We were recently talking on a reader-writer list about Soulmate books and how some people WON’T read them. I think the main problem in writing a Soulmate book is that the writer MUST include as important a conflict as in any romance. It’s easy to say “Oh, they’re soulmates, OF COURSE they belong together and won’t have any problems.”
Wrong. I’ll repeat, the conflict still needs to loom large.
Though I have “HeartMates” in my Heart series by Berkley, I also have rules that provide “outer conflict.” First, though they may be HeartMates, it is 1) illegal for one HeartMate to tell the other that they are mates because it denies free will. (I’ve provided bitter purnishment for this violation, and have used this) 2) the actual “mating” isn’t done until a HeartBond is established during sex. I have, and will continue to have, mates having sex and refusing the HeartBond.
I listed conflicts that I’ve done in the email, but don’t want to toot my own horn that much here, so I’m leaving that bit out.
I think the best set up I’ve ever done for a HeartMate conflict is for Heart Quest, coming in September, and you can judge for yourself, here:
But what do you readers think, do you like soulmate books or not?
May you sigh over the romance in your reading today.
Robin
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I like the idea of soulmates only as long as there’s at least *some* element of free will involved–the lack of free will in Christine Feehan’s Dark books is one of the reasons those books stopped appealing to me.
There has to be balance between fate–or whatever compelling force drives these two together–and who they actually are. Before finding their soulmate, through the book, after the book. Another key aspect is how much of the plot depends on the fact that hero/heroine *are* soulmates–and how skillfully the writer handles this. Nothing kills my enjoyment of a book faster than the dreaded ‘Deus Ex Machina’ plot device!
by azteclady
on June 20th, 2006 at 11:49 pm
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I agree with Azteclady - as long as the characters are the ones that ultimately decide their fate, then I find soulmate books to be very appealing. But feeling like it’s forced, no matter who the hero or heroine do, is not an enjoyable reading experience. I like the idea of the characters being the ones to make the choice to be together, because even soulmates have problems.
In fact I think soulmates should have to work harder to be together to really prove that it’s not just “fate”. But that’s just my thought…
by Stacy ~
on June 21st, 2006 at 6:55 am
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I think that Soulmates with no way out is a short cut no writer should take. (I haven’t read Christine’s Carpathian books, so I can’t say if her execution works for me.) Just last week, I was watching THE BUTCHER’S WIFE, that old movie with Demi Moore. I love that movie! The idea of soulmates (or split-aparts) is played with in this romantic comedy, but it’s clear that it’s up to the characters to make it work. I like what Stacy said–soulmates have to work harder than the average couple. That introduces an element of drama that has to make a story better. At least, it did in this movie. Marina and the psychiatrist were clearly soulmates, but their journey toward a relationship was so much harder than every other couple in the film. The rest were easy in comparison!
by Julie Leto
on June 21st, 2006 at 12:05 pm
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 Hi Robin,
Interesting blog topic. I love soulmate books. They are rich with the opportunity for deep characterization and excellent conflict. They aren’t easy to write well, but they are worth the effort. In my book FOREVERMORE I wrote about reincarnated lovers and found it to be a challenging but exciting effort.
Denise A. Agnew
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Soulmate books are ok as long as there is some free will involved.
by Estella Kissell
on June 21st, 2006 at 3:51 pm
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Well, this came out a lot different than I thought it would, and isn’t that interesting! I thought the main topic would be how large the conflict was betweent he hero and heroine and you were all concerned about free will.
Thanks a lot!
Robin
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Robin, I have to fall back on the favorite “It depends.”
If the conflict stems mainly out of the characters personalities, it cannot be horrendously big and play for me–what hope can these people have in the long term, together, as a family? It’s very disconcerting having characters be [behave, believe, react] a certain way for most of the book, then the “I love you”s come out, followed by the “we are soulmates and have no choice,” and presto! No conflict there!
On the other hand, it works for me if the conflict is steadily unraveled through the book. When I’m shown thrugh the story that those differences are superficial or at least not irreconciliable. When I’m shown the progression from “no, there’s no way we can be together,” to “the only thing that makes sense is to be together.” Then it can work beautifully.
If there’s both internal and external conflict, it rarely plays for me when the latter is logically solved and, just because the external conflict is gone, suddenly presto! No conflict here either!
Again, it can be very satisfying to see how, by facing one of the conflicts (within or without), the hero/heroine work on the other conflict. During the course of such a book one or both of the couple realize something about themselves or each other that changes something deep enough, essential enough, that whatever precludes their HEA is no longer insurmountable. And so, when the books ends, I have no trouble believing that these two people cand and will make it together.
by azteclady
on June 22nd, 2006 at 7:12 am
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All right, as an ending, I’ll put out the conflicts I’ve used in the Heart books to illustrate.
Some conflicts I have used: Romeo & Juliet (Heart Duel), their families are
feuding and close relatives killed on each side. Also, she is a Healer and
he’s a warrior.
Status/Class/Psi Power Major Differences: HeartMate. Though he is now of
the greatest rank, T’Ash grew up in the slums. At the beginning of the
story, Danith (commoner heroine) thinks he’s put a sleazy sex spell on her
and she has very little psi power.
Last of His Line And Must Carry On His Name/Blood and Sterility: Heart
Choice. He wants children, she is sterile (and, no, her sterility does NOT
go away in the end).
Finally, in my upcoming Heart Quest (September), where my young heroine is
going door-to-door using a spell to find her mate, the hero is MUCH older
and has had a presentiment of his death (and HeartMates always die within a
year of each other). He is not about to bond with a much younger woman and
cut her life short.
Robin
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