My current writing obstacle: character arcs. A character has to change over the course of the book. My heroine begins as woman who’s fled her abusive husband, taking their son with her. Her ‘inciting incident’ happened before the book opened, when the husband started beating the son as well, which was her last straw.Ultimately, she’s going to have to change from being afraid (since her husband might be looking for her) and defensive (because that was her coping mechanism for dealing with him) to self-assured and independent.
Two issues: One stems from the abbreviated timeframe of writing a romantic suspense. Things happen quickly. The author has to be able to convince the reader to suspend disbelief that a romantic relationship, complete with the requisite HEA will take place between Page 1 and The End. In order to keep the tension and suspense moving, things unfold over relatively short periods of time.
