forum How to make this NOT turn into a cringy cliche

Started June 09, 2020 by @jupiter-sun-of-sweater-town group

tune

I'm writing a character with low self-esteem and body image issues. As she gets closer to her love interest, he helps her gain confidence in herself and sees her as beautiful. However, I really don't want this to turn into the "girl is beautiful but doesn't see it and then she gets a hot bf and sees her worth" cliche. What can I do to avoid this?

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlayingWithATrope
You could make the guy turn out to be an ass who's using her
You could switch the guy and the girl
You could make the guy average or reluctant to go out with her
You could get tell the story from the perspective of the guy as he finds out his girlfriend's problems

Ooo, I really like those last two. Thank you for your suggestions, but if anyone else has anything else to add, I'd love to hear it!

Happy to help!

Something that's usually unexpected is for the girl to get friend-zoned by her love interest. So many people would be expecting "oh well they're going to get together", so it not happening would be quite shocking in my opinion. Though there are ways a friend-zoning that are also a bit clichéd. Some that aren't so common(from what I've seen) are:

• Self-friend-zoning. A lot of people when they friendzone someone are oblivious to it. But some people aren't. They friend-zone themself and shove down their own feelings because they think the other person would be happier. Although for this to be properly portrayed in writing, the guy would have to be the one whose perspective is being used or it could be third-person omniscient. It's a very painful experience (the friend-zoning), I assure you.
• Accidental friend-zoning. Caused by a miss-understanding on the end of one party. For example, Person A (Who is in love with Person B) flirts with Person B (who is in love with Person A) mentions something about them being friends jokingly and then Person A is like, "Oh, right. Friends. I need to chill out". And then keeps pushing the image of friends onto the two of them even though Person B wants so badly for it not to be so. And for Person A just to see how much they love them as more than friends.

If that makes sense.

Well! I have an idea that you might love and you might hate. The love interest actually notices the MCs low self esteem and body issues, and isn't too fond of it, but the love interest loves her anyway, but, they write this down. The mc sees this written down and thinks that the love interest doesn't like her because of these issues. There is conflict and.. well you can decide how that story ends.