Writing Couple Dynamics (Mixed Race Couples, Disability Couples and more.) (and share your series!) (but sfw)

skidiggy 2024-05-10 14:03:52 UTC #21

I feel that. When we're talking about literal aliens arriving on Earth, who has time for localized prejudice?

New story? Sounds awesome. Looking forward to seeing it in the feed.

Leyelle 2024-05-10 14:06:45 UTC #22

we'll see XD. i'm writing it for a competition, so if I lose, it'll end up here on Tapas lol.

oh honey, where there's a will there's a way

Leyelle 2024-05-14 03:15:39 UTC #23

One of Kattar's main struggles is wanting to be treated like he's "normal." He wants to be seen as an attractive partner just like anybody else. Not just someone who needs to be cared for. Yes, my female lead sometimes struggles with this, due to her guilt.

“Did you want your medical bag…” she trails off, glancing toward the item in question. When she looks back there’s an expression in her eyes I don’t like.

Like pity.

I don’t need this, from her of all people.

I start to frown before I catch myself, making myself shrug casually.

But as she turns away quickly I suddenly have the strong desire…

I’m not exactly sure why…

…To try and pick her up off the floor.

I’m almost positive I could, even from the chair, given that she’s never surpassed even 95 pounds.

But I know better than to try for a whole slew of reasons.

I’d rather not give her more occasions to have to forgive me.

Instead, I snag hold of her sash lightly with one hand, hauling her back to her starting place, amongst an infuriated stumble that almost topples her over into my arms.

“For goodness sake!” She fumes, blushing vibrantly as she recenters her sash, glaring down at me with a vixenish mix of ire and embarrassment.

“Oh look, second time’s the charm,” I laugh so the misery of it all won’t show in my face.

That just makes her burn redder, but every trace of pity is gone as she scowls at my ‘antics.’

Because that’s infinitely easier than just asking her not to look at me that way.

“Do you need something?!” she rants, “Like a chew toy maybe?”

I say something about my phone. She storms off, complaining with real and feigned frustration.

But I’d much rather hear her muttering about my being a dirty ‘little creep’ than stand that look on her face, like I’m someone’s expensive glass toy that she shattered.

SumireHime 2024-05-14 05:45:10 UTC #24

I differentiate them based on their separate life stories. Those combined experiences make them who they are, a unique person. Everyone is different. Even their motives will be different based on what they've gone through. Take Sana and Tetsu from "Lyra's Magnum Opus" for example. Sana is Japanese, but grew up in Hawaii. He has been ill his whole life, so this has caused him to grow up really fast and be more mature than his peers. He sought comfort in playing the violin and in singing, so these are what he does for a career. Then there's Tetsu, who grew up in Japan in a small town and was taught traditional dance from a young age, so he's already got these traditional values in his mind (his whole being, really). He's an older brother, so felt responsibility for those who can't fight for themselves due to protecting his younger twin sisters. He also has darker skin and wavier hair than most Japanese people, and was ridiculed for this throughout school. He tried to protect his sisters from similar ridicule, since they have the same darker skin and wavier hair. This has given him a lot insecurities and anxiety, more than most people. Both he and Sana have differences with their genders that they were assigned at birth, but both dealt with it in much different ways due to their circumstances and how they were brought up, the morals they were taught due to their cultures and the people around them's opinions. They're also technically a mixed couple, because Sana is American and Tetsu is Japanese due to their unique circumstances.

When we carefully construct a full story for each character, whether main or not, then the story becomes so much more vibrant and real. Different people will identify with different characters for different reasons. All of my couples have distinct stories, so they're never similar. One character can't be mistaken for the other, because they're so detailed.

If the stories are detailed enough, just how a character reacts to their environment and others will be second nature to the writer. It will essentially write itself. I'm often just sitting back as if I'm watching a movie and merely writing down what I'm seeing.

pablo-costa 2024-05-14 05:55:26 UTC #25

Maybe use their families as a wedge of sorts? Or their friends. Both of them probably have acquaintances that hold a tight adoration of their inner group (be it cus of racial, or class reasons doesn't matter).

I.e, I would use a Capulet and Montague dynamic (mostly also because I don't find romances that easy to write to I use my own shortcut by being a cheeky shit and covering it with a group drama)

Leyelle 2024-05-14 15:05:53 UTC #26

Same. I think keeping this in mind is what makes it easiest and most natural to keep your couple's dynamics from seeming too similar to each other and thus making your romances feel redundant. different people will have different ways of talking to and loving their significant others

I agree. Often times the way my characters react in a situation just seems to write itself into my head, or their personalities take the story in a different direction than I had originally planned. Once you understand your characters, it won't be difficult to write how they would react in any circumstance.

Leyelle 2024-05-14 15:09:30 UTC #27

This could be done. cultural differences are a factor that plays into some of my stories, though certainly not all of them. in the end I think it usually comes back to the main characters feelings themselves though, as nobody else gets to decide how you live your life

Leyelle 2024-05-27 18:00:58 UTC #28

In "A Dozen Morning Glories" I have my first couple where the FL is taller than the ML. There are 5 inches between Essence and Dominic as she is 5'10 and he is 5'6 (in shoes, really 5'5.) He's got no problem with girls who are taller than him, and she doesn't care either way about 99% of aesthetics, but it's still a pretty sizeable contrast. She's also African American while he is Vietnamese, and colorism is an issue that has to be addressed with some characters in the story.

Chapter 1 comes out June 15th

morganicfoods 2024-05-27 19:51:47 UTC #29

I'm disabled and don't mind people saying handicapped, but I prefer disabled. It's just more accurate. Handicapped is more situational and doesn't always refer to disability.

Leyelle 2024-05-27 19:53:17 UTC #30

I can see that, people play sports with "handicaps" as well, and that's something different altogether, so it's a little vaguer.

Leyelle 2024-06-14 00:25:57 UTC #31

How about introverted versus extroverted couples. OHHHH the chaos.

Alicia is an introvert, and while Kattar isn't the most extroverted person in the world he WANTS to have phone calls with her. Just the 'no no no no no' that runs through her head every time bruh.

Essence is also introverted, and Dominic is extremely extroverted. He could be with people all day and never get worn out, she has trouble even carrying a 5 minute conversation. And he's not talkative enough to carry the whole conversation on his own without there being any awkwardness, soooo.

Leyelle 2024-07-11 14:11:05 UTC #32

Another thing that causes an interesting dynamic between Essence and Dominic is how much Dominic loves his family. Essence has a tendency to assume things rather than ask questions, and she can't really wrap her head around the fact that someone would willingly spend time with their siblings regularly, or even live with them after reaching adulthood if they had moved out of their parents' house, so she assumes he must still live with his parents when he mentions laughingly during their first date that his little sister insisted on picking out his outfit for him because she disapproves of his sense of 'style.' In reality, his little sister is his roommate, and his sisters are his besties. But this intentionally interconnected family world is something entirely foreign to Essence. Her family only seems to interact with each other as much as they feel like they have to

Leyelle 2024-07-30 15:23:26 UTC #33

Texas and Chili are a bestie duo who live together, but their dynamic is kind of unusual since they are both well aware of each other's feelings for each other, and tease and flirt with each other all the time, but have yet to try to make a move toward becoming a couple, for some reason.

either way, I'm having a fun time writing their conversations, teasing and flirting, chaotic as they are.

They're also an age-gap couple (7 years apart) and a mixed-race couple (Malaysian and French.)

(here we have Chili as her shoulder angel and devil)

Leyelle 2024-08-20 17:04:06 UTC #34

Therese and Verner George in "Crystal Blue" formed a connection because of their shared unusual history. They have more in common than they have differences, but he's a lot more impulsive than she is, while she tends to be a sort of sly, mischievous flirt.

Leyelle 2024-09-09 14:54:00 UTC #35

Christopher George and Mora have basically nothing in common at first glance, but their main connecting thread is their desire to be able to live 'normal' peaceful teenage lives, and this isn't as easy as it could be for either of them.

Joisarjaydeep11 2024-09-27 06:22:02 UTC #36

The Sun - War of Gods Begins

Synopsis:

In a world where gods walks among the mortals, a young boy named Aryan is unexpectedly thrust into the divine realm, Following an untimely accident, he awakens not as the boy he once was, but as the Radiant Luminary—one of the most being in the world, The sun god- Aurelion Blaze.

As he grapples with his new existence, he uncovers a dangerous truth—gods are not the pinnacle of creation. An ancient race to ascend beyond even godhood has begun, with deities vying to steal each other’s authority.

Amid the chaos, alliances crumble, and a hidden war erupts, threatening to unravel the fabric of the universe. With powers far beyond his understanding and enemies on all sides, Orion must navigate this treacherous path, where even gods can fall. The war of Gods has begun.

I hope you'll give it a try. Thank you

Lastly, How you liked the cover?

KevinReijnders 2024-09-27 07:50:12 UTC #37

@Joisarjaydeep11

Your cover is clearly ai generated, which is against Tapas' guidelines.

Leyelle 2024-10-17 13:48:46 UTC #38

More couple stuff:

I’m losing it.

The words fall away into sobs until I can’t breathe. I can’t even will myself to try to stop, though I know what a mess I must look like right now.

Kattar rolls his chair over to the front of the couch and uses the armrest to help him to his feet so he can sit down on the cushions beside me.

I can feel him sliding me over to him and into his arms as if I’m weightless, but I don’t look up as he smooths my messy hair, putting his lips to the top of my head.

“I hate her!” I shiver.

“You don’t hate her, you’re just angry right now.”

But I know that’s not true, as I shake my head, hugging him tighter.

“I do. I wish I didn’t, but I do.”

He just keeps stroking my hair and says nothing, and I listen to his heartbeat mix with my own, my face pressed up against his chest. I breathe in wool and evergreen scents that scream of the outdoors, but I feel like I’m sinking further into that black box of feelings pushed aside.

“Kattar…I’m stuck…,” I whisper, waiting to see if he’ll respond, but he doesn’t do anything but hug me a little tighter. “I feel like I’m trapped in a black hole, and it just keeps getting smaller and smaller on its way to totally destroy me. But I don’t know how to get out or…anything. I can’t think anything. I can’t finish anything. All my artwork is turning out garbage, and I'm worried I’m just about to lose everything.”

I turn my head just slightly and feel Kattar’s face against mine, the tears spreading from my cheeks to his like a contagion.

I c…

I just shake my head.

“Why did I ever think I could do this, Kitty Kat?”

He laughs breathlessly, his smile a little crooked as he grins at me, and his own eyes glitter blackly with watery stars, “Do you want me to say the obvious?”

When I don’t respond, he puts his hand to my cheek, smoothing it gently like he’s afraid of bruising my petals.

“Because sometimes, those voices in your head tell the truth.”