Advice on a fluffy yuri novel

As many of you know, I'm working on a pretty dark Yuri Isekai novel and I appreciate everyone's advice that was given but while I'm working on that, I wanted to make some light hearted fluff with a small tinge of drama and angst to test out the waters of my writing. I've been writing since 2011 and have seen how my writing since then has evolved.

Admittedly, romance above all things is my weakest point. I draw out scenes by basing it off my own experience, I'm no means a stranger to romance regardless if they were all failed relationships. But nonetheless, what I've noticed when writing romance scenes was that I seem to lack the genuine feeling of romance? It felt fake or lacklustre, basically it felt off. If that makes any sense, so yeah. I need advice on writing better romance scenes.

What I should avoid, what I should look out for, what I should put to make it genuine, etc. Those kind of things. This story is only meant to be a one shot that will at best be around 5k to 10k worth of words.

 

Huuuuuhhhh i'm someone that got 0 experience in romance but you can try to read Martial Arts Master for it (normal romance). But i'm also not sure if it can help because it's not isekai but modern world.

 

You could try to get a not failed relationship but maybe it will feel forced. Anyways as you mature you will find harder to understand love

 

Don't Mind me I'm waiting for the advice too.

 

This is the fluffiest thing a can think of (you may get diabetes)
Nigotta Hitomi no Lilianne
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/nigotta-hitomi-no-lilianne/

 

Ah, should've mentioned this. Don't worry it's not modern, it's set in a normal fantasy world. I planned on it being an unrequited love of a goddess to turning into a requited one. I'll try checking that out though dunno how I'll be able to go through it, martial arts isn't something I like all that much but nonetheless I'll check it out.

....That's harder than you think. I've already dated 7 women in my life and they all failed because they either cheated or we fell out and end up being friends. It's why I have a hard time writing the fluff part because as much as I try to write it lightheartedly it ends up being pretty forced and fake. Anyways, yeah I'm aware. Growing more mature each time a failed one happens makes you experienced and at the same time tired when it comes to understanding love. People are people after all.

Thanks, I'll try looking into it.

 

Well that's how life is ...
I will pray for you to get a good and understanding woman

 

Thanks~ uwu I appreciate the thought.

 

If you like to draw things base off of your experience then why not do so for this to get the fluff for your yuri novel online? If your a guy find a guy, if your a girl then find a girl. Draw up an agreement for 30 days like that one web series about doing the exact same thing.

Well the best thing to do is watch a Korean drama though, they have lots of feelings.

 

I am the smartest possible from my room that I never leave. Ask me anything, it's the internet, after all.

I can say all the normal stuff like, 'don't worry! There are many fish in sea!'

Or perhaps, 'you just need to find someone that likes the same things you do!'

But...meh. here comes my honest and cynical feelings. Love sucks. It is such a stupid thing to actually 'love' someone these days. Nothing will match our unrealistic expectations because other people will always be that, other people. You will never understand them.

And they will never understand you.

Unless, they are someone you have been around for a while. That is why most stories feature people who are forced to be near each other and develop feelings.

The best thing I can suggest is just get out of your comfort zone. It's gonna suck but that is what I think people like us need to do to find love.

Anyways, looking for recommendations too.

 

Sorry but you really got me confused on the first paragraph, what do you mean exactly? Also when I said draw, I meant I'm using my experiences as an example, meaning I drew out or took ideas from it to make scenes.

Anyways, any specific Korean drama you can suggest?

I'm aware. I've been exposed to such things at a young age. It's why I'm demisexual to start with (it's someone who does not develop any romantic or sexual attraction to a person until they know them better) considering what I've went through, it's why I want a genuine relationship, people are human. You can't fault their faults unless they refuse to change for their own betterment. Better to date someone who is human in all in its entirety than to someone who refuses to change and pride themselves as above anything.

Anyways, this whole thread turned into a love talk. I appreciate everyone's advice lmao but don't worry I am okay. Though I do appreciate further advice on writing better romance scenes.

 

You can just skip the fights if you want, they are easily skippable (just need to know who wins).

You can go to Yuri Garden (NUF) there are some original yuri from Community Fictions listed there.

You can check out Binary Soul and Lily-Exmachina on RoyalRoad (both isekais) both yuri but AGAIN i'm not sure if they will help you. BS is no-drama comedy Lily is the contrary + takes a little while for MC to accept her feelings for FL but got somehow a good romantic moment in Valentine.

 

Thanks, that helps a lot. The more stories out there I can get ideas or inspiration from, the better. I'll go check them out, thanks again!

 

Just don't forget me XD and come join us in Yuri Garden, surely we will be interested in your yuri oneshot (maybe not me as i hate drama/dark stuff).

 

Lmao no worries, the multi-chp one is the dark one. This one-shot is pretty much lighthearted all around.

 

Ok thx for info.

Try right now :
“The Magician & Her Princess” by Suou (Yuri Garden / NUF)
somehow looked like it was going bad end route but DEUS EX MACHINA / PLOT TWIST -> it ended with a happy ending.
A more fluff thing that could happen (in my mind) is the magician creating a spell so princess gets pregnants with a daughter.

 

I would say go for just bit of romance and aim for shoujo ai rather than yuri

 

The first paragraph was rather a joke, but on a more serious note Coffee Prince for Korean Drama, if you like Japanese then Hanakimi (name is longer). They both are very heartwarming while maintaining a lot of feels, well... Dramas are made that way anyways. Anime wise cause they shorter, K-on, Non Non Biyori, its 100% concentrated fluff, the fluff hits you almost right away. Sakura Trick because it's a yuri with fluff or Yagate ni naru for the yuri with twist and some minor fluff.

 

Fluff is super hard to do... Somehow when I collaborate with my girlfriend in our RPGs, we make enough of it to knit a hundred winter jumpers, but when I come to create my own in my own writing, it all goes flat. So, I can only give you what I've observed from our games.

First of all, fluff relies entirely on each character's perceptions of and feelings for each other, so you have to know those well. Secondly, fluff is a delicate, sweet and tender feeling; it thrives best in delicate moments, where there's a bit of vulnerability between characters. (I'm sure it can happen in other places too, but it's easiest in these sorts.)

Here are some specifically unrequited-to-requited pairings we've had:

Spoiler: 1

In a medieval fantasy world, in a quest plot based on the King Arthur tale, we had an otherworldly immortal elf who acted as the Merlin (receiving prophecies, starting the quest, leading everyone) and the to-be-king who was a kind of cowardly villager boy. The king was denser than a JP MC, and since elves in this game aren't supposed to be able to fall in love, the elf didn't realise his own feelings for a long time, and just thought he was having fun playing the "maiden" role to help the king gain confidence. But this is a super sweet, very supportive relationship.
Fluffy scenes before the elf's feelings were revealed:

• Lots of scenes where the elf would encourage the king, saying he believed in him, that he would be a fine king, was of excellent character, etc.
• He really focused on praising him to boost his self esteem, because he was so insecure. Would compliment his strength if he managed to win a battle, even by a fluke, or tell him he fought bravely if he lost. And he would pretend to need his protection and thank him/say he was his hero after the battle.
• There were also scenes where he even cupped the king's cheek, looked into his eyes and told him that all he wished for was to help the king reach his full potential. (Have to have a character denser than rock for this.)
• The king had to find in a tournament, and the elf was very keen to be his maiden for this and give him a favour. He'd never sewn before in his life, and was embarrassed by the final products. The king was just being nice as a friend by smiling and accepting it as if it was good, but it was fluffy.
• Later the king also just kept that favour on his sword. He didn't realise that was a sign of accepting the elf as his maiden or whatever. The elf was very, very happy.

Afterwards, when his feelings came out, the king wasn't sure if he wanted to try being with him. They decided the elf would try "wooing him" (essentially experimental dating) until he decided. Fluffy scenes from this period:

• The king getting a little tongue tied when the elf dressed up in a beautiful dress for him.
• They went on a date to watch the stars/sunrise, and the king fell asleep against the elf long before it. The elf stayed absolutely still all night long, enjoying having the king rest against him, until the sun woke him up. Then he carried him back to his bed to sleep.
• And the concluding scene, where they went from wooing to lovers, happened at the end of that night. The elf was supposed to leave him there to rest, but the king caught him by the hand and asked him to stay (for cuddles). After that, they ended up sleeping together every night (for cuddles).

Spoiler: 2

In another game, there was one with an immortal shapeshifting bird monster that had become the knight of a king. The king's baby son was really attached to him, having declared that he couldn't be bothered marrying anyone, so he'd marry the knight since he said no one would ever want to marry him. The knight had a really, really tragic story to do with being a puppet forced to kill the woman he loved and then genociding the entire country in anger (a long, long time ago, which was then rebuilt as the prince's country). Generally everything was angst in this world. But the prince didn't see him as a monster, and loved being around him more than anyone else, so the knight was stuck being his babysitter. They were friends though.
The prince loved the knight in a lot of ways all throughout his life (childhood crush, teenage crush, actual love and devotion) and always said that he'd ask him to marry him when he turned eighteen, and asked him not to properly reject him until then. And the knight always said he was a bother, but the prince was the only reason he ever seemed to stay at the castle.
When the prince reached eighteen, he asked and was turned down. But the knight couldn't stand to see him cry and followed him. He told him his whole story and said that he was a monster, and was sure he'd hurt him. But the prince insisted that it wasn't the case. Eventually the knight declared that although he didn't love the prince, he could, and made him a promise that if the prince kissed no one else for seven years, he'd marry him. (He put this forward himself, by the way; the prince fully accepted his rejection, he just wanted a moment to come to terms with it).
So what followed was seven years of attempted wooing, interspersed with gambling games that put the oath on hold at times/forced them together in funny ways for the amusement of family and friends. It came out later that the knight had been arranging most of these games after the first one because he wanted to be lovey-dovey with the prince, but he also (irrationally) felt forced to wait seven years now that he'd started it.
Wow, a lot of context... Anyway, this couple's fluff is based on a long-lasting friendship and an platonic intimacy regardless of a romantic one. Platonic fluffy moments from the prince's younger years include:

• Lots of moments where the knight was being self-depreciating over being a "monster", and the prince telling him he wasn't - that he'd seen real monsters, and that they never regretted the things they did like the knight did.
• The knight letting himself be "bribed" by ice cream to dance with the prince at balls/wear the outfit he picked out/anything really.
• One time the prince was possessed by a demon and acted very differently. He told the knight he was a monster, and the knight decided that if the prince didn't want him there, he would go. (Is this fluffy? Sad fluffy, maybe)
• One time the prince ran away because of family problems. He had lashed out at the knight before he went, but the knight was still the one to find him and pat him on the head and comfort him.

Fluffy moments after the real wooing began:

• The knight had been made to spend the night beside the prince (cuddling). When the sun came up, he was close to crying because the knight would go away again. I think (think?) the knight took his hand.
• Lots of soft cuddles, even though they still thought he knight didn't return his feelings.
• The prince actually ended up failing the kiss challenge mere days before the deadline because his friend had been put under a curse and would have died if he hadn't kissed her there and then. On the day of the deadline (his birthday), the knight turned up with a ring and basically called bullshit on the whole thing he'd set in motion. He said he hadn't said he wouldn't marry him if he failed, technically... So, they married.

Spoiler: 3

Had one couple made of two awful, awful monsters who were somehow cute together. Won't go into their crimes and situation, just that he was assigned by his king to force her to be his wife and torture her, and she understandably hated him. They ended up as a strange Lima/Stockholm syndrome couple, but he liked her first and couldn't quite live with the fact that she hated him/was disgusted by everything about him. Fluffy started happening after he snapped at her about it, and then started not torturing her.

• She realised he was "younger" than her, that he liked her, and that he was clearly insecure. After she got over the things he'd done and realised that he was just following orders and didn't have the real heart to torture her, she just found him kind of pathetic and pitied him. So she gave him a lap pillow out of pity.
• He's something of a more literal monster than her, and can't eat like humans do. But after she said he found it disgusting, he tried despite the awkwardness of it to eat like a human. Didn't work.
• He always insisted on curling around her protectively when she slept, even when he was her torturer.
• She ended up getting so used to him being there that, when the visited a foreign country and he was forced to sleep outside, she tried and failed four times to creep outside to see him. Eventually managed and sat with him for a long time just talking, and they were both reluctant to part when she had to go back to bed.
• Despite always berating him for being pathetic and ugly (less so as they've gone along), she'd feel sorry for him when he spoke about having indifferent/neglectful parents and the like. Was usually followed up with pity affection.

Spoiler: 4

And another pair that are still in the process of falling in love. This is more of an arranged marriage where one wants to have a happy family, unlike her own, and the other has reasons for hating everyone and everything. The guy is a major dick and the girl is just sweet and trying her best. Fluffy moments so far:

• She told him about her history of being sold into slavery. He said nothing, but ordered a crackdown on slavery in the country (he's the king).
• He has mandatory, unavoidable punishments that go off at certain times, but she uses her strength to hold him down until he's ready to face them.
• He bought her a fancy dress as a gift for the first time of his own will.
• She was having a nightmare, so he hugged her to try and comfort her.

Otherwise, more generally...
A really easy way is with characters who are usually stoic, or cruel or evil... That sort of character you don't expect to be sweet, basically? A tender smile in a vulnerable moment from someone like that, or a hug, or a few sweet words, can be major fluff with very little effort.

Mornings are really easy to exploit as well, for some reason. Had a couple who, after decades of will-they-won't-they, fell into bed together one night in a not actually fluffy way. But in the morning, when he was getting dressed to go out to his job and she was just waking up in bed, they ended up just having a small, cosy, almost domestic conversation before he headed out the door, and he gave her a really affectionate smile. And somehow that early morning vulnerability is quite fluffy?

 

For my novel, I wrote a tragedy/fluff fantasy litrpg, but I avoided romance because I'm not crazy. Romance is like literally the hardest thing to write, at the very least anything better than 3rd rate romance.

But if you are really going that route, than probably yuri is much easier romance to pull off than the others. I think the best way to go about it in general if you are going for a yuri romance is forget about the romance.

Now I know, you just asked for advice on romance, but listen. The more you try to force the romance, the more you are going to be tripping yourself. So focus on the friendship between the two, then slowly and innocently make it more intimate.

Unfortunately if the relationship is between the MC and the goddess, that complicates things quite a bit. Mostly because there is a barrier between the MC and the goddess of realms and status. You can try to soften those barriers by having the goddess secretly join the party or MC has a previous lifetime with the goddess which they don't remember (doesn't have to be love, could be friendship). To which you would focus on the sacrifices the goddess makes for the MC, even if the MC is aware and at times not aware that eventually brings them together.


Overall though, I would really go with the first option of turning friendship into a relationship innocently with subtle romance that grows, it's much easier to write and relate to.