Is Enemies-To-Lovers Overrated?9/24/2022 Over the last couple of years, enemies-to-lovers has become one of the most talked-about tropes in literature. It is a favorite of reading communities online, especially in the YA circle, and so I have seen many books marketed with this trope quickly gain readers' interest. “Enemies-to-lovers” is also present in film and television, with examples including both the popular show Bridgerton: Season 2 and the instant hit Purple Hearts -which both broke Netflix’s viewership records in their respective categories-.
But perhaps the line between a romantic trope and romanticizing toxicity has become too blurry, and the reading community might be ignoring some of its harmful representations. Disclaimer: As with any work of art, literature is subjective. We are a diverse group of readers and writers, and everyone is entitled to have their own opinion. This article is not meant to be disrespectful, but is rather my perspective on some of the questionable aspects of this trope.
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These past few years have been crazy to all of us, and they will continue to be for a long time. However, our lives can stay still forever and as we find ways to move along in this crazy climate, we also discover new grounds in which stories can bloom.
Although I can judge any author that chooses to forget covid all together for their story, there is value in tales that incorporate said aspect. I believe it is comforting, in a way, that we can still go on adventures even with a virus at large. A few months ago I wrote a short story for a friend. My prompt was to write a contemporary story with a salsa dance scene, and I may have taken “contemporary” a bit too far, as I wrote it some months into the future because of a very specific thing (the owl house season 2 finale, don’t @ me). Couples round out many novels. Getting people together creates suspense, and a strong build-up can make a satisfying read. So satisfying that your hypothetical readers are asking for a sequel starring those same characters. It’s hard to create that same tension and spark without breaking the couple up, but here are a few alternatives to keep books interesting with established, healthy relationships.
While ruining a relationship or keeping an established couple apart and longing for each other can be an effective plot trigger, it’s often overused. The story after they get together doesn’t have to be sickeningly mundane. Neither person in the relationship has to die, they don’t have to fight constantly and learn how to make up, one of them doesn’t have to be manipulated into leaving to keep the stakes high and the story fresh. As a product of an interracial and cross cultural marriage I have come to love the beauty of interracial and cross cultural romance. The idea of meeting a different way of life as you slowly fall in love with a person has always enticed me.
Western (U.S.) media has come a long way from when Captain Kirk kissed Lieutenant Uhura (rest in peace Nichelle Nicols) in 1968. However, our stories are still significantly lacking on interracial romance were both (or more) of the characters are people of color. Therefore today I bring to you 5 novels with romantic love stories between people of color who do not share the same ethnicity (and/or race). Your character enters the room, beautifully attired. They walk down the stairs, almost in slow-motion. The room becomes blurry, only focusing on them. They might hold their worst enemy’s eye, they might feel the weight of a dagger strapped to their leg. And so the ballroom scene begins.
An intriguing scene, it will keep your readers invested in the details and the feelings of your characters. But what would be a ballroom scene without dancing? Dancing is one of the most personal, tender, and beautiful forms of expression for human beings. I would love to read more ballroom scenes, so I have put together a guide to describing and choosing dance styles. Romance in literature often features a “will they/won’t they” dynamic, and for good reason. It’s entertaining and engaging, keeping the reader invested in the characters. We want the best for our “ships”, and the will they/won’t they dynamic — as frustrating as it can be sometimes — plays into our investment in the character.
Of course, at the end of the story, there must come an answer: will they, or won’t they? As rewarding as it is to see the protagonist win over their love, sometimes it’s better for the characters to stay separate. Love is Not a Weakness2/28/2022 N.b. For the purposes of this article, I will be mainly referring to female characters in the action/adventure genre, rather than in romance We often see figures of female empowerment in the media. Characters who are meant to be badass independent women, who are well beyond functioning and thriving without the help of a man, sometimes even being the ones to save their male counterparts. Gone are the days of the static damsel in distress, waiting in the castle for Prince Charming. Now, we have Fiona, Captain Marvel, Vi, and more, but despite all this, we still have a big problem with the way strong female/feminine characters are portrayed in the media. This is, unfortunately, the way they are portrayed in relationships.
For some reason, love is usually shown as a burden to female characters. Falling in love or caring about another person in a romantic sense slows them down. They can only focus on fighting, defeating the bad guy or whatever the main plot calls for. Finding a romantic partner is seen as automatically removing their agency, and reducing them to weak female stereotypes. This obvious double standard, that has surprisingly been left unchecked for so long, claims that once a woman is paired with a man, she is automatically giving herself away. It is impossible for a woman to retain the same strength, resilience and power she once possessed if she is paired with a man. Writing it all down is quite frankly ridiculous. Contains spoilers from Pride and Prejudice. Let me start with the fact that I don’t like Jane Austen, in fact, I refused to read any of her work until I was forced to read Sense and Sensibility in my freshman year of college. Avoiding Austen at all costs probably had something to do with internalized misogyny(re: my article about YA Romance), but I also have/had legitimate qualms with her writing style.
I found and still find Austen’s sentence structure to be annoying and grammar overworked. But there’s no getting around that because Pride and Prejudice was written over 200 years ago! Don’t you think it would be weird if her writing didn’t sound weird to modern tastes? Now that I’ve read more than one Jane Austen book, I now believe that Jane Austen doesn’t entirely suck. We love character growth. YA Pet Peeve: Pairing Everyone Off2/23/2022 The YA author wakes up in a cold sweat. They have dreamt up their worst nightmare.
A single character. A character not in an ever-lasting monogamous relationship, who doesn't have their ‘after the book’ arc mapped out, with 2 kids and eternal happiness. Truly the stuff of nightmares. In YA, every side character needs to be paired off, needs to at least have a hinted romantic interest. God forbid there’s nothing to write fanfiction about. This is the slightest bit of a problem because… a good chunk of teens don’t date. And an even larger chunk of teens don’t date with the promise of forever. Add concerns such as saving the world onto the plates of many YA protagonists, and dating seems like it should be the last thing on a character’s mind. Different Types of Love2/22/2022 How often do we use the word “love” in a day? We use it to show affection, enthusiasm, and joy for the people and things in our lives. While the word may be the same, the way we use it differentiates: one doesn’t necessarily love their favorite book like they love their partner.
Love exists in different forms. The Greeks actually used about six different words for the various kinds of love. Identifying love in it’s multiple forms can help us write realistic relationships, romantic or otherwise. Categories
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