Is someone willing to comment on my romance subplot?

efreysson

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I'm nervous about my ability to portray romance, but I went ahead and wrote one into my space opera anyway. I thought maybe I could copy/paste the relevant scenes into a file, and get someone who is into the romance genre to give their thoughts on it. Yes, it's not the same as reading an entire novel, but it's also far less time consuming.

As for the story, it's about a princess in a huge space kingdom, and over the course of a whole lot of action and intrigue she falls in love with her female bodyguard.

Anyone interested?
 

edutton

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I'm not an expert in the genre, but I have written an f/f romance... happy to be a quick pair of eyeballs, feel free to PM me.
 

Paula Davids

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Hi,
Why have a FF romance at the heart of a space-opera? I have been told that it is not easy to sell lesbian literature. It is likely that most of the readers for your space-opera will be hetero and will be uneasy with same-sex relationships, particularly if there is any explicit sex. What do you think? I am in something of a similar bind myself.
 

Cindyt

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Hi,
Why have a FF romance at the heart of a space-opera? I have been told that it is not easy to sell lesbian literature. It is likely that most of the readers for your space-opera will be hetero and will be uneasy with same-sex relationships, particularly if there is any explicit sex. What do you think? I am in something of a similar bind myself.

Oops.
 

Marian Perera

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It is likely that most of the readers for your space-opera will be hetero and will be uneasy with same-sex relationships, particularly if there is any explicit sex. What do you think? I am in something of a similar bind myself.

I'm as straight as straight can be, but I recently wrote a hot gay romance, and have no problems reading about LGBT characters.

Some readers are going to be uneasy, if that's the best word for it, about same-sex relationships, sure. So what? Some readers won't read speculative fiction. Some readers won't read four-letter words. Some readers won't read explicit sex at all, whether this is between two men or between a man and a woman joined in holy wedlock and doing it missionary-style for the sole purpose of begetting progeny.

If we try to please all the readers who don't like what we write, it would be an exercise in frustration. So I focus on giving my target readership what they do like instead.
 

efreysson

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Hi,
Why have a FF romance at the heart of a space-opera? I have been told that it is not easy to sell lesbian literature. It is likely that most of the readers for your space-opera will be hetero and will be uneasy with same-sex relationships, particularly if there is any explicit sex. What do you think? I am in something of a similar bind myself.

First of all, I didn't plan on the romance when I created either character, it just developed naturally as I wrote. Secondly, I don't WANT to please homophobes. And thirdly, if I can play just one tiny part in gays being accepted as just being people, I'm happy to do that.
 

writerfrenzy

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Hi,
Why have a FF romance at the heart of a space-opera? I have been told that it is not easy to sell lesbian literature. It is likely that most of the readers for your space-opera will be hetero and will be uneasy with same-sex relationships, particularly if there is any explicit sex. What do you think? I am in something of a similar bind myself.

I definitely get what you're saying, but I hear there's a lot more agents on the lookout for LGBT stuff nowadays.
 

shadowsminder

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At least two publishers who would accept unagented queries are interested in speculation fiction containing a F/F romantic subplot, and space operas have potentially the most eager audience for more F/F (from what I've seen). I'm guessing the The Stars Are Legion has helped increase acceptance.

First of all, I didn't plan on the romance when I created either character, it just developed naturally as I wrote. Secondly, I don't WANT to please homophobes. And thirdly, if I can play just one tiny part in gays being accepted as just being people, I'm happy to do that.

:Hug2:
 

shadowsminder

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As for the story, it's about a princess in a huge space kingdom, and over the course of a whole lot of action and intrigue she falls in love with her female bodyguard.

Anyone interested?

This sounds fun! I'm not a huge fan of space operas but really get into princess/guard combos. All the better that it's F/F.

What kind of feedback do you want?
 

efreysson

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This sounds fun! I'm not a huge fan of space operas but really get into princess/guard combos. All the better that it's F/F.

What kind of feedback do you want?

Well, the time-travelling kind, since my original post was back in 2017. I've already self-pubbed the book in question, and the sequel (and final in the series) comes out later this month.

If you just want to check the series out I'd be happy to send you a link.
 

triceretops

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Sounds like a good plot. Princess is an alien, so why not make it more natural in her culture to swing with a gal? Build that world up and convince us that this is a really neat romance, or is exceptional in some way. Perhaps the Princess is allowed to go straight, bi, or les. It's been decreed. She rules.