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A lot of writers might argue that romance in YA lit is a boring old trope that needs to die. If you’re into reading YA lit, it’s been nearly impossible for you to avoid the “she was a normal girl until she met [insert cool boy character]”, but I’m here to argue that romance and love triangles aren’t necessarily the problem in young adult novels. The problem is when the main character completely loses all of their power and motivation when romance is introduced to the story. When it’s done right, the story can be captivating and realistic.
Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t be afraid to include romance in your novel:
Many of us have had crushes
Most of us, starting at a young age, have had a fondness for someone and may have possible done something foolish because of those feelings. We can’t pretend like we’ve never had these feelings or they don’t exist for many people. Even if we weren’t in love, those feelings were probably very strong for a lot of people.
You can still build strong characters
Having two characters fall in love does not mean your characters are weak. You can still build strong characters will believable/understandable motives and they can still be extremely relatable. The romance doesn’t have to be the main focus. The main character shouldn’t lose themselves or become weaker because of their romantic relationships (unless that is the point of the story).
We do a lot of things for love
Love can sometimes be the main motivating factor for our actions. We tend to do a lot of things in the name of love, whether these decisions were smart or not.
Relationships are important
Exploring both romantic and platonic relationships with others can be important to your novel. As people, we tend to care about and love family, friends, partners, etc. This can be a natural part of our lives, so it’s not the worst idea to explore it.
Here’s how to do it right:
Build your characters up separately
Each character should be someone separate from the relationship they’re in. Two characters can fall in love, but they should be more than that relationship. Explore who they are separately and what makes them different/similar. Does the relationship make them stronger? Does it make them weaker? Does it affect your story at all?
You don’t have to make romance the main focus
Romance and love does not have to be the main focus, depending on your novel. Take some time to think about what that relationship means in your story. What else is going on? Is it a sub-plot or is it the main plot?
Love triangles: make the decision hard
Love triangles become pointless when you can easily spot the better choice. You should have as much trouble as the main character does when choosing sides. I think the Hunger Games does this very well, because both Gale and Peeta are good options for Katniss and both represent different things. Her relationship with both of them does not make Katniss any weaker as a character. She is motivated by her desire to protect those she loves, which is what makes her relatable and honorable.
Figure out wants and needs
Each character should have wants and needs separate from the romance. There should be a story beyond the relationships formed. You should be able to build your character and really get to know who they are on their own. Otherwise, it can all feel very contrived.
Ultimately, I don’t think you should cut something you really feel is important/integral to your story because people say it’s overdone. Just avoid talking down to your readers and treat your characters with respect.
-Kris Noel
