It's my first time working on a romance comic and I was wondering if there are things I should avoid writing before I start writing. Please share your clichés to avoid and your romance stories if you have any. I would like to hear about your romance in real life, too if you have one. I need to study. Anything helps.
Mar '18
Mar '18
Watch Star Wars Episode 2 and 3. Do the opposite.
On a more serious note: it depends on the type of romance you want. Is it teen, older, aliens? Think of how you are when you're around someone you're interested in. it's awkward at first. Play into that.
A romance is never really about the romance. It's really about two characters on their own separate character paths who end up developing a little together, helping each-other along the way. Don't make one character a dependent (think Belle from Twilight).
Just think that when it comes to romantic moments, at first, both characters will be awkward. Unless one is overflowing with confidence.
This advice is a jumbled mess, and reminded me that I haven't written a romance arc in a loooong time... But I hope it helps!
Maybe your romance story can deal with breakups and rejections rather than the character suprisingly ending up with their crush. I know, it's a little dark for a romance story but I think the common cliche is when a character ends up with their crush. Maybe adding like a rejection and breakup would be great, but at the same time has a happy ending. I'm not too sure about romance genres though
This article is my favourite advice on writing romance17 that rang really true to me!! I especially like the advice on "specificity" -- a lot of times it's hard to put your finger on what exactly makes one romance feel cliche and another feel relatable, but this has some tangible things you can look for and strive towards in your own writing!!
The article is a great start (only read up to point 3 or 4). I don't know if it mentioned this, but every relationship is different. I have a story where the boy is really shy and afraid to talk to the one crush he's had for years (since like elementary school I believe). He never talks in class and has only one friend. He admires his crush because she's everything he's not (in his eyes), but she still pretty much keeps to herself.
Another story stars a girl who's been picked on since she was young and has a secret she's afraid will make things worse. She's very anxious around others and has trouble opening up. Her love interest is a loner who will do anything to make her happy and can be himself around only her.
Each of my characters has their own identity outside of the relationship (hope that makes sense). And, each relationship is different, due to outside influences and their own personalities. My characters might be similar in some ways, but they also have very unique personalities.
My advice is to watch other people. Watch how your friends behave around their bf/gfs. Notice the differences in how your friends act, and how each relationship differs. Look for the similarities. Go to a Starbucks or something and just people watch. Notice how some couples cling to each other while others are embarrassed/repulsed by it. Try to notice things like that. The relationship should come naturally imo if your characters are built up enough. Think of how each character would react in a relationship, and what they might be like together. Does the outgoing person suddenly become very shy? Or, how about the shy one becoming the dominant one in the relationship? How are the characters different from each other, and how are they the same?
And don't forget that your characters should still remain true to themselves. Don't let them give up a piece of themselves just to please their partner (unless they're battered and you think it will add to the story somehow, or if you're planning on them breaking up. Just make sure they grow throughout the story.). I hate characters like that, as do many others. This relationship would eventually crumble, and your character wouldn't feel satisfied at all.
If you absolutely cannot come up with anything, then just imagine how you would want your relationship to go. What's your ideal? Your fantasy? How should they woo you, grab your heart? And what little, as well as big, things should they do to keep it?
Hope this helps a little bit! And sorry it's so long...
Honestly it's not that you should avoid any cliches, it's just how you use them and if you use too many. I like writing romance, and love consuming romance comics, and although I'm no expert I can say this, a well written cliche works in romance. Its about timing and execution.
I think as long as you write a love that is realistic it will probably work.
I could share my love life, but I'm afraid you'll have to narrow that question down more specifically to what you want, I've got 15 yrs on this relationship so not sure where to start.
All I can say is that don't do what a lot of creators do and call it romance. If one of them touches the other or kisses and the like without consent or warning or the other already said no several times, that's molesting and shouldn't be romanticized. As others have said, relationships are different but there are a good number of clichès that could go under the romanticized abuse section that I would say run away from.
Ok first I'll address your series. Both their character concepts seem really cool based on the description!
I would definitely like to see how they interact with each other!
Secondly, you don't need to approach a romance with the typical shojo lovey-dovey crap. Romances can be very different! I myself am not a very romantic person, my husband and I don't have pet names for each other, nor do we do your typically romantic things (like date night at a fancy restaurant with wine and flowers). Stay true to your characters! If they aren't the type to remember 3 week dating anniversaries, don't make them!
My tips would be
Make your your characters aren't one dimensional, that's very cliché in love stories. "Rose is kind". Ok. What else? What are her goals and deffects? What makes it a belieavable human being even if it's a character?
The guy is handsome and the popular guy in school and falls a love with a girl that's literally NOTHING special, not even personality, not even looks. Nobody falls in love with your personality at first sight. That's why even stories like "A Walk to remember" the cool kid was literally forced to hang out with the nerdy girl to fall in love with her. A super hot guy that falls in love with an ugly girl's looks AT FIRST SIGHT is honestly super unrealistic
The woman protagonist is super beautiful and literally every male character is in love with her! But she doesn't know she's beautiful...... So ....Now we also know she's stupid. Honestly, if she's that stunningly beautiful, it doesn't sound
logical...
There you have strong cliches. There is an audience for it, though. That's why some people like stories like "50 shades of grey/gray (Idk)"
Do your own thing, of course! This are just things I would avoid...
Make sure they're multi-dimensional (personality) characters that have goals of their own. The good romances I seen are more subtle ones, not the direct ones.
Don't make a harem... but when in doubt, make a yandere love story, jking.
Personally, I would love to see more romance with active, competant protagonists.
There is a market for Being Seduced, but I am far more interested in stories where
-The main character falls for somebody and is actively doing the romancing, but needs to make it past obstacles to make the relationship viable, rather than a passive figure who Must Be Romanced
or
-The main characters are working to solve a problem together, and slowly fall for each other
Lets say you want to write a story where the romantic lead is tough mobster who secretly wants to stop his life of crime and be a baker.
Boring to me - He's a jerk to her but also sometimes says vaguely nice things. He aggressively flirts, she is unsure, but helpless against him. He changes ways because she's so pure and beautiful. Hijinks ensue when his hot brother shows up, and a wacky misunderstanding takes place.
Interesting to me - She's in love with a hot mobster, but knows they can't be together until he's out of the mob. She sets out to get the money to let him finally be a baker and they have to work together to get him out of his current situation. While working together he falls in love with not just her kindness and beauty, but her intelligence, tenacity, and accounting skills.
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