I've been mulling over this question for many months now. You see, I suck at writing love triangles. There must be something chemical in my brain that stops me from being able to do it. After a long hard think, I believe I've finally figured out why I'm so bad at it. It all boils down to this question: What do I do with the Third Wheel (as he/she will now be known) when the hero finally decides who they can't live without??? I tend to get really emotionally involved in my characters and the thought of leaving one high and dry makes me feel a bit sick.
Traditionally, the options for getting rid of the third wheel are:
1. Death. Dramatic, but I guess it solves a lot of problems.
2. Third Wheel turns evil, thereby making it easier for readers to part with them. This is not an option I'm keen on at all. It seems like a bit of an easy way out. More so than killing off a character for some reason.
3. Third Wheel disappears and is never heard from again. I just find this option strange because invariably there will be many readers who prefer Third Wheel to the hero's choice and would like to know what happens to Gale, I mean, Third Wheel.
4. Third Wheel falls in love with someone else who is so perfectly matched to them that it seems ridiculous that they ever loved the hero in the first place. I'm undecided about this option, but at least it's a bit softer than the others.
5. The hero doesn't end up with either love interest. This one is seldom used from what I can tell, but when it's done right I think it could be a viable option.
What are your thoughts guys? Can you think of any other tragic endings for our Third Wheel? How do you feel about YA love triangles?
