Not really love

Hi guys, and welcome back to Too Many Books to Count! I’m glad you stopped by. Personally, I’m in mild shock that we’re already this far through February, but I really think that happens every year, doesn’t it? It always seems to go faster and faster, and before I know it, it’s Christmas again.

This month, since it’s February and a month where we tend to focus on ideas of love, I wanted to spend some time talking about the many different forms of love, and how we use them in our writing. We’ve already discussed the big ones, however, so it’s time to get into those you might not have thought of before.

This week, in fact, we’re looking at some of the negative forms love can take.

Lust

I know, I know, some of you will right away point out that lust is in fact not a kind of love, but that’s part of the point in including it. Remember, the lack of love or the perversion of love are also themes we see a lot in writing, themes prominent in a lot of stories we love, though we might not have ever noticed it.

Lust, in my opinion, is usually between two characters who don’t belong together. Two characters who the reader probably knows do not belong together. And somehow, that’s what makes it an interesting read.

It’s one of those things that usually looks a little like unrequited love, but in a very strange way. Lust usually takes place when one character loves another, and that other character does not love the first. But, it also takes place when two characters do indeed believe that they love each other, though in actuality are together out of convenience (or some other reason, as it completely depends on the story, in that case).

For me, lust is actually something I’m quite fond of, in writing. It feels wrong of me to say that, but it’s true. It’s one of those themes that I eat right up, when I pick up a book that contains it. It’s a love that should never have been, a love that shouldn’t be now, and a love that our characters need to find a way out of.

That process, to me, is fascinating. I’m not morbid, I promise. I just love the way people think, and I love seeing how they process emotions.

In any case, I’m not alone in my feeling. Millions of readers also love this theme—why do you think it’s so popular in romance novels, if that’s not the case? (I actually really don’t like romance novels, but the point still stands!)

Lust can be a powerful motivator in a story. It can motivate your antagonist, yes, but it can also motivate your protagonist. Maybe your protagonist thinks they are in love, and will do anything for the person they love. Only, partway through the story, we realize that this love is not love at all. It’s lust—and it’s something our protagonist must learn through, in order to find the true love they so desire.

Because, as we’ve already discussed, everyone loves to be in love.

If you’ve haven’t tried out lust as a theme in your stories, I certainly hope you’ll give it a go—and if you have, you should leave me some links to your work, cause I’d love to check it out!

[love]

{Rani Divine}