J is for Jealousy
Ah yes, jealousy: that green-eyed monster. What kind of love story would I be telling if jealousy didn't factor in at all?
A pretty dull one, I think.
After all, jealousy is one of those strange, precious literary gems: a vicious, corrosive emotion we hate to feel in our own lives, but one that we love to read about our characters struggling with. Because it's human, and so very real, and highly incendiary when tossed on a pile of blazing love-denied/love-forbidden/love-rejected plot embers.
I haven't worked out all of the details yet - or, ok, fine, most of the details; this is a work in progress, after all - but I already know that jealousy is going to be the death (perhaps literally, at least as far as the participants are concerned) of one love affair, and the reason another one never happens at all - and therefore a reason for the characters to suffer from yet another corrosive literary gem: regret.
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| Creepy, isn't it? Thanks to http://cher-homespun.blogspot.com/2011/10/firewater-friday-jealousy-is-all-fun.html for the image... |
I love that image: it's just as tangled and fierce and even diseased as jealousy often feels. I might have to keep it on my desktop as I write...
That green eye is creepy as can be. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteI think you're going to enjoy being mean to your characters.
ReplyDeleteJealousy is a powerful emotion. I can tell you'll be wielding it well in this book. But I also find that doubt is powerful as well. ;)
ReplyDeleteJealousy can be a powerful emotion in a love story. I'm sure you'll have fun incorporating it into yours.
ReplyDeleteMy current WiP is ripe with jealousy. :)
ReplyDeleteThat image is epic, and I agree, you can't have romance without a touch of jealousy. They go hand in hand.
ReplyDeletejealousy is captured well with that creepy image. It rules so many people and many will be engulfed by it which is a shame for them and the people around them. interesting what you will write
ReplyDeleteOh man - "diseased" is a perfect descriptor of how jealousy feels.
ReplyDeleteGreat, now this song is stuck in my head: http://youtu.be/ah5gAkna3jI
ReplyDeleteJealousy is fun when done right. But the wrong reaction, and it annoys the heck me. There's been a few protagonists that I just utterly despise because they get jealous and start taking it out on their innocent significant other. If the character gets mean, I hate them. Toss-the-book-across-the-room hate them. I'll barely tolerate whining and sulking.
Now if the object of the jealousy is being malicious, then by all means, the protagonist can be mean and vindictive. I prefer that to the sulking.
That is one creepy image, lol. And you're right; what's a love story without some good ole fashioned jealousy?
ReplyDeleteOooh, jealousy may literally be the killer? Sweet!
ReplyDeleteI can't stand jealousy in real life. Such a waste of time an effort but it sure is fun to read.
Elsie
AJ's wHooligan in the A-Z Challenge
One of my favorite quotes about jealousy is from Hamlet: To my sick soul, as sin's true nature is, each toy seems prologue to some great amiss: so full of artless jealousy is guilt,it spills itself in fearing to be spilt. Kind of universal as far as jealously goes, in my opinion! I do love jealousy in stories. Makes for some rockin' tension!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Elsie. IRL jealousy is tiresome and a waste but in a book it's juicy and wonderfully entertaining.
ReplyDeleteWrite on my friend!
Jealousy does make for great conflict in fiction and it's something we all can relate to, since we feel it throughout our lives.
ReplyDeleteJealousy in fiction, if done well, can be amazetastic. I try to avoid it in reality as much as possible though LOL
ReplyDeleteJealousy is such a strong emotion and fun to play with when writing.
ReplyDeleteI did jealousy for my post, too! Although it was about the word rather than the emotion. Jealous is, appropriately enough, related to the word zealous.
ReplyDeleteI can see that emotion fitting into your storyline in more than one of the reincarnations.
ReplyDeleteJealousy is such a gut stinger. That pic is creeptastic.
ReplyDeleteI've read many great tales involving jealousy and I use it in my writing as well.
ReplyDeleteI have found that jealousy always serves as a great catalyst to bring the two protagonist together,
ReplyDeleteDon't stare too long into that eye, Liz.
ReplyDeleteOo, jealousy is a powerful element to work with in fiction. :D
ReplyDelete