Romance thoughts...
Jan. 15th, 2009 11:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
j_cheneyI've been working on section 4 of Iron Shoes, which is the most complicated of the original five sections (5 needs a ton more setting put in, and as such, I believe it will become sections 5 and 6).
Oddly, this story is more of a romance than a fantasy, so I've been doing a lot of thinking about the "elements" that one has to have in a romance.
I'm certain that there are a lot of people who can give you a clearer definition of these elements (perhaps the ladies over at SBTB or Teach me Tonight) and I expect that several "How to Write Romance" Books exist, but I've never read one.
I've got it worked out in my mind that there have to be 3 elements for it to work.
1)Possibility of a Relationship
A no-brainer. There has to be some method of the two people involved actually meeting, and as a result of that meeting, at least one of them has to realize that a potential exists for a romantic relationship. The two people can have known each other for a long time actually, but simply never considered a more intimate relationship before. It doesn't have to be 'love at first sight'.
2)Impediment to Love (special caveat attached)
So, if condition #1 has been met by at least one of the two parties, then they usually start working to overcome #2. This can be just about anything, including the fact that the other hasn't cleared hurdle #1. Their families hate each other (Romeo and Juliette), they don't exist in the same time (Somewhere in Time, The Lake House), life gets in the way, dating someone else, or a serious of ridiculous happenings. Whatever it is, it keep them from realizing they're in love. Could be personal issues (my protag has this), social issues (class distinction, religious differences, political differences) or....one of the two is dead. I've actually seen that, too.
This is the emotional barrier, not the physical one. Essentially, there has to be some thing or multiple things that keep them from immediately swearing eternal abject love for each other. This is often done at separate times for the two people involved. Usually the girl is first then the guy, although scientific research shows that males actually fall 'in love' more easily than females. (I do wish I could cite a study on that, but I'm not going to go hunting for it just to back up an off-hand statement.)
3)Impediment to Marriage/Sex (special caveat attached here, as well)
Depending on what type of romance you're reading, you will have one or the other or both of these. If you read Regency Romances, it's the Impediment to Marriage (a proper RR doesn't really have sex, (special caveat again)). If you read Historical Romances, you generally have both in the opposite order; sex/marriage. If you read Erotica...wait, there hasn't been any sex yet and you're still reading this?
The point being that there must be some additional barriers, or the story will either be very short or very boring.
Special Caveat:
Romance writers make their living mixing up the order of these. Sex first, then a proper introduction, then love...whatever. A RR can have (implied)sex in it if the characters are married, but don't really know each other (a marriage of convenience, a quick platonic marriage before he goes off to war, a childhood betrothal to a distant cousin). Writers come up with the darnedest excuses to have their characters do things, and then work hard to make them seem reasonable.
My girl? Imogen?
Well, she's going about it all in the wrong order, but she's using a bargain as an excuse to do so without feeling too responsible for her actions. I have to sell that in section 1, which I seem to have been 50/50 on in the first draft. I'm working to sell the ItL now in section 4, which is the most important part, if you ask me. We'll see after I'm done with the revision.
Anyhow, that's how I tend to see the parts of a romance story. Just thinking, here.
Oddly, this story is more of a romance than a fantasy, so I've been doing a lot of thinking about the "elements" that one has to have in a romance.
I'm certain that there are a lot of people who can give you a clearer definition of these elements (perhaps the ladies over at SBTB or Teach me Tonight) and I expect that several "How to Write Romance" Books exist, but I've never read one.
I've got it worked out in my mind that there have to be 3 elements for it to work.
1)Possibility of a Relationship
A no-brainer. There has to be some method of the two people involved actually meeting, and as a result of that meeting, at least one of them has to realize that a potential exists for a romantic relationship. The two people can have known each other for a long time actually, but simply never considered a more intimate relationship before. It doesn't have to be 'love at first sight'.
2)Impediment to Love (special caveat attached)
So, if condition #1 has been met by at least one of the two parties, then they usually start working to overcome #2. This can be just about anything, including the fact that the other hasn't cleared hurdle #1. Their families hate each other (Romeo and Juliette), they don't exist in the same time (Somewhere in Time, The Lake House), life gets in the way, dating someone else, or a serious of ridiculous happenings. Whatever it is, it keep them from realizing they're in love. Could be personal issues (my protag has this), social issues (class distinction, religious differences, political differences) or....one of the two is dead. I've actually seen that, too.
This is the emotional barrier, not the physical one. Essentially, there has to be some thing or multiple things that keep them from immediately swearing eternal abject love for each other. This is often done at separate times for the two people involved. Usually the girl is first then the guy, although scientific research shows that males actually fall 'in love' more easily than females. (I do wish I could cite a study on that, but I'm not going to go hunting for it just to back up an off-hand statement.)
3)Impediment to Marriage/Sex (special caveat attached here, as well)
Depending on what type of romance you're reading, you will have one or the other or both of these. If you read Regency Romances, it's the Impediment to Marriage (a proper RR doesn't really have sex, (special caveat again)). If you read Historical Romances, you generally have both in the opposite order; sex/marriage. If you read Erotica...wait, there hasn't been any sex yet and you're still reading this?
The point being that there must be some additional barriers, or the story will either be very short or very boring.
Special Caveat:
Romance writers make their living mixing up the order of these. Sex first, then a proper introduction, then love...whatever. A RR can have (implied)sex in it if the characters are married, but don't really know each other (a marriage of convenience, a quick platonic marriage before he goes off to war, a childhood betrothal to a distant cousin). Writers come up with the darnedest excuses to have their characters do things, and then work hard to make them seem reasonable.
My girl? Imogen?
Well, she's going about it all in the wrong order, but she's using a bargain as an excuse to do so without feeling too responsible for her actions. I have to sell that in section 1, which I seem to have been 50/50 on in the first draft. I'm working to sell the ItL now in section 4, which is the most important part, if you ask me. We'll see after I'm done with the revision.
Anyhow, that's how I tend to see the parts of a romance story. Just thinking, here.
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Date: 2009-01-15 07:35 pm (UTC)I like the Hero's journey, tie in, too ;o)
Did you have a textbook?