  Romance/Love
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So what is love?
Constructing the plot of a romance story could be tricky.
It might help if you give a thought to how you view "Love".
Love could be a Game, an Art, a Science, a Gamble, Destiny, a Trap, or so many other things ... depending on how you view it.
It could, of course, be a combination of these, or even none of them! These are my personal thoughts, you could have a whole list of your own! |
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So what is love?
Is love a Game?
A game of catch, a game of hide-n-seek ... or, on a deeper level, a game of chess, with long and short term strategies?
If you view 'love' as a game, your characters, dialogues, the incidents you construct, will be geared to each person making a 'move' and that move resulting in victory or defeat. Of course, if both sides want the relationship, there may be no 'lose', it'll just be whose strategy worked in the end that'll determine the 'victor'.
If it's a game of 'hide-n-seek', you'll need to determine who is hiding, are they taking it in turns to hide, do they want to be 'found' or not ... ?
A game is played (positives):-
i. to have 'good' fun, which is mutual
ii. to test the 'opponent's' (love interest's) worthiness,
iii. to test compatibility, or
iv. to buy time to sort out one's own feelings, in case of honest confusion about what one wants.
Looked at negatively, a game could be played:
i. to cop out of a commitment,
ii. to pass the blame,
iii. just out of a mean sense of fun (one-sided), or
iv. to move on to 'greener pastures'.
The emphasis here would probably be on two distinct individuals, and how each one plays.
There would be 'minor' characters, who would be sounding-boards for the major players, and who serve to 'keep score'.
Is love an Art?
An 'art' implies creating something beautiful, something timeless, something worth having. It means you're willing to give something to get something.
Here, the pace of the story would probably be slower ... more time given to description of the setting, probing the characters' innermost thoughts. It is a relationship, togetherness, a twosome forming out of two individuals melding together. The emphasis would be on the shared aspects of the relationship.
In this type of story, I see scope for developing the two main characters very deeply, without much involvement from other characters.
Is love a Science?
A science implies a kind of formula - x + y = z.
Here, you would have theories -- like 'opposites attract'
(I recently read in the newspaper that this theory might be based in science, opposites do attract to make sure the children get a variety of genes.)
Or - 'birds of a feather flock together'.
(This is natural - the characters meet in school or college, or in a working environment or social gathering, because they share some common ground.)
So, your characters and their circumstances would need to be constructed carefully, to fit whichever formula you're using. You'd need to bring out their characteristics, and how these characteristics naturally bring the two together.
Is love a Gamble?
Is it a gamble? Just call a number, and maybe you win, maybe you don't?
In this type of story, I see more-than-one plots running together, possibly inter-woven, to compare and contrast the ones who lucked out, with the ones who didn't.
Is love Destiny?
This means they were 'made for each other', and they had to find each other.
A plot would probably contain a series of co-incidences that led to their meeting.
Or, like in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" (the caskets, where Bassanio picks the right one) you could have a test, in which the two who are destined to be together wind up together.
And -- destiny also implies 'not to be' -- like in "The Titanic" or in (yes, I do keep mentioning Shakespeare!) "Romeo and Juliet".
Is love a Trap?
Sorry if I'm causing some romantic bubbles to vanish -- but there is a theory that says that romantic love is just a trap -- nature's way of making sure of the continuation of the species!
Would this be the story of the 'ever after' then, and how it was either unhappy, or managed to be happy because though romantic love faded, a more enduring bond took over ... so it's a trap one can fall gladly in to?
Or ... And ... is LOVE ...
i. The Question? The Answer?
ii. The Problem? The Solution?
iii. The Journey? The Destination? -- The road map or the milestone.
iv. The Past -- a wistful memory? The Present -- here and now? The Future -- hopeful anticipation?
v. Prose? Poetry? Drama? A Melody? A Cartoon Strip? An Emoticon?
vi. Real? A Myth?
vii. Thunder? Lightning? Rain?
viii. Freedom? Responsibility?
ix. in the Eyes? Gut? Heart? Brain?
x. A Window -- looking outward? A Mirror -- looking within? A Kaleidoscope -- looking everywhere?
You could have one overall viewpoint as narrator, and construct your plot accordingly.
Or, you could give each character a different viewpoint and let conflict arise from the varying perspectives.
Like I said, this is my list! Let me know what lines you go on, to construct the plot of your romance stories!
Thanks for listening!
- Sonali 
PS: Or is love just an add on to other things in life, like this post-script? |
A few thoughts about love as ___________ ... you decide!
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In my last Romance/Love Newsletter "Romance/Love Newsletter (April 15, 2009)" , I talked about the characters in a Romance Story besides the 'boy' and the 'girl'.
Thanks to all those who wrote in with feedback!
StephBee 
Two thumbs up for a great newsletter! I loved how you defined the supporting cast for the romance genre. When you have a good supporting cast that gels, it really makes the story that much more authentic! Steph
Thank you, Steph. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I appreciate the feedback.
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JACE 
Fabulous newsletter, Sonali. I devoured every word. I've been using some of those points; others, I wonder how I've never thought of them before.  I look forward to your next newsletter.
Jace
Thanks! And  - here it is, my next newsletter, Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for writing in.
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fleckgirl
Sonali - I think you did a very fine job with your very first Romance/Love NL - Kudos to you!
Very informative and I enjoyed it! Keep up the good work!  Fleck
Thanks! -- So glad you like it, and I appreciate the comment!
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emerin-liseli 
Hi Sonali,
This was a great newsletter~ I really enjoyed your description of minor characters.  Thanks for sharing! Hugs, Em
Thank you, Em. Great to hear from you!
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Adriana Noir
Awesome newsletter, Sonali and great romance tips! That list will come in handy!
Thanks! Glad the list of what minor characters do is going to help you!
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Raine
Very good points. Nothing is created in a vaccuum and life isn't either. There's always outside influences, good and bad, that affect the relationship. Word of warning, though, there's nothing more irritating than having a character show up, drop a few sage words of wisdom and then vanish again. If they are important enough to create, they are important enough to use more than once. Otherwise, it feels like a cheap, easy way out.
That's true -- create the characters, and make sure they have their own importance in the story! Thanks for sharing your views!
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Fyn  Great newsletter!!!!
Shannon  SMASHING newsletter, Sonali, and one I will save in my email folder for future reference. Fabulous!
esprit Sonali, what a great editorial! This is one of the best explanations of why minor characters are important too that I've ever seen. It's a keeper.
ShellySunshine I love the collection of items you highlighted. Thank you so much for sharing the Love!
Omigoodness! I really, really appreciate the great feedback from all of you. Your encouragement means a lot to me.
Thank you, thank you! - Sonali
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Added on Friday,June 5, 2009, 2:26am EDT
Feedback from weekendnovel - another important interpretation of "Love".
Thanks for writing in!
Sonali,
I really enjoyed your column on What is Love? Truly a profound and timeless question. To me, love has been a garden with many plants and flowers. I have rolled in the dirt with a few prairie dogs, and have been choked by more than a few weeds, but now that I am happily married, I find that my marriage, just like a garden needs to be cultivated and tended to. There are times when our marital crops look beyond saving, when more help is needed than sun, water or fertilizer can give, but we both work at it and our garden continues to thrive.
A Weekend Novelist
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Feedback from a reader about what she enjoys most in a romance story! Thanks Adriana Noir for this comment!
Great edition! I have to say my favorite romance stories are always off kilter ones or ones where there is a serious game of cat and mouse going on!
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Romance/Love: June 03, 2009 Issue [#3086]
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