A couple of interesting points in Matthew Salesses' book, Craft in the Real World, didn't really fit in my previous chats, so let me bring them up separately. They both offer simple, straightforward solutions to something that may or may not be your problem.

Problem 1: Characterization of an important character who feels kinda generic

Like, take this Love Interest in every third romance, that we shall lovingly call Alphahole. Say, we aim to impart depth via trauma and a well-hidden golden heart. But until we can get to his backstory, he just refuses to have depth. We put so much into our Main--let's call her Downtrodina--that Alphahole is, sadly, boring.

I don't watch Westerns, but I am told that the old... ah classic... Westerns gave the otherwise indistinguishable chiseled-jawed cowboys white hats and black hats, so we know who's a good guy and who is not. Since we can't give Alphahole a hat, and we can't really tell his abs from any other abs on the covers, the trick to give him dimensions and, like, actually explain why he is Downtrodina's dream, is characterization by comparison.

So, add an important character (Dad, Brother, Boss etc) who is Alphahole but without the trauma and golden heart. See how your writing will change to distinguish between the two. I mean, if you don't need that other colorful character, nix him, but I guarantee you, the changes you've made will help Alphahole to hint at his potential to grow into someone Downtrodina can love with no regrets.

P.S. I tried to do this in Ablaze, but at least one reader caught up on it and commented that Walter is there to make Harris look better. So, use sparingly and YMMV (like with everything in writing).

Problem 2: That pesky Believability argument

I am terrible, terrible, terrible with it, and I'm trying to work on it, but I too often give feedback that something is 'unbelievable'.

This, says Salessess, is a really time-consuming feedback, and it tends to generate circular arguments (don't tell me how I know)... bad stuff.

So, I promise I will bite my tongue, but there is actually an ingenious and really simple solution.

It's so good that I'm simply going to put it here.

Make someone in the book question whatever point raises hackles of people who are bad as suspending their disbelief. Then answer it. Then you are done.

Damn!

Write on, and as always, tell me what you think!