Blogging from A to Z Challenge: L is for Love Triangles

The first thing that comes to mind when I have to write a topic starting with “L”, is love triangles. That’s no surprise, since I write mostly YA, and the main genre featuring love triangles, happens to be YA. I must’ve read about a hundred books featuring love triangles so far. You have the “Twilight” series, Amanda Hocking’s “Trylle” trilogy, even “The Hunger Games” features a love triangle. Heck, I’ve even seen books with as sole plot point a love triangle.

Some authors have a real knack for it, and I end up rooting for both guys, or both girls, pining for the same boy/girl. Or I do end up picking sides, but even though so, I get the appeal of both choices.

However, half of the times, love triangles suck. They’re a way to create extra tension or suspense, whereas a decent plot, narrative, and some surprise twists, could end up having the same result. Often, it seems as if one part of the love triangle is forced, or completely unnecessary. If you’re only having a love triangle for the sake of adding extra suspense in your book, then you might reconsider and wonder if it’s really worth it. Usually, it’s not.

That said, when done well, love triangles can be intriguing, and they can add more depth to your characters. “The Vampire Diaries” (TV series, not the books) hooked me for five seasons simply by presenting a love triangle. But it all depends on how you handle it, how you construct your characters, their relationship, and how important the triangle is for the rest of the book.