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My WIP Romance
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So I started a romance and it’s kinda confusing but basically the gist is
Selina goes to spend the summer with her uncle and aunt not thinking that she might have a chance at romance. But as the summer progresses she has not one but TWO ideal guys. She goes out with Steve and as they get close she trusts him and starts forgetting about what she was warned about, he raped one of her friends, this comes back to haunt her when he wants her to come to his house when his family is away and rapes her. She has to try forgive and forget and find new love and friendship, trusting in God to help her through.
The problem is, I don’t know if it’s too mature for some one my age to be writing and ya.
"Courage is found in unlikely places." JRR Tolkien
That’s some pretty heavy stuff. For me (I’m 17), I try to stay away from all that stuff. Not because it doesn’t happen, and not because Christians shouldn’t address it, but because I’d rather write from an optimists point of view…encouraging good relationships, and leave the pessimist (dealing with hard relationships) to someone else.
One of the biggest “checks” I have in my writing is letting my family read most of it. I try not to write what I wouldn’t want my 9 year old sister to read (not that I don’t deal with tough topics or have graphic-ish scenes, I just keep it clean), or I’d be afraid to show my parents because of content.
I think the decision is really up to you and God. Do you feel that you can accurately portray sin as sin in a light of the Bible?
Hope that helps a bit. We all have to think through these things as writers.
Not all those who wander are lost.
This is a rough topic to approach. It’s nothing to be taken lightly for sure. I like your plot line though.
How old are you? I’m only 14 so idk that I would necessarily write something like that because I don’t think I could. I don’t know that I could even if I was an adult.
I can talk to you more when I found out how old you are 😉
Be weird. Be random. Be who you are. Because you ever know who would love the person you hide.
Excellent advice! I totally agree with you 🙂
Be weird. Be random. Be who you are. Because you ever know who would love the person you hide.
@erynne Thank you. I feel like everyone has to deal with this stuff sometime in their writing journey.
I usually use Lord of the Rings or Wingfeather Saga as my reference. Both deal with relationships (even hard ones), and both have smoking and maybe some alcohol, but neither have language, and the men treat ladies with respect. I draw my line in a similar place.
Not all those who wander are lost.
Ya I’m 14 too…almost 15…I didn’t put any details but just that he did. If yo want I can send a docs link so you can see…
"Courage is found in unlikely places." JRR Tolkien
I also had this thought as I was writing their first date that I kinda don’t want him to go bad and want them to just have good dating relationship so ya…
"Courage is found in unlikely places." JRR Tolkien
Not all who wander are lost.
@arindown how do you add a quote to your profile?"Courage is found in unlikely places." JRR Tolkien
Haha, it might be a bit hard to explain, but I’ll try.😄
Go to EDIT PROFILE (it’s up in the right corner for me). When you get to your profile, you’ll probably have to click another button that says PROFILE. It will bring you to a place where you can change your name, say where you’re from, etc. One of the options is FORUM SIGNATURE…just put your quote there, and it should show up on all your posts.
Hope that helps (and that it wasn’t too confusing)!
Not all those who wander are lost.
@melancholicwriter, it sounds like you have a strong plot/story idea here, though I agree that the dark themes would be difficult to address well, even if–or perhaps particularly if–you have personal experience with this kind of situation. However, I’m not sure that the story, as you described it, would technically qualify as a romance.
Kissing, dating, boyfriends and girlfriends? sounds like a romance to me…I just have a weird sense of romance…
"Courage is found in unlikely places." JRR Tolkien
@melancholicwriter, to boil it down to the bones, a romance story is about two people either drawing closer together, or falling apart. In other words, the love relationship is the driving force of the story.
I may be wrong, but it sounds like the driving force of your story is not so much the relationship between the girl and the boyfriend who rapes her, but the girl’s own journey toward healing and forgiveness after the fact.
Though that journey may include dating, kissing, and even another boyfriend someday, in my opinion what you’ve got would be closer to a “growing up” or “coming of age” story than a typical romance.
ya I think I didn’t explain it well…and I might change it. but the driving force is their relationship and they are dating for most of the book (in my mind right now). but at least right now it is romance them growing close…idk this is my first book that i’m going to complete…
"Courage is found in unlikely places." JRR Tolkien
I think @zee and @arindown made good points here. I read this thread a long time ago, and been trying to figure out how to help. Okay, here I go~
- I don’t know what country you’re from or your age, but do you happen to be a minor when it comes to crimes of a sexual locus (i.e., rape, assault, etc.)? If so, then in my opinion, it may be inappropriate to address violent, criminal sexual acts, especially if you are inexperienced with healthier romance yourself. Writing about such things require responsibility on your part. Do you have the stomach to research how date rape (which sounds like your protagonist’s proposed case) could work and operate in Selina’s psyche, relationship with God, and everyone else around her? What about police involvement, the legal consequences for Steve dependent on circumstances and other things beyond sheer age-as-factor? Rape is something that impacts family, friends, attacker, and victim for many, many years and situations beyond its time and context, and more complex than a black/white depiction. Are you willing to prepare for that?
- I have to agree with @zee that this sounds more like a coming-of-age tale. Coming-of-age can (and often will) involve romance. My suggestion is that you think of both the theme and message of your story. Personally, I think it’d be interesting to see the romantic relationship being used as a vehicle to drive Selina’s exploration into forgiveness and healing.
- Aww, hugs! I don’t think you have a “weird sense of romance,” @melancholicwriter … it sounds naive. (Which isn’t bad! This makes for a good coming-of-age perspective, for example!) Characters dating don’t make a romance, it makes a relationship. Relationships are a major force in human drama, and yes, a romantic one can definitely push people to grow and possibly change. That itself doesn’t make a story a romance. Every kind of relationship involves intimacy of some kind, of growing close in different ways.
I think that’s enough from me now. ^^;; Eeek, I hope I was able to offer tidbits despite being a month late!
+ His mercy in your dark.
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