Question Of The Week: New Couples

So I missed the question of the week this past weekend, so here is my delayed question.

How do you come up with new couples? Do you have ideas in your head? Do you casually have scenes with two people and then get the idea? And how long do you have them "hang out" or go on a few dates before they are officially a couple? What do you do if the audience doesn't take well to the new pairing? Who is your current new favorite couple on any web-series? Your least favorite new couple?

Discuss any thing and everything related about new couples!

so you've listed quite a few questions there. I will take a few moments to answer them all for you.


How do you come up with new couples?
I don't really know how I come up with new couples. Most of the time, I look at my canvas and see who's all single, and then I pair them up with who I believe would be the best match.

Do you have ideas in your head?
The ideas in my head, are things that I would never do. Like having random characters hook up and seeing the fall out with both other stories that they may be involved in.

Do you casually have scenes with two people and then get the idea?
I will have them interact, and if I feel that I can get them to interact naturally then I will continue it.

And how long do you have them "hang out" or go on a few dates before they are officially a couple?
This depends on the couple. With most couples, I have them hang out for 3-5 episodes, and they will go on dates in those episodes. It would be close to 7 episodes before I make them an official couple.

What do you do if the audience doesn't take well to the new pairing?
I write in advance, so if the readers really dislike the pairing, they won't notice a change for a few episodes. I think that I'm good about using enough audeince feedback with my series... I won't do everything that they want, but some small things, I will incorporate.

Who is your current new favorite couple on any web-series? Your least favorite new couple?
Least favorite couple is Cory and Nutasha One Day At A Time.... and favorite is too hard, I have a favorite on each of my series that I read.

How do you come up with new couples?
Usually, the couple will just kind of come out of nowhere. With so many characters in H&S related, you cannot just pair up any two characters....I have to be careful in who goes with who, but usually it is as a result of what's going on in terms of storylines. But often, it's just a question of "what would create the most dramatic possibilities?"

Do you have ideas in your head?
My intention was to always bring Josh and Jessica back together in the end, but it just didn't feel right for the characters. Similarly, Natalie was always meant to just be a thorn in Josh and Jessica's side and cause trouble for her big brother and his girlfriend, but ended up having a successful romance with Kyle, and the Kyle/Natalie/Leo storyline was one of my favourites. It just depends on who 'clicks'. Kimberley and Josh was never something I had on my radar...there's also a surprising pairing in season 6 of H&S that came about as a result of me just writing a random scene to get through my writers' block, so sometimes you can even surprise yourself.

Do you casually have scenes with two people and then get the idea? And how long do you have them "hang out" or go on a few dates before they are officially a couple?
I used to be all about slowly developing a couple...showing their dates etc... but then the storyline became all about the couple and not about the characters. The storyline shouldn't be the couple, but more what caused this couple to come together, the circumstances that brought them together and then have them involved in ongoing storylines that develop their relationship, whether it be in a good way or a bad way. Then you're telling a story rather than just putting two people together.

What do you do if the audience doesn't take well to the new pairing?
I remember a few seasons ago, Darren was so against Nate and Carrie (or moreso just Carrie), so I changed the way Carrie was written, but this was as a result of story, rather than just to please readers. If you base your series purely on audience reaction and not on what makes a good story then you fall into the trap that has seen so many daytime soaps in trouble, pandering to the fanbases at the expense of good story.

Who is your current new favorite couple on any web-series? Your least favorite new couple?
My favourite new couple is Jordan and Stephanie on The Blackthornes, as well as Alex and Kyle. There is so much potential for amazing story there when the series comes back. I was also so set against Matthew and Chelsea on Spencer Street, I did not enjoy them as a couple, it just came across as creepy with the teacher/student thing, even though they were both adults.

How do you come up with new couples?
Each couple I've written for DVS has been different. Like with Chad and Abby, when I thought of putting them together, they hadn't ever shared a scene together and he had just married Bethany, but this idea of them having this tense moment on Christmas Eve with all this sexual tension wouldn't get out of my head. So I ended up killing Bethany off so I could pair Chad and Abby.
Dan and Cassie came to me when I decided to give her a bigger part of the storyline, then just being Maggie's little sister who teamed up with Eric to try and get Maggie and Conner together. So I came up with a stalker storyline, and gave them a scene or two before Dan became her body guard where they just rubbed each other the wrong way, all so it could lead to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZeHzQyHCxE

Do you have ideas in your head?
Yeah, with all my writing. I have some sort of idea of how I want things to play out and come together. My intention since I decided to pair Cassie and Dan together, Abby and Chad, Maggie and Conner was that these people belong together, they will just have a long road to get to that point.

Do you casually have scenes with two people and then get the idea? And how long do you have them "hang out" or go on a few dates before they are officially a couple?
That really for me depends on the couple, and what I have planned for them. Its really the readers who get to determine if a couple is hit or miss.

What do you do if the audience doesn't take well to the new pairing?
Thankfully so far the couples that have been on the more miss side are the supporting/recurring characters. None of my big pairings have been taken too badly, though I'm sure a few Kevin/Maggie fans might disagree.

Who is your current new favorite couple on any web-series? Your least favorite new couple?
I will be honest, I'm far behind on my web series reading to really have a fave or least fave new couple.

How do you come up with new couples?
I try to sometimes think of un-likely pairings and the actors themselves. I like drama making couples. The ones who completely change and alter the series and the people themselves.

Do you have ideas in your head?
I have a few plot-twisting couples and a few pre-show history couples in the making.

Do you casually have scenes with two people and then get the idea?
I take all different approaches. Either start off with them in some public setting, then go private or stay public. Naughty me, huh?

And how long do you have them "hang out" or go on a few dates before they are officially a couple?
Some people have "hang out" for months and months, and some just minutes. Even some pre-show airing time to evolve a couple's strength and partnership.

What do you do if the audience doesn't take well to the new pairing?
Sometimes I'll say "OK. I'll work it out to change it as a temporary thing" but sometimes I'll go "Screw you, it's what I want and what I want for the show and characters to work". Depends on the pairing and how I have it planned/not planned.

Who is your current new favorite couple on any web-series?
Too many to choose from, plus some on my series.

Your least favorite new couple?
Cory and Nutasha, and a few on my series after long consideration.

Uhhhhh Cory and Natasha a new couple? They've been together since my series debuted

Oooh sorry. They're just new to me since I'm new to reading the series. I just kind of picked a couple that was new to me outta all the series, sorry about that bud! I should've investigated more!

How do you come up with new couples?
I often think of what can push the envelope and what will happen if I do decide to push it! The thing with starting certain couples to consider for me: Long Term or Short Term? When I decided to relaunch AON earlier this year I knew of one couple that would fall into that Short Term category, but for the story it felt very organic. I also think in terms of who the coupling will have a major impact on and it that is something I want to move forward with.

Do you have ideas in your head?
There is one couple that I am dying to write for on AON! I cannot wait to tell their story, because it so wrong it's right! I'm always thinking about my gay characters on the series as well and how I can infuse my own stories into their stories! So yes, the ideas are ALWAYS there.

Do you casually have scenes with two people and then get the idea?
It's a soap opera of course there are those casual scenes - but it's all about not be so blatantly obvious. I like to throw little nibbles in here and there for all my characters to hopefully keep readers on their toes and one step ahead of them.

And how long do you have them "hang out" or go on a few dates before they are officially a couple?
Organic seems to be a hot word as of late! For me it has to happen that way, early on in writing the series I forced a couple like a convict trying to escape from prison, but I've learned that's not how it goes 95% of the time. There are cases were it happens that way, but I like a nice long courtship. Let the romance breath for awhile before the question is popped: Will you be my boyfriend?

What do you do if the audience doesn't take well to the new pairing?
It's the writers job for any genre for any area of creative writing to find a way to make the audience like the couple. It's about the story that the write wants to tell and they have to find ways to make the readers like the characters.

Who is your current new favorite couple on any web-series?
Too many to choose from, plus some on my series.

Your least favorite new couple?
Again so many to select from - I like when the naughty couples get together, those who shouldn't be doing it do!

Good to see you around again Josh!