tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post8711841410138728649..comments2023-08-10T03:35:55.682-07:00Comments on The Prosers: Romantic Subplots Part 3: Equal and Opposite ForcesSheena Boekweghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227547053651725634noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-35864502551662953162012-02-16T16:37:30.901-08:002012-02-16T16:37:30.901-08:00I haven't read that one Sabrina! Thanks for th...I haven't read that one Sabrina! Thanks for the tip.Melanie Crousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10353025724182677932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-42988218534804464902012-02-15T22:50:45.562-08:002012-02-15T22:50:45.562-08:00Oh, and one of my other favorite lines from a roma...Oh, and one of my other favorite lines from a romantic subplot is also Diana Wynne Jones, from The Merlin Conspiracy:<br /><br />"That was the unexpected trouble with love affairs, I thought as I made more coffee. You can fancy a girl like mad, but more than just the look of her comes into it. You find yourself having to allow for her personality too. At five-thirty in the morning."Sabrina Westhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06218305456791199409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-67741589088982874042012-02-15T22:41:05.106-08:002012-02-15T22:41:05.106-08:00Definitely loving this series too, because my next...Definitely loving this series too, because my next novel really needs a romantic subplot. :D<br /><br />Extra points for using Howl's Moving Castle, btw. One of my favorite romances too. <br /><br />I think that internal conflict can be much more captivating. If you just have external conflict, there's no opportunity for the romance to grow and change, and fewer opportunites for the characters to do the same. I love stories in which characters grow and change together.Sabrina Westhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06218305456791199409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-75087094829035153232012-02-13T18:47:22.721-08:002012-02-13T18:47:22.721-08:00I love this series. You are so insightful.I love this series. You are so insightful.Susan Buttarshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14456005411871122298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-2472186290629614622012-02-13T11:14:15.024-08:002012-02-13T11:14:15.024-08:00I think the fear of love is what makes a good roma...I think the fear of love is what makes a good romance really work. Like MaryAnn said, it's scary to be open to that kind of pain, and the fear makes the story compelling.<br /><br />I love this series, Melanie, Well done.Sheena Boekweghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08227547053651725634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-26218880693073662232012-02-12T09:11:40.570-08:002012-02-12T09:11:40.570-08:00These are very useful tips! As a guy, it's obv...These are very useful tips! As a guy, it's obviously a little difficult to know what women are going to want to read, so I'll definitely be keeping this stuff in mind.Jaron Frosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15756771071167517034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-62755242595205818342012-02-12T07:57:16.060-08:002012-02-12T07:57:16.060-08:00Melanie, I think I have a guess which book you mea...Melanie, I think I have a guess which book you mean ;)<br /><br />MaryAnn, I didn't mean to sound like I don't like internal conflict. It's definitely an important factor in all relationships - real and fictional. I get frustrated when I see it oversimplified or otherwise not done very well, but I don't question that it still needs to be there.Sarah McCanlesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05692009969291537927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-10852897529523111722012-02-11T20:41:42.443-08:002012-02-11T20:41:42.443-08:00Awesome post as always, Melanie. I'm really e...Awesome post as always, Melanie. I'm really enjoying this series. :)<br /><br />I like a little internal conflict. People are complex and tend to bring a lot of baggage into relationships in real life, and putting yourself out there when you're not sure how the other person feels is really, really scary. At least it was for me. <br /><br />I think it is good for romance in fiction to reflect that. Show how hard it is to be truly vulnerable with someone and how hard it is to give up some freedom and sense of independence which you really have to give up in order to meld your life with someone else's. <br /><br />I love romance. I love my real life romance I had and still have with my husband, but let's not forget the real heartache comes with it.MaryAnn Popehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08618345950149423623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-20801375507201766712012-02-11T19:00:33.383-08:002012-02-11T19:00:33.383-08:00I know what you mean. Maybe that's why my favo...I know what you mean. Maybe that's why my favorite romances end up being like Howl and Sophie--light on the romance, heavy on the fun. The internal conflicts are important, IMO, but the character can't be having the same internal struggles on page 179 that he was having on page one. And certainly not the same ones in book 3. (Can you name the book I'm thinking of right now???)<br /><br />That's why I struggle with television shows too. The characters end up being so blatantly self-destructive just to keep the storyline going that I eventually lose interest. That's why I really loved Chuck. It was so fun to watch the relationships grow and evolve.Melanie Crousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10353025724182677932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4561827139818452407.post-43555345489526500282012-02-11T18:29:04.029-08:002012-02-11T18:29:04.029-08:00I like how you break down the internal and externa...I like how you break down the internal and external conflicts. It's a spot-on analysis of most of the novels I've read, but I often get really frustrated with the internal conflicts. I feel like authors pump up all these issues beyond believability (especially the "I'm too dangerous for you" trope) just to add drama. Yet as I try my own hand at romance I see how challenging it is to create conflict without melodrama.<br /><br />That's one of the reasons I like romantic plotlines that don't culminate in answering the "Will they or won't they?" question. I like when the characters get together and then more complications arise as the relationship unfolds. <br /><br />Great post! I'm struggling with all these issues right now, so your course in romance is timely :)Sarah McCanlesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05692009969291537927noreply@blogger.com