Dating & Romance

Lovers in my plays ruin themselves by guessing wrongly — jealousy wearing certainty's mask. In affection, ask before you invent a story about the other person. The tragedy is often the assumption.

A pleasing manner is delightful — and insufficient. Watch how someone treats those with little power to repay them. Character shows in the margins of the scene.

A refusal need not be cruel to be clear. Respect includes accepting someone else's no without negotiation theater. And offering your own without false guilt.

Charm is not a trap. Charm is skilled attention. Ask questions you care about. Listen for the answer. Leave people larger than you found them — or do not call it romance.

Performance can win a first evening. It cannot survive a month. Offer who you are sooner. The right person stays. The wrong person leaving is a gift with good timing.

Rejection stings. Cruelty is optional. Thank them for honesty. Wish them well. Do not campaign. Your future self will thank you for the dignity you practiced today.

Hints are fear wearing poetry. A clear ask — for time, for clarity, for a date — is respectful. It lets the other person answer as an adult.