Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash
One of the hardest things about editing is understanding the underlying tropes/messages contained in your genre.
I recently told someone that Romance was a Fantasy – and they said they didn’t realize I was so cynical. But I was saying facts from an editing point of view – Romance is firmly in the Fantasy genre as a subgenre.
- The Chosen One trope is strong in this one. Only one person can do.
- Happily Ever After (HEA) required.
- Two people can make it work no matter what culture throws at them. Color, job, distance, income levels, family upbringing. Unequal social status. Love conquers all.
- The sex will always be good. The partners will always make the big O happen for each other. Sexual experiments will be welcomed. Sexual preferences will match.
Romances aren’t about what happens in real life, but what we would like to happen. We want the Magic of True Love to work.