original pitch:
This could be an article or an essay, taking a look at the tropes of romance and why fanfiction has more in common with romance fiction as a literary genre rather than movie romances, particularly when it comes to diversity, creative use of tropes, and character development.
outline:
- intro (150)
- why does romance get a bad rep? (hint: sexism!) (100)
- hollywood romance vs literary romance vs fanfiction (250)
- diversity
- history
- who is "at the table"
- what does fanfiction offer that mainstream romance doesn't, and why does fic have more in common with romance lit than with movie romances? (250-300)
- inner journeys
- stories are told in new and different ways without the "baggage" of hollywood tropes
- "A big thing that fic offers is fluff. Movie romances are rarely gentle and domestic bc western storytelling is so focused on conflict." (Sarah)
- what would it look like if hollywood romances took a few lessons from fanfiction? (150)
- more black and queer joy
- equal character growth
links:
About the Romance Genre
Two Romance Novel Newbies Lose Their Virginity to Bridgerton
Five Tropes Fanfic Readers Love (And One They Hate) - Fansplaining
Shippers on Shipping - Fansplaining
The Infinite Inclusivity of Fan-Fiction
Why fanfiction is my favourite LGBTQ+ medium - The Oxford Student
Archive: To All The Rom-Coms We Love: Diversity In The Genre - A Hot Set
RomCon: Our Failure to See Black Romantic Comedies