In Defense of Love Triangles

 

For a full definition, see TV Tropes.

I know what you're thinking. Love triangles.

It seems like 8 out of 10 YA books nowadays have love triangles in them. Understandably, we are all love triangle fatigued. I'm going to let you in on a little secret here that you probably couldn't figure out from the title of this post: I like love triangles.

I mean, not automatically. I don't read the backs of books that say "TWO BOYS, TWO LOVES, ONE MARY SUE, ONE CHOICE" and go "Love triangle! Definitely buying it!" And some triangles I've come across kind of make me want to punch absolutely everyone involved. Some seem to be inserted into the plot merely to appear timely, since YA love triangles are all the rage. And sometimes they are so organic to the story-- sometimes they underline the themes so well, or are done so originally-- that you can hardly fault them.

"Hardly" being the key word there. Obviously some people hate love triangles no matter what. You are not in the wrong if you do. There's a lot to dislike about love triangles, particularly when they become involved with my own personal YA kryptonite: instalove. But that's a post for another day.

There's also a double standard when it comes to love triangles. Most (not all, obviously) pro-love triangle people think the ones where the girl protagonist is trying to choose between two guys are acceptable, because of all the tangly feeelings and confusion and whatnot. But if a guy (usually NOT the protagonist) is trying to choose between two girls (one of who probably is the protagonist), people see him as a prick. Then there are the fun people who think, because a girl is torn between two guys, she is a trampire.

But that could lead me in a whole other direction about how stringently we should judge fictional characters, but again, that's another post for another day.

Sometimes, sympathizing with a love triangle is really hard.



But still, I love them. It all comes down to agency. I love it when characters need to make choices. And really good love triangles are not just about a romantic quandary. Really good love triangles signify something deeper. YA is all about making those mistakes and figuring out what directions you want to go in in life, and I think love triangles perfectly exemplify that. In some cases, the protagonist is torn between two suitors who personify battling concepts that that the protagonist is wrestling with (e.g.: Katniss vacillating between Peeta and Gale, who represent two totally different ways of dealing with oppression, different forms of humanity, different forms of what love-conquers-all can mean).

 

Yes, this can be used as a marketing ploy to sell thousands of Team Peeta and Team Gale t-shirts a la Twilight (which is also a love triangle I can defend, thematically, though I definitely have a whole host of issues with it). I am not a proponent of the nastiness that can occur from Shipping Wars (Chair and Dair fans, I'm looking at YOU, you vile heathens. Boy am I glad that's done), but I do love the devotion that shipping can inspire in fans.

I have been known to squeal when certain beautiful TV vampires
kiss certain handsome TV vampires.

Here is a fantastic quote from author Carrie Ryan that basically says what I'm trying to say way better than I ever could:

"To me, that’s the essence of a love triangle — each man is a viable choice for the heroine but each speaks to a different part of who she is.  The heroine isn’t choosing between two men, she’s choosing who SHE wants to be and that will dictate who the right match is."

Do we need more originality in our YA love triangles? Absolutely. 90% of them include some variation of "Beautiful but unassuming girl is torn between dreamy good boy and hot-as-sin bad boy", even though sometimes this variation really works for me (see both Shadow and Bone and Shatter Me/Unravel Me). Perhaps there should be more books where the main character is the one competing with another person for the love interest's affections, rather than being the object of the triangle.



This is proven to be significantly less popular, however, particularly when a girl is competing with another girl for a boy's affections, because then we kind of all want to call the Other Girl a skank and banish her to Siberia. Again, I'm not a fan of judging characters for their sexual/romantic choices, but I understand why authors don't choose to write about this triangle very often.

Naturally. You both have eyes, after all.

That's why I'm all for the non-traditional formations, like that nasty bit of business found in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Hermia loves Lysander. Lysander, luckily, loves Hermia. Demetrius loves Hermia also, but she does not love him. Helena loves Demetrius, but he barely even knows who she is. To quote Seth Cohen, it's a love rhombus.



Or there could be non-traditional love triangles in which NO ONE is happy. Say X is in love with Y, Y is in love with Z, Z is evil soulless demon who loves nobody. Or X loves Y, Y loves Z, Z loves X or Q or maybe his horse or his mother, I don't know. Or even better, you read a love triangle where bits of the triangle are of the same gender, like that fun messy nonsense that is The City of Bones SPOILERSPOILER (Clary loves Jace, Jace loves Clary, Simon loves Clary, Simon is the most friend-zoned friend to ever be friend zoned, Alec loves Jace, Alec is the other most friend-zoned friend to ever be friend-zoned, OOPS Clary and Jace are brother and sister, never mind, pain everywhere) SPOILERSPOILER.

I myself happen to prefer the triangles that are truly triangles, rather than "love V's", as author Malindo Lo defines them. Basically, a triangle means that all three people in the tangly little love snarl have relationships. Take, for example, the Triangle of Doom in The Vampire Diaries (I haven't read the books, so I'm going off the TV series here): Stefan and Damon are vampire brothers, and they are both in love with Elena, she of the beautifully shiny hair. This is made much more interesting (to me) due to the fact that Stefan and Damon also love each other more than anything (even though they also want to kill each other sometimes. It's complicated). Or Will, Jem, and Tessa in The Infernal Devices trilogy, which I also haven't read but fully intend to. Or Celaena, Dorian, and Chaol in Throne of Glass, which I completely adored. Or, to get all classical on you, Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot: the original Triangle of Doom.

I like it when my tangly snarls are truly tangly and everyone loves everyone else (or everyone hurts everyone else). I prefer this form of triangle to triangles were the two suitors have no relationship to one another at all, or ones where it is patently obvious which suitor is going to be chosen (see Matched by Ally Condie).

I also love original resolutions to love triangles. Sometimes I'm just like, "Choose them both, Elena! Run off to a free love compound and switch Sexy Salvatores every other night!" I also love those Kelly Taylor "I choose me!" moments. We surely don't get enough of those in YA.

 

So obviously, I think love triangles are going a little stale, since the only way I could defend them was to argue they should be totally revamped. But multiple romantic possibilities for a heroine is not automatically a bad thing. Even Jane Austen did it. Emma was torn between Mr. Knightley and Frank Churchill; Elizabeth had to figure out whether it was Darcy or Wickham who was more deserving of her love; both Elinor and the horrible Lucy were in love with Edward; Anne loved Wentworth, but he was flirting with Louisa even though he maybe-loved Anne but Mr. Elliot also kind of wanted to marry Anne (that was a mess); Fanny loved Edmund but Edmund loved Mary and Henry loved Fanny and Mariah loved Henry (that was an even bigger mess). But the more romantical entanglements, the merrier, I say!

 

Damon approves.

Also Knightley.

 

For further research, here's a great post from author Diana Peterfreund arguing that Twilight does not actually contain a love triangle with also some brilliant insight into Buffy. I actually kind of agree with her now regarding the Forksian Fellowship, though ultimately I say the Bella/Edward/Jacob deal still has triangular aspects.

 

So, love triangles. Love 'em? Hate 'em? It depends? Tell me your thoughts, your Ships, which triangles you want to burn with fire, and whether seeing the words love triangle in a blurb make you instantly put the book down or instantly pick the book up. 

The Ten Worst Ways to End a Book

We’ve all read books that end so perfectly we’re left in states of total bliss. The story was so good we ache for more, but things were wrapped up so satisfyingly that we honestly know it’s better this way.

Think of it like a fancy three course meal. The appetizer appetized. The entrée was rich, filling, and oh-so-delicious. And when dessert came, it was tasty, sweet and just the right size. You’re full, but not so full your stomach might rupture.

And then there are the books that serve you sewage for dessert.

The ending is the last impression the reader is left with. You don’t care if the first act dropped wonderfully tantalizing hints if the last act dumps a pile of crap on your plate. These are examples of the types of endings that leave a sour taste in the reader’s mouth (to torture a metaphor even further). Ones to LOOK OUT FOR if you’re a reader, and ones to avoid if you’re a writer on Pain of Death.

1.      The Everybody Dies Ending

I suppose some people find this one deeply literary or meaningful. I call it offensively manipulative and a total cop-out. It’s a cheap and often pretentious ploy that only worked when Shakespeare did it, and even then I thought it was a bit much.

He will grow up to write really depressing novels.

2.      The Deus Ex Machina Ending

The bane of my existence. For those of you who don’t know, deus ex machine is, to quote Wikipedia, “a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object. It can be roughly translated as ‘God made it happen,’ with no further explanation, and, depending on usage, is primarily used to move the story forward when the writer has "painted himself into a corner" and sees no other way out”.

Basically, the resolution does not come from the characters. It is not inherent in the story, set up from the beginning, arising from the painful development the main character has undergone. No. A great force pops out of the sky, waves a magic wand, and POOF! Things are all better! I’m looking at you, Aslan (aka the Deux ex Lion)

3.      The Rainbows and Puppies Ending

This basically means that everybody lives happily ever after. To me, it’s preferable to the Everybody Dies ending, only because it doesn’t severely bum me out. But this chosen resolution is both immature an unrealistic. Life is messier than this. There are consequences even when you achieve your goals. I like when the author chooses not to tie up every thread with a pretty pink bow. 

KEEP READING! There is Ryan Gosling after the jump.

Pixar's Rules of Storytelling

If you’ve ever seen a Pixar movie, you know that the storytelling in them is damn near perfect. Their structures are classic. Their characters develop just as they should. The conflict follows all the right beats, all the ups and downs are in the right place, and the resolution comes from the characters.

Yes. We are awesome characters from awesome stories. You're jealous.

How do they do it? we writers ask. Well, now they’re telling! Now we can steal all their secrets and become master plotters ourselves!

Emma Coats, a Pixar Storyboard artist, tweeted her 22 rules of storytelling. Of course, you shouldn’t adhere strictly to rules while writing. I say the only true rule is that it has to work. But these are great guidelines to keep in mind. Even if you’re not a writer, understanding these basic tenants of storytelling will help you become a better reader. You’ll understand how things work a bit better. Follow the link to read the rest, but I’m going to talk about my favorite few here.

You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.

This is the cornerstone of the likable hero. It’s not about how awesome or perfect or successful they are. You just root for them. The odds are stacked so highly against them that it’s nearly impossible to succeed, but still they try.

Wall-E tries really really hard to save the environment but it's just not really happening.

These Are My Literary Confessions

The other day I read a blog post over at BookshelversAnonymous (if you’ve never been, get thee there pronto!) wherein Shelver confesses all her deepest darkest book-ly secrets. It was such fun I decided to get in on the action too.

1.      I hate Beloved. With a burning, fiery passion. I think it is a pretentious book with obvious themes and overwrought language. I don’t dislike Toni Morrison on the whole– Song of Solomon is pretty darn good– but man, does Beloved irk me. I just detest it.

2.      Just like Shelver, the first time I read Twilight, I liked it. One of my friends told me about it (this was way before it was the mega phenomenon it is now– yes, I’m totally one of those hipsters who likes thing waaaay before they're cool. Well, only when it comes to books). She said it was this uber romantic tale about a hot guy named Edward. I was all “Edward? So not a hot name." She was like, “It will be.” And then I sat down and read the book in a day.

3.      I reread more than I read. My mother judges me for this. It actually worries her. But I think it’s totally normal. Some great books live inside you in a way that is just magical, and sometimes I have to revisit them. They bring me a kind of happiness that’s hard to describe. Like hanging out with old friends you know so much about, but you can always find something new you didn’t notice before. You can understand the book even better. I also reread books I didn’t love so much the first time, and end up understanding them better as well.

4.      There are a few books I have reread so many times I can quote passages and phrases from memory. All the Harry Potters, Pride and Prejudice and Emma, Jane Eyre, The Portable Dorothy Parker,  A Little Princess and a bunch other. I like to do this in casual conversation to make other people feel stupid (it doesn’t always work).

5.      I am a sucker for the dark, brooding, romantic hero. The angsty anti-social dude who, in real life, is a total unattractive jerkface. But on the page? Swoon-worthy. Darcy, Rochester, Sidney Carton. Except for Heathcliff. He’s a douche.

6.      I actually tossed My Sister’s Keeper across the room when I finished it. I was that pissed off about the ending. Mind you, I was also sobbing, but yeah. I was mad. That’s the only time I’ve ever done that.

7.      I organize my bookshelf so the more impressive books (anything fat and Russian, all the historical non-fiction, etc.) are most prominent. Twilight, Meg Cabot, Sophie Kinsella, and all my fantasy novels are in a box under the bed.

8.      I read classics just so I can say I’ve read them. I’m an English major, so it’s kind of my job to read classics, and I really do love them. But some I slog blaze though simply for the prestige. Like someone’s going to give me an Advanced Reader medal or something.

9.      I automatically judge you when you haven’t heard of a famous book or author. True story: I was at a party over the summer at the beach that my mom threw, and I didn’t really know anyone, so basically just pulled up a towel and read. This dude kept trying to chat me up, even though I was giving him every indication that no, thank you, I just want to read my book please. So he asked me what book I was reading. I held it up. Anna Karenina. He said, “Oh, is that good? I’ve never heard of it.” Clearly, that relationship was not meant to be.

10.  I will buy a book I know nothing about simply because the cover is pretty. Some of these end up being amazing. Some of these end up as shelf decoration.

11.  When I read a really good book, I get super jealous because I don’t think I’ll ever write anything as good.

12.  I could not finish The Fellowship of the Ring. That book is long, y’all. And there are so many characters that just didn’t need to be there. Tom Bombadil? Yeah, there’s a reason he was cut from the movies.

13.  I really love reading classics, but sometimes I’d just rather get sucked into some sweeping, epically romantic YA fantasy/sci-fi/dystopian and bawl my eyes out instead.

15. My favorite books are the ones that make me laugh AND cry.

What are some of YOUR reading confessions?