| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
SpaceWeavil
Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 23
Location: Looking at shiny things
|
 Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 4:27 pm Post subject: Writing believable romance |
 |
|
I’m rewriting a story idea of mine and wondered if I could trouble you all for some advice. This is my first advice at writing anything primarily concerned with characters’ romantic interests [there may be some smut, but I don’t know yet, as I am having to go right back to the drawing board and start from scratch on this]. But what worries me is that I usually fall into the bad habit of skimming over anything involving romance when I write, as I’m terrified that it will sound unrealistic and cheesy. I want to give it a go though, and to produce as good a piece as I can, obviously.
So does anyone have any ideas or advice?
_________________
Pervy Nazgul Fancier and owner of Fluffy the Fell Beast |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
SilverMoonLady
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 1201
Location: Breaking in a Brandybuck... *wicked grin*
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:05 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Read a good romance. Can't tell you where to begin on that, because my head is full of holes today, but I'm sure someone will have a few good recommendations...
The thing to remember about writing about the relationships of people within the framework of a story is that it can be the centerpiece or the trim, or anything in between.
Love isn't always "romantic", sometimes it is comic and frustrating, and is made up of a great deal of expectation, fulfillment, little details and, yes, passion.
Depending on who your characters are, they may express their love in elegant language or simple gestures, moments of spontaneous outrageous "sweep me off my feet" romance and the familiar but tender rituals of daily life...
You see, you can take it any which way you can imagine. 
I know that I was desperately shy of writing romance & love, because as a complete and foolish romantic, the words in my head are long, lilting and tragically beautiful... and utterly revealing of their own naivete. I end up writing it all out, and cutting away what goes over the top... I cut less than I used to. 
Anyway, the only thing to do, is to do!
_________________
Suffering an again off again connection with life...
The joy of motherhood: what a woman experiences when all the kids are in bed.
*local PHF union rep* *tart of the week*
Shelob the Cookie Baker |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Yavanie
Joined: 02 Jun 2004
Posts: 630
Location: Texas
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 8:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
of all places to safely jump in! please, give it a try and let us read it. You'll get lots of honest opinions and lots of constructive help! I haven't written anything yet, got a few plot bunnies marinating, though. If you put it out here and ask for advice, you'll get it in a gentle and constructive manner. I get the idea these folks love to watch fellow writers grow.
_________________
Yavanie
...I understand the sadness of the Elves, and I have seen Mordor.
To be older and wiser you must first be younger and stupider. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SpaceWeavil
Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 23
Location: Looking at shiny things
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 8:21 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Yavanie wrote: | | of all places to safely jump in! please, give it a try and let us read it. You'll get lots of honest opinions and lots of constructive help! I haven't written anything yet, got a few plot bunnies marinating, though. If you put it out here and ask for advice, you'll get it in a gentle and constructive manner. I get the idea these folks love to watch fellow writers grow. |
That’s why I was asking somewhere else on the forum if it’s okay to post challenge things as WIPs, since I prefer posting stories that way. It lets me see people’s reactions to different chapters rather than the whole thing and helps the story to shape sometimes. Apart from the fact that it is a really good push to keep going when people give advice and suggestions in reviews and things.
_________________
Pervy Nazgul Fancier and owner of Fluffy the Fell Beast |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ania
Joined: 08 Sep 2003
Posts: 198
Location: Britain
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2004 10:12 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | I haven't written anything yet, got a few plot bunnies marinating, though. If you put it out here and ask for advice, you'll get it in a gentle and constructive manner. |
My advice would be, before you post anything, get a good beta who knows what they're talking about and bounce ideas off them before actually writing the thing. With any fic. I always check with my beta to see if the plot's believeable and will work. Secondly, get them to pick it to bits. I speak from two disastrous fics that I posted without a beta and discovered to be absolutely terrible upon re-reading! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ania
Joined: 08 Sep 2003
Posts: 198
Location: Britain
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2004 10:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: | | I haven't written anything yet, got a few plot bunnies marinating, though. If you put it out here and ask for advice, you'll get it in a gentle and constructive manner. |
My advice would be, before you post anything, get a good beta who knows what they're talking about and bounce ideas off them before actually writing the thing. With any fic. I always check with my beta to see if the plot's believeable and will work. Secondly, get them to pick it to bits. I speak from two disastrous fics that I posted without a beta and discovered to be absolutely terrible upon re-reading! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
BittenBuggy
Joined: 27 Dec 2003
Posts: 2108
Location: Busy Being the Queen Of Everything.. And Trying to Catch the Yoda-Copter
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2004 10:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Yavanie wrote: | | I get the idea these folks love to watch fellow writers grow. |
Aww, thats so sweet. I love the fluff! This forum is so full of the lurv. 
Ahem...
Betas are very helpful, I have 5 of them.
_________________
-The Queen of Everything - so dubed by Aerin
-"My ultimate fantasy is to entice a man to my bedroom, put a gun to his head and say, 'Make babies or die'."
-"The Pope! how many divisions has he got?" - Stalin |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SpaceWeavil
Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 23
Location: Looking at shiny things
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2004 12:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Unfortunately I just lost my beta and haven’t gotten round to posting for a new one yet, mainly because I’ve gone back to the start of the story to rewrite it and haven’t finished the first chapter yet. It took quite a lot of mulling over before I posted in the first place to be honest as my first experience of beta reading was not exactly pleasant. (Woman just ‘took it upon herself’ to beta read something sent to a private group, then told me not to worry about some of the mistakes as I was slightly better than her other writer…mind you the other writer is dyslexic. Nice thing to say, I thought). I know I wouldn’t get the same sort of treatment on this site, but it still takes a while to work up to it.
I should really post for another beta I suppose. Maybe once I’ve finished this chapter.
_________________
Pervy Nazgul Fancier and owner of Fluffy the Fell Beast |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
Live Journal Feed
