The film may be too slow for some audiences and the surprise of it all may not be there anymore, now almost a year later, but it does offer some truly breathtaking production design and cinematography taking advantage of the French countryside. This did not necessarily mean that this was a bad film because it certainly wasn’t as this French, slow burn lesbian romance has still found a considerable following ever since it’s premiere at last year’s Cannes Film Festival. While the film was definitely worthy of award-contention, it did not quite resonate as much as the films that were nominated. Give too much up between the lovers too soon, and the reasons they can’t be together are boring, not bubbling with anticipation.Widely considered one of the best films of 2019, appearing on countless best of lists, Portrait of a Lady on Fire was a film that missed out on Oscars nearly a week ago (though Neon and France backing other foreign language films also played a major part in that). Unresolved tension is key to pacing slow burns. The character should think, “Did that mean what I think it meant?” and ponder it for the next 50 pages. There should be innuendo that can be easily misconstrued. The reader should want these two together so bad that they can’t stop reading and think about them when they aren’t reading. The intimacy and desire between these potential lovers needs to build steadily for the first two-thirds of the novel at least. The author needs to make them ache for each other, causing us readers to ache for them as well. Getting the scent of their hair and not being able to touch them. Brushing up against each other and feeling the sear on their skin. Have them alone in a room where they are close enough to kiss, but get interrupted. ![]() The more obstacles between them, the more the author can ramp up their feelings for each other over time, creating that agonizingly delicious build of attraction between the characters.Ĭomplicated relationships leave lots of room for unresolved tension between the characters. The important thing is that they are pining for each other and that the reader wants them to get together, too. Pair a misunderstanding with an insecurity, and there’s no way these people are getting together for at least 250 pages. The more things keeping the two apart, the better. In a slow burn, it’s even better to pile multiples of these emotional reasons on top of each other and throw in a few tropes along the way. That is the kind of reason that keeps people apart in real life: misunderstandings, fear of being vulnerable, insecurities. They don’t think it’s a good enough reason for them to be apart. ![]() ![]() Many readers say that they don’t like reading books where the characters could easily be together if they just talked to each other. There needs to be a good reason that these two people can’t be together right now: distance, work, impropriety. By signing up you agree to our terms of use Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.
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