Love Interests

[Threddy]

In fantasy books, do you think that a love interest makes the book better.
For Example:
In Darkweaver, there is Jenna for Calvyn.
In Eragon, there is Arya for Eragon.

If you do, how do you write about one, if you've never experienced a proper relationship before?

Threddy

 

[Commonmind]

Well, I'm married and have quite a bit of experience dating prior to my wife, so I've experienced a "proper" relationship before (even though proper is subjective, lol). As for how I write them, I do it organically. I have the idea for my books planned out before I start writing them, but it's a basic idea. Too much plotting can have you writing on rails and I'm not that creative when I'm trying to color within the lines. So, the same thing goes for my characters. As I'm writing them I let them flesh out their stories. Any love interests in the stories I've written have been purely spontaneous. I think when written this way it also reads more organically.

 

[Stormpirate]

I agree with Commonmind. Sometimes I'll plot out that this character gets together with this other character, but sometimes a relationship forms out of nowhere. I think that a certain amount of sexual tension can round out the characters a bit more. I don't, however, want to fall into Eddings' trap that every character is matched up with someone at the end. It is perfectly okay for two (or more!) characters to never hook up.

 

[Winters_Sorrow]

If you do, how do you write about one, if you've never experienced a proper relationship before?

Threddy

This probably isn't a constructive response but, to be honest, I'm struggling to remember a "realistic" portrayal of a relationship in a fantasy book!
The wives/husbands are usually impossibly patient, loving and supportive of their other half or are sketchy background characters only referred to as some possible 'motivation' for the protagnist either because they're in danger or to try and win their love.

 

[Threddy]

The only problem is that so far, i haven't had a single girl in my book!
If I was to introduce one, don't you think it would be likely that someone would fall for the only girl they had seemed to have met?

 

[Winters_Sorrow]

The only problem is that so far, i haven't had a single girl in my book!
If I was to introduce one, don't you think it would be likely that someone would fall for the only girl they had seemed to have met?

In a word, no.
Are they in a world which somehow has an extremely limited female population? Otherwise why would they necessarily fall for someone they've just met. They could, if the author writes it that way, but it's not a given.

If you haven't got a single girl in your novel as of yet (and by that do you mean not even as a background character - barmaid etc) then don't introduce one "just because you haven't got one at the moment" - that's tokenism. If there's no need in your story for a female presence then don't just put one in. If there's no need, then it'll feel tacked on anyway.
Write what you know and if you don't feel comfortable writing about relationships then don't force it, especially it's it's proving difficult to justify it within the context of the work to date. The Lord of the Rings has an incredibly poor amount of female characters but that's often lauded as one of the greatest fantasy stories ever written.

 

[Sapheron]

Not necessarily. But probably. Love interests... if you can't write about it as you are, read books and see how other people do it.

However, I don't see how whether you have experienced a relationship before has an effect on how you write about people flirting/liking each other. That isn't a relationship. That's everyday life.

 

[jackokent]

The only problem is that so far, i haven't had a single girl in my book!

Just a question... where do all the boys in your book come from ?

 

[Commonmind]

Just a question... where do all the boys in your book come from ?

Storks silly!

 

[Threddy]

Well, that's part of the problem Jack, I mean there are women in it but not really mentioned.
Your advice Winters, was very helpful and thanks to everyone else.

 

[Threddy]

I decided to write in a girl, maybe not as a VERY friendly relationship, but someone that my main character could rely on.
This is an extract, please say if you feel that it's believable that they're going to become very friendly towards each other. That might be quite hard to see as they have only just met, but do your best.

‘Excuse Me, would you be able to direct me to the news hut?’ Toshu asked anxiously, hopefully, this would not upset her.
‘Yea, sure, follow me!’ The girl started to stride off in a westerly direction. Toshu had to jog to catch up with her.
‘Do you mind me asking what your name is?’ Toshu asked, hoping not to sound intrusive.
‘No, I don’t mind at all, my name’s Clasa!’ Clasa said this in a chirpy sort of manner, which surprised Toshu after the recent battle.
‘I’m Toshu, thank you for doing this.’
‘Its fine, I’m glad I could help you, it’s nice to see someone else who hasn’t been as affected by this battle as everyone else.’
Toshu sighed. ‘But I might have. One of my friends went missing in the battle, and I don’t know if any of the others have survived.’
‘I’m so sorry.’ Clasa looked away. ‘That was a silly thing to say.’
‘Don’t worry, you weren’t to know. I take it there’s a list of deaths at this hut? Toshu asked, as his stomach turned over at the thought of someone he knew being on it.
‘Yep, but don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll be fine.’ Clasa said confidently.
As they turned a corner they saw a long queue in front of them, obviously they were not the only people wanting to see the list.
‘Do you want me to wait with you?’ Clasa asked quietly.
‘Pardon? Oh yes please, I’d love it if you stayed.’ Toshu replied staring into the distance.
‘Then that’s what I’ll do!’
***
After standing together, but without saying anything for about 20 minutes, Clasa interrupted Toshu’s distant gazing with a slight nudge.
‘It’s our turn.’ She said gently. ‘Come on.’
Toshu looked at the hut, it was empty, but behind him there was about another ten people queuing, he shakily but hastily walked in.
‘Sit down please.’
He sat down, Clasa stayed standing with her hand resting on his shoulder.

 

[Sapheron]

Hmm... if you wanted to know someone's name would you really ask like that?

I think I'd go more for "I'm Bob."

The other person would respond with "Hi, I'm Dave." or something.

OR:

I'd say "What's your name?"

"Dave. You?"

"Bob, nice to meet you."

I don't know. Yours isn't bad, as such, it just doesn't quite seem natural to me. Secondly, you havn't described her. I don't know whether you do that just before, but you should, either during this or in the paragraph before it.

Gah... I'm not sure I'm actually helping. Too tired from silly geography coursework.

 

[Aes]

Storks silly!

Or, in the case of sci-fi, cloning tanks.

Anyway, there's no need to feel like a love interest is essential or anything like that. I've seen stories where the protagonist's significant other seems like they're in the way, and others where the protagonist striking off without one purposely makes them feel somewhat less believable/human.

I guess what I'm saying is this: To me, it's a minor detail, not a major one. Work on the storyline, the characters, and if it seems to fit, throw it in. Otherwise, there's no reason to bother.

 

[Pyan]

Concur.
There's no "ingredient list", Threddy (Good Guy - tick: Bad Hat - tick: Cataclysmic battle - tick: Love Interest - hmmm....)
Write the story - if there is a need for a love interest, the story will tell you so!

(edit) and read Shards of Honour/Barryar, (or the portmanteau Cordelia's Honour) by L.M.Bujold for a perfectly written example of "love interest".