Butter Beginnings, The Office, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Awesome questions
Here’s another AWESOME question from the Universal Fantasy™ Discussion Group!
AWESOME QUESTION*:
I'm wanting to ask about intro chapters Butter. I have such a hard time with intros. It seems like I should use the intro chapters for setup, but I just don't know how to keep the readers hooked or let them know that the UF is coming. Like, it feels like my FMC is just having a horrible time at the beginning of my story... ??
Anyway, I also wanted to point out something that instantly stuck out to me as Butter when I first read T. Taylor's book.
In The Office- Jim and Pam.
Trope: Office Romance.
Butter: Having someone who cares about you - having a best friend - a true companion.
The setup for the Butter - Pam’s boyfriend Roy is the literal opposite of Jim. He doesn't care about her, treats her like an accessory or third wheel when he hangs out with his brother. There's even an episode when Jim is helping Pam pick out something for her wedding to Roy, and she says something like, "Thanks for all of your help. I try not to bother Roy about all this..." and Jim says in a kind of frustrated/sarcastic tone, "What? Like your thoughts and feelings?" and she absentmindedly says, "Yeah."
MY HOPEFULLY HELPFUL ANSWER:
I adore a good Butter Beginning, and I super-appreciated your breakdown of the Butter the show’s writers spread at the beginning of Jim and Pam’s office romance.
The Jim-Pam-Roy triangle is a terrific example of MC 1’s needs not being met in their current relationship with a side character, and then having someone (MC 2) come along who meets all those needs that aren’t being met by the side character.
I hope that makes sense because this is the strong foundation for pretty much every Your One True Love Saves You From Mr. Wrong Universal Fantasy playing out in romantic stories that start off with a main character in a relationship with a person who is not their Meant-To-Be.
After the break:
More discussion about how Jim’s and Pam’s relationship was spread and SERVED and then re-spread and re-SERVED for the final season.
A filled-out Spread, Bake, and SERVE worksheet for how Taylor Jenkins Reid pulled off the Your One True Love Saves You From Mr. Wrong Universal Fantasy in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
A special Back to School coupon code for the Universal Fantasy™ Course. (Please use it TODAY because it stops working after this weekend.)