Romance, Without the Romance

As more of my tales enter the world it will become apparent that romances play an important part in most of them. Perhaps it's because I'm a young woman for whom a fulfilling relationship is integral to her happiness yet another factor is the deep connections that can spring from such relationships. On a biological level nothing is more critical than the union of two individuals and subsequent rearing of offspring. On a personal level the experience of lust, love, affection, longing, regret – few emotions are more powerful than the ones elicited by romantic potential. One might say that all of life's complexities stem from the drive to seek out the pleasure of companionship, no matter how prolonged or fleeting.

I enjoy simple romances which focus on characters discovering themselves and each other on the course toward romantic fulfillment. Desire can but doesn't have to be a critical aspect. I have read stories that touched me with their intensity with very little lust and some with a good deal. Both, when done well, can be stunningly beautiful.

There's another type of romance I'd like to acknowledge here. It can live in any type of tale involving two characters who develop an attachment, but differs from more traditional love stories in its treatment of the circumstances surrounding the lovers. The stories I'm referring to are those that draw attention to the fact that the circumstances, more even than the couple, are the source of the romance. An example of this type of story is The Hunger Games trilogy. At the outset the reader does not doubt that, had there been no Hunger Game for Katniss or her sister, our heroine would have ended up with Gale. Although Peeta has harboured affection for her before them it's the Games that make them a couple, the unique circumstances ultimately leading to the two falling in love.

It's very reasonable to say that Peeta and Katniss have no choice in this development since no other person can relate to what they've been through, their emotions manipulated by the people and environments around them. This fact doesn't even particularly matter so long as they are happy together. The importance of circumstance is often overlooked in romances so I appreciate stories that draw attention to what is really the most critical aspect of relationships. You are far more likely to end up with someone who is familiar to you, similar background, ethnicity, physical location and upbringing, than not because it's easier to understand someone who shares these aspects. Yes, perhaps it's not very romantic but it is realistic. 

I commend stories that can weave good characters, intriguing plot, and realism since it is no easy task. Those that achieve it are worthy of recognition as truly great writers.

Image of a man's hand exchanging a flower with a woman's courtesy of Faylinn

The Rules' Reality

Is a stable society achievable without oversight?  Perhaps it depends on what you consider a 'stable society'. 

The Rules trilogy is my attempt at a deeper look at humanity - whether we can be charged with our own future or whether we must be controlled to avoid catastrophe born of selfish, narrow-sighted desire.   The incredibly complex nature of this debate is why I ultimately decided to focus my attention on 'Black Panther' since I'd like to publish at least one book before I'm thirty.  Around my correspondence with the wonderful Boxjelly1 for that novel I am editing Book 2 of the Rules trilogy, trying to connect threads of narratives into a cohesive vision.  The first big challenge was place names.  Since this is the first real 'epic fantasty' I've ever attempted I have run into the challenge of visualising a world while keeping its coordinates, place names, and cultures straight.  It's been an interesting, not always fun task.

Besides the world's physical complexity there's the spiritual aspect which is its heart, but I'm still not 100% certain I completely grasp it.  This aspect consists of an ingrained system of rewards and punishments for behaviour which is at once separate from and linked to the world's energy.  I'm hoping this passage is too abstract to be much of a spoiler.  It's abstractness is what makes it fascinating yet enormously challenging to capture in narrative.  As a story told from a first person perspective the audience must learn with and be plagued by the limitations of their insight into this world.  I had no idea when I began this piece that it would be as complex as it is trying to be.  The feeling I have as I work with it is akin to what I felt when contemplating a series where individuals explore sections of the human brain: incredibly intrigued yet sensing I am out of my depth.

As I make progress editing I am gradually becoming more confident.  It's still a ways from being ready for publication but I know that I will be proud once it is finally finished.  After all, it's my first trilogy and, even if I'm not wholly successful in attaining my vision for it, the series will still be a great achievement.

An image whose significance for this trilogy comes in Book 3.
Image courtesy of ur1crazedupfruitloop