Fantasy Story Gone Romantic

[Asterisk]

Help! My WIP isn't an epic fantasy with a romance subplot anymore. It's a romance set in a fantasy world.

The story doesn't focus on the protag's journey as a hero, but her journey to becoming the hero. Throughout most of the story, she travels with a companion, the villain's son. I noticed that their relationship and the romance between them is what's mainly driving the story.

So now I'm panicking, because the last thing I want is a romance story. Have you had these problems? Do you think I should just go with it? What can I do to bring the "epic" back into my story?!

 

[Jabrosky]

Why exactly do you want to avoid a romance?

Perhaps if you interspersed enough "epic" material (e.g. action scenes) between the romance elements, people won't think of it as a romance but rather an action-packed fantasy story with a romantic subplot. That actually could appeal not only to women but to men too, and everybody likes cross-gender appeal.

Coincidentally, this morning I had a story pop into my head that centers on a romance. I have this couple of adventurers who have loved each other for a while, and the really severe tension kicks in once the villain tests the girl's love for her boyfriend. However, there are some monsters who provide additional action, and in general I'm aiming for an exotic adventure atmosphere.

 

[Feo Takahari]

I absolutely loved The Battle Sylph, and it's exactly what you describe--a romance story with the setting and structure of heroic fantasy.* Writing a primarily romantic story can make it harder to market, but it doesn't have to impede the story's quality.

*The journey of one hero sounds a little small to be "epic," but that's another thread.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

It's not about what you write,and sometimes as a writer not even about you. The story seems to be unfolding itself whether as a romnce or a fantasy and you should probably just go for it unless it looks like it's inconsistent within itself - i.e. changing from one genre to the other in the book.

The only thing you can really do wrong is with promoting it. I hate Twilight. But in the normal scheme of things I should never have had to make that statement. I should never have even known that I hate it. The reason I do is that I started watching it. And the only reason I started watching it was because some marketing slimeball advertised it as a vampire movie. It's not. It's teenage romance. And if it had been promoted as such I would never have started watching it, gradually becoming more and more sick as I waited impatiently for the neck biting and throat ripping to begin and then realised it wasn't coming.

Cheers, Greg.

 

[glutton]

*The journey of one hero sounds a little small to be "epic," but that's another thread.

But what if she's an *epic* hero? XD

 

[A. E. Lowan]

I actually just started a thread about this in the Marketing forum.

http://mythicscribes.com/forums/publishing/10556-how-write-sell-cross-genre-novel.html

We basically write what's called cross-genre - what might be called dark urban fantasy romance. Our stories are extremely character driven, and as a result we have very strong romantic subplots - to the extent that some really are themselves full-blown plots, which is where we cross genres. We don't write relationships because we're interesting in appealing to women (there is some nonsense about romance being a "girly" thing), we write them because they're an integral part of the human experience - and we are writing a multi-generational family saga, and families come from somewhere...

It sounds like your characters have developed well and are running away with the story. In my opinion, that's a good thing! It means you've given your characters life and agency, and now they're rewarding you with surprises. I'm not sure why you don't want to have a romance in your story or why you think romance can't be "epic," (anyone who can't name 5 epic romances from history, please raise your hands) but if I were you I would follow this rabbit down the hole and see where it leads you. You might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[skip.knox]

If their love saves the world, that'd be pretty epic.

 

[Asterisk]

Why exactly do you want to avoid a romance?

Great question. I guess I'm just scared that people won't like it and that I'm not good at writing romance... but my sister argues that lots of people love romance. "It helps readers grow close with the characters," she insists.

Perhaps if you interspersed enough "epic" material (e.g. action scenes) between the romance elements, people won't think of it as a romance but rather an action-packed fantasy story with a romantic subplot.

Ooo, great reminder! Balancing the action and romance. Thank you!

The story seems to be unfolding itself whether as a romance or a fantasy and you should probably just go for it

It sounds like your characters have developed well and are running away with the story. In my opinion, that's a good thing! It means you've given your characters life and agency, and now they're rewarding you with surprises. I'm not sure why you don't want to have a romance in your story or why you think romance can't be "epic," (anyone who can't name 5 epic romances from history, please raise your hands) but if I were you I would follow this rabbit down the hole and see where it leads you. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Thank you so much. You're right... I'm going to go with it and see where it takes me. I can always go back and change it if it's horrifically wrong.

I love this...

If their love saves the world, that'd be pretty epic.

 

[Firekeeper]

I'm a big believer in that you don't choose the stories you write, they choose you, at least to a certain degree. It sounds to me like this story has taken a life of its own and is guiding you, rather than you guiding it. That is quite an achievement and one that not many writers experience. Congratulations!

 

[AnneL]

Other people have said this, but you have to tell the story that wants to be told. If you think of it as a love story instead of a romance, you might be happier. I suppressed my inner love story for years, and when I finally gave in and wrote it, that was the book that sold. And now it's out of my system and I can tell other stories instead of having it try to hijack everything I write.

 

[Saigonnus]

Why not simply use it to bring them together, then in some terrific or terrible fashion drive them apart. Perhaps he betrays her to the enemy or is simply using her and it comes to light, he is a villain himself after all.