I find myself caught in a creative stump! I’m writing about characters that fall in love through enemies to lovers, but they are from different economic backgrounds. How should I got about bringing them closer together? They’ve already met, I’m just finding myself a bit confused on how I want it to evolve.
There are ways to do this. Here's one I just thought of now: - Rich girl mocks poor guy, poor guy mocks rich girl = enemies - RG & PG find common ground (in anything at all ... e.g. stuffy parents) - RG helps PG = frenemies - PG helps RG = confused feelings. Maybe "the other" isn't so bad after all? - They go out without telling parents ... and maybe share a kiss, etc. - Ta-da! As far as Hollywood is concerned, they're married. Sure, there's a heck of a lot more to it than that. That's just a summary. Sounds good?
Maybe you can make use of plot devices like assumptions and misunderstandings. The characters believe things about others that are not true. The boy (or the girl) misinterprets something the girl (or the boy) said or did, and that leads to events based on the misunderstanding. It may even include intentional lies. But in the end, the truth becomes known and the air is cleared, and an understanding grows between the characters.
How about the old fashioned way? They don't need to jump into bed in chapter 2, but when people meet each other, the first thing they notice usually isn't their background or economic position.
I found a good article at the link that outlines several different ways to use misunderstandings to build conflict https://writing.stackexchange.com/questions/37343/making-conflicts-based-on-misunderstanding
Any trauma will bond people that are from different backgrounds, including culture differences. Traumatic ordeals embed a deep feeling for supporters and relationships and are not soon forgotten. For instance, if the cartel kidnapped a couple for ransom, they would quickly start depending on each other and revealing their vulnerabilities and strengths.
Also, it depends on what genre you're writing. If you're writing detective fiction, it is crucial that the romance does not include the detective. The reason is simple: your detective must remain impartial. He/she is the spirit of justice, the conquering angel. To be this, it is imperative that he/she stays out of romantic entanglements. This is something that Hollywood has never grasped, and is the reason why, when they try making mystery motion pictures, the said motion pictures stink.
