Can you add romance later in story?

[Agentt]

No, the answer is no, I know that, but I still want to share this incident.

A new author who I was guiding around the place was scared that readers will lewd their characters. They absolutely didn't wanted any romance whatsoever, so they ensured that by making all the female characters as strange.

The female characters are
1. Insects like mantis
2. Snakes, not sexy lamia type, but literally snales
3. They eat humans as food, and male lead is a human.
4. They are all very aggressive and will kill you if you touch them.

And these are the good guys

However, when they are in middles of the story, they realised, they do wanna see romance between the male lead and the female lead.

And that is a problem.
It was already established that the females view the male lead like we view fish. We can eat them, and we don't even know if the ML is handsome or not, they don't even know if he is a male.

So, the best thing we can do is to upgrade the food fish to pet fish, but romance is pretty much impossible.

 

[Deleted member 45782]

It is possible. esp. with sh where novels can just go on to 100+ chapters. Just way how it develops I guess. As for readers, guess that depends if you want to retain those readers, or gain popularity. Readers may leave but that always happen in some story, but then you'll get other readers that join bc of that interesting twist added.

Congrats on being a mentor, agentt! \0o0/
So are you the football coach parent now? Lol

 

[Snusmumriken]

This is where I would say planning ahead is important. Af if you are planning on writing 100+ chapter series - you should leave sufficient wiggle room in your plot.

 

[Agentt]

It is possible. esp. with sh where novels can just go on to 100+ chapters. Just way how it develops I guess. As for readers, guess that depends if you want to retain those readers, or gain popularity. Readers may leave but that always happen in some story, but then you'll get other readers that join bc of that interesting twist added.

Congrats on being a mentor, agentt! \0o0/
So are you the football coach parent now? Lol

Umu umu, I am very strict!

 

[Deleted member 45782]

Umu umu, I am very strict!

this why am glad parents that be are not football coaches. freedom! and ice cream on couch! ah~~

 

[LordAstrea]

Add it

 

[Agentt]

Add it

Catgirls?

 

[LoliGent]

No, the answer is no, I know that, but I still want to share this incident.

A new author who I was guiding around the place was scared that readers will lewd their characters. They absolutely didn't wanted any romance whatsoever, so they ensured that by making all the female characters as strange.

The female characters are
1. Insects like mantis
2. Snakes, not sexy lamia type, but literally snales
3. They eat humans as food, and male lead is a human.
4. They are all very aggressive and will kill you if you touch them.

And these are the good guys

However, when they are in middles of the story, they realised, they do wanna see romance between the male lead and the female lead.

And that is a problem.
It was already established that the females view the male lead like we view fish. We can eat them, and we don't even know if the ML is handsome or not, they don't even know if he is a male.

So, the best thing we can do is to upgrade the food fish to pet fish, but romance is pretty much impossible.

This whole plot already sounds convoluted. I feel like they were just throwing things at the wall, kind of like what I did with my current story, and it started becoming a mess. It got so bad that I had to stop and actually plan it. As far as romance later on, I feel like adding those tags early on may help if you are planning on adding them. If you are just pantsing it, then it might lead to people leaving if they don't want romance, but if you are planning it, you might as well add them. But that comes with its own problems in that readers who want romance may judge the first few chapters and see none, thus they feel cheated. It's a tricky situation for sure.

I would probably downplay it the story is about female characters being monsters, or something. I'm picturing gorgons as the female characters, that seems an apt description.

 

[Agentt]

This whole plot already sounds convoluted. I feel like they were just throwing things at the wall, kind of like what I did with my current story, and it started becoming a mess. It got so bad that I had to stop and actually plan it. As far as romance later on, I feel like adding those tags early on may help if you are planning on adding them. If you are just pantsing it, then it might lead to people leaving if they don't want romance, but if you are planning it, you might as well add them. But that comes with its own problems in that readers who want romance may judge the first few chapters and see none, thus they feel cheated. It's a tricky situation for sure.

I would probably downplay it the story is about female characters being monsters, or something. I'm picturing gorgons as the female characters, that seems an apt description.

Like i said, they were afraid we are all so horny, we would ship them

 

[Deleted member 45782]

Like i said, they were afraid we are all so horny, we would ship them

lol even if its not on sh, anywhere else there'll also be ships lurking.

 

[Cipiteca396]

so they ensured that by making all the female characters as strange.

The female characters are
1. Insects like mantis
2. Snakes, not sexy lamia type, but literally snakes
3. They eat humans as food, and male lead is a human.
4. They are all very aggressive and will kill you if you touch them.

This is not enough to stop the horni. I've seen things... Things you couldn't imagine.

However, when they are in middles of the story, they realized, they do wanna see romance between the male lead and the female lead.

And that is a problem.
It was already established that the females view the male lead like we view fish. We can eat them, and we don't even know if the ML is handsome or not, they don't even know if he is a male.

Tbf, this sounds like a golden opportunity for https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CharacterDevelopment

Your characters can slowly start to empathize with each other, your girls realizing that the smart fish is not in fact, food, but someone they enjoy being around. Your mc can slowly start to see that he slightly misjudged their brutality because of their appearance. They don't even need to develop romantic or sexual feelings for each other, they just need to come to an understanding.

But, it may not be possible for your author friend. It seems like they have some issues that might make it difficult for them. Even if they get the words down, the readers may not find the feeling of it believable.

 

[Agentt]

This is not enough to stop the horni. I've seen things... Things you couldn't imagine.


Tbf, this sounds like a golden opportunity for https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CharacterDevelopment

Your characters can slowly start to empathize with each other, your girls realizing that the smart fish is not in fact, food, but someone they enjoy being around. Your mc can slowly start to see that he slightly misjudged their brutality because of their appearance. They don't even need to develop romantic or sexual feelings for each other, they just need to come to an understanding.

But, it may not be possible for your author friend. It seems like they have some issues that might make it difficult for them. Even if they get the words down, the readers may not find the feeling of it believable.

My author friend wants the femae lead and male lead to engage in a bondage play now, so yes, they hae issues

 

[Deleted member 45782]

My author friend wants the femae lead and male lead to engage in a bondage play now, so yes, they hae issues

well that escalated quickly. from no romance to straight bondage. ?

 

[Cipiteca396]

well that escalated quickly. from no romance to straight bondage. ?

"It's okay if I do it, but when others do it, it's bad."

 

[Freemints30]

Dude.... I have character who wants to eat and devour people including their love interest. Their true form is an abomination and by the time the romance gets sexual they pretty much have little control keeping their more attractive human form so they look like at times a monster whilst banging. saya uta. except the the love interest sees the being in their true form and still digs it"

Really I live by "if it exist" people would lewd them and trying to avoid it is naïve at best and I can tell this writer is inexperience.

Now I wouldn't say make them less monstrous, but this takes alot of prepartion in the story before hand. Ie set up before to show they have the ability to form something at least similar to attraction and romantic love as screwed up as it is and as possessive at it may be. Establish the other character being able to be fine or even be attracted to these quirks (or make them a total freak and masochist.. that can work ?).

Tada you now have a messed up slow burn canabalistic sado-maso relationship. Depending on the tone of your story is can fit very well. However if your story is more light hearted and or more PG... stay away from that option

 

[RepresentingCaution]

I've read some pretty extreme interspecies erotica, so I could see it happening.

 

[Agentt]

I've read some pretty extreme interspecies erotica, so I could see it happening.

So sad

 

[FDSIO]

Like i said, they were afraid we are all so horny, we would ship them

Imma gonna be honest for a bit. Rude, but honest. That's the dumbest reason I ever heard of. So dumb in fact, initially I thought you were joking...

 

[Agentt]

Imma gonna be honest for a bit. Rude, but honest. That's the dumbest reason I ever heard of. So dumb in fact, initially I thought you were joking...

Eh...I was quite...surprised too, in fact. It was a classic case of
"My story is so good, I will become famous in just a week after joining" newbie authors jave

 

[AliceShiki]

To answer the title of the thread... I don't see why you wouldn't be able to add romance later on? Or rather... Wouldn't any story that is not focused on romance have it usually developed later on the story instead of at the start?

Like, first the characters are strangers, then they become comrades due to circumstances, then they slowly become friends, then they start noticing that there is something more to their friendship, until eventually they understand their own feelings of love? (and then they confess like, near the last chapter or something)

I think that's like... A super duper common trope? Really, I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed to do that, seems like a pretty common thing to me.