What are you Looking for in a Relationship?

[MichaelGH]

I mean this would be in a story context but if you have any real life examples let me know. I think a lot of romances can have the two characters be incredibly generic and professing empty platitudes about how they love each other. I would like to avoid that and any assistance you could provide me with would be helpful.

 

[NotWise]

I mean this would be in a story context but if you have any real life examples let me know. I think a lot of romances can have the two characters be incredibly generic and professing empty platitudes about how they love each other. I would like to avoid that and any assistance you could provide me with would be helpful.

Have some tension between your characters, and play them against each other to expose their character.

 

[yukonnights]

As NotWise wisely said, tension and conflict. I'm terrible at automatically including this most important element into my stories and thus create a lot of trouble after the fact to try to make it work. So basically you have to set a trap for your characters that is going to put the whole relationship into doubt...will they or will they not make it through to love ever after?

Another approach could be two characters who are definitely not on the same wave length and yet there is some magical attraction that just keeps pulling them together. A love/hate relationship, so to speak. There's that tension thing again

I'm sure I've read this someplace; Force the reader to be desperate for the love to be confirmed and secure before it is.

 

[NotWise]

As NotWise wisely said, tension and conflict.

Hey there, you! Welcome back.

 

[MichaelGH]

Have some tension between your characters, and play them against each other to expose their character.

Yeah but after all that. After the whole will will they won't they tension. What is the end goal here?

 

[NotWise]

Yeah but after all that. After the whole will will they won't they tension. What is the end goal here?

Er? The end goal is to build characters and a relationship between them, and to do it in such a way that the readers want them to get together. And then there's the sex.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Yeah but after all that. After the whole will will they won't they tension. What is the end goal here?

There's no single answer. It all depends what you're doing with your story, surely.

Look at it another way - why are YOU writing erotica? What's your motivation? It's likely your story lines and characters will somehow reflect you, your own motivation and desires.

There's no formula, there's no answer other than to the question you bring to the table. As I say, what motivates you? Answering that will inform your story.

 

[Maeven_quinn]

Almost all romances work with a "perfect for each other, but this obstacle is in their way" stories. That's why love triangles happen so often. It's an easy way to make tension.

When I read hetero-romance I most want to know that the guy the girl falls for is both a genuinely good person, and that she chooses him even among other options. I also like seeing a couple ally together for some common struggle or goal and bound through it.

Vague answers, I guess. But that's how relationships work for me in stories.

 

[SimonDoom]

The formula is simple in the abstract, but the devil is in the details, and no one can script it for you.

The essence of any story is that you have characters who have unmet needs. The story is about how the needs are met, or perhaps not met.

In a romance, you have two characters who need each other, but at first they don't realize it, and there are reasons why they don't realize it, and the story is about how they overcome the obstacles and end up with each other.

Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth's obstacle is that her family is in questionable financial straits, and some of its members act in scandalous ways, making her marriage prospects uncertain. Plus, she is highly intelligent, and wants a man who is fit for her. Darcy is fabulously wealthy and intelligent, but he has high standards and appreciates the qualities Elizabeth has, despite her "inferior" circumstances. He's kind of a prick, which puts Elizabeth off. Each has to overcome their respective biases against the other to figure out that they are ideal for each other.

A Literotica story can be the same way. Mom and son have the hots for each other, but they have to overcome the incest taboo and whatever other obstacles get in the way. But in the end love (and lust) win out. It's the same basic concept.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Well, there are the obvious ones, things like mutual respect, mutual attraction, honesty, fairness, gentleness, a willingness to forgive, commitment - the typical marriage councillor stuff and it’s all good.

Above and beyond all that, however:

Every recipe, even for cakes and candies, needs just a touch of acid. A credible couple needs things they don’t agree on, things they do differently. Otherwise you wind up with The Bobbsey Twins Visit Literotica.

In the same vein, the couple needs to differ in more than genitalia. Think of a Venn diagramme; IMHO, a successful couple comes together for important stuff like love, support, (sex!), etc but by no means is in 100% overlap. They each should be living their own life to some degree.

Each of them should ideally have individual strengths and weaknesses, things for which they turn to the other for help without embarrassment. That’s real.

Finally, I think good erotica, things beyond your basic stroker, needs to mention emotions. Real people have them.

 

[yukonnights]

Hey there, you! Welcome back.

Hey back It's starting to get too cold for further back-country fun...so back indoors for me.

Yeah but after all that. After the whole will will they won't they tension. What is the end goal here?

I think I get what you're asking, but not sure. What is the end goal? Another ways of saying that is; What is the message I'm wanting to get out into the world through my story? What is the moral of the story, etc.

As implied by EB above. Why did you write the story the way you did...why did it end the way it did...

I'll admit I'm a sucker for happy-ever-after, nice characters and sweet times. This is my burden to bear as it lends itself to a bland story (I think it's KiethD who aptly describes too much of this as "Pabulum".)

Anyway, I was taught in college that this purpose/message is the Theme of a story and a story without a theme is pretty flat.

PS: My usual theme is that kinky LGBTQ relationships are quite normal and filled with love. Sometimes it's heterosexual but in the end love conquers all obstacles. Maybe I need to try one of these days to break that into something tragic and sad

 

[ElectricBlue]

Maybe I need to try one of these days to break that into something tragic and sad

Like the moose leaving?

Back-country fun... isn't that what they got up to in Deliverance? I think you're safer snow-bound .

 

[MichaelGH]

Does anyone want to write what their favorite romances are and why? I'll go first. Mine are mainly movies though, mildly obscure ones at that.

I like the one in Upstream Color. I don't know how best to describe it but they really connect at a metaphysical level. It deals with memories and how people shape themselves in and how connection plays a part in that. What it means to really connect with another, even through art. How connection can alter two people's psychology and deal with trauma.

Though my girlfriend at the time was a bit put off by it when we watched it. The main guy is a bit persistent.

The other one I like is Trust. I kind of like that the main character is pretty psychotic, he even goes to jail at the end. Also the age difference is kind of weird. But that these two
mixed up individuals are able to find some moments of understanding and acceptance with each other is touching. It even tries to find the formula for love: respect, admiration and trust

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Like the moose leaving?

Back-country fun... isn't that what they got up to in Deliverance? I think you're safer snow-bound.

Careful there, cobber. People from a place where there are three times as many sheep as people should be careful about making moose jokes.

 

[Voboy]

Yeah but after all that. After the whole will will they won't they tension. What is the end goal here?

Good lord.

How on earth can any of us give a better answer than you can? It's YOUR story.

You seem to be asking for other peoples' formulas, which is fine if all you want to write is a formulaic story. If not, then surely you've got writing chops sufficient to figure out an ending. And, if not, there are endings that usually work well enough here. I'll give you a hint: the site is called litEROTICa.

 

[BrokenSpokes]

Number one priority

The ability to make a superior pot of coffee.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

The ability to make a superior pot of coffee.

+1! How could we all have overlooked that one?

 

[Vix_Giovanni]

Good lord.

How on earth can any of us give a better answer than you can? It's YOUR story.

You seem to be asking for other peoples' formulas, which is fine if all you want to write is a formulaic story. If not, then surely you've got writing chops sufficient to figure out an ending. And, if not, there are endings that usually work well enough here. I'll give you a hint: the site is called litEROTICa.

Yeah, I’ve been trying to follow this thread to understand your question but I’m still quite confused. As SD pointed out, no one can do this for you. Figuring out the answer to the question you posited is 1) the creative process of fictional writing and 2) what will, ultimately, make your authorial voice unique. And as Voboy pointed out, since this is an erotic literature site, anything you write will resonate with some kind of audience.

 

[MichaelGH]

Yeah, I’ve been trying to follow this thread to understand your question but I’m still quite confused. As SD pointed out, no one can do this for you. Figuring out the answer to the question you posited is 1) the creative process of fictional writing and 2) what will, ultimately, make your authorial voice unique. And as Voboy pointed out, since this is an erotic literature site, anything you write will resonate with some kind of audience.

I mean I feel like I can ask for people's opinions on the subject. What do they want from the end result of two people romancing each other, in real life and in fiction. If we were to tie an emotion to that end result, what would that emotion be? I agree that there's going to be a litany of answers but those answers may provide insight, which can then help guide where I want to go with the story.

Love is one of the more ineffable feelings we have and stories aren't created in a vacuum. I just want to get access to the greatest litany of opinions on the subject that I can so that I may find further insight and craft a story that speaks to people.

 

[Inkhorn]

All that comes to mind is something a friend of mine once said: “I like women like I like my coffee. FULL OF BEES!!”

 

[MichaelGH]

All that comes to mind is something a friend of mine once said: “I like women like I like my coffee. FULL OF BEES!!”

Eureka! That's it!

 

[NotWise]

I mean I feel like I can ask for people's opinions on the subject. What do they want from the end result of two people romancing each other, in real life and in fiction. If we were to tie an emotion to that end result, what would that emotion be? I agree that there's going to be a litany of answers but those answers may provide insight, which can then help guide where I want to go with the story.

If you want to write a romance, or a story for the romance category, the emotion in the end result needs to be happiness.

Most other categories seem to reward a happy ending, but you can experiment. The Third Ring might be my favorite story among what I've written, and it's an epic tragedy. Being epic, the ending isn't necessarily sad, but it should be moving. (Edit: Caution if you might want to read the story. It's pretty-much non-erotic.)

 

[MichaelGH]

If you want to write a romance, or a story for the romance category, the emotion in the end result needs to be happiness.

If I can go down the rabbit hole a little deeper, why should two people be happy together? That Turtle's song did not give me enough to go on.

 

[NotWise]

If I can go down the rabbit hole a little deeper, why should two people be happy together? That Turtle's song did not give me enough to go on.

You might need to answer that one yourself. If you're writing a romance, then the ending needs to be happy.

 

[Voboy]

If I can go down the rabbit hole a little deeper, why should two people be happy together? That Turtle's song did not give me enough to go on.

Holy fuck.

Save me.

Go out, fall in love, and then write about it. That'll be a better answer for you than any of us can offer.