Fic Talk > General Discussion
The romantic debate
mare:
Great answers guys, keep them, coming! And for the last question, i'm also talking about reading them and not just writing them.
RokofAges75:
I don't think my answers will be very different from anyone else's, but oh well, here goes!
How many of you read romance and or write romance on a regular basis? And do you feel like it tends to get a bad rep? If so what do you feel are some of the misconceptions out there?
I wouldn't say I read/write it on a regular basis, but I have both read and written plenty of stories with romance in them, at least. Often times, the stories I read/write feature it as more a subplot than the main storyline.
I don't think romance really gets a bed rep; it's clearly the most popular genre of BSB fanfic, both historically and currently. What I've noticed is that every forum/community has its own culture, and this one tends to be more anti-romance than other fanfic communities, probably because a lot of the early regulars who established that culture preferred other genres. I don't think that's necessarily the case anymore; we have a lot of romance fans posting here frequently. Yes, almost all of us agreed that romance was the most overrated genre in that survey Mare posted, but "overrated" doesn't equal "bad."
I think the misconceptions out there are, like others have said, that all romances are teenybopper stories with Mary Sue self-inserts, over-the-top soap opera melodrama, tons of sex scenes, and a bunch of sequels about babies. Do some romances fit that description exactly? Yes. Do they all? Of course not! And hey, some readers love the sex-filled Mary Sue soap opera stories and their endless, baby-filled sequels, and that's what is nice about fanfic archives like AC - there's something for everyone!
How many of you have ever read at least one romance and what was it about it, that made you go back or stop?
For me, it takes three things - believable characters, interesting storyline, and good writing. My favorite romance is "Cover Me With Dreams," and it has those three things. I first read it on the recommendation of a friend, and I will admit, it took me two tries to get into it. Once I did, I absolutely loved it. I love both the female lead and the author's portrayal of Nick. They both seem very real, and I can relate to them; even if I wouldn't make the same choices they do in the story, I understand them enough to understand why they make those choices. I like the storyline because it shows the progression of their relationship from friends to lovers, and it does that in an interesting way, by telling the story out of order, alternating between the present and the past. Finally, the writing is superb; the author has a really engaging style that makes me laugh, cry, and keep clicking ahead to the next chapter. I've read other romances that I liked, but never one as amazing as CMWD.
Do you tend to leave reviews for what you read?
Yes, unless I just read the first chapter and click Back. But if I'm invested in the story, I definitely review.
If you are someone who doesn't enjoy romance, why?
I don't enjoy romance when it's boring. When it doesn't have the trifecta of great characters, an interesting storyline, and competent writing, I lose interest quickly. I need the promise of drama (not melodrama) or suspense, something to keep me clicking. If it's just couple-y stuff, and I don't particularly care about the couple, then meh, what's the point?
For those of you that write strictly romance, what is it that makes you stay away from the other genres? Which of the other genres do you find you want to skip and why?
N/A
FrickingKaos:
Well I write romance....in fact I have a series....but it is not all about being a couple...its about Nick finding himself and what he wants out of life. I follow him from 10 years old to 26...and its AU. I do think romance is a bit played out. Yes I put myself in a story...and promoptly died in said story. It is funny that I write it, yet I don't read many. Also my stories I am writing lately are not so much in the romance category. I am more into suspense now. But I think the 12 year old in all of us likes a good old romance fic now and then lol.
myconfession:
For those of you that write strictly romance, what is it that makes you stay away from the other genres? Which of the other genres do you find you want to skip and why?
I tend to write mainly romance / comedy type stories. Sometimes I write suspense or dark stories, but I tend to stay away from anything sci-fi, especially reading wise. If it's not something that COULD happen, I tend to don't want to read it or write about it.
How many of you read romance and or write romance on a regular basis? And do you feel like it tends to get a bad rep? If so what do you feel are some of the misconceptions out there?
Romance is mostly what I write and mostly what I read and yep, totally gets a bad rep.
I feel like that a lot of non-romance readers or writers tend to think that most romance stories are dreams of the writer and that their main character is a vision of themselves. Sometimes this is the case, even with me. My first story, total Mary Sue. But just because a characters name is reminiscent of the author (like Tara in IWBB), doesn't mean the character is based on the author.
How many of you have ever read at least one romance and what was it about it, that made you go back or stop?
The writing is always the thing for me, and the characters. If I can't love the characters and want to root for them, then what's the point?
Do you tend to leave reviews for what you read? Always
myconfession:
--- Quote from: Rose on July 04, 2011, 08:21:09 PM ---Right. I mean there can be a happy ending even within the destruction of a relationship, as it adds to the growth of the two as people. It'd be a nice change.
--- End quote ---
That is a big misconception that everything is happily ever after with "romance" stories. I try my best to stay away from that cliche and boy does it piss readers off LMFAO
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