Your Preferred Love triangle

I have never enjoyed a love triangle. They make me sad and stress me out.

I liked Infernal Devices. A lot, actually. I don't want to spoil anything, but to me it was very obvious who she would chose, and I felt bad for the other one. I wish books would just stop, honestly.

That's just me though. I guess I've just never known anyone...ever who experiences anything close to novel love triangles. Its just not typically how love works.

I've also never enjoyed a love triangle, except in those cases where I genuinely don't care which person the MC ends up with. Even then that's not really 'enjoying' the triangle- clearly the author wants me on the edge of my seat about who she'll pick, not happy either way.

A love triangle can go two ways- either it's immediately obvious which pairing is endgame, or the MC genuinely likes both equally. With the former, there's no tension, and with the latter I believe that if you really can't decide between two people you shouldn't be with either of them.

I'd like to see more exploration of other possibilities, such as the kind of triangle where A likes B who likes C who likes A.

Bysshe said:

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A love triangle can go two ways- either it's immediately obvious which pairing is endgame, or the MC genuinely likes both equally. With the former, there's no tension, and with the latter I believe that if you really can't decide between two people you shouldn't be with either of them.

I'd like to see more exploration of other possibilities, such as the kind of triangle where A likes B who likes C who likes A.

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I'm exactly of the same mindset and those are the ones I prefer myself. Unrequited love is far more interesting to me than the coke vs pepsi choices I often see. In one I'm working on there's a sort-love triangle but she ends up happily single at the end.

I think they're popular though, because they're fantasy wish-fulfillment - who wouldn't want two *fantastic* people after them and then be forced to choose? (me, actually, but I'm apparently not in the majority, especially if part of me thinks ... um, both? )

Most of the time I HATE love triangles. Cassandra Clare did the best one by far though. It was beautiful because the boys loved each other and each got a happy ending. I actually cared more about the boys then I did about Tessa. I really think that's what made it successful.

And I have to disagree with your assessment of Katniss. Katniss had a passionate love for Gale but a warm, comfort love with Peeta. In the end Gale did something unforgivable and Katniss recognized that he wasn't a healthy choice. But she had always loved Peeta as well, it was just a more mature love. In that sense, the love triangle worked as well because each fulfilled different needs.

Most of the time unfortunately, it's either that the girl is a passive participant in the triangle (like Bella) or the girl likes them both because they're just so hot. *giggle*

Gag.

Personally, I didn't like how things were resolved in Infernal Devices. I think how everything went about was a complete fan service. It was definitely meant to please both sides of the fandom. I think about love triangles is that you will always leave half of your readers being betrayed and disappointed especially if the love triangle plays a large role in your story. Each of the stories mentioned in this thread have had so much backlash due to the resolution of the love triangles. I've seen thousands of reviews upset about love triangles and how their favorite got the short end of the stick.

I've been in a love triangle, haha. I should write about it. (I bet a lot of us have.)

First, I was in love with a guy I met in college. He was so great, so different, popular yet so smart, always interested in everything I said or did. Embroidered jeans were big then and he'd sit beside me in class and trace the vines on my leg - I had lots of vines with flowers and bugs, etc. on the vines. I was the shyest girl in my high school class and I'm still shy in college, but what's not to love about J? He always sought me out of every crowd. He was always winding his arm around my waist. He stood up for me when I got in trouble, or was teased for being quiet. My first love. He'd see me down the hall and RUN to me. It was crazy. Then he said he'd call me one Saturday...

The same day another boy said he'd call. I told my mother if J doesn't call me by six PM, I'm going out with M. (I didn't want to go out with M.) But J never calls, so I go out with M. But in class I'm with J. I'm with J everywhere on campus. Kids tell me, oh damn, he's so in love with you! I'm J's lab partner, his study partner, we talk in his dorm. We eat together. I'm in love with J.

But it's M who's always asking me out on 'normal' dates.

Long story - now to shorten. I married M. I looked up J a while ago. He became a doctor, then a research scientist. Never married. He isn't gay according to friends, and seldom dates. He's just a nice guy who keeps to himself and his job.

Maybe this isn't a real love triangle, but M knew about J and actively tried to get between him and me. J knew about M and used to say, you can do better, etc. But it was M who made more of a real effort so ...

Love triangle?

I guess this is a total thread derail.

I think the development and dynamics of the relationship need to be intertwined with the themes of the story.

I think it works best when the reader's heart is torn as well.

awe Jaksen
For some reason I feel like you're a little sad at the turn. You might not be, though.
It reminds me of my cousin whose bf was sent to prison (idk why) and the broke up. So this other guy who was soooooo into her was extremely stubborn and got her to go on date after date. They're married now because she confessed that she thought no one else would be interested in her. She doesn't love him. She said if it weren't for their 3 daughters she'd leave him. She knows he's such a good man and an amazing father, but that love isn't there. She misses the one that got away (the one that got busted actually haha).
Not much of a love triangle, but still.

okay - love triangles. I like writing about them but I'm too much of a wuss to read about books that focus largely on that. I get so nervous and start to get anxious and my feelings get thrown all over the place. Howevvv, the Sookie Stackhouse series. That love octagon was very interesting. And the triangle with Sookie, Bill, and Eric was nicely done, imho.

Sage said:

That said, I feel like some characters or some situations do call for a rival to the main LI that the reader would know the MC will probably not end up with.

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I think it can work really well when you know the inevitable conclusion of who will end up with whom.

I think it's even more important in this situation that both love interests be worth rooting for.

Otherwise the rival runs the risk of not being believable.

I enjoy me a good unrequited love, too.

jaksen said:

I've been in a love triangle, haha. I should write about it. (I bet a lot of us have.)

First, I was in love with a guy I met in college. He was so great, so different, popular yet so smart, always interested in everything I said or did. Embroidered jeans were big then and he'd sit beside me in class and trace the vines on my leg - I had lots of vines with flowers and bugs, etc. on the vines. I was the shyest girl in my high school class and I'm still shy in college, but what's not to love about J? He always sought me out of every crowd. He was always winding his arm around my waist. He stood up for me when I got in trouble, or was teased for being quiet. My first love. He'd see me down the hall and RUN to me. It was crazy. Then he said he'd call me one Saturday...

The same day another boy said he'd call. I told my mother if J doesn't call me by six PM, I'm going out with M. (I didn't want to go out with M.) But J never calls, so I go out with M. But in class I'm with J. I'm with J everywhere on campus. Kids tell me, oh damn, he's so in love with you! I'm J's lab partner, his study partner, we talk in his dorm. We eat together. I'm in love with J.

But it's M who's always asking me out on 'normal' dates.

Long story - now to shorten. I married M. I looked up J a while ago. He became a doctor, then a research scientist. Never married. He isn't gay according to friends, and seldom dates. He's just a nice guy who keeps to himself and his job.

Maybe this isn't a real love triangle, but M knew about J and actively tried to get between him and me. J knew about M and used to say, you can do better, etc. But it was M who made more of a real effort so ...

Love triangle?

I guess this is a total thread derail.

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Oh. Bwaaaaahhhh! I had my own J in college. Heh. I was so in love with him etc, but went out with another guy because B wasn't emotionally ready for anything deeper than casual, hand-holding dates. We're still friends now, almost ten years later, and he confides in me about how he still doesn't feel comfortable going further without anyone. Like your J, B is just a nice guy who keeps to himself and his job.

I adore the 'best friend' love.
The best friend is in love with the MC (I'm gonna say the MC is a girl for example sake) but the MC is in lust with the hunky guy (or girl) in town. There is tension between the MC and the Best Friend and she is torn between who she chooses. She either ends up with the Best Friend OR chooses the Hunky Guy and the best friend finds someone else they were mean't to be with.
This love triangle is actually quite common in YA books but it's one I enjoy the most. I really have no idea why. But I do.

Haha, I actually wrote a blog post a while ago (like, two years ago?) about the exact things I feel make a love triangle work. Probably 90% of the time, I feel like it doesn't work because it feels like manufactured drama. BUT, when I come across a triangle that I think works, I usually *really* love it.

My original post was super long, but here are the bullet points. These are just my personal feelings, so I'm not laying down the law here, just sharing my thoughts.

1.) Each LI must be a strongly fleshed-out character that has more to their design than their affection for the protagonist. You want me to root for both of them, you have to make me love both of them.

2.) They should function both as characters, and as metaphors of choice. What does each REPRESENT to the protagonist? Gale and Peeta worked for me because I read Gale as a metaphor of revenge and war, while Peeta was a metaphor of peace and healing.

3.) If the two LIs are mortal enemies who are always snarking and jealous of each other, then I super don't care about them. It's not that I don't expect complicated feelings from people who care about the same person, it's that it makes me frustrated and angry when they're assholes to each other all the time because they're not getting what they want.

4.) I like it when relationships just naturally don't work out in one way or another. Instead of stringing out WHO WILL IT BE for the entire novel/series, I'd rather see relationships naturally explored and naturally fall apart. Maybe she starts dating one and it's just not right. They break up. They move on.

5.) Don't try to force two characters together just because they're star-crossed/"intended." Make the relationship real, not fated.

Outside that, it's really touch and go. Even if I don't love all three characters, I have to at least understand where they're coming from. I have to know WHY this is such a complex choice, rather than just "oh gosh, two hot people like me, what do I do?" It's also frustrating to me when I know early on who the obvious choice is, but the author insists on pretending this other possibility is a real option. If one person is wonderful and the other one's clearly all wrong for the protagonist, I'm not going to be on their side when they're waffling over them forever.

Some examples of books with love triangles that work for me:

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
The Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Adaptation by Malinda Lo
Fruits Basket (manga) by Natsuki Takayahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natsuki_Takaya

love triangle?

me, a big bag of broken chocolate pieces, and a bottle of wine.

it's messy, but then, what love triangle isn't?

How about a love square? Or a love pentagon? Do all teenage girls have only two guys they like?

I like love triangles that are actually triangles, rather than bent lines. It's more interesting if there's also some romantic attraction between the two equigendered characters, instead of a simple rivalry.

I prefer love triangles when all parties have some kind of connection to each other too. It doesn't have to be attraction, but some kind of friendship or something, so there is some kind of loyalty as well as attraction at conflict. Otherwise, it's all on the one character to make a decision as to how to proceed.
Also, why is it always one girl and two hot guys? It seems like in teenage realityville multiple girls are after the same guy, and the guy in question is oblivious to it all or at least pretending to be because he is not interested in either of them.
I'm not opposed to love polygons of any flavor though. Life is often far messier than a tidy little triangle.

I enjoy some love triangles, hate others. With me it makes a difference as to whether the MC's choice is obvious or not. That's a large reason why I liked the HG triangle - throughout the series I had absolutely no idea who Katniss would go with.

maybegenius said:

2.) They should function both as characters, and as metaphors of choice. What does each REPRESENT to the protagonist? Gale and Peeta worked for me because I read Gale as a metaphor of revenge and war, while Peeta was a metaphor of peace and healing.

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The whole "LI as personal metaphor" thing still chafes my nerves 9 times out of 10 because it still very often involves a female protagonist defining herself around what weaksauce dude she's romantically involved with. THG might be the only place I've seen it done effectively. But in books like The Forest of Hands and Teeth? I really couldn't tell you what the difference between the two brothers was or why Mary was even attracted to them in the first place.

IDK, I just see this metaphor used a lot to justify the existence of a love triangle in a book without it actually being the case. And I'd really love see something other than a dude be used metaphorically with respects to which version of herself the heroine will become.

(Although, TBH, I prefer my love triangles end in death. Or the character realizing they can all better use their time and walking away. Or ANYTHING that will break the trope to little shiny pieces. (provided all characters involved are strongly written enough for me to care in the first place, of course.))