By Nathan Marchand
February 14, 2014
Creative meetings for Children of the Wells are often—as in, always—strange. In a recent one, Laura brought up characters in a Band of Brothers fanfiction who cuddled to stay warm. I then coined the term “platonic cuddling” (I think it was me, at least), and it became a running joke for the rest of the night.
I bring it up because at this point our characters are more likely to engage in “platonic cuddling” than any sort of romance.
I’ve heard several writing instructors say it’s always good to include at least some romance in your stories because it helps them sell. I’ve even heard that men who read military science fiction wonder if their favorite characters will get together!
But strangely Children of the Wells has featured no romance. Zilch. Zero. Nada. It’s featured some married couples—like Jaysynn’s parents—but they were hardly romantic. However, without giving any spoilers, the facet of this world we latched onto early in the planning stages has to do with relationships. There was potential to use this idea powerfully in a romantic context. (Heck, before I wrote The Fall of the House of Kyzer, my first story idea would’ve dealt with that.) But so far, no one has delved into it.
Now, I do confess that I toyed with the idea of having Jaysynn and Kyrie hooking up while I was outlining and writing the aforementioned novella. I didn’t do it for two reasons: 1) I was a bit anti-romance at the time (personal reasons), and 2) it seemed, well, cliché. Having them fall in love would’ve been the predictable route, and I’d already used the tried-and-true “hero saves girl in alleyway” trope. It’s the sort of story you’ve seen a million times. Why not shake things up by having them be weird, sort-of-awkward friends instead? However, I did purposefully leave it open for future writers to develop their relationship into a romance, if they chose to. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind. I think they’re great together. But it doesn’t have to go that way.
Another example is Bron and Calea’s relationship. If The Select’s Bodyguard had been written by someone other than Nick, Bron probably would be harboring unspoken feelings for Calea despite (in spite?) of her abrasiveness. (I just realized how the title is similar to the 1992 film The Bodyguard). Again, that would’ve been the easy route to take. Everyone would’ve seen it coming. Besides, Bron and Calea would make a terrible couple!
We here at CotW aren’t anti-romance. Far from it! As I said, there’s potential for great romances to develop in this serial. We just hope to create new, exciting, and distinctive romances. CotW is all about telling unique stories in a unique world. Love shouldn’t be a cheap gimmick. Readers can always tell when a writer forces a romance. It reeks like a cheap perfume. Trust me when I say that when love blooms in this serial, it will be natural and story-driven.
Until then, happy Valentine’s Day! (Or Singleness Awareness Day, if you prefer). 😛
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