Romantic notions in literature are not limited to love and courtship. The sort of romance I’m referring to is the imaginative (if not a little impractical), visionary nature of a person in a story.

Such as a soldier that is so devoted to his country’s cause that he will repeatedly risk his life without concern of his life, putting aside his own wants and dreams for the greater good.

Or, a young woman riding her mare up a hill to watch the sun set over the bay, oblivious to her mundane lot in life for a few beautiful moments.

I have this particular obsession with historical war and period seafaring stories (i.e. Patrick O’ Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series), which almost always have an air of romance to them with all that danger in (usually) far away places. I also find that the friendships tend to be on the epic scale – what the characters in this genre sacrifice and do for their friends is remarkable.

This is the sort of “romantic fiction” I want to write.

How about you?

Photo by Johannes Plenio from Pexels