Clean Romance Rant!!
Introduction
Don’t you hate the feeling of betrayal? More specifically book betrayal. When you’re reading a book and all of a sudden there’s… a scene. A romance scene that went a bit too far. Your heart sinks and you silently yell at the author for going down that path. You might skip those scenes or you might drop the book all together. Either way you feel betrayed. So this is the rant for you!
Smut vs. The World
It seems that in todays culture if the book doesn’t have “smut” in it, it can’t claim to have romance. I’m overstating it…a little; but the fact is more and more books that I might have liked have been stained with things I don’t want to read about. Now there are the scenes where it isn’t delved into, like in The Wrath and the Dawn, and then there are books like the series that hosts A Court of Thorns and Roses where these scenes are… exploited.
Good Romance
Is it possible then, to have romance that doesn’t involve a bedroom? YES!!!! More authors need to realize that! Be honest, isn’t it more satisfying to read about a romance that came about slowly? To feel what the characters feel for each other? To see them sacrifice their happiness for the other? To see them help each other and strive to see the other smile? Also, I’m not going to lie, a well placed kiss or hug when appropriate? (I can see Louise rolling her eyes as she edits this).
Touchy
Even if the characters don’t cross the line, but are pretty handsy with each other I still internally gag. And it isn’t because I’m not a touchy person (which is true) it’s just that that kind of physical romance is so…shallow, uncreative, and just plain weird. Now I understand that you might like this, but I don’t and I’m the one blogging here so go complain in the comments.
More ranting
Writers need to be more creative with their romance. If the only way you can signal to the audience that these characters like each other is by having them go too far, then you need to re-examine your characters. This sounds harsh because it is (this is also a rant so…) Romance is sweeter when the characters are well-crafted and genuinely care for each other.
Conclusion
I could go on and on about how to write good romance but for your sakes (and Louise’s) I’ll stop here. Please write clean romance and get those books on the market! If you happen to be a writer who dabbles in romance tell me about it in the comments! Also, if you have any questions about writing romance please ask me in the comments! I love answering questions on that subject!
*takes deep breath and lets it out*
The rant has ended.
Joelle Stone
October 3, 2021 at 9:47 pmYES!!! THE WORLD NEEDS MORE CLEAN ROMANCE!!
I’m not a romance fan. (At least, not most of the time – Grace Johnson’s “Held Captive” was pretty good, and LOTR (books) had some swaggy romance-that-wasn’t-really-romance-in-the-secular-sense.) I’ve never dated, rarely have crushes, and am still debating whether or not I even WANT to date. When I see (whether in books or real life) how couples act around each other, it kinda makes me sick to my stomach.
So.
Thanks for the rant. 🙂
Twi
October 3, 2021 at 11:48 pmMy pleasure!
I got the idea after being betrayed by not one but two authors in the same day. I personally LOVE romance! I’m a hopeless romantic. I have a Pinterest board dedicated to romantic stuff. I feel like I have good insight on it especially with writing, so a few of my friends have asked me for romance writing advice. You remind me of Louise in the romance department lol. So if Louise likes a romance that is a high honor.
Also I love LOTR sooooo much! My favorite ship from that book is Ayowen and Farimeir (yes I know I spelled those wrong)
Thanks for reading my rant 🙂
Joelle Stone
October 4, 2021 at 9:42 pmOof, that’s rough… *winces for you* Ooh, maybe I’ll have to ask you for romance advice when my characters get to that point… 😉
XD Yeah, I think we have similar ideas about that end of things. 😛 (BTW, you made me laugh with that line, “I can see Louise rolling her eyes as she edits this”. XD)
IT’S SOOO GOOOD!!!!!! Ooh, yes, those guys made a great couple!! Personally I appreciated how Aragorn and Arwen waited like 50 years (no joke) to get married, though they WAY overdid the romance in the movies. *frown* But, best of all, I liked Sam and Rosie. So perfect. 🙂
Of course! I can’t wait to see what y’all put out next!
Twi
October 5, 2021 at 6:29 pmI’d love to give you advice about romance for your characters!
Lol. Louise probably did roll her eyes but whatever. It’s my post I can do what I want. (Louise is reading this and giving me a look)
Stephanie
October 5, 2021 at 9:58 pmI do include romance in my YA stories. Everyone has a different standard on the physical contact so I’ve tried to balance that. I can’t say mine don’t contain any. But I try not to do that too much and definitely do not detail it. I think an almost kiss can be even more romantic personally. 😉 But I’ve read too many that seem to go farther than necessary. I hope that posts like this one will tell authors that there is indeed an audience who want and need romance that is more old-fashioned like we find in the classics.
Twi
October 6, 2021 at 12:14 amOld fashioneed romance is waaayyyyy more romantic. Like taking someone arm. I wish that was normal to do with my guy friends because I feel like taking someone’s arms can be platonic.
When I write romance I add a little physical stuff but not much. (I haven’t gotten their yet with my characters) As of now my characters I fingering out their feelings for one another.
Also the almost kiss is to die for. Nothing will make me swoon and at the same time yell internally at the book like the almost kiss. This drove me nuts in the book Traitors Game. lol
A toast then! *raises invisible glass off water* to more clean and classic romance!
Mrs. Smyth
December 29, 2021 at 3:33 pmGreat insights! Romance in novels doesn’t need to be “smutty” to be good. There’s nothing wrong with a little bit if clean romance. It makes a story lively for hopeless romantics.
Twi
January 2, 2022 at 11:37 pmIndeed! And I am a hopeless romantic. 😉