When to tag a story with 'romance'

JasonClearwater said:

Have you read the Urban Dictionary definition of 'fuckor'?

Because, LOLZ.

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My Little Pony. Who'd have guessed that!

Clearly, just one universe.

JasonClearwater said:

When does a story move from 'two characters form some kind of relationship' to being categorised as 'romance'? In your mind as writers, in an erotic context?

I write predominantly GM, and I've used this as a tag on a handful of stories where the characters have a strong emotional connection to each other, but I've no idea if I've ever written anything approaching anyone else's definition of 'romance'.

When's it appropriate to use this tag in your mind? Any other GM authors have an opinion?

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I'd say when the relationship and the emotions are more important than the sex. For me the easiest way: If it was a movie would my wife cry happy-tears? If yes, it's a romance. If no, it's something else.

- They meet, they fuck, they might build a relationship --> Category: Erotic couplings
- They meet, they build an emotional relationship and also have sex --> Category: Romance
- People of same gender meet, build an emotional relationship and also have sex --> Category: Gay/Lesbian, Tag: Romance

JasonClearwater said:

Or they die. Right?

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As long as they're romantic deaths. TB worked in La Boheme.
I'm sitting on romantic tragedy story ideas. One, a couple is in a plane that is falling from the sky. Can they get in a frantic fuck before the crash? Another, they find true love just as the ship hits the iceberg... oh wait, it's been done. But tear-jerking tragedy should boost any romance's ratings. Tears bring votes.

Hypoxia said:

As long as they're romantic deaths. TB worked in La Boheme.

I want to die peacefully, in my sleep, like my grandfather.
Not screaming in terror like his passengers.​

I'm sitting on romantic tragedy story ideas. One, a couple is in a plane that is falling from the sky. Can they get in a frantic fuck before the crash? Another, they find true love just as the ship hits the iceberg... oh wait, it's been done. But tear-jerking tragedy should boost any romance's ratings. Tears bring votes.

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I nearly looked up what TB was an acronym for, before realising you meant 'TB' the disease. Got there eventually.

The question is, can I build characters that anyone cares about, so that when I kill them, I know, I know, I know there'll be tears.

JasonClearwater said:

I nearly looked up what TB was an acronym for, before realising you meant 'TB' the disease. Got there eventually.

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Q: How can you tell you've read LIT too much?
A: When every acronym looks like a fetish.

The question is, can I build characters that anyone cares about, so that when I kill them, I know, I know, I know there'll be tears.

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I have. And if *I* can do it, *anyone* can do it. Just plot out a nice central character, then defenestrate them. Disease or disaster, whatever. Works every time.