Like The Beatles said “All you need is love.” It is a typical human emotion. Dating when you are an average Joe can be difficult especially when both people have conflicting schedules. Having jobs that clash can put a strain on the relationship enough, but when you add a crime-fighting alter ego, whether or not you have super powers, it can put an even greater strain due to the running out all the time. Think as if you are in a relationship and your significant other is always late to everything, forgets about you multiple times, or is always running out to be with their friends. Would you become suspicious, maybe even follow them? You might suspect them of cheating or not caring about you. The point is that no man is an island and we all want love, so a man with super powers should invariably be the same way. The girlfriend or wife tend to be the anchor for the superhero, someone to come home to and relax with, even if they do have problems. Spider-Man may be the hero to the greater Manhattan area, but when he takes of his mask and goes home Peter Parker needs to be Mary Jane’s hero.

Think of your relationships in terms of your character though. Can he or she have a long lasting relationship (like Spider-Man) or a series of small relationships (like Daredevil)? Maybe they stay single (like The Crow)? Are they are in a series of situations with the same person that they care about, but somehow things don’t always mesh quite right? Is it physically feasible for your character to date this other person? Can they be honest with who they date about who they are or must the keep it a secret? Does the person your character is dating know about your characters secret life? How did they figure it out? What does your character learn from his or her relationships? Do they help make your character who he or she is?

Some of you may be saying right now “Hey, man, you sound like such a girl. This is soap opera stuff! This isn’t in comic books.” You would be half-right, it is a lot like a soap opera, but it is in comic books ever since they started. In the beginning it would be simplistic story lines with Superman rushing off to save Lois Lane so they could live happily ever after. That was how significant others in comic books were portrayed for a long time, damsel in distress. However, after a while a few new story lines emerged in comics such as Daredevil and Spider-Man that changed the role of the girlfriend in comic books. Daredevil ended up holding his girlfriend, Elektra, in his arms as she died. Spider-Man ended up losing his first girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, in a rather mysterious way too, yet it has an enormous effect on Spider-Man

Ok, now let’s get to writing. Pull out your writing utensil and a notebook or notepad.

1. Think about your day. Plot out your schedule (this includes work, class, and time with your girlfriend)
2. View your schedule and look how busy it looks.
3. Now research the newspaper for stories that involve robberies, accidents, and/or deaths. When did they take place? How far away were you? If you could have been there what would it have cut into in your schedule?
4. Now think about a few of the people you might consider dating currently. How do you get along with them? Are there things they do that annoy you? Could you maintain a normal relationship with them now with your current schedule? Think about how much time you spend with them and plot that out too.
5. Now look over the schedule. How could you manage going about both lives? Do you think you could be honest or would you lie? Plan this out, this sort of drama may seem like a soap opera, but it makes a good story line.

Remember: Some of Shakespeare’s best works was his tragedy. Work with that.