Dear Jeannie: Invasion of Privacy and Polar Opposites

Dear Jeannie,

In futuristic Asia, certain people are subjected to a certain government program where everything they think and feel gets monitored by an unknown individual. Lisa, who has turned sixteen, is one of them. My question is how would she react to this sudden invasion of privacy, having a complete stranger she's not allowed to communicate with know all her innermost thoughts? On the other hand, how would the unseen observer handle knowing everything about her?

Anonymous 

Dear Anonymous,

No teenager wants their secrets splayed open for anyone to see (unless they themselves post them on a site like facebook). It's the "certain people are subjected to" line that will most likely chap her. She'll rail against being one of the chosen ones, and most likely she'd try to "trick" them by thinking things that she normally wouldn't, etc. But she would only be able to keep up the charade for so long. But I imagine she'd still fight against it. Still, she'd have to be curious (not that she'd ever admit it) as to who was listening in and observing her. She might become somewhat of an exhibitionist, leading them on a merry goose chase. It might not progress to anything resembling Stockholm Syndrome (though there might be similarities...she's not physically "captive" but her mind is), but it could. Feasibly, over time, she could even begin to develop romantic feelings toward the person, if you were thinking of going in that direction. Sounds like an interesting plot line, for sure. Thanks for writing in!

Dear Jeannie,

Dani is a survivor, who makes more allies than enemies. My trouble is her son, Aidan. Where she is aggressive, he is thoughtful. Where she draws her sword, he calls a time-out. He's a good strategist--more from study and theory than practice--but he would never try to outwit his mother. I have been modeling their relationship (and reigns) after Louis XIV and XV of France--a domineering public figure, followed by an overwhelmed introvert. This assumption isn't necessarily accurate. What kind of parent/child dynamics would contribute to a healthy adult relationship between this single mother and her son? (Her councilors and warlords used him as a pawn often during his childhood, which neither of them appreciated.)

Dethroned in Dallas 


Dear Dethroned,

Having a common enemy always forms close ties. If Dani's councilors used her son, especially for ill, she'd be protective of him, no matter their differences (assuming she loved/wanted him, that is). Vice versa for Aidan. Since Dani is such an alpha, she might naturally try to coax her son into a more subdued position, as two alphas in one pack don't work. Not knowing the dynamics that made dad leave the picture, Aidan might be more than willing to be put in that position, as doing so evokes kindness and pride from mom. He'd most certainly do this is if he was isolated in a castle somewhere and didn't have peers his own age to incite him to rebel. Dad's departure would most definitely play a role in the dynamics between them. If dad died while Aidan was young, then that would further solidify their relationship, even though polar opposites. They would be what each other has left, so to speak. So I guess I'd want to know more about dad and other environmental factors. Feel free to write more in the comments...I'll get to them when I'm not working my day job. :)

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Character Clinic: Bridger Heidemann

I've got Liberty's character, Bridger "Brick" Heidemann on the couch today. Lucky for me, I've already assessed the love interest in the futuristic sci-fi romance. Brick is sort of an anomaly in his convictions for his day and age where everybody is sleeping with everybody else and there are few moral standards adhered to. He's a private investigator, hired by the heroine Tamryn to track down her best friend, who's missing. Brick values remaining chaste, but he's drawn to Tamryn, despite their different backgrounds and moral codes of conduct. Brick gets kidnapped near the end of the book to be part of an "active sperm donor" business for women looking to get impregnated. (Yikes, Liberty!)

Liberty wants to know: How do I play out dynamics between two very different leads in a believable way? What kinds of mental issues will Bridger face following the kidnapping, especially if there is some physical abuse (i.e., kicking, punching, stabbing) to go along with it?

Liberty -

What we've got here is opposites attracting. Nothing new, but the angle of morality that you are taking is a different twist. I'm not sure how much this is played up in your book, but it sounds like remaining pure is a big part of Bridger's identity, and this is a value Tamryn doesn't hold.

One thing's for certain, his or her stance on morality doesn't have to play a part in physical attraction. Sparks between people can often be surprising, given the different poles they come from. So writing some very real scenes of them trying to deny that chemistry will give your romance readers something to appreciate.

Tamryn will likely want to take things to the next level, riding the wave of her baser desires and instincts. This will be the initial cause of conflict, I assume, and it needs to shake Bridger up a bit....that he could get so close again to "doing the deed," this time with his full faculties about him (i.e., not half asleep). But it will be his lesson in how strong physical attraction can be, and you can subtly get a point in with readers that our mental capacity to stop can overcome the pleasure principle (if you so desire).

Bridger will be wary of her, as she embodies and represents a sensual side of himself that he's either refused to acknowledge or has kept buried because it's safer. But he'll be drawn to her anyway b/c of the attraction. Great place for him to feel that tension...which is great for page turning in a romance.

An aside about your idea to have them both ask to marry each other at the end...Bridger seems to be a pretty traditional sort. Comes from a traditional family, remaining pure, etc. If Tamryn beats him to the punch, even if he has the ring in his pocket, I'd make sure that it was the completion of a character arc for both of them. Bridger possible needing to relinquish some of his iron-tight control, and Tamryn forging ahead into a commitment with a man that up until then she's tried to evade. Something like that. Otherwise, it won't be satisfying to the reader (in my opinion) for the original/traditional role of the man asking the woman to marry him to be usurped.

Really quick about the abduction: He's going to be traumatized, especially given the nature of what he's being abducted for. It would be like his worse nightmare...almost like forced prostitution, even though the end result is impregnation rather than debauchery. Still...to him, it won't be much different. So even if he doesn't actually have sex with anyone before he's rescued, that would mess with his head. (In my weird, psychocrazy way, I think this is awesome, btw.) If he's abused, he'll probably have the usual PTSD responses of flashbacks, nightmares, exaggerated startle response, hypervigilance, etc. I've done many posts on this subject, so I won't go into it here.

Hope this helps, and thanks for being so patient!

Let's Analyze: What are some great examples to point Liberty to of books that have dynamic heroes and heroines who are POLAR opposites?

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