How Not to Do Romance (and How to Do It Right)

Romance is in practically every single book I pick up these days. It may not even be a romance book in particular; most science fiction trilogies, mysteries, and even coming-of-age stories usually have a romance alongside them. Some people absolutely despise romance, but I really enjoy it. When done well, the development of a relationship between two individuals can be fascinating and beautiful. When they finally reach the highest point, I love the exhilaration that comes knowing those people deserve it.

However, there's a right way and a wrong way to do romance. As an aspiring writer, I constantly pay attention to the methods authors use so I can figure out what to do in my own work. Some authors make relationships work for me, while others turn them into confusing contradictions or laughingstocks. You never want to make me cackle up a storm when a couple shares their first kiss, and you never want to make me roll my eyes when the couple has sex. Here are some of my pet peeves involving romance and how to improve them.

Luke's Book Reviews #2: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

I really like gay romance in fiction. I just find a relationship between two people of the same gender (mostly two boys) absolutely fascinating, and I really love that some people in real life have chosen to stay true to who they are and not live up to the straight status quo and pretend to be someone they're not. However, I don't feel as if these kinds of books have ever really been part of the mainstream reading world outside of young adult. Sure, you have titles like Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, More Happy Than Not, Lies My Girlfriend Told Me, and others from the past five years or so in young adult, but I almost never really see it in the adult romance or fiction sections at the bookstore (maybe that's because I mainly focus on young adult and hardly spend my time elsewhere, but no matter how many times I've looked, I've never found a new adult or adult gay romance published from major companies (they're published a lot more independently)).

I don't know if this is because gay romance is a harder thing to sell in a different market (like adult or children's), or if publishers think teenagers relate to sexuality the most and don't think other people experience it too. I think that's not true, because I'm pretty sure there are kindergartners right now who may have different kinds of feelings (feelings for same sex, want to be different gender), but don't feel as if they can read anything that supports that.

Young adult fiction had that phase too, and this was one of the books that changed it. Boy Meets Boy was first published in 2003 (another well-known YA book with LGBT characters, Geography Club, was also released in that year) and was very blunt about what it was. When you see the title of the book and relate that to the candy hearts, you immediately know "This is a gay romance". Some people would turn away at this point, but I was very much intrigued. Like I said before, I love reading about guys kissing (the fanfictions have affected my brain), but I also knew that this book was going to be a light and fluffy read filled with fun times (my brother also absolutely adored it).

So how was this book? Were the 185 pages (yes, that's how long it is) cute and fun, filled with a cute romance, real teen issues, and things I could relate to? Or was it a disappointment?

Luke's Book Reviews #1: The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen

I'm going to admit something that will make football players want to aim their throws directly at me. I'm not a big fan of football.

It might have something to do with the actual game (I do not want a concussion to be the highlight of my high school career), the players (some of the people who play the sport at my school are a bunch of jerks I'd rather not associate with), or a combination of other factors (picking up the morning after a college football game is a little disgusting, to be honest). To sum up my feelings, I find it boring, irritating, and it's just not in my field of interests.

Let me wait a second until all the pitchforks are gone. Are we good? Great. Let's continue.

When I saw that this book was about a group of girls getting revenge on their high school football team, I was immediately excited. I occasionally see a book every now and then about revenge, but against the football team? That's a whole new level of awesome. 

But I was still a little nervous about starting this story. Rachael Allen's first novel, 17 First Kisses, had received polarizing reviews from Goodreads reviewers, and some had deemed the book the kind that put a romance with the "OMG HE'S SO CUTE" new guy over a previously established friendship (to be honest, that sounds like a bunch of other love triangle romance ridden contemporary novels). When the positive ratings came in for this book (most notably from a famous Goodreads reviewer by the name of Khanh, who has written some of the harshest reviews I've ever seen), I let out a sigh of relief. Because of those, I went into this book ready to like it.

How did The Revenge Playbook play out (no pun intended)? Was it shallow and focused more on romance or criticizing other girls' choices (this is also known as *gulp* slut-shaming)? Or was it an empowering novel that focused on a group of positive girls that wanted a difference to be made and their points about females proven?

Indecision

Ah, indecisiveness. That stubborn personality trait that makes you unable to make a decision. Sometimes, even after you make a decision, you have regrets, doubts that linger in your head and scream out that you've made the wrong choice. To be blunt, indecisiveness may be my worst trait besides my impatience and my lack of confidence in some situations, because there are some decisions I have to make that I'm not so sure about when they're all said and done.

I've finished writing a story called Duet, which is about a boy discovering who he really is and falling in love with another boy (yes, a gay romance). Some of the scenes in the book might not be appropriate for the young adult genre (those scenes involve sex), and while writing them, I've constantly had to go back and forth to decide what to put down, what not to put down, what's okay to talk about, and what I should keep on the down-low so readers can imagine what's going on for themselves.

A lot of the conversations in my head went like this:

All right, so in this scene, Cam and Kyle are going to do...stuff. Let's try this word.

Yes, Luke. That's perfect! By not being specific in some scenes, you're taking away from what you want to talk about. That's why this works!

No, that doesn't work AT ALL. You're not an erotica author, so you can't make the sex as smutty as possible. CHANGE IT!!!!!

Um...what if  what I just said is too much? Maybe I should edit it.

Luke, it's perfectly fine! You have nothing to worry about. You're writing this the way you want to, so you shouldn't doubt yourself.

Yes, please edit it! What if people see this and question you for it? That would be awful! Make it as ambiguous as possible.

No, it's fine!

It's anything but fine. Change it!

No!

Yes!

NO!

YES!

NO!

YES x1000!

*grits teeth*