In this episode, Jo (@pebblysand) and Lani (@copper-dust) talk about romance in fanfiction. They explore what defines romance as a genre and how it differs from platonic love and sexuality. They also discuss the concept of the OTPs and whether a story can be romantic without being about romantic love. Lani shares some of her favourite romantic quotes from original fiction, and they dive into which story elements we consider most important in writing romance. They also offer some advice on writing kissing scenes, using tropes, and pacing.  

This week, we mention: 

Fandoms: The Good Wife, Harry Potter, Ancient Greece, Alexander the Great Fics: castles by pebblysand, In Search of Mythical Kings by copper_dust, here is a map with your name for a capital by lowriseflare, Hush Lane, Where the Holly Grows by copper_dust Books: Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Grief Lessons: Four Plays by Euripides by Anne Carson, Looking for Alaska by John Green, Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault Previous episode(s): S1E4. “Shipping” (Or, Imagining Vietnam Vets Reading Our Fanfiction)

Your recommendations for this week are:

lowriseflare’s The Good Wife fics on livejournal. The author is also on AO3 (although their fics weren’t cross-posted).  Bookmarking the stories you like, please!

You can find us online at:

The Fanfic Writer’s Craft: tumblr ; spotify ; ko-fi Lani (@copper-dust): tumblr ; AO3 Jo (@pebblysand): tumblr ; AO3