Victoria Minks, Bookbug and Writer
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The Element of Love: Besides Romance

5/17/2017

8 Comments

 
Love comes in so many different forms and is expressed in so many different ways-- Romance isn't the only option! So let's explore the element of love...
     Let's just start off by clarifying that I am not a romance hater. Not at all. I don't dislike it in real life, and I don't dislike it in books. I do have some personal standards on what type of romance I read, and a lot of the typical romance genre happens to fall under what I don't care to read, but that said... I enjoy seeing/reading about a good, honorable romance between two people. 

     However, looking past your typical romance, I'm constantly disappointed by the lack of love in other forms at the bookstore. Love can take so many different shapes and sizes-- it can be between a parent and a child, or between siblings (yes, it's very true!), it can be between neighbors, or it can even be between strangers. Love is a powerful thing. 

     With all these different types of love, and all the various forms of expressing it, I'm always surprised how little it's been used in books, especially more modern fiction. So what are some basic ways that the element of love can be shown? 

  • Parent and Child
  • Grandparent and Grandchild
  • Siblings
  • Relatives/Extended family
  • Neighbors
  • Mentors or Teachers and their Students
  • Person and Pet
  • Coworkers
  • Friends
  • Strangers (How, you ask? Well, love can be expressed even towards someone you don't know!) 
  • People who share your Faith
  • Person with those who are in need
  • Those in social services with people within the system

     But what if we wanted to go a little deeper--to start the imagination wheels turning? What about the kinds of people who could love each other? I like to think in my head sometimes of random pairings. Not romantic pairings, just "they love and care about each other" pairings. It's a lot of fun and you can get a lot of good inspiration. Because let's face it. Books revolve around relationships...you can't have a story without one. So here's some random ideas. I'll start...you finish! ;) 

  • Two old ladies who are BFFs
  • A girl and her younger sister
  • A boy and the pastor at his church
  • Young woman and abandoned baby
  • Two detectives or police
  • Shop owners right next to each other on the street
  • Dog and abused child
  • Homeless person and the neighborhood officer
  • Teacher and the school outcast
  • Father and his special needs child
  • Bookstore owner and crazy bookbug reader that is always buying books
  • Cafe Barista and the old man who just needs a friend
  • .... 


And you could go on! ;) I think a lot of times people don't want to name something as "love" if it's not romantic, but let's change that. Let's write love in all it's different forms! 

Question of the Day: 
What is one of your favorite examples of non-romantic love in a book? Little Women always is my favorite example. Between the love of Marmee and her girls, and the love of the sisters, and then the love between family friends... Ah, there's just so many good examples in that book. 

Have a lovely day!
<3
Victoria
8 Comments
Liberty Bluebelle
5/18/2017 06:07:56 am

Wonderful post! So many times I've picked up a book that looks like it will have that sort of relationship in it, but most often it has romance in it too. In your examples, two of them really excited me, just by their possibilities: a father and his special needs child, and homeless person and neighborhood officer. Instant feelings just by the relationship suggestion! I continued the list in my head: the postmistress and a soldier's wife, a young man and his little boy neighbor, an old West sheriff and the town's mischievous boys... The list can go on and on. =)

Heidi! In any book form. Her relationship with her grandfather, Peter, Peter's grandmother, Klara--all very good. =)

Thanks for this post!

~ Liberty

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." II Corinthians 3:17

Reply
Victoria Minks
5/30/2017 03:48:54 pm

Yay, I'm so glad you liked the post, Liberty! I love your ideas, especially the postmistress and soldier's wife one! That is definitely inspiring... ;) And yes, you're so right...Heidi is a great example for sure. My sister loves Heidi, and the relationships within are certainly wonderful. I love Peter-Heidi's relationship especially. Such sweet friendship and closeness. :)

Reply
Abigail P.
5/19/2017 04:16:04 pm

Oh, I love this post!! All the time people think they have to have romantic love in a book for it to be good, and many times, it is a good romance. But lots of times a book has left me feeling sick and disgusted by how romance and "love" was twisted throughout its pages. Right now, I'm working on a story/book (we'll see how far it goes! :D) that doesn't have romance, but it definitely has love. I'm looking at a sibling relationship between a brother and a sister. I'm really excited! :D

Have you ever read the story Friendship? It's about a French restaurant owner who befriends a homeless dog. It's really sweet and kind of sad too. It reminds me of some of the relationships you suggested. I really love the detectives/police one and the Cafe Barista and old man, oh and also the homeless person and police officer and...ahhh, I love them all! <3 How about the soldier overseas in a third world country and the local children he sometimes plays with? Or the missionary doctor/nurse and his/her patients? There's so many we can do! :) Thanks again for an awesome post!

Reply
Victoria Minks
5/30/2017 03:52:37 pm

Aw, that made me super happy to read your comment! :) I agree with you completely. Your story sounds amazing...you should definitely keep up with it. ;) I've never heard of "Friendship" that I can think of, but it sounds really sweet! Your idea of the soldier with the local children is SO awesome. I love it! ;) And the doctor/patient one is really intriguing too. Great ideas!

Reply
Malachi Minks link
5/30/2017 06:32:52 pm

Great post! I totally agree with you! I thought that of the relationship ideas the two police or detectives one sounded really interesting. Which got me to thinking... You should write a book about two police officers set in modern times! I really like stories about police so I would be thrilled if you did. Anyways in answer to my favorite non-romantic love in a book (I haven't really read any books with romantic love :P) I would probably have to say the Bronze Bow. I really like how there was a deep friendship between Daniel and Joel and also between there sisters. Ah such a good book!

Reply
Victoria Minks
6/12/2017 07:09:35 pm

Hey Mal! I love that idea! I wonder if I could pull off a modern-day crime story.... :P I agree, Bronze Bow is awesome! Love that book! ;)

Reply
Rebekah Morris link
5/31/2017 04:01:09 am

Hi Victoria! I just tagged you on my blog. http://readanotherpage.com/2017/05/blog-tag-for-may.html Have fun with it and I'd love to read your answers whenever you get them up.

Reply
Victoria Minks
6/12/2017 07:09:57 pm

Thanks so much, Rebekah! Sounds like fun! :)

Reply



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    Victoria Minks is a bookbug and writer, with oodles of daydreams and ideas. She loves historical fiction, chocolate, music, horses, and old books, and firmly believes that there is whimsy and beauty in any day. She was saved at age 5 and desires to write for God's glory.
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