How do you write a romance/fantasy?

Hodge 2018-08-19 02:51:33 UTC #1

So I've been working on a new series, it's a dark yaoi/BL romance fantasy webtoon. However, this is my first longer romance-centric comic, rather than having it be on the side. There's still gonna be a lot of fun fantasy stuff and action, but I know (might be presumptuous but still worried) the readers will be all like "the ship the ship!" wanting all sorts of pervy scenes, and I don't really know how to satisfy them since this isn't a quick satisfaction sort of comic.

So how do you make sure a romance stays romantic? At what point do you get frustrated by lack of progress with the romance? How much do you care about the fantasy elements and non-romantic parts of the plot when reading a romance?

DiegoPalacios 2018-08-19 03:19:19 UTC #2

The chemistry between the characters is vital here. Is not only about them staying together or not. It depends of the compatibility of both. They can be different and maybe opposite in many aspects, but if they can`t get along or agree to anything, it will not work. They need to be able to trust each other and get to actually know each other. Not an idealized image of their partner.

I think adding something that connects them can help a lot: like them bonding over a similar interest or some experience they lived.

This one is personal, but i love it when they have their own inner jokes.(this is one way to show their chemistry, but there are other ways too)

If it just relies on "will the/won`t they" kind of tension and/or is just an excuse to generate drama. I lose interest in the couple.

It depends of the story. For a fantasy/romance, i am usually interested in the fantasy and plot elements and romance is secondary (unless is the focus of the conflict. )

It mostly depends of how interesting are the nonromantic parts and how interesting is the romance itself.

jpnakashima 2018-08-19 04:59:30 UTC #3

@DiegoPalacios just said a good piece. So I'll just add my personal thoughts on your questions.

I guess I only get really frustrated when a couple gets together, then they break up... then they get together THEN THEY BREAK UP and etc.
It really bums me out when the story keeps going back and forth to pad its length. Ross and Rachel are the classic example, but I'm thinking other series like Arrow or manga like Fushigi Yugi. Of course, since you control your comic and it's not a victim of TV ratings extending your story, you can easily avoid this. Of course, unless the movement makes sense to your story, who knows, but I can't remember one in which I like this kind of stuff.
The problem with these kinds of stories are the ''artificial drama'' they create. External problems that exist solely to keep the characters apart so the plot can go on. It always feels hollow to me.

Every story has this natural flow to it, so respect that. If the couple gets together early on, work with it, not against it. Well, maybe a little against it. Organic drama is always cool.

Personally, I don't mind at all. I love a good hybrid.
Again, it's been years since I read it, but I liked Fushigi Yugi a lot when I was younger and I liked it as much for the lore and battles as for the ships. It's a shojo romance manga, but I loved the action in the back.
So yeah, I dig it.

ryoko 2018-08-19 05:08:09 UTC #4

As DiegoPalacious says above, it's the chemistry between characters that makes a good romance. Having a slow burn romance is fine and having the characters getting to know each other is how their relationship grows over time. My readers had to wait 336 pages before the first kiss between two characters. My comic is also a fantasy and the romantic parts just flow into the main storyline as it progresses. Part of the plot is the catalyst for the romance beginning in the first place. I don't think my readers got frustrated with how long it took for the two characters to get together, but they definitely wanted that ship to sail sooner than it did. They were just as excited on the lead up to it as they were to the actual confirmation of the relationship.

I think readers get frustrated when a creator is just going for a 'oh they're together' 'oh, there's been a misunderstanding and they've broken up' ,'oh, they're together again...', 'whoops, now they've broken up a love triangle has formed' for no real reason other than to create unnecessary drama.

I think if you build on the romance in a natural, realistic way relationships form in real life your readers will become engaged. You stated that it's a romance-centric comic, so how much non-romantic stuff you put in depends on how much you want to build the world they're in and if there's a larger, overall story you're telling on top of the romance.