Why does “romance” in fiction get such a bad rap? This is why:
by Katharine Trendacosta
Romance abounds in fiction—and science fiction and fantasy are full of epic romances, too. But sometimes a romance feels less like something that’s true to the characters and more like a plot device the writers threw in at the last moment. Here are eight kinds of romance that we don’t ever need to see again.
Look, we all know that writing believable romance is hard. Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to admit that not every story needs a relationship as its A-, B-, or even C-plot. A story without romance is better than one with a bad one. It’s never good to have an audience thinking, “Hey, these characters are solid, the story’s fun—oh, oh no. Stop it. Where’d this relationship even come from?!”