Are All Romances Cliché?

[Neo Emolga]

I usually don't read or write romance, but sometimes it finds it's way in there. I've read fantasy stories that had a bit of romance and even for stories I've written, it seems fitting to add it and work with it. Even Trial of Juno had a romance between Juno and Sita.

I would say make the relationship unique and under special circumstances. Don't make the relationship all about love at first. Otherwise it feels artificial and shoehorned in and that just feels cheesy. For Juno and Sita, they both had a mission to carry out and they started off helping each other. Juno was a warrior commander and Sita was an oracle and seer that helped guide him along the way. It wasn't about love at first, though Juno did admire was she was able to do for him and Sita admired him for how far he was willing to go for it to see that justice would be done. She gets killed later on and Juno realizes how much he lost as a result of her death. When they start working again in the afterlife, the love bond gets stronger. I'll admit, it was actually refreshing and nice to work with. They literally go through hell for each other. That's the kind of romance I would enjoy writing about again.

I think the cliche you would need to avoid is a cheesy "love at first sight" kind of thing. Make the love relationship have a role in your story. Not just "oh, I think it would be cute if these two characters had a romance." Make the why and the how have a lot of substance and give it a reason and purpose in the story. Let love emotions be a driving and working part in the plot engine that you have going on rather than just a loose strand that really doesn't relate to anything else that's going on.