It’s no secret that I write dark, twisty stuff. I write about serial killers and murdery mayhem and psychopaths and sociopaths, and it's pretty obvious that I'm drawn to the sinister side of human nature.
But who says I don't love a good romance?
In terms of genre romance, I might not write it or read very much of it, but I can't deny that I love when romantic elements pop up in a story. Maybe it's because I'm nosy by nature – I always want to know who's doing it with whom, even though I know it's none of my goddamned business.
But the thing is, I prefer when it's not the main story line. I like romance (and sex) best when it's part of the undercurrent supporting the bigger picture. I like my lovey bits to be a spice, not an entrée. Just like I enjoy my steaks with Montreal seasoning, so too do I enjoy my mystery/thriller/suspense/crime novels with a certain dose of romantic tension.
In my current WIP – well, I can't tell you much about it yet, lest I jinx it – there's a new romance budding between a police detective and the quirky medical examiner as they pore over dead body after dead body. It's nowhere near the main storyline, and not something I planned for, but I literally couldn't seem to stop them from falling in love. (Making goo-goo eyes over a decomposing corpse? I did warn you that I gravitate toward the dark and twisted.)
Romantic elements can add an interesting layer to the plot, allowing us to see sides of the characters we wouldn't otherwise get to see, which can then enrich character motivation and other main elements of the story.
What about you? Do you like those lovey bits that sometimes pop up in thrilling stories, or would you prefer to "kill" the romance?
20 comments:
any movies should have romantic elements, if not it's no fun to watch it:)
ooohh good point about spice! a sprinkling of romance leads to great tension. I like my romance to be part of the supporting act as well, so I totally agree with this post XD
I'm with you....romance as an undercurrent works best for me. It helps ups the stakes when you need them raised sometimes. :)
I'm always up for a good romance, especially is there is comedy. or a killing.
I'm with you - romance is best when it's an undercurrent and not the main flow. When I'm writing, I always find two people gravitating toward each other in a romantic way, but I've never made it the main storyline. My characters have too much to do to spend too much time building a relationship. LOL
I seem to hold EXACTLY the view you do on this (only I'm not as nice about it)--I tend to poo poo 'romance' because I don't really buy the happily ever after thing and REALLY don't buy that a man solves any problems. But somehow I ALWAYS have a little love (or sexual tension or both) creep into all my books, and I love it when it happens in another book... you know... so long as it's only a side thing.
"As they pore over dead body after dead body." Hmm? Perhaps they're necromantics?
I don't mind lovey bits popping up in a story. I think that it helps the story a long.
I like the "lovey bits" (so cute, Alicia!) if the romance is authentic and flawed. If it's perfect, meh - it falls flat for me.
I'm with you - I like it to pepper the story, not be the main story. I think it makes the romance far more enticing if we're teased along with it.
Oh good! I'm not the only one! Sometimes I worry that romance (in my own stories) dilutes the edgier stuff, but then I think sometimes readers need a break here and there.
It is great that you are letting your characters lead you. That should make it feel more natural and not just like you put it in there as a plot point.
Yes, love the romance as a side element but not the main story. Like sweet frosting smeared on my dark fudge cake of a story.lol
Like sugar dust on my donut...or sprinkles on top of my cupcake.
I could go on. I'm hungry and I have an arsenal of similes.
I love romance, both when it's just adding spice and as the main course. But I think there needs to be more to the story than just a boy meets girl plot. But I love a good emotionally trying tale, whether its romance or thriller :)
Ah, steamy sexual tension amidst death. It's bound to happen. LOL Can't wait, Jennifer.
I love it when romance just happens to your characters--so silly and fun! I agree about spice versus entree. I need something else going on!
A little romance goes a long way.
Marsha - LOL!
Thanks for the feedback, guys. It's nice to know that we have all have soft spots for good old-fashioned romance.
There's a lot of romance and sexual chemistry over dead bodies. Seriously.
Anyway, I think I'm sort of in the same place, though my current WiP doesn't really show it. I thought about adding some, but it seemed like it would was added weight, so I scaled it way back, almost to non-existence.
So... I like it as a little spice, but it also doesn't need to be there in every story.
There's tension, and there's sexual tension. And there's no substitute for some nice sexual tension. I like romance to be a strong undercurrent in a story, but not the only thing going on. And I hate when you have a thriller and the people are getting too distracted with each other, because in real life they would just be trying to stay alive (or accomplish whatever).
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