o. writing help

INTRODUCING CHARACTERS TO EACH OTHER

to help make

your characters'

first encounters

be more realistic

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1 | DON'T MOVE THINGS TOO FAST.

do your best to keep things realistic based on your own experience meeting someone for the first time, or what you've observed other people may do. things often won't get too personal when you're first meeting someone, and when they do you're usually trying to establish some sort of common ground (such as mentioning family members, friends, or interests). i'd never tell my deep dark secrets or life story to someone i've never met. also consider similar things with a romantic encounter; not everyone will flirt with someone they just met and not everyone is comfortable being flirted with by someone they just met.

2 | CONSIDER A BUFFET CHARACTER.

this would most likely be a mutual friend, who may even introduce them to each other. this gives them a common ground, something to discuss, and an easy escape route in case things get awkward. (and it's completely okay for things to go awkwardly, or with one character feeling a completely different way about things than the other. in one of my WIP novels, the main character is fairly uncomfortable with another character and wants nothing to do with him, while he finds himself attracted to her and wanting to get to know her.)

3 | CONSIDER A NEUTRAL SETTING.

if two characters meet while one of them is extremely busy/frustrated/anxious due to the setting, it could lead to a poor view of the other character (not to mention a fairly unrealistic lasting connection). if you introduce them in a boring, every day setting, then the characters are more likely to remember the encounter based upon the merit of the other person rather than any outstanding emotion at the time.

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i realized how much time flies,, i thought i updated two days ago but it was actually a week ago yikes

hope this helped :-)

( from tumblr )