Fictionalising Romance- Love but make it Cinematic ?

 

Fictionalising Romance- Love but make it Cinematic ?

Imagine falling in love because someone ran through the rain once. Or vanished for weeks only to return with a perfectly timed confession. Somewhere in fiction, love became a competitive sport involving dramatic exits, last-minute realizations, and speeches delivered in parking lots at midnight. Emotional consistency apparently lost to grand gestures.

This thought catalogue theme encourages writers to critically examine how fictional portrayals of romance often construct unrealistic standards for love and relationships. By dramatizing gestures, coincidences, and emotional intensity, fiction can elevate ordinary or even minimal acts of care into grand romantic ideals. At the same time, it may normalize troubling behaviors such as emotional unavailability, possessiveness, or miscommunication by framing them as passionate or inevitable.

Writers are invited to question what is being celebrated in romantic narratives and what is being overlooked. Why are dramatic confessions glorified while consistent emotional labour goes unnoticed? Why are controlling actions sometimes reframed as devotion, while mutual respect and accountability receive little narrative attention? The theme also invites writers to think about how readers absorb these romantic portrayals and how they influence what people expect from real life relationships.

Overall, the blog asks writers to reflect on how fictional romance can twist our ideas about love by praising minimal effort, excusing unhealthy behaviour, and ignoring more balanced and caring relationships and to consider how stories could portray love in a healthier and more realistic way without losing emotional power.