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Instalove. It's a trope that, like most romance tropes, is exactly what it says on the tin: instant love. The characters see each other and bam, they know they've found the one. Instant connection. Love at first sight.
But what's the difference between instalove and the fated mates trope? Is fated mates just instalove for paranormal romance? Is there really a difference?
And, perhaps most importantly for those of you spending precious time reading this blog post, why the heck does it matter?
One word: marketing.
Or two, just to clarify: book marketing.
A subject I cover often on this blog, because your book's marketing is almost as important as its content (obviously, the quality of your romance novel is king/queen/ruler here, but how you market it is prince/princess/successor).
And knowing the difference between the instalove and fated mates tropes is crucial when it comes time to write your book's title, subtitle, blurb, and Kindle keywords.
So without further ado, let's dive into the tropes and figure out their similarities, their differences, and how to tell which one you've used in your latest romance novel.
What is the instalove romance trope?
I know, I covered this at the top of the blog post, but I'll repeat it again: it's instant love between the main characters. They see each other, and whether it's the sight alone, or something the character does or says, or a combination of all three, they just know they've found their person/people (because instalove, like most romance tropes, can happen in polyamorous/reverse harem/harem romances, too).
The instalove trope also removes serious internal conflict, because the characters can't really wrestle with their feelings for each other in the same way they might if they're connected by another trope, like enemies to lovers, brother's best friend, kidnapping, etc., where their love isn't a forgone conclusion. Now, that's not to say that instalove romances can't have some conflict, but it's usually external, like a storm separating the characters or putting them in danger. And overwhelmingly, instalove readers prefer low-conflict romances.
What is the fated mates romance trope?
Like instalove, the fated mates trope is based on a feeling, but it's ruled not by happenstance, but by some greater power that's usually a combination of biology, i.e., primal instinct, as is often the case with fated mates paranormal shifter romance, and a greater, higher, possibly spiritual power that, while not understood, rules who matches with who. And, unlike instalove, which is usually low conflict and without a lot of angst—the characters don't usually fight against that instant connection—fated mates can be high conflict and chock full of delicious angst, especially when combined with the forbidden love, rejected mate, opposites attract, or enemies to lovers tropes.
Can a romance novel include both instalove and fated mates tropes?
Short answer: not really, because instalove is ruled by chance, and fated mates is ruled by, well, fate. That's why you'll most often see the instalove romance trope in contemporary and historical romance, where chance is a common catalyst for romance. Fated mates, however, is more common in paranormal and fantasy romance, because paranormal and fantasy romance novels take place in worlds with at least some magical or supernatural structure that influences everything from who is born a human and who is born a witch to who falls in love with who.
How do you know if you've written an instalove or fated mates romance?
Basically, instalove=love by chance, and fated mates=love by higher force/power/structure.
Can you write a fated mates contemporary or historical romance?
Nay. You'll never see fated mates in a contemporary or historical romance novel, because there's no esoteric, magical/supernatural structure or force controlling things. If there is, you've got yourself a paranormal contemporary or historical, or a fantasy contemporary or historical).
That's the case even when you're writing inspirational, faith-based romance, too, because fate isn't part of most Abrahamic religions, and those are usually the ones represented in inspirational romance (though if you want to write an inspirational romance based in a religion that does recognize fate, you're more than welcome to! You just might have some trouble marketing it as a straight-up inspirational romance).
Now, can you, technically, write an instalove paranormal or fantasy romance?
Yes. These books are often referred to as "cozy," "low angst" or "low conflict," because the instalove removes the internal conflict the main characters would normally wrestle with as their feelings for each other grow. Paranormal and fantasy worlds can also still contain chance, whereas contemporary or historical worlds necessarily can't contain fate.
And now, hopefully, you understand the difference between what are, in my opinion, two of romance's most interesting traits; one ideal for low-conflict writers, and one perfect for writers who love a little angst in their romance plot outlines.
Until next post, happy reading and writing!