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Ways to break up a canon ship (that don't involve Character Derailment)?

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Spottedleaf Fit check for my napalm era! (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Fit check for my napalm era!
#1: Sep 17th 2019 at 11:04:54 AM

Exactly what it says on the tin. I'm aiming to break up a canon couple so I can write a non-canon ship I'm a fan of. I don't want to retcon the canon ship or derail the canon love interest into an abuser or some other horrible person; I feel it would be more interesting if I didn't. However, I feel like I'm having a difficult time finding any reason for a couple to split up that doesn't involve one person mistreating the other. Any suggestions?

>^owo^<
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#2: Sep 17th 2019 at 12:05:09 PM

I mean, there are a lot of completely natural reasons why couples break up in real life, such as:

  • Moving away and not wanting to be long-distance
  • Generally growing apart and realizing they aren't compatible anymore, especially if they were young when they started dating
  • Growing feelings for someone else and breaking off the current relationship before it gets to be unfair and tempting
  • Maybe they were really great as friends but can't quite work romantically, and realize they don't like being around the other 24/7
  • Someone's (canonical) flaws create enough of an issue that the relationship just doesn't work

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Adept (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#3: Oct 12th 2019 at 8:16:53 PM

Or you can write an AU in which the Canon couple were never together in the first place.

Thecoldboringguy157 The Optimistic Idiot from Over here, over there Since: Oct, 2019 Relationship Status: Singularity
The Optimistic Idiot
#4: Oct 27th 2019 at 3:05:10 PM

Perhaps you could end one's life but the one dying tells the other to [[Follow I Want My Beloved to Be Happy find someone else they could be with]] as a final request before moving to the next world.

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