Plotting a Novel with Two Protagonists

with guest Sherri Shackelford.

If you’re a writer, you probably have dozens of books about plotting on your shelves. You might even have a few that specifically target the romance genre. I’ve bought ‘em all over the years, and I can say with certainty – there are very, very, very few ‘how to’ books on plotting that adequately explain the unique difficulties of plotting a romance novel. 

All that stuff about characterization, journeys, acts, arcs, hooks and beats – all that stuff is important, sure. But I’m talking about the unique, specific aspects of writing a romance novel. The issues that are often overlooked or glossed over. 

Because most genres have one main character, the majority of ‘how to’ books are written for a single protagonist. The hero (OR heroine) takes a journey. Singular. Thriller novels, suspense novels (NOT romantic suspense), horror, YA, women’s fiction—these genres usually have a dominant, single protagonist*. Think—Jack Ryan, Jack Reacher, Kinsey Millhone, Katniss, Jason Bourne, Harry Potter, Bridget Jones, Offred. There’s a clear, single protagonist. (If someone has ever told you that you’re writing women’s fiction and not a romance, a dominant or singular protagonist may be part of your problem.) 

*Disclaimer, we can all name exceptions to this rule in every genre, but I’m speaking in generalities. 

During the early days of the modern romance novel, the story was told almost exclusively from the viewpoint of the heroine. Not anymore. Romance novels these days contain the male POV, and this change means an author must plot using two protagonists. I know, I know – you’re thinking, “duh”. Except plotting with two protagonists comes with a unique set of challenges. 

The first challenge in writing a story with two protagonists is deciding ‘who’ owns the story. Most people assume the female lead always owns the story in a romance, but that isn’t always the case. The person who ‘owns’ the story is the person who has the most to lose. 

In my book, A Temporary Family, the hero suffers from PTSD. His symptoms have manifested into extreme obsessive-compulsive behaviors which have subsequently driven him into isolation. (Except it’s the olden days, so he just thinks he’s cuckoo.) If he falls in love with the heroine, a vivacious, messy, complicated woman who longs for adventure, he has the most to lose. He’s going to lose everything that makes him feel safe and in control. 

Which brings us to the second difficulty in plotting a novel with two protagonists: Each protagonist must have opposite, preferably honorable, goals in perfect conflict with each other. This is easier said than done. In A Temporary Family, the heroine wants to travel the world and have adventures in order to prove to herself that she’s not ‘the pampered baby of the family.’ The hero wants to live on a remote stagecoach relay station, because socializing exacerbates his PTSD symptoms. 

The most important part of any romance novel is the internal conflict, and romance writers have two sets of internal conflicts to pit against each other.  Many of us may have gotten the note ‘more conflict’ from our editors. While a lot of people will describe conflict as ‘two dogs, one bone’, I prefer the to use the phrase, “I can’t love him because…I can’t love her because...” 

In The Rancher’s Christmas Proposal, Tessa can’t love the hero, Shane, because her checkered past makes her feel unworthy. Shane can’t love the heroine, Tessa, because she only married him to care for his children, and he’s already been in love with someone who didn’t love him back—he’d rather not repeat the experience. 

The better the conflict, the better the book. The better the conflict, the easier the book is to write. The better the conflict, the easier the pitch. If your middle is sagging, it’s because you don’t have enough conflict. 

Unfortunately, finding ways to put two good people in equal, yet opposite, conflict is hard. Not, ‘phooey I burnt the muffins hard’, but ‘building a pyramid in the desert with nothing but a slingshot’ hard. Because not only do you have to give your protagonists opposite goals that make it impossible to get together, you have to make it possible for them to get together. 

First, the possible: 

After you decide ‘who’ owns the story (Protagonist #1), decide on their worst nightmare. 

That’s Protagonist #2. In Pride & Prejudice, Lizzy Bennet’s worst nightmare is a stuck-up aristocrat. Mostly because Lizzy worries she might be just a tad unworthy herself. Her family is a touch eccentric and only on the edge of social acceptance. Enter Mr. Darcy, Lizzy’s worst nightmare.  

Second, the impossible: 

Put your hero/heroine through a series of challenges that force them to confront their worst nightmares, and move them toward the center. Mr. Darcy helps Lizzy’s family—even though he thinks they’re vulgar and crude—because helping her family helps Lizzy. In turn, Lizzy has to accept this help and acknowledge that she was *gasp* WRONG about Mr. Wickham AND Mr. Darcy. Eee gad. 

Sounds easy. It’s not. 

When people mock me for writing romance, I always agree – I should have picked an easier genre. I *wish* I wrote simple books with a single protagonist and a single goal. How nice would that be?! 

(*Warming - shameless namedrop alert)

I had a chance to meet Margaret Atwood at a fundraiser a while back. My friend introduced me and said, “She’s a writer too!” I cringed, thinking, “Oh boy, here it comes. The sneer. The polite pivot toward a more interesting person.” Instead, Margaret asked about my publisher, then spoke warmly and respectfully of people she knew in the industry. (I had no idea who she was talking about. I just nodded and held my sweet potato puff. Those puffs were AMAZING!)

Later in the evening, someone asked if it was ‘easier’ to break into publishing if an author wrote in an ‘easier’ genre, like, say, romance. Again, Margaret politely, but firmly, smacked the MAN who asked the question back into his place. She spoke of how educated and discriminating romance readers are, (despite New York Times op-ed pieces to the contrary), and she spoke of how difficult it was to plot and maintain fresh, inventive conflict in the most competitive genre in the industry. 

This stuff is hard. Real hard-- reasoning with a two-year-old about the benefits of naptime --hard. 

I could go on for pages, but here are a few deceptively simple things to remember when plotting a romance, that aren’t always included in the ‘how to’ books:

Decide who has the most to lose. 

That person owns the story. That’s Protagonist #1.

What is Protagonist #1’s worst nightmare? That’s Protagonist #2

Once you have Protagonist 1 & 2, you should easily be able to answer the questions:

I can’t love him because…

I can’t love her because…

If you can’t easily answer those two questions, your conflict needs more work. 

Someday I’ll write an entire book on crafting conflict specifically for novels with the two-protagonist structure, but we only have time for the basics. (I say ‘someday’ because I’m not that smart. I’m still learning myself.)

Again – all that other stuff is important too. Read: Writing with Emotion, Tension, and Conflict by Cheryl St.John. Study Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain, read: Romance-ology 101 by Julie Lessman. All the pieces have to fit together. 

What are some other complications that are unique to writing a romance novel? 

Sherri is generously giving away THREE copies of Mail-Order Christmas Baby which releases on November 7 in print format. Leave a copy to be entered in the giveaway. Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.

 Mail-Order Christmas Baby

The Rancher's Special Delivery 

The "package" is addressed to him, but rancher Sterling Blackwell certainly didn't order a baby! More scandalous still, he and the town's pretty teacher are named as parents. With gossip running wild, only a marriage of convenience can protect little Gracie and their reputations until her real family is found. 

Heather O'Connor is content to be the spinster schoolmarm of Valentine, Montana…until Gracie's arrival stirs her heart. She can't keep the adorable child without Sterling's help, though she promises not to interfere with his life. But staying aloof from her handsome husband isn't easy with a tiny matchmaker in tow. A mistake brought them together, but love might just make them a family by Christmas…

Sherri Shackelford is an award-winning author of inspirational, Christian romance novels for Harlequin/HarperCollins Publishers. 

 A wife and mother of three, Sherri’s hobbies include collecting mismatched socks, discovering new ways to avoid cleaning, and standing in the middle of the room while thinking, “Why did I just come in here?” A reformed pessimist and recent hopeful romantic, Sherri has a passion for writing. She doesn't live on the prairie, but she can see the plains from her house. Her books are fun and fast-paced, with plenty of heart and soul.

 In 2018, Sherri will be starting a new adventure: writing romantic suspense! These stories will feature complicated, engaging characters in edge-of-your-seat adventures. Starting January 1, 2018, the new rebranding will include new books, prizes and exclusive reveals. Visit sherrishackelford@gmail.com this coming January, and start the New Year with a bang! 

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