The Proposal

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  • #99405
    Lydia S.
    @lydia-s
      • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
      • Total Posts: 399

      You know that scene? The one you’ve been writing and rewriting in your head for weeks (or, if you’re like me, longer)? The scene you simply cannot wait to get down on the digital paper? The scene where your male MC gets down on one knee and asks your female MC if she will honor him by becoming his bride (though perhaps not in that fashion or in those words)? Well, that’s the type of scene this topic is for!

      I have to admit that these are some of my all-time favorite scenes to write, and I’m guessing there are a bunch of you out there who feel the same way. So, let’s chat, shall we? 😉

       

      Going to tag some of the people from the other romance board…


      @scripter-of-kingdoms
      @gracie-j @writerlexi1216 @nova21  @iluvhim18 @abigail-m @issawriter7

      #99408
      Evelyn
      @iluvhim18
        • Rank: Wise Jester
        • Total Posts: 95

        (Oh, my goodness, first time being tagged at the start of a thread, go me! 😀 )

        I… honestly don’t write marriage proposal scenes a whole lot because I mostly write YA romance and I don’t know of any 15-16 year olds getting married right now. Hahhahah. But I’d love to get into writing them more often, especially since my WIP is going to include one of them. Honestly, this came at the perfect time for me.

        The 2 characters in question are not my MCs, but they are fairly important side characters. Writing their romance has been so much fun so far and I can’t wait to see where it goes. One of my problems with writing marriage proposals is that I don’t know a lot about marriage (no surprise for a nearly 15 year old) so I tend to rely on cliches and tropes A LOT. I’m trying to break out of this habit, but it’s hard for me to break bad habits…

        If you ask me about my book, I will talk for hours. Have a nice day!😊

        #99488
        Gracie J.
        @gracie-j
          • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
          • Total Posts: 1789

          @lydia-s AH! Wonderful topic. Wonderful, indeed!!!!

          Me personally?

          Most of my heroes are like Mr. Darcy…

          Their proposals fail epically.

          Or do you remember that scene in Pirates of the Caribbean where Will and Elizabeth are married by Captain Barbossa in the middle of the fight?

          Yeah, that’s most of my weddings and proposals.

          I realllllllly need to come up with a sweet, tenderhearted, romantic proposal scene one day.

          That being said, I loooooove reading them!

          the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel

          #99553
          Elizabeth
          @lewilliams
            • Rank: Loyal Sidekick
            • Total Posts: 252

            @lydia-s Yes, such a beautiful topic!! Though lololol, it made me realize that I have no idea how, when, or if my two engaged characters experience a proposal. I might have to give writing that scene a whirl… I do have IRL experience with the subject but that’s another matter entirely

            Anyway, what’s your favorite proposal scene that you’ve written? I’m definitely curious 😀

            “Seven seconds till the end. Time enough for you. Perhaps. But what will you do with it?”

            #99604
            Alexa Autorski
            @writerlexi1216
              • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
              • Total Posts: 1011

              @lydia-s

              Oooh, oooh, *raises hand* COUNT ME IN for this thread!!! (Thank you for tagging me, by the way 🙂 ) First off, not only do I adore writing romance, but I also adore proposals because that’s when all of the brewing romance finally comes together for that huge, heartwarming moment, right? Right. Unfortunately for me, the two characters in my novel end up having their proposal in the third (possibly fourth) book, so it’s going to take much patience until then… XD

              While I do like the sound of proposals during a high-intensity scene, I tend to enjoy the classic, slower, more romantic proposal (which is what I plan on doing with mine). Since you have experience, do you have any helpful tips about writing proposals you’d like to share? I’ve never written one before and I’d love to hear any advice you have if so!! 😀 😀 😀

              #99660
              Lydia S.
              @lydia-s
                • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                • Total Posts: 399

                @iluvhim18

                (Yay, thanks for coming! Wow, I’m honored to have been the first to do it!)

                Yeah, it would be rather odd for a 16-year-old to propose, wouldn’t it? lol But I’m so happy that you’re nearing the first one you’ll write! They’re so much fun… XD


                @gracie-j

                Yay, hello! Glad you popped over.

                I have to admit I do love a good Mr. Darcy-type character. And though I’ve never watch Pirates of the Caribbean, that sounds like a wonderful ceremony. Very lively. 😛

                Oh lovely! Those sound like loads of fun!

                And I agree. I love reading a good proposal. XD


                @writerlexi1216

                Yay, so glad you joined us!

                Ah, I see. Well, mine actually all take place in the third book of my series as well. I’ve just written them early… (Writing challenges make great excuses to write scenes I’m impatient to get to. 😛  They pop into my head, and I want to get them out… Unfortunately, book one still requires my attention… *sighs and shoot a glare at the document*)

                Hmm, not that I can think of… Perhaps just don’t be afraid to make it less than perfect? I’ve written two, one of which is pretty much the ideal proposal. The other is in a blacksmith shop, both the guy and the girl are sweaty, and he has a knot on his forehead from where he slammed it against the bottom of a wagon (long story :P), yet it’s my favorite of the ones I’ve written! Of course, I’ve also worked with those characters longer/more than the other two, so that likely plays into it. 🙂 Anyhow, I’m not sure I have any real advice to give. Just have fun with it! My scenes popped into my head on their own (Many of my books’ scenes appear in that way). Perhaps yours will be the same way. 🙂

                #99661
                Lydia S.
                @lydia-s
                  • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                  • Total Posts: 399

                  @lewilliams

                  Hey, so glad you joined us! 😀

                  Oh, I hope you can write one someday! They’re so much fun… XD Seriously, if I can create something like some of the IRL proposals I’ve heard, I will be so happy!

                  So, my favorite proposal scene is pretty long, so I’m going to pare it down a bit. I’ll just skip to where things start moving along. 😉 *jabs at the keyboard in a few last-minute edits*

                  “Thanks for the help,” Duxus puffed as he heaved the hammer back to its place in the corner of the smithy. Aside from the anvil and the forge itself, that hammer was the heaviest piece of equipment the blacksmiths used.
                  “No problem,” she answered, “You got a place I can wash up?”
                  “There’s a pail of water and a towel by the door.” He leaned against the wall and watched as she wet part of the towel and used it to wipe her face. She glanced up at him and frowned.
                  “You’ve got a nice-sized goose egg on your forehead from where you hit it on the wagon.”
                  He winced. “I was hoping you’d forgotten about that.”
                  She chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ve done humiliating things at work too.”
                  “Did they leave you with a concussion?”
                  “No, they left me with purple feet.”
                  He gave a laugh. “I’m glad you came in.”
                  “Me too. Here, you get cleaned up while I set out lunch.” She wet the other half of the towel and tossed it to Duxus.
                  He caught it and wiped down his neck. “We work well together,” he commented, his heart beginning to pound like a kettledrum.
                  “We do,” she agreed, “Maybe instead of taking me on a walk for our next date, you should take me here so we can get nice and sweaty.”
                  “Actually, I was wondering…” He lost his nerve. Turning around, he ran the damp cloth over his face.
                  “You were wondering what?” she asked, casually strolling to the picnic basket that had lain forgotten on the floor all this time.
                  Well, there was no going back now, was there? “I just…Would you…Uh, I mean…” He let the sentence trail off and flung the towel onto a workbench.
                  “What?”
                  This was not how he’d imagined it happening, nor was this where he’d imagined it happening. Great.
                  Duxus put his hands on his hips, dropped his head, and mumbled as quickly as possible, “Will you marry me?”
                  There was no answer.
                  He looked back at her over his shoulder, half hoping she hadn’t heard him so that he could redo his proposal in a far more romantic manner and place. It took only a look for him to know that she’d definitely heard him.
                  Creare was standing by the basket as still as if she’d been turned into stone. Her hands were covering the lower part of her face. All he could see were her eyes and her forehead. But the look in those eyes made him forget his fear.
                  He stepped forward until a mere foot or two separated them. “Creare Nomis, will you be my bride?” he murmured.
                  She nodded slowly, tears spilling from her eyes.
                  Reaching forward, he slipped his hands around her wrists and gently drew her hands away from her face. He took both her hands in his own and whispered, “I love you.”
                  “I love you too, Duxus.”

                  #99663
                  Evelyn
                  @iluvhim18
                    • Rank: Wise Jester
                    • Total Posts: 95

                    @lydia-s

                    Yeah, I’m writing my first 18 year old character and her boyfriend proposes to her towards the end. I’m looking forward to writing it!

                    If you ask me about my book, I will talk for hours. Have a nice day!😊

                    #99668
                    Gracie J.
                    @gracie-j
                      • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
                      • Total Posts: 1789

                      @lydia-s Thank you for inviting me!

                      Ah, yes. There’s nothing better than a Mr. Darcy… *sighs* Haha, I highly recommend POTC! And, yes, very lively. XD

                      Thank you!

                      the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel

                      #99672
                      Elfwing
                      @elfwing
                        • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                        • Total Posts: 486

                        @gracie-j

                        okay so I am trying to figure out a really good way for my male MC to propose to the girl he loves… I wrote the proposal a while ago

                        *backstory;  Faeda (main character) is an orphan living on an island under attack, and there is literally a war about to explode at any second, so she’s seeing the troop about to leave (she doesn’t know Truen likes her that much);

                        Faeda came running out just then. “I’m going.” She said, and let out a shrill whistle. Her dragon came shooting out of the clouds like an arrow, and landed gracefully by her master.

                        “No. You’re not. Not unless I call you.” Razbonik said, “Just because you can fight doesn’t mean you should.”

                        Faeda looked at him, and then at Iadiro, who shook his head no. Her shoulders drooped, “I don’t want to be stuck here. Better to die out there than in here.”

                        “Better to not have you die at all,” Truen said gently, “It won’t be much good if you get yourself killed in the thick of things, and me not have you to come back to.”

                        Faeda looked up at him, surprised, and then her pale cheeks flushed, “All right. I’ll stay here. But if you don’t come back by tomorrow, I’m going after you.” She said, and then turned and went into the fort.

                        Truen followed her. “Faeda,”

                        She turned around, and looked at Truen with misty eyes. He fumbled with something in his pocket, his face going a little red, and he put it in her hand, closing her fingers around it. “I’ll be back, don’t worry.” He kissed her hand, and then turned to join his fellow warriors.

                        Faeda grabbed his arm. “Here, take this.” She pulled a chain off of around her neck, and handed it to him. It was a medallion.

                        Truen looked at it, and then at her, as though he wanted to ask her something, he stammered awkwardly for a moment, then looked her in the eyes, “Um, Faeda, it’s not the timing I would have picked, but I’ve asked your brother, and he said yes if you do. I had something special planned, but that’s not going to happen, so would you marry me?”

                        Faeda stood silent for a moment, and then looked back at him, “If my brother gives his consent, then yes.” She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling a deep, happy green. Truen breathed out a sigh of relief, and put the medallion chain over his head. “Thank you, Faeda, for your answer, I’ll be able to focus better with that question out of my mind. I’ll be back. I’d fight to the death for my home.” He hesitated, and went a little red, “and my princess.” He kissed her cheek, and left, heading east with his troop.

                        Faeda opened her hand, and looked at what Truen had given her.

                        She tried not to cry.

                         

                        I suppose what I am trying to ask is… is it too mushy? XD I have never written a proposal before

                        I'm 'a homeschooler' because cookie-making writing artistic animal-whisperer isn't a job title

                        #99713
                        Gracie J.
                        @gracie-j
                          • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
                          • Total Posts: 1789

                          @elfwing First of all, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUSHY! (Unless, of course, your super serious, macho-on-steroids hero is reciting poetry…that might just be a little unrealistic…)

                          Second, that was not too mushy at all! I think you did a great job at capturing the urgency of the moment, as well as the tenderness! The only thing missing is some of your character’s inner thoughts/emotions, but that may be due to the type of POV you’re writing in. Otherwise, you did a fantastic job!

                          the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel

                          #99717
                          Elfwing
                          @elfwing
                            • Rank: Knight in Shining Armor
                            • Total Posts: 486

                            @gracie-j

                            Phew! I am reassured, thank you! I feel more confident about the other ones I’m planning to write lol

                            I will say that if that kind of proposal appeared in my work it means someone else was writing for me and I will be hunting them down XD

                            Thanks! yes, I need to work on emotions in scenes to be sure, thanks for the feedback!

                            I'm 'a homeschooler' because cookie-making writing artistic animal-whisperer isn't a job title

                            #99723
                            Abigail.M.
                            @abigail-m
                              • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
                              • Total Posts: 1242

                              @lydia-s

                              Thank you for tagging me Lydia!

                              Well, my MCs are always between the 15-17 age range and I have a tendency to make romances very, very, very difficult for them. The proposals I’ve, like you said, gone over for weeks in my head (I love doing that with scenes btw:) will never make it into the writing itself except for maybe a separate doc somewhere that will never touch the novel itself. That said, my favorite proposals are the unique ones or ones where, as Grace put it, that fail epically or happen during a fight (though I’ve never seen that before) or intense, dangerous, or odd situations. The proposal I envisioned for my current novel, I know will never actually be written since the characters are only sixteen, the novel ends somewhere after they turn seventeen and the proposal is over a decade and a half later. But it was fun to imagine anyway:)

                              And the only other two proposals I’ve ever imagined aside from that one was one for a future pirate novel and one for another adventure novel of mine and they both are rejected toward the resolution.

                              That was an awesome scene by the way!! 😀

                              #99724
                              Abigail.M.
                              @abigail-m
                                • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
                                • Total Posts: 1242

                                @gracie-j

                                I’ve never watched Pirates of the Caribbean, but I’ve been wanting to and wait, the characters get married during a fight? I think I saw the fight during a trailer… was it on a ship and they were being attacked by- I’m not sure what they were actually and were in the middle of a storm? Either way, I have seriously got to see this movie!

                                #99729
                                Gracie J.
                                @gracie-j
                                  • Rank: Eccentric Mentor
                                  • Total Posts: 1789

                                  @elfwing You’re so welcome!

                                  Oh my gosh, yes! Same here! XD

                                  Of course! I’m glad I could help!


                                  @abigail-m
                                  WATCH IT WATCH IT WATCH IT!

                                  Admittedly, only the first three are worth watching, but you simply must watch POTC! And, yes, that is that scene!

                                  • This reply was modified 3 years ago by Gracie J..

                                  the resident romance ghost; last seen within the pages of a gothic novel

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