How to avoid romancing your characters in a manner that wouldn't be misunderstood by the readers?

[Alfir]

Why does the first woman that the readers saw get acquainted with the protagonist tend to be the story's heroine?

I just don't get it. I understand that the more screen time a female character gets in a story, whether in action, fantasy, or most novels targeting a male audience, they tend to become the female lead. Because it makes sense, and they build the story together, just like how a protagonist and a deuteragonist carry the story. And then comes the situation where the protagonist meets a female character for the first time, and chances are, the readers would instinctively ship them or think the other as the romantic interest. Don't get me wrong. I am quite a shipper myself, and I loved shipping characters, but I've been finding it difficult to establish a non-romantic dynamic between a male character and a female character.

The first time I wrote a non-romantic relationship between a male protagonist and a female supporting character, I fumbled hard on the introduction and was told the protagonist was sexist, and I couldn't bring myself to think otherwise, because I wrote him as a genuinely nice dude who liked helping people and didn't think with his dick. It wasn't helping that the female character was so eager to please the protagonist in their boss-subordinate relationship, in effect. Later on, I realized the reader had a point and presented the scene more properly by editing it time and time again. However, the notion/impression that the female character was a romantic interest never vanished.

As a writer, I knew I failed to express the idea, and to my shame, had to explain that they were not romantically involved.

I need tips.

How to avoid romancing your characters in a manner that wouldn't be misunderstood by the readers?

I reached the point in my novel that I might've shipped too many characters among the main cast and various side characters (protagonist excluded), and it was a power fantasy novel with a Nice Guy trope. Right now, I am contemplating slaughtering a few shipped couples for the sake of balance, maybe put them in a tragedy and thanos-snap them.

Edit: Wrong thread, dang it... It was supposed to be Writer General... How do you change this?

 

[NotaNuffian]

I just don't get it. I understand that the more screen time a female character gets in a story, whether in action, fantasy, or most novels targeting a male audience, they tend to become the female lead. Because it makes sense, and they build the story together, just like how a protagonist and a deuteragonist carry the story. And then comes the situation where the protagonist meets a female character for the first time, and chances are, the readers would instinctively ship them or think the other as the romantic interest. Don't get me wrong. I am quite a shipper myself, and I loved shipping characters, but I've been finding it difficult to establish a non-romantic dynamic between a male character and a female character.

The first time I wrote a non-romantic relationship between a male protagonist and a female supporting character, I fumbled hard on the introduction and was told the protagonist was sexist, and I couldn't bring myself to think otherwise, because I wrote him as a genuinely nice dude who liked helping people and didn't think with his dick. It wasn't helping that the female character was so eager to please the protagonist in their boss-subordinate relationship, in effect. Later on, I realized the reader had a point and presented the scene more properly by editing it time and time again. However, the notion/impression that the female character was a romantic interest never vanished.

As a writer, I knew I failed to express the idea, and to my shame, had to explain that they were not romantically involved.

I need tips.

How to avoid romancing your characters in a manner that wouldn't be misunderstood by the readers?

I reached the point in my novel that I might've shipped too many characters among the main cast and various side characters (protagonist excluded), and it was a power fantasy novel with a Nice Guy trope. Right now, I am contemplating slaughtering a few shipped couples for the sake of balance, maybe put them in a tragedy and thanos-snap them.

I have no idea how to answer you, so I googled your title and let AI do it for me.

In storytelling, the first woman introduced to the protagonist is often the heroine because it establishes a clear point of view and connection for the reader. Introducing the heroine early on allows the audience to identify with her, understand her role in the protagonist's life, and develop a sense of investment in her journey. This initial introduction can also create a sense of mystery or anticipation around the heroine, making her more compelling as the story progresses.

Here's a more detailed explanation:

• Point of View and Connection:
  The protagonist is typically the character the reader experiences the story through, and introducing the heroine early allows the reader to connect with her through the protagonist's perspective.
  
  
• Building Anticipation:
  Introducing the heroine early, even if her full significance isn't immediately clear, can create a sense of intrigue and anticipation for the reader.
  
  
• Establish Relationships:
  The initial encounter between the protagonist and the heroine helps establish the nature of their relationship, whether it's romantic, platonic, or adversarial.
  
  
• Setting Expectations:
  The first encounter with the heroine can set the tone for her character and her role in the story, influencing how the reader perceives her throughout the narrative.

 

[Alski]

btw Copilot took offense to your title.

 

[Alfir]

I get the advantage of showing the heroine off early, regardless of her impact or presence in the story. My story's heroine only appeared in the second book, and their meeting happened off-screen. Instead, it was shown in a flashback. I don't really have a problem writing my heroines. It's a bit crass, but I want to manipulate the reader's perception to stop thinking the protagonist was gonna be romantically involved with every female character he met, because I might've overdone my female-to-male ratio in writing. I've achieved the desired results already in my web novel, but it took a lot of chapters and a couple of arcs. I knew I could do it better, and I want to compress the image I want the readers to see in a more concise and impactful manner so that the idea would remain with them even after the book.

btw Copilot took offense to your title.

I should've prompted the thread. Anyway, I messed up already posting on the wrong subforum.

 

[Corty]

Because introduced characters usually need a purpose to be introduced.

And most of the time, it is to be the love interest for the MC.

It is what it is. It is simple and it is working. Why does it work? Because it just does.

 

[Hoshino]

Because you don't want the best girl to win, most of the time... Probably.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Because introduced characters usually need a purpose to be introduced.

And most of the time, it is to be the love interest for the MC.

It is what it is. It is simple and it is working. Why does it work? Because it just does.

I'll be frank, I hate assigning names to one off characters who's job is to literally be the opposing voice against MC.

 

[Golden_Hyde]

the key to it is to not have some sort of attachment nor even premises that she was fairly close to the protagonist. I can smell pretty far away that you're likely getting into the same trap most web novel authors accidentally (a strong word) fell into, and the readers actually wished that that female character is going to be your protagonist's love interest. (Looking at you, Solo Leveling)

Honestly, it entirely depends on how early this female character met your protagonist, and what's her motive of all things that'll going on when he's with her.

 

[Eldoria]

Use a glossary to describe your characters. Write the relationships between them clearly.

Spoiler: Example: Marry El Rose and Black Mist are sisters of the same wound

Blood Rose Princess Just Wants to Live in Peace with Her Little Daughter

What if the world chose to forget its saviour and its sins, while the saviour chose instead to protect her daughter’s innocence? Seven years ago, the age of tyranny was erased from the memory of mankind. Civilisation crumbled, the tyrants fell into an eternal sleep, and the victims woke...

www.scribblehub.com

 

[naosu]

An alternative is to have them meet an obvious villain type first right away that's obviously not that kind of material. Or write her so ugly and fat that ... they'd be like, "Eeeek, I'm going to swear off that type. No dating her!"

 

[RepresentingPride]

You can have her dating/marrying someone out of screen and sometime she talk about her husband in a good way, readers won't ship her anymore, except those who like ntr.

 

[WhaleSprite]

The first females I introduced besides my MC's teacher and his sister is my MC's female best friend. But I don't really linger on her appearance even if she's pretty and I established early on that she's interested in another character, not my MC. Also, she and my MC both just act like clowns together.

And well unless a person is one of those weird incest shippers they won't ship him with his twin sister. And his teacher is married and has more of a maternal bond with my MC rather than anything else, and she's not described as pretty or anything to be mistaken as love interest .

Overall though people will ship characters even if there's no reason to, I've seen the Internet ship family members and even characters who've never interacted before or even characters who are from completely different fandoms.

I guess just avoid the MC and the girl having anything that can be interpreted at flirting or moments where they bond through vulnerability together. Don't emphasize on the female characters' beautiful appearance, especially from the MC's perspective. Or vice versa where female focuses on the physical appearance of MC. And I guess don't emphasize on their difference of gender.