Aromantic Writer

veinglory

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I am an aromatic and a writer and write romance, go figure. Whether that makes me an "aromantic writer" depends on how you parse the term. Based on your sig line I guess I qualify? ;)
 
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Maryn

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Apropos of nothing, I nearly spilled my coffee when I realized I'd misread aromantic as aromatic. I'm sure you smell swell!

I know of other aromantic members, but I'll let them speak for themselves.
 

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I always misread aromantic as aromatic, but most people I've seen just saying aro these days, which keeps me from being confused. :greenie
 

Alexys

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Another AroAce here, although I don't talk much. I've encountered the "aromatic" misread before, too (and I smell just fine, thank you ;) ).
 

Sage

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Asexual people do not feel sexual attraction. But they may be romantically attracted to someone.

Aromantic people do not feel romantic attraction. But they may be sexually attracted to someone.

The OP is both, thus AroAce.
 

Simpson17866

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Aro-ace spectrum here. Just had a friend last night tell me I shouldn't write my two MCs in a romantic relationship because I wouldn't be able to write it properly/understand it :v
Tell them that you write romance the same way you write serial murder: you research it first :)
 

JetFueledCar

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Tell them that you write romance the same way you write serial murder: you research it first :)

And of course you research how to get away with it. >:)

(Kidding. Probably.)

*ahem* sex-repulsed non-libidoist asexual, grey-aromantic, occasionally fluid agender here, if you want to get super specific. Or you can go by my two favorite terms: "triple-A" and "the trifecta of nothing."
 

Albedo

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Aro-ace spectrum here. Just had a friend last night tell me I shouldn't write my two MCs in a romantic relationship because I wouldn't be able to write it properly/understand it :v
OMG, you just can't win with some people, can you? I may not be interested in owning a fast car, but I understand what someone who enjoys driving a fast car likes about it just fine. Tell your friend that the writer's first tool is empathy.
 

Celia Cyanide

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Aro-ace spectrum here. Just had a friend last night tell me I shouldn't write my two MCs in a romantic relationship because I wouldn't be able to write it properly/understand it :v

I'm just curious, but did your friend say this because he or she thinks any aro-ace person could not understand writing about a romantic relationship? I assume it wasn't specifically you? Because I think most aro-ace people have probably seen enough movies, and read enough books that feature romantic relationships, as well as known enough people in relationships that they would know enough to write about it. It's everywhere. I wouldn't even think you would need to do any more research. People tell you about their romantic relationships, even if you don't ask them to.
 

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I'm just curious, but did your friend say this because he or she thinks any aro-ace person could not understand writing about a romantic relationship? I assume it wasn't specifically you? Because I think most aro-ace people have probably seen enough movies, and read enough books that feature romantic relationships, as well as known enough people in relationships that they would know enough to write about it. It's everywhere. I wouldn't even think you would need to do any more research. People tell you about their romantic relationships, even if you don't ask them to.

Sorry for not responding sooner! Real life issues, laptop went kaput, etc.

I think this friend meant me specifically because I've never been in a romantic relationship, and she sees romantic relationships as something you have to be in/have been in to truly understand them. Which is to say, she doesn't think any amount of research will prepare you for the real thing, and if you haven't experienced the real thing, you just won't fully get it.
 

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Sorry for not responding sooner! Real life issues, laptop went kaput, etc.

I think this friend meant me specifically because I've never been in a romantic relationship, and she sees romantic relationships as something you have to be in/have been in to truly understand them. Which is to say, she doesn't think any amount of research will prepare you for the real thing, and if you haven't experienced the real thing, you just won't fully get it.

I've had this fear forever! (I'm gray-ace\gray-aro :)) But just like Simpson17866 said, I now believe there's nothing a good research won't solve. I mean, most of us have never been visited by an alien right? But scifi books about aliens still exist. I think saying "there's not any amount of research which will prepare you for the real thing" is the same as saying a romantic person won't be able to write a good aromantic character. As long as the writer'd do his research and not fall to stereotypes, they'd have no reason not to write it perfectly. So it's the same with aromantic writers who write romantic relationships.
 

Albedo

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I've had this fear forever! (I'm gray-ace\gray-aro :)) But just like Simpson17866 said, I now believe there's nothing a good research won't solve. I mean, most of us have never been visited by an alien right? But scifi books about aliens still exist. I think saying "there's not any amount of research which will prepare you for the real thing" is the same as saying a romantic person won't be able to write a good aromantic character. As long as the writer'd do his research and not fall to stereotypes, they'd have no reason not to write it perfectly. So it's the same with aromantic writers who write romantic relationships.
And it's not like culture isn't absolutely saturated in the idea of romance anyway. The most ardently aromantic writer, even if they were somehow blessed with never encountering the idea before, wouldn't have to read far or watch much to get the general gist.
 

MySummerJob

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I'm also an aromantic myself.

In fact, I'm actually working on a set of twins for a comic book series (preferably under Marvel). One who is not interested in romance, but is open to the idea of settling down with kids "because the nature of living is to pro-create" (or something along those lines (this character (if not a superhero) would probably be a vet)), and the other one is fully Asexual. Not into the romance, and doesn't want anything to do with sex.
 
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Sheila Muirenn

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I’m not sure if I really grasp aromantic versus romantic—but I am demi.

And autocorrect does not like the terms ‘aromantic’ or demi. So I guess i’ll just say I smell good on a semi-regular basis.
 

Simpson17866

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I’m not sure if I really grasp aromantic versus romantic—but I am demi.

And autocorrect does not like the terms ‘aromantic’ or demi. So I guess i’ll just say I smell good on a semi-regular basis.
Do you know the difference between heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, and the non-binary sexual orientations?

The romantic orientations work the same way ;) My orientation is asexual-aromantic, most people's orientation is heterosexual-heteroromantic, and the second most common orientation is homosexual-homoromantic, but even just going by the binary orientations (and there is so much more to the spectrum than just that :) ) you can already have people who are bisexual-homoromantic, or heterosexual-aromantic, or asexual-biromantic...
 

Sheila Muirenn

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Do you know the difference between heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, asexual, and the non-binary sexual orientations?

The romantic orientations work the same way ;) My orientation is asexual-aromantic, most people's orientation is heterosexual-heteroromantic, and the second most common orientation is homosexual-homoromantic, but even just going by the binary orientations (and there is so much more to the spectrum than just that :) ) you can already have people who are bisexual-homoromantic, or heterosexual-aromantic, or asexual-biromantic...

That is a lot more clear.

I think I still have a problem with the word 'romantic,' though. I picture an animated cake-topper couple, one holding flowers and a valentine heart chocolate box while standing. The other looks like a 1950's housewife on a date. Seated. Maybe from a cookbook drawing of the same era.

I have no idea what that means for me. I'm certainly not full-on romantic. I guess? :)