It’s Not Just Clickbait…
I know that you saw the title of this article and probably went, “Wait, what???” but don’t worry.
Just keep reading, and I promise that it’ll all make sense…
My Life As A Romcom
Every now and then I’ll joke with people and say that sometimes my life feels like a romantic comedy—without the romance.
Sure, I’ve had plenty of romantic encounters… Like a textbook meet-cute moment at a grocery store, a handsome young stranger walking over from across the room and asking me to dance, or even an accidental movie date (it’s a long story…).
But at the end of the day, despite all these movie-perfect moments, I’ve never actually been in a relationship.
Searching For Happily-Ever-After
Like most girls who grew up reading fairytales, I’m something of a hopeless romantic.
I love a good happily-ever-after, even if the road to get there was treacherous and agonizingly long.
And I think that’s the main reason why, despite my own inexperience, I love to include romantic plot lines in my stories.
What Is A Romance?
For a story to be considered a romance, it has to have two things:
- A love story as the main driving force of the plot.
- A successful/happy ending (the characters MUST end up together).
That’s why a story like Romeo and Juliet can be considered a love story—but NOT a romance. Because it’s missing that happy ending.
(Fun fact: my favorite genre to read is historical fiction—especially regency romances.)
Keeping The Promise
Over the past few years, I’ve really begun to appreciate these romance novels for the “promise” that they’re forced to keep.
I’ve read books from many genres—action, thriller, sci-fi, historical, fantasy, literary, western, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and even some multi-genre novels.
Some of these stories had happy endings, others had tragic, or bittersweet endings.
But with romance, I know that I can always expect the main characters to have a happy ending—no matter how grim things might seem.
And of course, that’s part of what makes most romance novels, movies, and shows so predictable. But to people like me, it’s what also makes them so appealing.
Sometimes I want to go into a story knowing that I’ll be happy with the ending.
And the same goes for my own stories…
If I label my books as romantic, then I’m also making the obligatory promise that even if things seem to go horribly wrong, there’s still hope for a good ending—as long you keep reading.
Romance & Hope
So, what does all of that have to do with God yanking me out of the throes of depression?
Well, the short answer is: hope.
God reminded me that just like romances promise a happy ending, he does too—and his happy endings are far better than anything that I could possibly come up with for my stories.
So even when life gets really hard and I want to “stop reading,” I need to remember that there’s still hope. That a good ending (or rather, the best ending) is waiting for me.
I just need to keep going.
Before You Go…
What’s your favorite genre, and why is it your favorite? Do you just find it enjoyable to read, or is there a deeper reason?
Let me know down in the comments!
Want to read something romantic? Click here to check out the Adventures in Eldnaire trilogy!
I love a good romance, but my favorite is fantasy. Getting out of the “real world” sometimes is a must. And who doesn’t love dragons??
Right??? Dragons make a story ten times better!
I’m like you, Thirzah, a hopeless romantic. And it boggles my mind at times that even though when I start reading, I know very quickly just who will end up with who…it still is so appealing to go the journey with them. And you are so right: with God, there is always hope, and the ways He can bring happy endings is often way more than I could have imagined! (Ephesians 3:20: Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us…) I used to fantasize at times what I would do with the money I would win from the lottery….but even after all my wild imaginings, I would come back to this verse…with God, He will do more than we could even imagine! May you keep writing great romances!
Amen! And thank you so much, I plan to!
“My life feels like a romantic comedy—without the romance” … this made me laugh so hard, because I totally relate! Like I’m perpetually stuck in the first act of the story with no hope of getting into the second… but I’m also 19, so I have time. 😉
As for favorite genre, I usually say fantasy, but I have a really hard time connecting to a story if there’s no romantic subplot. But I don’t usually care for plain romance–I like a more action-oriented plot as well (like a fantasy adventure type plot, a mystery, etc). So I guess, fantasy with romance as a necessary trope?
I’m glad that I made you laugh! And yes, you definitely have time, and so do I (there’s really no need to rush even though sometimes it feels otherwise).
And I completely agree! It doesn’t need to be the main focus, but I need to have at least a small romantic subplot in all the books I read (or write).
Romantic comedy without the romance…Imma steal that line for myself Thirzah. (: For real though, being in my early twenties, I see the humour in the everyday happenings, and I hope for love in the not so distant future. All in all, it’s a great season of life, and I am cherishing every moment of it. And girl, your genre choice is EXACTLY like mine. Historical fiction all the way, and Jane Austen is my lifeline.
Yes!! I absolutely love Jane Austen’s novels! I also really enjoy the BBC film adaptations of her stories. Most of them are extremely well done!