I'm happy to report that I finally understand how to edit chapters! Not that I'll do it any time soon, but at least I know for future reference.

Anyway, I'm just going to warn you that this chapter has a slight mention of adult content. And by that I mean that the words yaoi and smutty are used so it's not too bad.

Chapter 3

Love and Romance

Upon discovering this site, back when I was a young middle school student, I had no idea what some of the terminology the authors were using in their descriptions meant. Fluff, lemon, nakamaship, yuri, yaoi… what did it all mean? Let's just say I figured it out pretty quick.

Now I'm all for a good love story, or a fluffy nakamaship moment. Hell, I didn't even mind reading certain yaoi fics and I used to avoid them at all costs, used to being the key words. But there are some fics out there that make me cringe reading them, just because the scenario seems so random and the plot is sporadic.

I absolutely love it when stories have a plausible explanation for their plots, but when cannon characters turn OC for the whole story, that's where I draw the line.

You see my dear reader, I feel that a story isn't a story if there is simply no plot to it. And just to clarify, character A and character B having an intense make out session with little to no backstory of how they got there doesn't qualify. I'm sorry, but when Zoro and Sanji of all people start passionately making out with each other in the first chapter without any build up or any reason behind it, the story seems out of place with the canon. It just seems rushed and I don't know… smutty.

Now if authors were writing their story with that intent than that's fine. I respect your decision. It's just that it's not really my thing to read anything fast paced without a clear beginning, middle and end.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "If you don't like it, then don't read it." And I can't agree with you more. I can't tell you how to write a story and what it should and can't have in it.

The point of this site is to be creative and have fun writing about something you like.

What I can tell you is my advice on the matter; how you can make the next romance seen more cannon-ish (if that's even a word) or give it more of a story. So here it is…

The first thing you should be aware of is the two (or more) characters you plan on writing about. And when I say that I mean you should really know them and not just their surface attitudes or personalities. For example, Zoro is independent, lazy and powerful. My problem with this description of him is that there is more to him than that, and for some reason, some authors seem to forget that or forget to include it in their story that he is also a reliable big brother figure who loves his crew so much, that he would risk his life and dream for them.

The next thing you should know is their daily interactions with each other; Zoro and Sanji fight… a lot, what more could be said? In fact, a lot could be said. Just like the rest of the Straw Hats, they love each other like a family. They have shown each other a lot of respect and understanding. They work well with each other, to the point where they don't even have to verbally communicate in a fight to take down an opponent together, which would only happen if they have a very strong bond. You see my dear reader, it's the little things you pick up on that make the story that much better.

Speaking about the rest of the Straw Hats, I have a question for you my dear reader. Why is it that the others aren't really mentioned or seen, like at all? Their on the same ship, right? Or better yet, why do their personalities suddenly become shallow and underdeveloped when they are introduced to the story? My answers are because the author either needed a love rival, or they don't really get the fact that the crew's demeanor and dynamics never, and I repeat never, change. So please remember that the rest of the crew is just as important to the story as the two main focuses are.

The final thing you should keep in mind is the overall pacing of not only your story, but the actual manga or anime version as well. For instance, One Piece has a very slow pacing to it and Oda has stated that he wouldn't be focusing on romance. That should kind of apply to your story as well. I know that your ideas and Oda's ideas are different, and you don't have to copy him to get a good story. But it feels kind of wrong to turn the characters he's spent years developing into confused, hormone raging teens who all of a sudden crave sex to the point that they don't care about their other nakama. Don't rush the romance, build up to it.

~Done

This was kind of hard for me to write because I couldn't find the right words on how to address my problems with some of the romance stories I've read. But I knew that I would have to mention this subject eventually, since most of this site is a giant love story. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I usually look up romance or nakamaship stories anyway.

It was just hard to do because I know so many people write their stories with the intent to be as smutty as possible, and really, who am I to tell them how to manage their pacing or their plot.

But this is what I came up with so I hope it helps.

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a wonderful day/night. Bye~