I need tips and stuff to avoid on writing my first romance story!

dorimao 2020-12-07 03:06:19 UTC #1

Before I get in to the questions, here's the kind of what I'm planning to start getting in to next year:

Basically, it's a generic type of high school romance (romance comedy even) webtoon with dashes of shojo elements set somewhere in southeast asia. I wanted to challenge myself a bit.

I want to write a natural flowing gay relationship between students who start out as strangers, to friends, and eventually established partners. I already know what to avoid, like gross BL tropes that I find uncomfortable (such as a really iffy and suspicious power imbalance because of height differences, etc. I always watch out for weird, gross tropes.)

I'm doing this purely out of passion to see healthy relationship growth, cuteness, good LGBTQ+ rep, to shed some light on issues regarding common LGBTQ+phobia (Like being outed, shunned, etc.) in some southeastern asian environments, and to shed some light on mental illness in relationships - And this is all in the span of what I plan to be a 40-60 chapter webtoon with two seasons (About 20-30 chapters per season, so it's short and sweet. I don't wanna drag things out!)
I plan the first season to be where they develop their relationship, and the second is where they flesh out the relationship and struggle through rocky roads.

My only concerns are that, well, I don't really know what would be too fluffy or cheesy!!

Please give me some advice on what to watch out for, things to avoid (writing, design, stuff like that), tropes you like/dislike, and maybe even things you want to see! I'd love some insight, since I'm not very active in the actual writing part in these communities and I have no one else to go to. Thank you <3!!

WillowTree 2020-12-07 03:21:04 UTC #2

I always recommend reading Gwen Hayes "Romancing the Beat" to get a good handle on what romance readers expect from a story.

http://gwenhayes.com/free-stuff/

As for things to avoid, I don't really recommend anything... Just warn for things that might be difficult in your tags. Write the story that you want to write. If your story involves cliched tropes, then write the cliched tropes and enjoy it, especially if it's your first romance! It's a lot of fun to lean into the cliche and overused tropes. You'll get a million different answers on tropes people like and dislike, so it's really best to just write the tropes that you personally like the best.

Personal tropes I like are May-December relationships, difficult power dynamics in general, and enemies to lovers - none of which sound like they would be good in the story that you want to write

Personal tropes I dislike are (usually) love triangles and unnecessary miscommunication

Undertaildoof34 2020-12-07 03:29:36 UTC #3

My biggest tip I can give is don't do perfection. Like I get if the two really like each other but that doesn't mean things are going to go perfect. Folks don't fall instantly for each other like magic. It's more like a waltz. make it feel like they're human. People don't always see eye to eye and it's ok to argue, sometimes it's the fact that they like the other on their lowest that makes the reader feel like the other character genuinely loves them.
Mental disorders or no. Gender change or no.
That's what makes good romance is they accept the bad and good (in my opinion take this all with a grain of salt)

dorimao 2020-12-07 03:30:26 UTC #4

I see, thank you for the quick and nice reply, it helps me relax a little since I want to refine this story a bunch before getting in to the actual drawing stage and I often forget that sometimes I can't please everyone's tastes and thats completely fine!! Also, whew, yeah I agree, those love triangle and unnecessary miscommunication tropes are tiring, I'll watch out for that!! Thx!

dorimao 2020-12-07 03:32:57 UTC #5

A waltz.. That's nice! And yeah, I really want to go for a more human feel, to the point where a reader can feel the genuine love. Thank you!!

Undertaildoof34 2020-12-07 03:35:31 UTC #6

You're welcome. Sorry for the weird reference it's all I can think of at the moment.

dorimao 2020-12-07 03:38:49 UTC #7

Lol that's totally fine! A waltz is a charming way to put it!!

Inspector_Spinda 2020-12-07 03:52:37 UTC #8

PROBLEMS!

And not the shitty kind where both people in the relationship are unreasonable. But like normal arguments or small disagreements that they need to talk out. Compromises. Also read this

I'm actually trying to write a gay romance as well so I'm interested in what other people have to say about this since I don't really have too much specific experience writing/reading LGBT content yet.

krissyhalo 2020-12-07 03:53:36 UTC #9

I would highly recommend looking at a discussion forum that discusses about romantic tropes that those people don’t like. I know there’s a lot of opinion when it comes to discussions in general but I think they can give you some good advice. The topic I believe is called Romantic Tropes you Dislike.

dorimao 2020-12-07 04:16:09 UTC #10

Ooh yes I'll check out Heartstopper!
I'll definitely try thinking of conflicts or disagreements that are carefully introduced rather than being thrown in out of the blue (A common one I see is an ex?? Coming out of nowhere with really short notice....? It's sudden...)

With gay romance, I don't have any experience writing much romance in general, but I've spotted a good handful out there that handle it properly and not in a... fetish-y way. I often look towards well written works as a bit of a reference or inspiration. Good luck with your writing!!

Inspector_Spinda 2020-12-07 04:37:44 UTC #11

not to get too off topic or anything, but he's not going to show up until late in the story and im really hyped so i want to talk about him. he's a vampire slayer and the protag is a vampire. the protag isn't the love interest though. and the vampire slayer isn't a villain exactly although he's a pretty nasty person, but still likable (hopefully). he's a major control freak with a dry sense of humor, but does have a heart very very deep down. his bf is a pure cinnamon roll. he's very idealistic and a simple person, but still very smart. they both respect each other as equals 99% percent of the time but the vampire slayer still has his controlling nature and him basically lying through their whole relationship eventually ends it. the he's eventually going to get character development and maybe find someone else, but the bf will probably disappear from the story after they break up.

dorimao 2020-12-07 04:44:25 UTC #12

OHH that sounds really cool.... I've always been a SUCKER for vampire stuff lol
Also I love ur art!!!

rizamasuyama 2020-12-07 04:54:30 UTC #13

I think a big part of romance stories is making sure you know your characters. Their motivations, their history, and what they would/wouldn't do. If/once you know these things, you're less likely to have cheesy moments. Even so, I think it's important to choose your "I love you's" carefully. Too much usage makes the phrase loose its impact. Additionally, reading other romance books can help you identify what's cheesy vs what makes the romance feel authentic etc.

Good luck on this project, it sounds really interesting!

WillowTree 2020-12-07 04:56:45 UTC #14

I want to double up on this advice! Reading in the genre you're going to create works in is always great advice!

Inspector_Spinda 2020-12-07 05:09:53 UTC #15

also lots of research on your specific scenario assuming it's a realistic one

joannekwan 2020-12-07 09:56:49 UTC #16

My number one tip: Avoid cheap drama, like a misunderstanding that could be cleared up with a 5 minute conversation. To me, there's nothing more frustrating in any genre, haha.

KGBrightwell 2020-12-07 18:00:17 UTC #17

There's a thread on the favorite romance tropes too.

paracosmosfiction 2020-12-07 19:11:25 UTC #18

I'm going to second the avoid cheap drama thing. Ultimately, you should write the story you want to write. (Heck, that's what I'm doing.) But I also believe that you can write a story full of all the romantic cliches and tropes you want and still make it a good story. I mean, they're cliches for a reason, right? It's because they work.

That said, I definitely feel like cheap drama in the romance genre is something that most people are just tired of seeing. Frankly, it's the reason I don't read a lot of romance novels or watch a lot of romance movies anymore. Like @joannekwan said, if it's something that could be cleared up with a five minute conversation, best just avoid it. Or if you are gonna use that. Make that five minute conversation the resolution! Don't try to drag it out for days or even months at a time over a simple misunderstanding, because that's just exhausting to read. Again, just my opinion.

My advice, stay true to your vision. But write that vision in such a way that makes it believable.

Dysis 2020-12-07 20:28:43 UTC #19

Hi! These should help:

domisotto 2020-12-07 20:43:06 UTC #20

In my view, if you are going for fluff and realistic, go for it. The current romance I am writing is pretty sweet, and I still find readers for it.

I looked at a lot of popular romances where characters get beat up and abused and rapes, and for me this is not something I want to read, let alone write.

So, I write sweet and adventurous, and enjoy it! Like, if you want to write a long scene where the characters just hold hands, and you can fill it with tension and feeling, go for it.

So long as you vibe with the scenes, that’s the most important part imo

Hope you will love writing your story ️