Writerly Ways

[cornerofmadness]

Before I get into it, here, have a teaser for my upcoming novella, Triskelion set right here in SE Ohio. You can find it here

I wanted to talk about relationships. Maybe it's a function of me not being in one for years. Maybe it's just a simple matter of 'you can't please everyone.' Maybe there's something actually there. I don't know.

In my first (that I know of) professional review (and how sad and yet maybe a tad hopeful am I that one of the kindest reviewers to me is now reviewing erotica for USA Today), for the steampunk mystery If Two of Them Are Dead said she liked it (gave it 3.5 -4 stars depending on where she posted the review), that she really liked the sex but she didn't buy Abraham and Victor as a couple. Another reviewer (your average Goodreads reviewer) said the same thing about Aaron and Rhys in my novel, Kept Tears

Now I have to admit it, it hurt more about Aaron and Rhys than Abraham and Victor. The latter's story is more about solving the mystery than it is about romance (and I keep hoping once DSP rolls out it's non-erotica line, I might be asked to write for it because wow, I'd much rather do that!). I could maybe see the reviewer's point. Still, I thought I had laid out their mutual attraction well.

Aaron and Rhys IS as close to a full blown romance I've ever written, no pun intended. It did hurt a little that people didn't buy them as a couple. Because here is where the doubt creeps in. Where did I fail? Did I fail? Maybe what makes a romance to me doesn't work for someone else.

I'm reading one right now and the romance isn't working for me either. I like the rest of the book so far but insta-soul mate on the first meeting? Nope, that is NOT my reality. It isn't. I can't even wrap my mind around it.

Maybe this is what they wanted and didn't get in my stories. I don't know. There's no clues to why they didn't buy them as a couple. evil_little_dog had a suggestion for me, to write it as overblown as I can then whittle it back to something I can actually live with.

That is one way to do it. Only a few of you read either of these stories (that I know of) so I can't really ask about a specific failing. So my question is, what makes a relationship work for you? What makes it fall flat?

I know that everyone will have different answers here and that it is impossible to please everyone. Still, if there's a pattern, it might be helpful. Thanks

Yearly Word Count -

Triskelion - Edited and returned
Nothing But Himself - Edited and returned
Untouched - Splinters of Silver and Soldiers of the Sun
Yule in Wales -

Comments

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks. Well honestly slow burn is what I'm going for (and maybe missing). I have to admit, the 'they hate each other but come to love each other' doesn't work that well for me because I've seen it a lot (though occasionally it does). I don't usually write that one.

They are attracted at first meeting but the relationship takes a lot more work. - This is the one that makes the most realistic sense to me and does your letter B.

The two that don't work for you, don't work much for me either.

They (almost) immediately see each other as the end-all-be-all of existence but outside factors keep them apart. THIS is the one I'm reading right now. One coffee date and they're in love, they're soul mates. My eyes about rolled out of my head. And I like the rest of it but man, that is so NOT for me. So like I said, it's possible I'm not doing anything wrong and it' just a matter of taste.

thanks. I appreciate it.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I don't know, generally I prefer the friends-become-lovers kind of storyline. I guess. I don't think about romance that much, despite having been told I have it in my stories (and then being told by other people I write "Gen With Hints of Romance", so I'm probably the worst person in the world to ask, you know?

I also like banter. A lot. Maybe because my first real boyfriend was a really good banter-er.

Slow burns sometimes make me roll my eyes, sometimes I like them.

I can't buy love at first sight. Attraction at first sight? Lust at first sight? Yup. But SoulMates at first sight only works in ElfQuest, as far as I'm concerned.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Well that's part of my problem. I'm working outside of a preferred genre, if you really get down to it. I'm more gen with a side of romance too. That MIGHT be the problem. (still doesn't explain Aaron/Rhys)

Banter is good. Mine definitely have that. Or at least I think so. Okay Victor/Abraham less so but it seemed odd if they did)

I'm so-so on friends to lovers but it certainly works

yeah well there's a supernatural bond in the one I'm talking about but it's still not making me buy it.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

I don't know what to tell you. I thought the attraction was there for Aaron and Rhys? But I've been reading your stuff forever, so maybe I pick up on it better?

Hmm to the supernatural bond.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Honestly I thought it was there too and the other first readers didn't complain. WHo knows. I think a lot of people who DO love romances love both the insta-love and alpha male tropes. I have neither.

I don't want either.

trust me, still doesn't work. It's making me bang my head

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Yeah, definite eugh to the alpha male trope, too.

Snort. Like it takes much.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

At least it's LESS common in the gay romances than the het, or should I say in the ones I've chosen to read.

no not much especially today

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Lucky you. Though I've generally managed to avoid that alpha male trope in the stories I read.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that's a good thing

[silvrethorn.livejournal.com]

My very favorite romances are the ones that throw you a curve ball. The perfect princess is betrothed to the perfect prince--but falls hard for the court jester (who's a heck of a lot more intelligent than the prince and almost as hunky when he takes off the motley). A love affair is cut short by the death of one of the lovers, who then finds a way to part the veil and return (don't say "Ghost" wasn't successful with that one). The thing I hate most in a bad romance is lifeless, stereotypical characters. Cardboard characters can kill even a cleverly-plotted romance novel because you just can't feel and identify with the lovers. On the other hand, I've put up with a few cookie-cutter romance books because the characters were unusually appealing. I think this is Nora Roberts' claim to fame. She writes from a predictable plot template, but her writing and characters have life in spite of that.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Actually I LIKE that idea of the princess and the jester (or in my case prince and jester)

And I just read one similar to the ghost thing only they weren't together before hand.

And yes Nora Roberts does manage that. Harlequin has MUCH to answer for with that cookie cutter crap. They do gay romance now too. I wonder if the rules are as smothering.

thanks

[sholio]

I'm kind of worried this is going to be a problem with the one I'm working on right now, because it's more focused on the (mystery) plot than on the lovers -- they're actually apart for the majority of the book. I think on the rewrite I'll probably try to foreground their relationship more, but yeah, I'm worried that people are going to think it's too much mystery, not enough romance.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that is almost always a problem for me. I REALLY hope DSP throws open the doors to everyone to try and write the non-romance LBGT stuff because I am so there.

good luck. I would love to see a mystery.