ABSTRACT
Because Romance stories tend to be character-led I use this genre with the pupils
to explore feelings, relationships and related issues. Although boys tend to be more
reluctant to consider writing Romance than girls are they can sometimes be
persuaded if the aspects of romantic fiction are embedded in storylines they
consider to be less ‘slushy’. I point out that in the world of comics, super heroes
such as Spiderman, Batman and the Fantastic Four fall in love and, usually, suffer
the pain of having to keep their feelings secret or else losing their loved one
because of the villain’s evil machinations. Most stories in just about every other
genre also have their ‘romantic interest’, while it is the staple diet of TV soaps and
other dramas.
