Romance sub-plots + LGBT+ characters

Sweet Escape

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For my current WIP (it's fantasy), I would like to write romance as a sub-plot so not as the main focus. The thing is, I have three point of view characters. I am still trying to figure out more details about my characters and who they are, am in the outlining stage, but I am also thinking ahead of where the romance would go. I am not going to write three typically straight characters (I'm not straight myself). So, what about romance sub-plots for my main characters? I don't think two of my main characters will be each other others' love interests because if the third character also has a love interest, then why is their love interest not a POV character?

I was thinking of...
1. Have one of my POV characters be aromantic or asexual (or both), the character has no need for romance and feels very little for it or none at all (depending on where on the spectrum they are) and it stays that way because it's okay. I think it is also refreshing to have a main character being happy without a love interested, regardless of them being acearo or not. And my other two main characters can include one boy/girl romance and either one girl/girl or boy/boy romance. But I am indecisive about this, becaause I would like to write both a boy/boy and girl/girl romance. I say include one boy/girl romance because I don't think my WIP would specifically be as a QUILTBAG book? Not that I would not like to write it though.

Or..

2. Have all three of my main characters have a love interest and have a equal game of having a boygirl, girl/girl and boy/boy romance. But would it be too much focus on romance then, can it still work as a sub-plot? Or would it seem like "trying too hard"?
 

SWest

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For my current WIP (it's fantasy), I would like to write romance as a sub-plot so not as the main focus. The thing is, I have three point of view characters. I am still trying to figure out more details about my characters and who they are, am in the outlining stage, but I am also thinking ahead of where the romance would go. I am not going to write three typically straight characters (I'm not straight myself). So, what about romance sub-plots for my main characters? I don't think two of my main characters will be each other others' love interests because if the third character also has a love interest, then why is their love interest not a POV character? Overthink, much? :greenie Write what works for the story & characters.

I was thinking of...
1. Have one of my POV characters be aromantic or asexual (or both), the character has no need for romance and feels very little for it or none at all (depending on where on the spectrum they are) and it stays that way because it's okay. I think it is also refreshing to have a main character being happy without a love interested, regardless of them being acearo or not. And my other two main characters can include one boy/girl romance and either one girl/girl or boy/boy romance. But I am indecisive about this, becaause I would like to write both a boy/boy and girl/girl romance. I say include one boy/girl romance because I don't think my WIP would specifically be as a QUILTBAG book? Not that I would not like to write it though. Write what you want to write.

Or..

2. Have all three of my main characters have a love interest and have a equal game of having a boygirl, girl/girl and boy/boy romance. But would it be too much focus on romance then, can it still work as a sub-plot? Sure. Or would it seem like "trying too hard"? Not if it, in fact, is right for these characters in their lives and circumstances.

Write the story you want to write. Write these individual characters and their stories as they develop.
 

AW Admin

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Write your story. Be true to your story, and your characters.

Write something you'd want to read.
 

DamienLoveshaft

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As long as the charcters seem genuine I think it's ok to writethem however you want. If it's only one novel or the novels all focus on the same MCs I'd recommend against too many prominent couples though. The manga loveless did a good job or representation by making lots of minor characters in relationships not like the gay MCs, but those ships don't take up too much time.
 

Dave.C.Robinson

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I actually have what I think is a vaguely similar situation to the OP in a series I'm writing in that I have three major characters in an adventure series: one man, one woman, and one silverback gorilla. As the series has progressed the gorilla has married his childhood sweetheart (also a gorilla), the woman has found love with another woman, and the man has avoided any romantic entanglements.

The only thing I had planned out before I began the series was that the woman would not be the man's love interest because I wanted to ensure she wasn't relegated to an appendage. It's actually worked out well for me as most people have told me that they loved her story, and one absolutely adored her and her girlfriend in the adventure after the one in which they got together.

My only suggestion is that I found it very helpful not to define anything about characters' sexuality or relationships until it came up in the story so that might be worth considering as an approach.