[ SECRET POST #2825 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2825 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 065 secrets from Secret Submission Post #404.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I think that's because
-it gets written more often
-many writers and readers are too young/inexperienced to have been in a relationship. for them the mystery is "how do I get together with somebody, how do we fall in love?" and sex.
-even if they have the experience it's an aquired taste

-it has "conflict" that doesn't threaten the end goal "happy relationship". to have conflict in the relationship itself it has to be shown as flawed. somebody has to be shown as not 100% content and forgiving of every mistake of their partner, or not 100% realizing and atoning for their flaws. a reality which is either not acknowledged, doesn't get enjoyed as much, or gets treated before they get together

-getting together is an inherent plot for romance stories. an established relationship fic needs another plot. many writers are mostly interested in the romance and can't come up with anything (s. the first point).

-the potential of a happy relationship (plus sex) is more of an ideal to us than the realized relationship, because we can live through it.
I would actually say that "falling in love, confess, get together" is more relatable than "dating and living together in a partnership".

[(Anonymous)]

Best comment. And so true.

I translate, among other things, Harlequin romances for a living, and after going over the same generic plot again and again and again, I've come to realize that they are very much about idealized happiness. The woman who starts out poor and lonely is rich and married at the end, and no matter how much of an abusive bastard the guy was in the beginning, he's changed and at the end he is perfect and their relationship is perfect and they are perfectly happy ever after.

Writing an established relationship story is giving up that whole "happy ever after" fantasy which is the whole point of formula romance novels and, dare I say it, a lot of shipping fic as well. And people don't want to read that, because they're looking to get vicariously on the happiness train.