The Progression of an Affair

[Britva415]

Call me unimaginative, but an affair that has a happy 'ride into the sunset' ending needs to deal with the encumbrance of the spouse somehow, whether it's a convenient death, or it's 100 years ago and they can literally leave the spouse behind and expect never to be found. Or a character finally admitting to themselves that their partner with lots of 'having to work late' etc is in fact married, and deciding they're not going to be the 'other' any more. Maybe I just have narrow views of what sorts of endings I find happy.

I rather like the idea of a story which doesn't have an "ever after" ending at all - good, bad or indifferent.

The affair can just be the frame for a story which isn't about resolving the inherent conflict of the affair. There's an affair at the beginning, and there's still an affair at the end, and the story might just be about some other stuff that happens.

Or the story could be about the beginning and the establishment of the affair, and the ending could just be a nod to the conflict - acknowledging that stuff changed, and the new order is not stable or perfectly happy, but maybe it's less unhappy than where we started.

Maybe the thread can be left dangling, such that it's obvious that that happiness - or unhappiness - is bound to only be temporary.

 

[Comshaw]

I admit I have not read many extramarital affair stories, but it seems many hue to a handful of the same tropes and dynamics. Among them:

A clear pursuer and pursued.
A clear transition point from plausibly deniable innocence to indefensible infidelity.
Guilt and second thoughts from at least one party.
A dramatic, often tragic, but in some rare cases HEA ending.

Many of those patterns may be the inevitable result of main characters with different sexual interest, compatibility, and maturity. Have you ever written or read an affair story where the drive is balanced, the progression smooth, the emotions uncomplicated, and the ending a more quiet ride into the sunset? Though at first glance it may seem paradoxical, upon closer inspection it seems something like that can still be just as erotically titillating and emotionally heart wrenching if not more.

I am sorry, but I am confused about the highlighted part of your post. Could you expand a bit for those of us who are gray matter challenged?

The last one, a quiet ride into the sunset could mean a lot of things. The cheated-on partner accepts the affair? In that instance, it could go in different directions. The cheated-on one could demand to become part of it and the couple accepts it, becoming a triad, or they could demand they get a hall-pass to do the same and are granted such and everyone goes about their own affair. The affair could also reach an end and the two participants mutually decide it's time to part, which they do amicably.

You need to check out this movie:

Same Time Next Year

A couple who are married to other people meet and have a one night stand. They decide to meet once a year at the same time and place. It chronicles their affair over years. An interesting take on infidelity.

Comshaw

 

[Liam4655]

I agree temptation has to be there. And uncertainty. But that is true of all romances.

 

[dirk2024]

You need to check out this movie:

Same Time Next Year

A couple who are married to other people meet and have a one night stand. They decide to meet once a year at the same time and place. It chronicles their affair over years. An interesting take on infidelity.

Comshaw

I thought this was a great movie!