Too often when reading a story there is a love triangle. Usually the best friend and some brooding individual that sweeps the girl off their feet. Or a player guy with a popular girlfriend that falls for the average girl.
Of course one of the best ways to create conflict between a couple is to have a second suitor. The problem with this is that love triangles are predictable. Usually from the beginning you already know who the character will end up with, so the conflict is completely useless.
A prime example of this is the relationship in Twilight. It was determined and obvious from the start that Bella would end up with Edward. This knowledge made all of Jacobs advances useless.
Now how do we fix this?
Well you must make sure that both suitors in the readers eyes have an equal chance of winning in the end.
1.If you can avoid first person narration such writing tends to create biased. There are of course talented writers out there that can create conflict in the narrators thoughts without giving away their final decision on who they love more.
2. Don't solidify a relationship too soon. If you have boy meet girl don't have them fall in love right away and start dating. Have them flirt and have meaningful talks, but don't have them start actually dating. You should even avoid kissing for awhile. If you connect two characters with something like this readers will automatically hate whoever comes in. They will be considered a home-wrecker and no matter how charming their personality is, readers will find reasons to hate him.
3.Vary the personalities but keep the same level of attractiveness. It is essential that the characters are different when it comes to their personalities, but when it comes to their looks it should be even. No average best friend and some inhumanly beautiful opposite, because people will lean towards the one that is more attractive. For this reason keep your people at a normal level of beauty because two inhumanly beautiful characters is just plain unrealistic.
4. Give both sides negatives and positives. This one is self explanatory.
5.Make the character that is attracting the two suitors a likable character with several traits to fall in love with. A moody teenager is not an option in fact none of the three should be a moody lone wolf types because that's boring and overdone.
6. Avoid good and bad. Do not type cast you're suitors. Make two grey characters not one black and one white. So no peppy cheerleader and a dark punk girl.
7. Keep it equal, make sure both characters get their chance to plead their case. Don't give any one of the characters any may chapter time then the other. You should also have the mile stones relatively close together. Like their first kiss.
If you do this you will create a love triangle of substance. The reader may have their preference, but unlike most books they won't know the outcome and the possibility that they will be torn will be greater.
