Fic Talk > General Discussion
The romantic debate
RokofAges75:
That's true too; I think the circumstances definitely made their feelings even stronger, but Rose was planning to get off with him even before it hit the iceberg. I think she just felt so trapped by her life that it was easy to fall for him; he was her way out. But I do think there was real love there, on both sides of it. For Jack, it was lust first, but once he saw her real personality, that she wasn't just some snotty pampered princess, he fell in love with her too. I think there was a lot more character development there than in, say, Romeo & Juliet, where it really is just kind of based on lust and raging teenage hormones LOL.
RokofAges75:
I'm reviving this thread because I just want to say, after seeing a conversation on Twitter last night about romance, that the point of this thread was not to make anyone feel guilty, insecure, or attacked about liking romance, whether that means reading it, writing it, or both.
I'm pretty sure Mare started it because of the way almost everyone answered a question in her fanfic survey in another thread a few days before, when she asked what genre we felt was overrated. Almost everyone said romance, and a romance writer asked why, and so here is the result, a place to discuss the genre and its misconceptions .
I don't think anyone here has said they hate romance, and no one has said people shouldn't be writing it. Personally, I do wish there was more variety in genres being posted on AC, and I know I'm not alone in that opinion, but that is just based on my own personal preference. I don't hate romance; I just like drama and suspense better. I would never try to tell someone else what to write or what not to write, and I don't think anyone else here was doing that, either. Write what you want! It shows if you don't. If you're a romance writer, be proud of it! Be glad! You're writing in a genre a lot of people love!
I have another thought, but I'm gonna save it for a separate post so this one doesn't get so long no one will read it. :)
RokofAges75:
I think of the genre thing like music.
Romance is like mainstream, Top 40 pop music. Some people will grumble and say they hate Top 40, but obviously, some people must love it, or it wouldn't be Top 40! It wouldn't be on the radio! Some people may dislike most of it, but will admit to liking a few select songs (stories).
Then you have drama, which is more like rock music. A little darker, a little edgier than pop, but still popular, still on the radio, just a different station. Sometimes you get a crossover, a rock song on the pop station, just like some dramas have subplots of romance, or vice versa.
Suspense is maybe like rap/hip-hop. It's not for everyone, but it does have its fans and a place on the radio and in the mainstream. Sometimes it, too, crosses over with rock (drama) or pop (romance).
Slash could be like country music, the most divisive genre. Like country, you either love it or you hate it. Some people live by slash, where that's all they read/write, and some people wouldn't go near it. Sometimes you get a country song or artist that goes mainstream pop, just like some slash stories are so well-written that they convert people who normally wouldn't read slash.
And then you have sci-fi and fantasy, which are like the underground, indy music, not in the mainstream. There's a lot of creativity and originality going on in these genres, yet for whatever reason, they're not as popular. Dedicated fans of these might look down on the mainstream, yet wish more people liked their genres.
You shouldn't let anyone else's opinions dictate what kind of music you like or make you feel bad for listening to a certain type, and the same is true for fanfic. Be yourself, read/write what you like, and if you have a different opinion, stand up for yourself and express it! That's the whole point of a discussion board! That's why this thread is called "the romantic DEBATE" - I think Mare was hoping we'd have ALL sides in here sharing their viewpoints on the topic.
colorguard_diva:
In my opinion people may feel under attack or get their feelings hurt is because they feel that the romance genre is the one no one takes seriously. Maybe if they are constantly hearing most romance stories are full of fluff and one dimensional Mary Sue characters, one might be led to feel they aren't as good of a writer then say those who write suspense or comedy. Just like the other genres their are cliches that all writer do whether it be suspense, romance, or children's lit. With the constant complaint of too much romance stories on AC it may feel like an attack.
Being that romance has a lot of stories, as I writer I definitely feel the need to come up with something new and original. That can take a lot of work. Romance has a lot of interpersonal connections between characters. You have to show that in dialogue and actions like any other genre. Genres may be different, but they use the same writing skills to write them.
In my opinion, not anyone elses because I only speak for me...lately all I see is negativity towards everything and everyone. You can't voice a single opinion without people calling you a bitch. Unless you agree with a person, your opinion is crap. You may not even be talking to a person and they will attack you because you said something. This is still America, everyone has the right to an opinion. Let's be the adults we are, where we respect each other and our opinions. Agree to disagree.
We should be applauding each other for our writing. For some people it's hard for them to even post a story. Take time and read a story in a different genre you may just be surprised.
colorguard_diva:
Another thing I notice that within other genres is that they have romance intertwined within the main genre. Many dramas have a secondary love story. A lot of romances have, suspense, drama, and comedy within it. I think most of the stories on AC do a fine job of incorporating a little bit of more than one genre.
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