Once Upon a Dream: Romance Tropes for Fantasy Fiction

Feb 24

"I spin worlds where we could be together. I dream you. For me, imagination and desire are very close."

Jeanette Winterson

Fairytales, it might be argued, are the original fantasy fiction tales, and what’s more classic to the fairytale than a love story? The knight’s bravery wins fair lady’s heart, a devoted couple is joyfully reunited at the end of a long and perilous journey, or the gentle maid is rewarded for her kindness with a loving husband who takes her off into the sunset to live happily ever after.

Of course, as times have changed, so has our view of romance and our use of romantic tropes. Some of these tropes are due for retirement (check out my post on that) while others have evolved into a perfect fit for the wondrous realm of fantasy fiction. So, in honor of the month of love, I thought we would spend some time examining five romance tropes to use in your next fantasy fiction tale.

#1: Beauty and the Beast

Arguably the most well-known and established of the tropes, the Beauty and the Beast concept dates back to Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s 1740 publication. The tale of a humble beauty and a lonely man, ostracized and cursed for his monstrous appearance, teaches a classic lesson to not judge a book (or beast) by its cover, and that true love conquers all.

The original fairytale depicts a man trapped in the cursed guise of a literal beast, but the concept can easily be adjusted and reapplied to a modern interpretation. The beast no longer has to be of mythical monstrous form, but instead physically and/or emotionally scarred in ways that prompt him to keep the world at bay - save for the beauty who pushes past his barriers and changes his heart.

(And for goodness sake, do not mistake this for “Stockholms is Sexy.” If you’re a fellow manga fan, the relationship between Kyou Sohma and Tohru Honda in Fruits Basket is my favorite modern interpretation of this romance trope.)

#2: Humans and Fantastical Creatures

Well, it’s hard to be a connoisseur of fantasy fiction without coming across this trope. A sailor falls in love with a mermaid, a beautiful maiden finds herself taken with a dashing fellow of the faire folk, and a selkie of the sea implores the lovely fisherman’s daughter to be his bride. Around the world, you’ll find countless tales in folklore and mythology that feature humans and fantastical or mythical beings falling in love. As such, incorporating this trope in a fantasy fiction narrative allows you to play around with the mythos surrounding your fantasy creature and how it affects the relationship with your human protagonist (for example, an immortal being falling in love with a mortal man or woman). You can also use this to create conflict to be met, considered, and overcome - or not, if you’re in the mood for a bittersweet ending. (Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn is a good example of this.)

If you’re interested in exploring this trope further, I simply must refer you to “I Am Dragon.” This 2015 film is a Russian-made romance fantasy with beautiful visuals, a simple but sweet story, and it effectively blends the Humans and Fantastical Creatures trope with Beauty and the Beast.

#3: Forbidden Love

Shakespeare’s doomed teenage romance of Romeo and Juliet is probably one of the first stories that come to mind when you think about the Forbidden Love trope, but the idea of forbidden love actually leads itself to worldbuilding, especially if you weave it in with Humans and Fantastical Creatures. For example, what happens when you create a world where fantastical creatures are considered lesser beings to humans, treated as slaves or harvested for their blood? (Readers of the Princess Ai manga will be familiar with this concept.)

Now then, bring a human and a fantasy creature together. They meet, they converse, they fall in love, and now they have a problem. Will their love be accepted? Can they hope for happily ever after, or are they doomed to be torn apart by centuries of embroiled conflict and bitter resentment between the species?

#4: Enemies to Lovers/Friends to Lovers

Unless you’re specifically writing a romance fantasy, not all romantic relationships have to be center stage in the narrative. I’ve chosen to group Enemies to Lovers and Friends to Lovers together because, ultimately, they do bleed into each other as the story moves forward. In other words, two characters who are enemies will become friends (that is to say, they are able to work together to achieve a common goal) and then, eventually, lovers.

My personal preference for how to use these tropes is as a subplot, a secondary narrative that moves alongside the main story and, consequently, can both affected and be affected by it. You can have two characters who are childhood friends discovering romantic feelings for each other as they explore a wondrous realm of magic and fantasy, or you may opt for a nice slow-burn romance, featuring two people who slowly discover that maybe they don’t hate each other with a seething passion, since they’ve each pulled the other out of several scrapes along the way instead of tossing them off a cliff. Either way, happily ever after will come.

…Eventually.

#5: Soul Mates

Ah, Soul Mates…the idea that your soul is predestined for another’s from the moment of your respective births. While not a mandatory element, the use of soul marks to distinguish mates to each other is a popular aspect of this trope. There are dozens of mark options for you to play with, and by default, how these marks impact the characters’ lives. Is the name of your protagonist’s soulmate written on her skin, or maybe a specific phrase? Is he colorblind until he sets eyes on his destined one? Mute? Deaf? The possibilities are limited only by your imagination - just make sure you set the ground rules first and stick to them as you write. (This is something you can note in the margins when you write your outline.)

But every coin has another side, and the Soul Mates trope is no different. Your character’s soul is predestined for another, and they have a mark to prove it. But what happens if their soul mate dies? What if your protagonist falls in love with another, and that person is also intended for another? What if your soul mates meet and absolutely can’t stand each other? Do you fold in some old-fashioned Enemies to Lovers elements, that love will eventually conquer all, or do you build in a way for the connection to be severed - and at what cost?

In Closing…

“Love as distinct from ‘being in love’ is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit.”

C.S. Lewis

These five romance tropes are only a modest handful of the options that you, as a fantasy fiction author, have at your disposal. Whether you’re looking to write a romantic fantasy or sprinkle some romance on the side of your epic fantasy tale, these will hopefully give you a starting place to explore what feels right to your story vision. Also, if you’re interested in taking a closer look at some of the tropes mentioned in this blog, I highly recommend you read up on fairytales and folktales for inspiration.

You never know what might strike your fancy.