For a romance that’s meant to be positive, I usually think of the characters’ dynamic as being like best friends that just take their relationship further than most friends would, and then interactions with each other don’t feel quite as melodramatic.
This is genuinely the most clear and actionable advice I’ve ever heard on this topic. Romance and love can feel so squishy, and it can be easy to think you have an intuitive sense for how it should work on the page, and then super hard to diagnose why it absolutely is NOT working on the page lol. Thank you for this!!
Ah so happy to hear that!! It can definitely seem like an amorphous, hard to pin down subject, which is why I haven't made a video on it until now - it can be so hard to explain!
This addressed so many problems I had with one of my novels. I was doing edits and I remember writing down questions like: “why are they even in love?” “Why are they fighting for this relationship?” “Why is it this person or nothing?”
So many great points here. I especially liked the suggestion to hyper-focus on small details of a character's behavior to show how carefully the POV character is observing (and being drawn to) them. And so the reader can see the other character through the eyes of this growing love.
Truly yelled at the end 🤣🤣🤣. Worth the price of admission alone. But no fr lol, really excellent advice all the way through, especially the succinct breakdown of tying in theme and the mutual "bettering" of each character by one another. One of those things that's so obvious but doesn't quite click until you hear it said aloud!
What is the character's relationship to being loved? I'm getting bell hooks vibes with that question. Thank you for providing several gold nuggets in this tip video. 🎉
As a major aroace I desperately need the advice, everything I try come up is either doomed and quietly rotten or completely mechanical. So thank you for the video!
Same here! I am a total hermit (username checks out haha), and I have always struggled with writing romance. Coming up with bizarre nonsense comes as naturally to me as a forest stroll, but even the slightest hint of romance in my works makes it clear to the reader that I am an alien.
As an aro, I tend to write everything as different types of platonic relationships. Very fulfilling for me, but dammit sometimes the characters are supposed to be romantically involved ☹️
Adding to the thematic compatibility, i think that pretty much explains the "why". If somebody is challenging your worldview or your opinion on something that matters to you and they are adding their own complex thoughts and introspection to the topic, it makes sense for you to be attentive to that person. They're participating in what directly affects you. That shows a level of attention, whether its enemies to lovers or something else. Even if they butt heads due to differing opinions, they're still engaging in a meaningful conversation, they're paying more attention than anyone else. I think that raises a lot of intrigue and curiosity that can only be piqued by this specific person. No one else cares about this thing like they do, it's like shared interest but dialed up. I often use themes as a way to create chemistry and appeal to my characters.
also want to piggyback and add that shaelin's other video about compelling character relationships is also helpful for this! i've been thinking about some of the questions raised in the video as i've been working on a YA romance story, specifically the "what does this relationship encourage or suppress in the characters" (or something to that effect) and the "what do these characters understand about each other that no one else does" and my alpha readers have been highlighting that the relationship feels really strong because of how unique the dynamic is to them!
I love reading slow burn with a lot of angst, unresolved tension, soulmate like bonds, and sometimes tragic ends, but god it's so hard to write it well... I feel like what I enjoy reading and what I enjoy writing are two separate things, especially when it comes to romance, so I'm slowly trying to explore the type of relationships I want to write about. This video is useful, thank you!
“I can’t say that.” 😂 This is such a wonderful video! I love that you’re writing a fantasy romance! I love romance subplots in stories, especially fantasy! Fanfic is what actually taught me how to write romance (the two characters are basically enemies to lovers IMO, but never got together because the show was cancelled-my absolute favorite show!), but I can also see how some of that carried over into the original fiction I would write years later and am still writing. Great insight! 🥰
I don't even write that much because I can't ever keep working on one project for more than one night, but Shaelin you have been my comfort TH-camr since I stumbled across your channel like 5 years ago and I always wait for your new uploads, you make my day so much better when you post!! just wanted to tell you that keep doing what you're doing and I can't wait to read one of your novels when they finally come out ❤❤
There is a reason I always come back to Shaelin, it's due to the quality of the information. You are passionate and knowledgeable in the writingcraft, and it shows. I couldn't praise you enough, keep up the good work!
This is exceptional. I feel like someone just handed me the key to the secrets of the universe. And it was also so funny 🤣🤣🤣 Hope your Valentine's Day was enjoyable! Thank you for sharing your insights/wisdom!
To all these great points, I would add another step: having an endgame. It helps for the story as a whole, but specifically for romance, you want every plot and character beat with direct connection to their relationship to flow into the cause and effect of where their relationship ends up.
This is so damn helpful. I'm writing a poetry book about a 15 year relationship (in real life) and I just couldn't figure out how to convey WHY it mattered so much without narrating it all. This is super helpful in expanding how I can explain it!!!
@shaelinwrites I haven't finished the video, yet but as a very new romance author this is going to be helpful with praticial tips. I am excited to to put them to use in my stories and to come back to this video again and again.
I feel like I accidentally built the structure of a story where each aspect of it is absolutely wonderful, cohesive, and it carries and explores its main themes, as well as many other, relevant ones. Now I’m absolutely TERRIFIED to start writing it and wasting the best concept of a story I could ever wish to come up with
I would love a video about side characters, specifically what role you would say they fill. I have heard some say that side characters are there to propel the plot and I have also seen writers just create side characters as a springboard for the main character to have interactions with. How should supporting characters affect the story, do they need stories that resolve? Or are they just set dressing?
I added a romance just to avoid seeming to have internalized homophobia given the nature of the antagonist, but it became a more and more relevant part of the story. Also let me lean more and more into the "amateurs study tactics, experts study logistics" and "an army runs on its stomach" side of things because the outcome of the war that's taking place is essentially a foregone conclusion but who is and isn't going to survive it is anything but.
Pages unfurled. Cattle howled. Chickens barking. Artful Incongruity and specificity married to the phrase. - Me trying to be poetic (I'm a longtime gay fan! Keep up the awesome writing advice and lesbian power! XD)
I'm compelled to create romance only for the antagonists. Like, it's worth it and strong if it's doomed. The protagonist already has things to do without being distracted by romance. Or I create love stories for protagonists but the relationships has to already be strong and it's not a subplot
For a romance that’s meant to be positive, I usually think of the characters’ dynamic as being like best friends that just take their relationship further than most friends would, and then interactions with each other don’t feel quite as melodramatic.
This is genuinely the most clear and actionable advice I’ve ever heard on this topic. Romance and love can feel so squishy, and it can be easy to think you have an intuitive sense for how it should work on the page, and then super hard to diagnose why it absolutely is NOT working on the page lol. Thank you for this!!
Ah so happy to hear that!! It can definitely seem like an amorphous, hard to pin down subject, which is why I haven't made a video on it until now - it can be so hard to explain!
This addressed so many problems I had with one of my novels. I was doing edits and I remember writing down questions like: “why are they even in love?” “Why are they fighting for this relationship?” “Why is it this person or nothing?”
Those are all great questions to ask!!
I’m only 48 seconds into the video right now but whenever you publish a fantasy romance I am THERE
thank you I'm soooo stoked about it!!
So many great points here. I especially liked the suggestion to hyper-focus on small details of a character's behavior to show how carefully the POV character is observing (and being drawn to) them. And so the reader can see the other character through the eyes of this growing love.
Truly yelled at the end 🤣🤣🤣. Worth the price of admission alone. But no fr lol, really excellent advice all the way through, especially the succinct breakdown of tying in theme and the mutual "bettering" of each character by one another. One of those things that's so obvious but doesn't quite click until you hear it said aloud!
What is the character's relationship to being loved? I'm getting bell hooks vibes with that question.
Thank you for providing several gold nuggets in this tip video. 🎉
“What makes a good love story in real life is not what makes a good love story in fiction.” So true. 😅
As a major aroace I desperately need the advice, everything I try come up is either doomed and quietly rotten or completely mechanical. So thank you for the video!
I’m aro, not ace, but I’ve been trying to write a short story with a romantic relationship and could never figure out how to write it
Same here! I am a total hermit (username checks out haha), and I have always struggled with writing romance. Coming up with bizarre nonsense comes as naturally to me as a forest stroll, but even the slightest hint of romance in my works makes it clear to the reader that I am an alien.
@@BlackHermit Same here. I can conjure up the wildest eldritch beings but writing a kiss scene or any other romance scene? Nope
As an aro, I tend to write everything as different types of platonic relationships. Very fulfilling for me, but dammit sometimes the characters are supposed to be romantically involved ☹️
Why are you trying to write something you can't relate to?
Adding to the thematic compatibility, i think that pretty much explains the "why". If somebody is challenging your worldview or your opinion on something that matters to you and they are adding their own complex thoughts and introspection to the topic, it makes sense for you to be attentive to that person. They're participating in what directly affects you. That shows a level of attention, whether its enemies to lovers or something else. Even if they butt heads due to differing opinions, they're still engaging in a meaningful conversation, they're paying more attention than anyone else. I think that raises a lot of intrigue and curiosity that can only be piqued by this specific person. No one else cares about this thing like they do, it's like shared interest but dialed up. I often use themes as a way to create chemistry and appeal to my characters.
also want to piggyback and add that shaelin's other video about compelling character relationships is also helpful for this! i've been thinking about some of the questions raised in the video as i've been working on a YA romance story, specifically the "what does this relationship encourage or suppress in the characters" (or something to that effect) and the "what do these characters understand about each other that no one else does" and my alpha readers have been highlighting that the relationship feels really strong because of how unique the dynamic is to them!
I love reading slow burn with a lot of angst, unresolved tension, soulmate like bonds, and sometimes tragic ends, but god it's so hard to write it well... I feel like what I enjoy reading and what I enjoy writing are two separate things, especially when it comes to romance, so I'm slowly trying to explore the type of relationships I want to write about.
This video is useful, thank you!
“I can’t say that.” 😂
This is such a wonderful video! I love that you’re writing a fantasy romance! I love romance subplots in stories, especially fantasy! Fanfic is what actually taught me how to write romance (the two characters are basically enemies to lovers IMO, but never got together because the show was cancelled-my absolute favorite show!), but I can also see how some of that carried over into the original fiction I would write years later and am still writing. Great insight! 🥰
I am do excited that your writing a fantasty romance, can't wait to hear more about it!
I'm excited too!!
I don't even write that much because I can't ever keep working on one project for more than one night, but Shaelin you have been my comfort TH-camr since I stumbled across your channel like 5 years ago and I always wait for your new uploads, you make my day so much better when you post!! just wanted to tell you that keep doing what you're doing and I can't wait to read one of your novels when they finally come out ❤❤
I like how you said disastrous, so much flair
Never thought I'd see the day you made this idk why 😂
Haha me neither! I used to never write romance so figured I’d never make a video on it either
There is a reason I always come back to Shaelin, it's due to the quality of the information. You are passionate and knowledgeable in the writingcraft, and it shows. I couldn't praise you enough, keep up the good work!
Emotional vulnerability and paying attention to physical movements are *really* good tips.
Also, glad to hear you have a girlfriend, miss! 🙂👍
This is exceptional. I feel like someone just handed me the key to the secrets of the universe. And it was also so funny 🤣🤣🤣
Hope your Valentine's Day was enjoyable! Thank you for sharing your insights/wisdom!
To all these great points, I would add another step: having an endgame. It helps for the story as a whole, but specifically for romance, you want every plot and character beat with direct connection to their relationship to flow into the cause and effect of where their relationship ends up.
I really like the point about physicality, that's a practical piece of advice I'll hold on to! Thanks for the great video!
Thanks for the tips 😊
And perfect timing since I am currently writing a fantasy romance!
I love this topic! (Also, your shirt .)
This is so damn helpful. I'm writing a poetry book about a 15 year relationship (in real life) and I just couldn't figure out how to convey WHY it mattered so much without narrating it all. This is super helpful in expanding how I can explain it!!!
@shaelinwrites I haven't finished the video, yet but as a very new romance author this is going to be helpful with praticial tips. I am excited to to put them to use in my stories and to come back to this video again and again.
Thank you for all that you do!
Hey shaelin, I know you probably get this question nonstop, but I was wondering if there was any update on Honey Vinegar’s publication?
When I have an update I can share, I'll announce it publicly as soon as I can :)
This video is great
I feel like I accidentally built the structure of a story where each aspect of it is absolutely wonderful, cohesive, and it carries and explores its main themes, as well as many other, relevant ones. Now I’m absolutely TERRIFIED to start writing it and wasting the best concept of a story I could ever wish to come up with
I would love a video about side characters, specifically what role you would say they fill. I have heard some say that side characters are there to propel the plot and I have also seen writers just create side characters as a springboard for the main character to have interactions with. How should supporting characters affect the story, do they need stories that resolve? Or are they just set dressing?
I added a romance just to avoid seeming to have internalized homophobia given the nature of the antagonist, but it became a more and more relevant part of the story. Also let me lean more and more into the "amateurs study tactics, experts study logistics" and "an army runs on its stomach" side of things because the outcome of the war that's taking place is essentially a foregone conclusion but who is and isn't going to survive it is anything but.
This sounds very interesting
Pages unfurled. Cattle howled. Chickens barking. Artful Incongruity and specificity married to the phrase. - Me trying to be poetic
(I'm a longtime gay fan! Keep up the awesome writing advice and lesbian power! XD)
Happy Valentine's Day Shaelin.
I'm compelled to create romance only for the antagonists. Like, it's worth it and strong if it's doomed. The protagonist already has things to do without being distracted by romance. Or I create love stories for protagonists but the relationships has to already be strong and it's not a subplot
Yay romance
I can't say that 😅😊
Ah so someone watched until the end
👍👌
why are all videos about romance about romantic subplots, and not romance as a genre
@@elementeight8 yeah but I like it and I'm tired of not finding videos about it, finding a guide on plotting romance is so hard
2:14 The protagonist must fight the misery that is systematic transphobia!
I mean, it's something!
There's no conflict in our relationship
Don't jinx it 😂
This is also one of those subjects you need IRL experience with because knowing the nuances of a relationship can't be faked.
Gay marriage passed in greece yesterday lets go
Yesss I heard!!! Amazing🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
🤎❤️🩹❤️🔥💕💕💕💕♥️👍
Wow! 11 emojis!