché. It all too often makes you shove the characters down a path they don't want to go and which is no good for the story.

So if, in Chapter 4, the husband/wife decide to join the lovers for some group sex, don't try to force the story in another direction for fear of it being cliché. It's not WHAT happens that is cliché, but HOW it happens. If you have them all say in Chapter 3, "What the hell? Party time!" then it's cliché and predictable. If you have Chapter 3 be about everyone put on the spot, arguing and in a quandry, with the reader on the edge of his/her seat wondering: "What will happen next...?" then whatever does happen next--whatever the characters tell you they want to do, will not be cliché.

It will be, instead, a natural, satisfying character development.

See? Now go write!

 

[AchtungNight]

3113: Amen. I second everything you've said. I hope readers like you respond to my upcoming test screening (see appropriate thread).

 

[Katyusha]

Why not have the three way, but it just weirds them both out so much they split, and she has it out with her hubby and moves on with her life,
"...and maybe go to Bloomingdales and get some dresses and maybe a facial. Then call a decorator cuz....damn." (Sorry about the Men In Black quote...LOL)

Gotta love Men in Black. Thanks for the idea...you and 3113 are actually helping me with my writers' block.

 

[Katyusha]

How about this: Husband and wife start to have it out in front of boy/girl friend. As their argument escalades, boy/girlfriend start discussing their lovers--what wants and needs their bickering lovers aren't fullfilling...and start to get it on.

Husband/wife turn to see their respective lovers engaged--as they turn their fury on the respective lovers, the respective lovers basically say: "Join us or leave, you're ruining the mood!"

This allows husband/wife to really think about what they want--monogomy? Open marriage? Why the affairs? What's lacking and what do they want? And was sneaking around part of it (that's what got them off?) or did they really want just to experiment and were afraid the other spouse would refuse?

So ends Chapter 3.

Now. At this point in the story, we cannot help you. At this point in the story only the CHARACTERS can help you. By answering those questions. Go ahead. Sit down, close your eyes--imagine them there in the room. Now ask them why they're doing this and what they're about and what they really want. Let them talk, and you'll know where the story goes from there.

One bit of advice: never remove an option just because you fear it might be cliché. It all too often makes you shove the characters down a path they don't want to go and which is no good for the story.

So if, in Chapter 4, the husband/wife decide to join the lovers for some group sex, don't try to force the story in another direction for fear of it being cliché. It's not WHAT happens that is cliché, but HOW it happens. If you have them all say in Chapter 3, "What the hell? Party time!" then it's cliché and predictable. If you have Chapter 3 be about everyone put on the spot, arguing and in a quandry, with the reader on the edge of his/her seat wondering: "What will happen next...?" then whatever does happen next--whatever the characters tell you they want to do, will not be cliché.

It will be, instead, a natural, satisfying character development.

See? Now go write!

Thanks 3113. You gave me some things to think about. This is a problem I don't usually have; my characters often take the story over early on and say and do what they will (it's how my novel came into being...was supposed to be a short story). In this one, the first two chapters flowed like that and then Chap 3...ergh. Guess it happens to everyone. Thanks so much for the help.