Harems are easy to write, authors are just lazy

[AliceMoonvale]

I shall live as a moron.

Yes.

 

[MC-Stories]

I'll say it: Harems are the easiest thing to write, the authors who write them are just lazy.

I mean COME ON!
Free characters!
With no effort to get them in the harem!
And you're telling me you can't just add ONE conflict they have?
I'm telling you; harems are literally a free pass of characters, so you don't need to put effort into keeping them around for any reason other than liking the MC and that is so easy because adding conflict to a character is easy TOO.
Family problems.
No confidence in themselves.
The whole shebang.

Edit: You can have the trash, just add some spice on it)

I've often considered writing a harem story for my Beast Heroes series, but i am a firm believer that a story isn't a story if the MC doesn't work for what they want.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I agree, I shall live as a moron.

It's good to have goals. We believe you can do it.

 

[L1aei]

...writing anything is easy. We're all doing it now in this thread.

 

[LastMinami]

Yes... It's called work. Easy, honest, and profitable lol. If you think about it and take away the "honest," it's like being a politician hahaha

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

I'll say it: Harems are the easiest thing to write, the authors who write them are just lazy.

I mean COME ON!
Free characters!
With no effort to get them in the harem!
And you're telling me you can't just add ONE conflict they have?
I'm telling you; harems are literally a free pass of characters, so you don't need to put effort into keeping them around for any reason other than liking the MC and that is so easy because adding conflict to a character is easy TOO.
Family problems.
No confidence in themselves.
The whole shebang.

Edit: You can have the trash, just add some spice on it)

I'm still writing serious harem stories coz I love doing it.

Serious as in trying to make them act and feel like 'real' people, using my job as a teacher to observe people and copy their reactions and behavior. And giving them more motivations other than to please the MMC.

 

[MFontana]

I'll say it: Harems are the easiest thing to write, the authors who write them are just lazy.

I mean COME ON!
Free characters!
With no effort to get them in the harem!
And you're telling me you can't just add ONE conflict they have?
I'm telling you; harems are literally a free pass of characters, so you don't need to put effort into keeping them around for any reason other than liking the MC and that is so easy because adding conflict to a character is easy TOO.
Family problems.
No confidence in themselves.
The whole shebang.

Edit: You can have the trash, just add some spice on it)

It's already been said, but there are a lot of traps, and they are very easy to fall into. Especially with the badly-written ones.
It is possible to write one well though, and I'd like to believe the one I'm writing is being written well, as well as it not being the only one. I'm sure there are others as well.

I can assure you of one thing.
I am not lazy. Especially with my writing.
Yes, I am writing a lighter rom-com harem story. I have also included harem-elements within my other works. [The Guild Hall cohabitation dynamic in The Elarian Chronicles and Aethara, along with the NPC's element of Aethara, specifically the three Lilitu sisters and their shared obsession w/ Marius].

Though I have not, and will not, be doing any the things being pointed out here.
There will be plenty of tension, and inter-character conflict. As well as world-scale conflict and tension.
All of the characters have significant depth and development to them. Admittedly less-so for the supporting cast rather than the "harem members" and protagonist, but that does not mean they are "lacking personality" or motivations.

In truth, what you're describing there are all the badly-written ones, and admittedly there are no end to the samples of those to pick from, including some that have doubtlessly done well, despite the brain-rot permeating their narratives and virtually non-existent structure and character depth.
This, of late, seems to have become the mold for these types of stories though, with the aforementioned traps by @Anonjohn20 becoming more like the standard "tropes" of the genre.

So, basically I'm intentionally doing the opposite of all of those things with all of the stories that I'm writing; or at the very least, attempting to do so.

 

[MakBow]

It's already been said, but there are a lot of traps, and they are very easy to fall into. Especially with the badly-written ones.
It is possible to write one well though, and I'd like to believe the one I'm writing is being written well, as well as it not being the only one. I'm sure there are others as well.

I can assure you of one thing.
I am not lazy. Especially with my writing.
Yes, I am writing a lighter rom-com harem story. I have also included harem-elements within my other works. [The Guild Hall cohabitation dynamic in The Elarian Chronicles and Aethara, along with the NPC's element of Aethara, specifically the three Lilitu sisters and their shared obsession w/ Marius].

Though I have not, and will not, be doing any the things being pointed out here.
There will be plenty of tension, and inter-character conflict. As well as world-scale conflict and tension.
All of the characters have significant depth and development to them. Admittedly less-so for the supporting cast rather than the "harem members" and protagonist, but that does not mean they are "lacking personality" or motivations.

In truth, what you're describing there are all the badly-written ones, and admittedly there are no end to the samples of those to pick from, including some that have doubtlessly done well, despite the brain-rot permeating their narratives and virtually non-existent structure and character depth.
This, of late, seems to have become the mold for these types of stories though, with the aforementioned traps by @Anonjohn20 becoming more like the standard "tropes" of the genre.

So, basically I'm intentionally doing the opposite of all of those things with all of the stories that I'm writing; or at the very least, attempting to do so.

I don't think you are lazy. I just said lazy as click bait.

And yes, I am fully aware that of both good and bad ones (100 Girlfriends I love, good harem manga)

And I'm not saying it has to be written well, because you know, writing relationships is hard.
I'm jus saying add at least one thing more if you intend to make a trash harem (Which clear you don't intend to do)

I know harems are trahs for the most part, but I just wish there was at leats more than 1 extra thing to the character.

Like I said, you can have the trash, but add a little spice, add at least one thing extra and I'll be cool with it, even if it is trash.

I like reading trash.
It makes me feel like a competent writer to strike my ego.

 

[MFontana]

I like reading trash.
It makes me feel like a competent writer to strike my ego.

Well, you've got me there.
That certainly is one way to feel better about your own stuff.
Just don't let yourself pick up any of those bad habits, and you're golden.

 

[MakBow]

Well, you've got me there.
That certainly is one way to feel better about your own stuff.
Just don't let yourself pick up any of those bad habits, and you're golden.

Oh, I won't. I physically can't really since I have such a desire to add personality to characters

 

[greyblob]

you cannot write good harem. you have much to learn still

 

[MakBow]

you cannot write good harem. you have much to learn still

No, it is possible. 100 Girlfriends is a good example of a harem done right

 

[greyblob]

No, it is possible. 100 Girlfriends is a good example of a harem done right

youre just affirming my opinion

 

[MakBow]

youre just affirming my opinion

I don't know what I'm looking at

 

[greyblob]

I don't know what I'm looking at

much to learn

 

[MFontana]

you cannot write good harem. you have much to learn still

Any form of artistic expression can be good.
It comes down to the execution of the work, as well as the skill, and talent, of the creator.
Yes. Even harem stories.
Most of them just... aren't, and for reasons that have already been brought up a few times.
As much as I'd love to stay and chat though, I've got to get back to work writing my own (hopefully, though it'll be up to the readers to decide for themselves if it is or not) good harem rom-com series.
Fare-thee well.

 

[greyblob]

Any form of artistic expression can be good.
It comes down to the execution of the work, as well as the skill, and talent, of the creator.
Yes. Even harem stories.
Most of them just... aren't, and for reasons that have already been brought up a few times.
As much as I'd love to stay and chat though, I've got to get back to work writing my own (hopefully, though it'll be up to the readers to decide for themselves if it is or not) good harem rom-com series.
Fare-thee well.

i dont like your deregatory addressing of harem novels.

this whole industry was built on the back of harem novels

 

[PurpleXanmal]

I tried to make a harem novel once.. I am still writing it. It ended up as a psychological horror on toys becoming sentient in a hellish place... I may not be cut out for writing harems.

 

[CinnaSloth]

I'll say it: Harems are the easiest thing to write, the authors who write them are just lazy.

I mean COME ON!
Free characters!
With no effort to get them in the harem!
And you're telling me you can't just add ONE conflict they have?
I'm telling you; harems are literally a free pass of characters, so you don't need to put effort into keeping them around for any reason other than liking the MC and that is so easy because adding conflict to a character is easy TOO.
Family problems.
No confidence in themselves.
The whole shebang.

Edit: You can have the trash, just add some spice on it)

me suddenly adding some random problems to my characters 90 chapters in
(even though its not a harem story, but has enough women and girls to qualify as one):

lmao.

 

[Worthy39]

I don't know if I would necessarily call authors lazy, more like human. When writing characters, it's hard not to have favorites that will inevitably get more relevant chapters or scenes than other characters, hence why I never intend to write a harem, I'd focus way too much on one or two girls with the protagonist. I feel like adding conflict to a character can be fine, but adding it just to have it also defeats the purpose of any sort of character growth or development. I'll do love triangles and stuff, but not a legitimate harem.