ONE-NIGHT-STAND LOVERS
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Relationships are part of the very fabric of your character’s life. How well or poorly they get along with others oftentimes comes down to personality, so carefully consider the positive traits and negative traits of your story’s cast. Another factor that can pull characters together or create friction is motivation, so keep each individual’s goal—both at the scene and story level—in mind as you write.
DESCRIPTION:
RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS:
The parties staying in contact, resulting in a longer-term relationship
One party trying to pursue a lasting relationship with a lover who isn't interested
The parties being open about the experience
Either party needing to hide the one-night stand from others
CHALLENGES THAT COULD THREATEN THE STATUS QUO:
An unexpected pregnancy
The parties attending the same social or professional event by coincidence
A spouse or partner finding out about the one-night stand
Either person running into someone they know as they're entering or leaving the site of the liaison
Being diagnosed with a sexually-transmitted disease after the fact
One person becoming curious about the other and trying to contact them
A third party discovering evidence (a hotel bill, condom wrapper, etc.) of the encounter
Someone experiencing extreme guilt or shame over the encounter
Leaving something behind that the lover feels compelled to return
One person accusing the other of sexual assault
Images, video, or some form of evidence of the act being shared publicly
One of the parties losing their job as a result of the encounter
An unrelated tragedy happening during the encounter (a loved one dying in a car accident, a dependent being neglected, etc.)
One party having an ulterior motive for participating in the one-night stand, such as them wanting to blackmail the other person