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May 24, 2022 at 1:06 am #111042
Hey y’all! So, I’ve got a question and wanted some advice! I know we’ve got some romance writers, and while I’m not really looking for “romance” I am looking for some advice and figure some ppl could help me, specifically @gracie-j maybe? GRACIE CAN U HELP ME?
Okie so…before we start here is some disclaimers…
1. What I’m looking for is advice, not “Don’t do this!” Because…I’m doing it (unless like I’m told by God or my parents or something). I’m not doing something bad or anything so don’t get worried, but I know some ppl have different opinions, but trust me when I say this is something I think I can make work in a cute, clean, way that will be enjoyable for everyone (you’ll understand that when I get to what I’m talking about)
2. This isn’t even a problem at this moment, because I haven’t even finished book 1 of my series, and most of this won’t even happen until the second series sooo 😂 but still….thinking ahead lol)
Here’s some tags. @kathleenramm @annabethkatherine @devastate-lasting @gracie-j @annabelle @trahia-the-minstrel @hallie-jean @faith-q @power @keilah-h @koshka @joy-caroline @augustinaii
SO let’s get into this.
I have a Charrie who is my youngest Charrie. (I haven’t decided totally on the ages for the 2 characters I’m going to be mentioning, so we are going off of estimations lol) in the first book he’s introduced in, he’ll be like 8-9. His name is Paxton.
In that same series, but the next book, I’m introducing another MC character who is a girl named Luna. She’s going to be about 12
Now, in the second series I’m already thinking about, cuz I’m that kinda person XD, I’ve decided (because I’m also this kinda person) that I’d love if in the far future, Pax and Luna got together.
Obviously they’re children, but the puppy love could come into play now.
Thing is, I didn’t see it at first. But now I do, thru a sort of “arranged marriage” type thing, but also not…(kinda difficult to explain but let me see if I can…don’t leave, trust me it’s not as creepy as it’s sounding 😂)
So Luna is the last of her lineage. So she has the weight of that on her. Sadly, she can’t carry on her bloodline…even tho…she kinda needs to. I mean… she can but there is no guarantee of her gene/blood carrying over enough to carry on her Race.
so, she either eventually marries when she is older, and risks her lineage being mixed (which wasn’t a problem before but now that she is the last of her kind it is) or never marry and let her race die.
WELP. Come to find out, Pax’s father actually was one of her kind, which ends up explaining a lot of things on his story. It also means that, obviously when they’re older, that would solve Luna’s problem.
Now let me stop here before I get a lot of “That’s creepy! Or, Luna is psycho!”
No, no, no. Listen. Luna is not a pushy character and is actually my most God-oriented character. (Her race was literally made to worship Him and that’s why they were wiped out.) So she’s extremely conflicted because she wonders if this was God because what are the ODDS, BUT…she’s also like…
”Umm…Lord…there’s a bit of an age gap….”
Cuz in this series, she’s gonna be like 14, and he’ll be like 10-11.
I know it’s not an extreme age gap, but to some it is.
Anyway this is my idea and kinda leads to them developing puppy love for each other (mostly on Paxton’s side) which as they grow older will become actual love as God intended.
But I wanted y’all’s advice because I obviously want it to be completely innocent, pure and cute. The articles on KP about love have really taught me a lot about not just using romance and things, but God’s love as the example, and that that’s what true love is, and I feel like I hopefully accomplish that with my “romantic sideplots” for lack of a better word, and with this one I wanted it to be strictly just cute and fun and pure.
Ya know maybe they kinda get “promised” to each other or something, but in a sorta cute way like with Paxton (the littler one) initiating it and Luna just going along cuz she’s sweet like that, but I just wanted to see what y’all thought about it all.
Again, I just want to say that this is something I am going to do, unless told not to by my parents or God or something, so that’s not what I’m asking 😂, I’m just…idk, looking for advice?? Or seeing what y’all think.
I know “forcing” love doesn’t work, but, I also know there are plenty of stories out there with arranged marriages where they do not love each other and eventually they grow to. So I feel like that’s kinda what it’d be, because these are just kids with not as much broad “concept”, tho Luna has a bit more of the concept then Paxton does, so Paxton just goes off of what he “feels”, so at the end of the series they’d probably come to a place where they’d be really close friends (and only friends) but in the future they’re going to be more then that.
make sense?
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebMay 24, 2022 at 11:39 am #111043That actually sounds really fun! And as for the age gap, that isn’t a problem. My Grandmother is older than my Grandfather, and there’s a nine year gap between my parents, but seriously, age gaps aren’t a real problem (obviously if God intended), some people simply need someone older/younger than them.
And I love the idea of an arranged marriage, because honestly they’re not like some people think. Obviously, if the match makes sense, and coupled with prayer (like no twelve years olds with sixties. Seriously, I’m not talking about child brides.). Love is a choice, to stand beside someone through trial, to protect them and have them protect you back, to think for their best interest, and a ton of other stuff. It’s a complicated word, so I’ll not get into all that.
Anyway, I like what your doing, besides the fact that whenever I took your character test, I ended up with either Paxton or Luna. Every. time. XD
- This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by Koshka. Reason: Goof?
First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
Fork the GorkMay 24, 2022 at 11:49 am #111046@koshka aww thank u!! And yes, what you said about the walking thru trials and stuff really does fit my charries, including these kids, even tho they’re young, after learning this Paxton becomes more Courageous and actually ends up standing up for Luna in some scenarios (even when she doesn’t realize it) and because of his past and character that is a big deal (he’s gone thru a lot and is the more quiet, non-confrontational type, but he grows as the series goes on.
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebMay 24, 2022 at 11:50 am #111047I really like it because, while he’s still so young and it’s soooo stinking cute and adorable, it also shows the more mature side that my charries have (they have been thru a lot)
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebMay 24, 2022 at 11:52 am #111048@godlyfantasy12 Age gap of four years? Not a problem. My parents are six years apart. The pairs in my stories tend to be mostly around the same age, but as long as they’re not like, an old character paired off with a teenager, I think it’s fine.
Where'd I get ya this time? The liver? The kidney? I'm runnin' outta places to put holes in ya.
May 24, 2022 at 10:34 pm #111061That is sweet and good. I’m enjoying hearing about their story.
Oh, Paxton, Luna. I feel so sorry for you. Your author needs to give you both a big hug. (Pretends my charies have no trauma)
If you ever want to rant about your books, feel free to tag me!
First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
Fork the GorkMay 26, 2022 at 10:41 am #111077From what I see from age gaps, I think it’s more about the stage person is at in life rather than the actual number of years apart. (Though, the number of years is important too)
Like a fifteen-year-old dating a twenty-year-old is a lot different than a twenty-year-old dating a twenty-five-year-old.
One is perfectly fine, the other is borderline illegal.
I know everyone else in this thread says it is fine, and they cite their own parent’s age gap as an example, but that is entirely different since they are both adults and in the same stages of life.
So specifically for your case, I think its pretty weird for prepubescent kid having a romantic dynamic with a teenager. It’s kinda messed up.
If they were both teenagers that would be fine, but since one is a teenager, and the other is a child who is a few years from being a teen, it is a bit inappropriate.
May 28, 2022 at 1:27 am #111101@godlyfantasy12 This is an interesting conversation. I will admit that I kinda agree with @kathleenramm . Having a 20 year old female and a 16-17 year old male who are in a romantic relationship is kinda weird (Though, Shakespeare at the age of 18 married a 26 year old). I could understand if the ages were swapped, however that would still be very young for the poor lass, but definitely be more common.
I would like to point out something I have learned studying weaponry. When a weapon wasn’t used often (or at all), there usually was a reason (Which in most cases happened to be that the weapon didn’t work, and the few people who used it died.) Applying this logic to romantic relationships, if there are very few relationship were the guy is a teen and the girl is an adult, there probably is a reason for it.
You will love what you spend time with.
June 1, 2022 at 1:50 am #111356I’m popping back on here to clarify; I was thinking of later in these characters lives. Like, they become close friends during the series, and sometime later, when Paxton is older, the marriage idea enters the horizon.
And I’m someone who has avoided any sort of romance in my book’s, as I wanted Christian literature without twitter-pated plotlines, so I may also be seeing this through an interesting lense. (Although I have nothing against romance side plots, I’m just not writing any)
Is that what you’re thinking? And I hope that wasn’t more confusing…
First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
Fork the GorkJune 1, 2022 at 2:53 pm #111360Oh yea y’all they would not be getting married at that young an age 🤣 DEEEEEEFINITELY not. But it just kinda creates like some funny stuff like
”bruh so does that mean when we are older we have to marry each other?”
does that make sense? So like royals when they’re destined to marry each other at birth (like when Zazu mentions it to Simba and Nala in the lion king and they’re like Wait what…”
but then Paxton does actually end up becoming really good friend with Luna because of this while they’re young (and it draws him out of his shell) and as they DO grow older that friendship turns into love on both sides
does that make sense?
#IfMarcelDiesIRiot
#ProtectMarcel
#ProtectSebOctober 13, 2022 at 9:03 am #119322I’m a little late to the party, but I can still offer some glitter 😎
I can definitely see what you’re going for with the arranged marriage thing, and that’s a cool dynamic, especially when the two are younger, and they’re more like siblings than anything else.
Personally I would close the age gap just a little, or even switch ages if I found it necessary. But I’m guessing you don’t want to… 😂 Especially with the reactions you can pull out of Paxton
So, going off of what @kathleenramm said about the prepubescent kid and teenager problem, I’d make sure the relationship isn’t romantic until the teen years at least. Maybe make it more of a sibling relationship until then.
And even then, have a ‘ew I have to marry this person’ kind of reaction, or just a ‘I’m going to avoid talking about this completely.’
I’m also not meaning to impose beliefs on anyone, but typically, if I’m making up a couple, I try to give the guy a good concrete sense of responsibility to protect the girl – as well as maturity. Because let’s face it, girls generally mature faster than boys. And it’s sorta weird to have the girl commandeering the relationship all-the-time, unless there’s a reason for it. (Like the guy has gained a disability or something.) The guy should be taking care of the girl, because that’s how God designed couples to be.
So in Paxton’s character arc (which I know nothing about, so bear with me) he could be immature at first, but grows serious through a realization of what the world’s really like. Maybe he loses someone, gets caught up in something serious, that’s important to him personally. That could happen smack dab in the middle of his teen transformation (think Janner from WS in book one).
These are all just suggestions. Anyway.
Now I want an arranged marriage in my story 😂
“Everything is a mountain”
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