How much violence can you have in a romance?

mr ploppy · 04-06-2012, 12:44 PM

I'm guessing you can't have pages and pages of carnage with teeth and blood flying everywhere, but is something like "he stood back and watched her stick the boot in, welling up with pride" acceptable in these sort of things? Or picking up a broken bottle and ramming it in someone's face, without going into any further details?

ScalyFreak · 04-06-2012, 02:20 PM

I'd say that depends on the plot. There's all sorts of sub-categories to romance where violence fits in just fine. Mystery-romance, suspension-romance, thriller-romance, and the list goes on...

As long as it doesn't come out of nowhere and shocks the reader without warning, there's very little you can't put in. But someone expecting a cozy and sweet love story, and who reads them because they enjoy a lack of violence, will probably not like your book if you surprise them with a fist fight or similar.

Me personally, I have no problem with it. Anger is a passion as well.

ApK · 04-06-2012, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

Me personally, I have no problem with it. Anger is a passion as well.

Sith...figures.

ScalyFreak · 04-06-2012, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApK

Sith...figures.

That's right! A walking cliche, that's me!

VydorScope · 04-06-2012, 10:05 PM

While scalyfreak is likely right... I would think that narrows your audience quite a bit. I would guess that most ppl that read that kind of story are looking for a nice love story, and a little violence would work if its "hero save damsel in distress" style.

I do not read nor write that genre so that's all just guessing...

teh603 · 04-06-2012, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VydorScope

While scalyfreak is likely right... I would think that narrows your audience quite a bit. I would guess that most ppl that read that kind of story are looking for a nice love story, and a little violence would work if its "hero save damsel in distress" style.

I do not read nor write that genre so that's all just guessing...

What about supernatural/paranormal romance? Vampires and hunters, werewolves and just about anything, stuff like that?

VydorScope · 04-06-2012, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teh603

What about supernatural/paranormal romance? Vampires and hunters, werewolves and just about anything, stuff like that?

Again guessing... but I would suspect the level of described violence is low and the level of love, emotions, and etc is high. Like Beauty and the Beast. Most of the story is about the romance, and the violence is fairly limited. (at least in the Broadway version I saw)

Elfwreck · 04-06-2012, 11:59 PM

I am happy to read romances with quite a lot of violence. But then, I read Star Trek and Batman slash; I'm used to my romances taking place with a background of explosions and knife-fights.

There's a solid genre of adventure-romance novels where Hero and Heroine bond while trying to evade some level of danger, which often involves violence. Sometimes, the Hero is sent to protect the Heroine; sometimes, he was assigned to kill her and either fails or decides not to when he sorts out that the reason for the assignment had problems. Sometimes the two of them just wind up randomly stuck together in a dangerous situation and fall in love while helping each other survive.

There is no level of violence that's "too much," any more than there's a level of erotica that's "too much;" it depends on where your writing talents lie and which audience you want as a customer base. There are solid marketing and fanbase opportunities for any level of violence, from "maybe someone gets slapped in the face" to "graphic description of a war zone."

Romance readers (and romance *buyers*) are not a uniform crowd of women who want fluff-and-roses with no hint of a world outside the two main characters.

Justin Nemo · 04-07-2012, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

I'm guessing you can't have pages and pages of carnage with teeth and blood flying everywhere, but is something like "he stood back and watched her stick the boot in, welling up with pride" acceptable in these sort of things? Or picking up a broken bottle and ramming it in someone's face, without going into any further details?

I think your description was far too graphic for a romance novel. I would have thought that something like "he stood back and watched her give him a Yorkshire kiss, welling up with pride and lust as she took the top of his head off with a pair of rusty garden shears." I think gardening is so essential in a romance novel don't you?

VydorScope · 04-07-2012, 07:42 AM

I would say look up the level of violence in the more popular romance books, and use that as a barometer.. that is IF your goal is to hit a level that fits with the majority of readers in the genera.

If you do not care and are happier with a smaller set, then put as much as you want in.

Harper Kingsley · 04-08-2012, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

I'm guessing you can't have pages and pages of carnage with teeth and blood flying everywhere, but is something like "he stood back and watched her stick the boot in, welling up with pride" acceptable in these sort of things? Or picking up a broken bottle and ramming it in someone's face, without going into any further details?

Check out Laurell K Hamilton's stuff from before she went off the deep end. "Burnt Offerings" is all about people being burnt alive, and Anita Blake is totally all scarred up from being vampire attacked.

Some have classified my stuff as romance because characters form a relationship, but I also kill a lot of people. Then again, mm romance is an outgrowth of slash fanfiction, and a lot of that is plotty porn with some deeper pieces thrown in.

I figure what you need to do is write the story you want to write and don't worry about targeting a specific audience. "If you write it, they will come..."

Harper Kingsley · 04-08-2012, 04:44 PM

I meant, you can figure out your audience after you've written your story

Terisa de morgan · 04-08-2012, 04:58 PM

Well, you can check Shelly Laurenston's stories...

No sweet girls there, and quite violence too...

RobynJane · 04-09-2012, 03:22 PM

You are the author. It's YOUR choice. The market will let you know whether it likes what you write or not. Still, I understand that there are limits. For example, how many people know that The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that has come down to us is not the first version that Stevenson wrote? The first one was so horrifying that when he had his wife read it, she found it so revolting that he threw the manuscript into the fire and rewrote it in its entirety.

Violence in a romance? Hmm...does it add to the story? Does it make sense? Or is it just gratuitous (there simply for the sake of violence)? Or is it a necessary part of the plot? Again, that's something only you, the author, can decide.

Robyn Jane.

morriss003 · 04-09-2012, 03:43 PM

The problem with this decision, is the shifting nature of the romance genre. Nora Robert's Death series is a mixture of mystery and romance. Jayne Ann Krentz has written many books in her paranormal/romance series, and there is even more violence in Harlequins than there used to be. Genre's are blurring as the popularity of cross-genre books increases.

04-06-2012, 12:44 PM	#1
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	How much violence can you have in a romance? I'm guessing you can't have pages and pages of carnage with teeth and blood flying everywhere, but is something like "he stood back and watched her stick the boot in, welling up with pride" acceptable in these sort of things? Or picking up a broken bottle and ramming it in someone's face, without going into any further details?

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04-06-2012, 02:20 PM	#2
ScalyFreak Sith Wannabe Posts: 2,034 Karma: 8017430 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: I'm not sure... it's kind of dark. Device: Galaxy Note 4, Kobo Aura H2O, Kindle Fire HD, Aluratek Libre	I'd say that depends on the plot. There's all sorts of sub-categories to romance where violence fits in just fine. Mystery-romance, suspension-romance, thriller-romance, and the list goes on... As long as it doesn't come out of nowhere and shocks the reader without warning, there's very little you can't put in. But someone expecting a cozy and sweet love story, and who reads them because they enjoy a lack of violence, will probably not like your book if you surprise them with a fist fight or similar. Me personally, I have no problem with it. Anger is a passion as well.

04-06-2012, 10:05 PM	#5
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	While scalyfreak is likely right... I would think that narrows your audience quite a bit. I would guess that most ppl that read that kind of story are looking for a nice love story, and a little violence would work if its "hero save damsel in distress" style. I do not read nor write that genre so that's all just guessing...

04-06-2012, 11:59 PM	#8
Elfwreck Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,187 Karma: 25133758 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area, California, USA Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3 (Past: Kobo Mini, PEZ, PRS-505, Clié)	I am happy to read romances with quite a lot of violence. But then, I read Star Trek and Batman slash; I'm used to my romances taking place with a background of explosions and knife-fights. There's a solid genre of adventure-romance novels where Hero and Heroine bond while trying to evade some level of danger, which often involves violence. Sometimes, the Hero is sent to protect the Heroine; sometimes, he was assigned to kill her and either fails or decides not to when he sorts out that the reason for the assignment had problems. Sometimes the two of them just wind up randomly stuck together in a dangerous situation and fall in love while helping each other survive. There is no level of violence that's "too much," any more than there's a level of erotica that's "too much;" it depends on where your writing talents lie and which audience you want as a customer base. There are solid marketing and fanbase opportunities for any level of violence, from "maybe someone gets slapped in the face" to "graphic description of a war zone." Romance readers (and romance buyers) are not a uniform crowd of women who want fluff-and-roses with no hint of a world outside the two main characters.

04-07-2012, 07:42 AM	#10
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	I would say look up the level of violence in the more popular romance books, and use that as a barometer.. that is IF your goal is to hit a level that fits with the majority of readers in the genera. If you do not care and are happier with a smaller set, then put as much as you want in.

04-08-2012, 04:44 PM	#12
Harper Kingsley Clone Trooper Posts: 212 Karma: 4566103 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Washington Device: kindle	I meant, you can figure out your audience after you've written your story

04-08-2012, 04:58 PM	#13
Terisa de morgan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,686 Karma: 12595249 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Device: Kobo Clara/Aura One/Forma,XiaoMI 5, iPad, Huawei MediaPad, YotaPhone 2	Well, you can check Shelly Laurenston's stories... No sweet girls there, and quite violence too...

04-09-2012, 03:22 PM	#14
RobynJane Member Posts: 11 Karma: 263704 Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Rochester, NY Device: Nook Simple Touch	You are the author. It's YOUR choice. The market will let you know whether it likes what you write or not. Still, I understand that there are limits. For example, how many people know that The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that has come down to us is not the first version that Stevenson wrote? The first one was so horrifying that when he had his wife read it, she found it so revolting that he threw the manuscript into the fire and rewrote it in its entirety. Violence in a romance? Hmm...does it add to the story? Does it make sense? Or is it just gratuitous (there simply for the sake of violence)? Or is it a necessary part of the plot? Again, that's something only you, the author, can decide. Robyn Jane.

04-09-2012, 03:43 PM	#15
morriss003 Evangelist Posts: 438 Karma: 3409790 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Maui Device: kindle	The problem with this decision, is the shifting nature of the romance genre. Nora Robert's Death series is a mixture of mystery and romance. Jayne Ann Krentz has written many books in her paranormal/romance series, and there is even more violence in Harlequins than there used to be. Genre's are blurring as the popularity of cross-genre books increases.