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I just replied to a writing prompt from this awesome topic. Seriously fun. I’d never have thought of writing a story about a bee. So much fun!
What do you guys think about romance side-plots?
You see, I think that forcing romance on poor, unsuspecting characters is hardly fair, so I never (well, hardly ever) plan a romance for my stories.
I just write, and sometimes the characters are just somehow made for each other and create the romance without any help from me. (Sort of;) Other times, they don’t, and the story is just as good. (To me, anyway)
Maybe romance written that way isn’t so good. I don’t know yet, but I have this theory that it’s best not to overthink romance, but just write what comes naturally to the characters.
What do y’all think? Have you guys got any particular theories about writing romance?
Oh, I have a theory on everything – well, pretty much.
And I think our theories pretty much align. I think the most important thing about any romance story is that it can’t be about the romance (just as an action story is not about the action), it must be about the theme.
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I just write, and sometimes the characters are just somehow made for each other and create the romance without any help from me. (Sort of;) Other times, they don’t, and the story is just as good. (To me, anyway)
I think it’s alright to write romance like this. This happens even in life.
It’s hard to write about romance, as for each person it’s different. Every person is different and each person does things differently. *I feel like I’m going round in circles here. I don’t know if I’ve helped at all. Perhaps I’ll leave it to the people with theories* 😛That’s a good point, @daeus . I agree with you there.
I have one story idea for a romance, and I’ve got characters, some dialogue, plot twists, even a portion of the ending figured out, but the theme is missing. Why does it all happen? What is the inciting event that reveals the heart of my story, the “big Why” that gives purpose to all of the events that follow? Until I figure that out, I can’t write the story.
It’s a bit backwards really. I usually begin with that all-important aspect, but because I’m basing the story off of a legend I’ve kind saved the hardest part for last.
I haven’t found it hard (so far) to write about romance @bluejay . My characters do most of the work for me, and the settings/circumstances lend a hand. I did have some characters once that I tried to pair off, but they weren’t having it. They were both nice characters but their romance lacked substance. Behind the fluff of feelings (which can be easily added to hide flaws in a romance) there was little to it at all, so I had to admit defeat. In fact, my heroine ended up with my supposed villain instead, who by that time had experienced a slow but effectual redemption, much to my chagrin.
It was actually then that I made the discovery that not just any pair of characters were compatible, even with the help of imagination, and thus invented my theory.
Wow, now I sound like I write romance all the time! I really don’t. I just experiment with it from time to time. I have great respect for a well-written story with good romance. It is a rare and special thing.
That is important to remember, @bluejay . Everybody is different, which is something I need to remind myself when it comes to romance because not every guy is going to be charmingly eloquent about his feelings. (Sometimes my writing can be too poetic …)
Some say so much more by saying hardly anything at all, and still others speak for themselves quite poorly. (But none the less sweetly:)
Then we have Mr. Darcy who is unintentionally insulting, if not unintentionally patronizing, but still gets the girl in the end when he becomes humble and considerate. 😉
Not to forget the different levels of assurance and understanding between couples … yes, good point! 🙂
Hey, this is a good question @overcomer. I agree with Daeus— it needs to enhance the theme someway, but I also think it’s fine to have it there just as a story element and not overtly illustrating the theme. Don’t get me wrong— all story elements play into the theme somehow, but some are more obvious than others. 😉
Let me give you an example. My WIP’s theme is man’s inability to reason truth for himself— the necessity he has for a moral compass outside his own reasoning.
Now. My MC had some really bad problems as a child, and as a consequence of those problems he believes that it’s better for people to mind their own business and not tell anyone else what to do or meddle any way in other people’s lives. BUT— he’s also a very compassionate guy at heart, so he finds it difficult to stick to his rule. He gets married a quarter of the way through the story, not for love, but because his better nature had compassion on a woman thrown into very… extraordinary circumstances that were somewhat Harold’s fault. (Harold is the MC’s name).
Now at first glance, that’s about compassion, not man’s need for truth outside himself. And it is about compassion— but who’s to say compassion is a good, right thing? Who’s to say you should be compassionate? After all, if there’s no standard, why shouldn’t you just do what’s best for you and leave others alone?
So it does tie into the theme, however subtly.
That’s the first romance in that book. 🙂
The second romance doesn’t tie into the theme nearly so completely. It was more of a foil romance to highlight all the problems with Harold’s. It was a very slow, gradual, friendship romance— very understated, very sweet.
But it also ties off a plot thread of very long standing— ugh, spoilers, but the respective fathers of the two characters involved in the romance have had a lot of problems over a lot of years, and I used the love-story of their two children to solidify their reconciliation to each other in the mind of the reader.So romance should either serve a thematic goal or a plot goal— otherwise, even though it’s still sweet if done well, it’s kinda out of place. Did that answer your question? 🙂
That is very interesting, @kate-flournoy , and a good point as well. Romance should actually advance the plot and add to the story but it needn’t do so in a way that is over obvious.
There was a romance in a movie I saw once that failed to really advance the plot or add to the story. The movie needed to have either more romance or have none in it at all. What we got instead was a short-changed romance that was over-emphasized but nearly, or quite possibly completely, unnecessary to the plot.
They led you on to think it was important, but when the climax came it was eclipsed instead of highlighted. Then to add insult to injury, they added a kiss at the end. Like a kiss just magically solves the misunderstanding (which wasn’t really a misunderstanding at all because she literally proved that he didn’t matter to her very much) and somehow makes up for the family theme choking the romance to death.
Golly, it was messed up. I’m not really sure what the point of the movie was supposed to be, it was that confusing!
Sorry, I didn’t mean to rant …
I think romance can work as a subplot, to help with character development or add depth. I never intended to write romance, but it slipped into some of my stories. It’s subtle, part of the background really. In another WIP it helps soften a character and give him depth as well as something to fight for. It’s natural. But I’d not add romance simply to get romance in the story. If it happens, it happens. If not, it’s not needed. 😉
INTJ - Inhumane. No-feelings. Terrible. Judgment and doom on everyone.
My sentiments exactly, @hope ! 🙂
What’s everybody working on now? I’m tackling a new Nemesis with flagging zeal …
@overcomer You mean you’re developing a villain? That sounds fun.
I’m wrapping up my Edwin Brook novel. Three more chapters to go and they’ll be the best ones yet. I’m excited.
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@overcomer
I’m revisiting old friends that were pleading to have their story told. I’ve been ignoring them for a while. :p It’s middle of the Renaissance time and so far I’ve been calling it The Duretish Name.
I’m working on chapter one right now and trying to see which old ideas with fit with the new ones.https://rolenahatfield.com/
@overcomer I’m streamlining and rewriting the plot of my newest WIP—seven chapters down, one hundred and eight left to go! 😛
@kate-flournoy And I thought rewriting my novella took a while. Wow!
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