How much romance is in your book? I've heard that's a requirement.

JacobWorld said:

I have to say romance is very important it give some depht to the book and gives you a changce to get away from the main story from time to time

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I'll agree that it works for some books. For example, Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days had some romance in it that not only didn't get in the way of the plot, but actually helped it along. But 20,000 Leagues under the Sea worked just fine without romance; in fact, a romance would've been seriously out of place in it (or so I think).

JimmyB27 said:

I like my characters to be frustrated in love.

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So do I.

I write thrillers/ mysteries- Romance and sex might be an incidary part of the plot but not always- the 'why' is always at the center of my story-

Although the first book in my series sets up a romance, the second book fullfills it, but then I kill one of the lovebirds- I like frustrated love too

Ahhh, I found a link to the argument that Tara/Willow fulfills the dead/evil lesbian cliche. and it explains the cliche itself and why it's considered offensive much better than I did.

And I'm sorry for steering this thread off-topic. I promise this is the last I'll write on it. On with the romance debate!

dreamsofnever said:

Ahhh, I found a link to the argument that Tara/Willow fulfills the dead/evil lesbian cliche. and it explains the cliche itself and why it's considered offensive much better than I did.

And I'm sorry for steering this thread off-topic. I promise this is the last I'll write on it. On with the romance debate!

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Actually, I really appreciate this because I had no idea this was actually a cliche. That may be because I read very little lesbian literature, or literature that contains lesbians. So I'll check it out and be educated.

I have no real romance in my fantasy WIP. It's just not my MC's style, he's too much of a loner. My vampire story though has a sort of subplot involving a young vampire that's only just been turned and doesn't like it and (wait for this originality! ) has a human girlfriend that he now has to decide whether to turn or leave behind thanks to his being turned. My MC was in love once but it was unrequited, more like a big crush, and again that's a side-issue to what's going on.

I don't mind if a book doesn't have romance in it. Quite often it feels really forced anyway, like if there are two MCs, one male one female, they *have* to be totally in love by the end of the book. Sometimes I'd just like to see them be friends, or even not even like each other. Only time I have romance in my own books is where it comes naturally to the characters and story.

I see no reason why a book should necessarily have a romance. I've read plenty that didn't that I enjoyed immensely. Actually, as I think on this, I think I've probably read more books without than with. If a romance works, fine. If it doesn't, fine.