Zodiac Clichés (And Other Nonsense)

Cliché Love Triangles

#14: when authors water down the classic love triangle trope.

A love triangle has the potential to be a beautiful plot element that will keep your readers on the edge of their seats, but when done improperly, a love triangle can come off as cliché, overdone, and even comical.

The thing that makes a love triangle exciting is the conflict. If the main character can't decide between two love interests, they experience internal conflict. If the main character is fighting over a love interest with another character, you get character vs character conflict. The tension and the struggle are what make this plot element exciting.

Now what you've been waiting for: the poorly written example!

Cliché main character can't decide between two love interests example:

Libra POV:

Gemini and Leo watched me intently, waiting for me to pick one of them as my boyfriend. I trembled under their gazes.

"I-I uh, I can't decide which one of you t-t-to p-pick," I stammered.

"You've gotta choose one of us, Libra," Leo said intensely. "It's either me or him."

Gemini glared at Leo, and Leo glared back. I started sweating nervously.

Suddenly I knew the answer.

"If I can't have both of you," I said, "then I must live without you guys."

"What?" Leo and Gemini said in unison.

"I can't be happy with just one of you. We must all be apart. Go our separate ways, start new lives, blah blah blah..."

*End of example

It was really stupid I know, but you get the picture. DON'T INCLUDE THIS CLICHÉ-ASS SCENE IN YOUR STORIES IF YOU HAVE A LOVE TRIANGLE GOING ON!!!

That's it for today! Have a nice day everyone!

5/14/20