Breaking up is hard to do

One of the hills I’m prepared to die on as an editor is that a good love story needs a bad breakup. Specifically, a third-act breakup.

Once upon a time that wouldn’t have been a particularly controversial statement, but increasingly, romance readers are rebelling against the idea of a last-minute breakup for the characters they’ve just spent an almost an entire book shipping.

I get it – life is tough enough without fictional worlds ripping our hearts to shreds too. All they want is the guaranteed happy ever after they’ve been promised without the turmoil of getting there.

Unfortunately though, the turmoil is the whole point – we read to see how two flawed, messy people navigate their specific challenges within themselves and each other to earn the reward of true love. That happy ever after is all the sweeter for the heartache before it.

It’s a simple matter of narrative structure, and it doesn’t just apply to romances. This late-stage conflict beat is embedded in just about every story you’ve ever read. For example, in a crime novel, it might be the moment the bad guy slips through the detective’s fingers. In a fantasy/adventure novel, you’ll often see the hero fail in an important battle or test.

In romance, a third-act breakup is what creates the climax (no, not that one) because the relationship is what forms the central plot, and a breakup is the ultimate pressure test for a relationship.

But, that’s not to say you can’t skip the third-act breakup. You can – as long as you don’t skip the conflict.

If you don’t want to challenge your characters with a classic parting of ways, you’re going to need to find another way to push them so your story doesn’t fizzle. Here are some ideas – and some reading recommendations to check out (note: very mild spoilers ahead):

Instead of a break-up moment, try a growth moment

Romances tend to be all about internal conflict – the flawed beliefs and experiences that are holding them back from accepting true love. This is often what is driving the third-act breakup: they’re still acting out of those old limiting beliefs, and the relationship can’t truly get off the ground until the characters address their internal wounds. If you don’t want to actually break your characters up, consider taking them to the brink. Bring the conflict to a point where they have to choose between the person they used to be and the one they know they can be in the relationship – then show them making an emotionally healthy choice.

Read: An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister

Swap the third-act breakup for third-act brakes

So you’ve brought your lovers together and everyone is thrilled with the development. But maybe things are moving too fast… Show your one or both of your characters stalling as they process the development. What are their fears and how would each protagonist’s actions inflame them? Your love interests might hit the brakes while they evaluate their feelings, keeping the tension on a slow simmer until a grand gesture gets the romance boiling hot again.

Read: And Now, Back to You by BK Borison

Use external conflict to force them apart

This works best in a hybrid romance like romystery, romantasy or paranormal romance where the events of the plot can feasibly threaten the relationship. For example, one of your romantic leads might be kidnapped, injured or forced to leave. I give this workaround bonus points if the event triggers an emotional regret or wound too – for instance, they never found the courage to tell the other person how they really feel and now they fear it’s too late, or they haven’t quite resolved their self-doubt and the crisis shows them how wrong they’ve been.

Read: Firedawn Gate by SK Stapar

Go for a slooooow burn

One way to avoid a third-act breakup is to avoid bringing your characters together until the very end. Usually in a romance we see the characters come together, if only briefly, around the halfway mark. In a slow burn, you can delay that high point till the end, keeping us in the will-they-or-won’t-they zone for longer. But take care to ensure there’s enough obstacles and romantic tension throughout the second act to keep readers invested in the payoff, because ‘slow burn’ can too often translate to ‘snooze button’.

Read: Persuasion by Jane Austen

Honestly, pulling off the no-third-act breakup well is a challenge, even for the most experienced writers, so proceed with caution. There’s a risk that by avoiding conflict you drain the critical third act of interest, and the ending fizzles.

But if you’re aware of the conflict that’s necessary in the last third of the story and have a plan to make up for the breakup, you’ll be ahead of the pack. 

If you’d like feedback on your story’s narrative arc, get in touch to talk about a manuscript assessment or structural edit.