Ever wondered about the allure of romance? The potential of a fiery relationship between strangers? The highs and lows, the exciting and the enticing? Well you’re in for a treat because we’re going to be discussing Romance as a genre and tool in webcomics.

What makes a romance believable and appealing?

Love is rarely instant. Lust or attraction at first sight is NOT the same as love, though love can evolve from those initial feelings. Showing the moment a relationship changes from “Hey, this person is really cool and I like them a lot” to “Oh. They are the One™” a fantastic moment for both reader and creator. It is a climax moment in its own way, because everything can change for that character when they come to that realization. If you’re portraying a “love at first sight” relationship, you miss that 'Aha' moment and are depriving you and your readers of it.

Make your characters work at it. A lot of times, relationships have an imbalance of emotion between those involved, leaving the wonderful work of wooing to be done.

Don’t forget to add some sort of conflict. Relationships in real life are rarely simple, and even if your readers are hoping for a fluffy romance story, you need some sort of conflict in order to keep things interesting, whether the couple are at odds or they’re working towards a common goal.

How can creators portray problematic relationships in their stories? And when we say problematic, we’re referring to red flag relationships as well as situations like falling in love with villains.

Actual bad/toxic/dangerous relationships are very delicate to portray. A good key rule is to make sure you are not glorifying relationship behaviors that are genuinely unhealthy. In obvious terms, this means abusers should not be praised in your story for their abusive behaviors and the ‘happily ever after’ relationship should not be an unhealthy one.

More subtle ways to ensure you are avoiding glorifying what shouldn’t be glorified is to show the hurt. Show the warning signs and the negative effects the relationship has on those involved. Don’t write about an abusive relationship and ignore the negative side effects. While not all hurt and pain are obvious, there’s often something underlying. And that something needs to be shown. Make the readers uncomfortable with what they’re reading so they question things.

Obviously in the romance genre there are tropes, kinks, and more that stem from what could be considered unhealthy relationship behavior. Romances are often an escape from reality. That means the characters don’t have to be perfect. Morally grey characters and tropes like “touch her and you all die” are very enjoyable to read. Readers need to understand that tropes like that are not necessarily healthy. Readers should be sure that they are reading content that they are comfortable with and able to say “yes, this is not healthy IRL, but this is fiction and I can enjoy it”.

What does that mean for the author? That the creator should know their audience and provide adequate content warnings to ensure their work is reaching the targeted audience. USE CONTENT WARNINGS if you're not sure.

What are some of your favorite romance tropes and how can you use them effectively?

This you'll just have to listen to. ;)

BONUS! Meg and Alli's Guide to Writing Romance

We discuss these ideas in depth in the episode. This makes a good accompaniment while you listen.

Romance in Storytelling - What makes it believable and appealing?

• Romance is spice for a longform plot, not the apparent main event.
• People In Proximity =/= romance.
• “NOW KISS” is the desired audience reaction.

Start with compelling characters.

• Every character should have a goal.
• Where does the love interest fit into that goal?
• Does the love interest conflict with that goal? (Character development opportunity!)
• Do these characters have an interesting dynamic?

What’s in it for me?

• What does A lack that they might gain from a relationship with B?
• Do they recognize they lack this?
• Does B actually have what A seeks?
• Does C have it instead?
• Was that really what A needed in the first place?

Make it fun! Isn’t that the point?

• It doesn’t have to be necessary to the plot.
• Rivals are more fun when they have equal chances.
• Let your characters question their preferences.
• Does romance change the character’s behavior?
• Maybe it just gives you warm fuzzy feelings and that’s ok, too.
• The power of humor

Love vs Lust vs Infatuation

• Love at first sight is a misnomer. That’s infatuation.
• These can all be fun but stop framing infatuation and lust as true love.
• Love makes you want the best for the other person
• Lust is sensuality, physical attraction
• Infatuation can be passionate but it’s shallow and based on perception and expectation

Bad romance and how to handle problematic relationships

• Framing is everything.
• Nobody is perfect. Acknowledging problematic behavior in the relationship offers an opportunity for character development!
• Sometimes both partners are terrible people and we aren’t supposed to take them seriously, which framing will clarify!
• Is the problematic behavior being rewarded? Complimented by other characters? No! Things like stalking, boundary pushing, and taking advantage of a power imbalance are harmful. They are red flags that lead to abuse. Abuse is not romantic.
• Show characters with a power imbalance reverse the imbalance! Does the relationship still work?
• Show a character apologizing when they hurt their loved one! The anguish of realizing they hurt the person most important to them can be endearing!
• Show characters LEAVING a bad relationship and stay broken up! It can lead to a better ship later!
• If you want it baaad, your bad romance, prominently mark it as such in your descriptions! It helps people avoid triggers, primes audiences to know what to expect, and attracts people who also like it bad.

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Episode Release Date: September 6, 2023

Episode Credits:

Miranda Schwemmer (@mirandacakesart) - she/her, mirandacakes.art

Renie Jesanis (@renieplayerone) - she/they, kateblast.com

Meg Syverud (@bludragongal) - she/her, www.megsyverud.com Bluesky Tumblr Kaylee Has A Slasher Boyfriend Daughter of the Lilies

Alli Shaw (@allidrawscomics) - she/her, tigressqueen.com

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The Intro "DO IT (feat. Shia LaBeouf)", and the Outro "It's Good To See You Again!!", both by Adrianwave, have been used and modified in good faith under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Licensed. Edits include: Fade IN/OUT, and a repeat added to the beginning of "It's Good To See You Again!!". For more information on this creative commons use, please reference https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.