Writing a book and there's an age gap! need help immediately
Hi. so, for the last six months, I've been working on a romance/enemies to lovers, and there's an age gap between the main character.
To make it easier to under stand, the main character is a princess, and she's been forced into an arranged marriage with a prince. she doesn't like this guy, they have some history.
Any way, she's seventeen, and he's... twenty one.
is that okay? should I change that? I'm just basing the age off of most medieval marriages, but I'm starting to wonder if that's just kind of weird.
Please help! any recommendations would help.
View hidden comment
wikiHow forums are moderated for quality. Learn more about our moderation policy here.
Submit Answer
A fair question to ask, and one more authors in the romantasy genre should be conscious of! The age gap in itself isn't necessarily a deal breaker, but it always comes down to two things:
1) How your characters treat it
2) Whether there needed to be an age gap in the first place
An age gap becomes uncomfortable when there are obvious power dynamics where the older character not only has seniority but also authority over the younger character, and they use that to influence or pressure them. If, however, the older character is fully aware of the difference in age, maturity, and life experience, doesn’t exploit their position, and actually holds back romantically until the younger character is of age, then it’s generally fine. Their choices and moral values speak for who they are.
And the second point I wanted to address is simply: does the character specifically need to be a minor? Simply making your protagonist 18 instead of 17 would raise fewer eyebrows. If it doesn't significantly impact your story, it's an easy fix worth doing to make sure the romance feels safe, intentional, and ethical to the reader, rather than relying on “historical accuracy” to justify something that reads as uncomfortable today. That’s why it’s important to remain vigilant, ask these tough questions you're asking, and even get sensitivity readers wherever you're concerned. Being conscious of these dynamics protects your story from accidentally sending messages you don’t mean to send.
View hidden comment
1) How your characters treat it
2) Whether there needed to be an age gap in the first place
An age gap becomes uncomfortable when there are obvious power dynamics where the older character not only has seniority but also authority over the younger character, and they use that to influence or pressure them. If, however, the older character is fully aware of the difference in age, maturity, and life experience, doesn’t exploit their position, and actually holds back romantically until the younger character is of age, then it’s generally fine. Their choices and moral values speak for who they are.
And the second point I wanted to address is simply: does the character specifically need to be a minor? Simply making your protagonist 18 instead of 17 would raise fewer eyebrows. If it doesn't significantly impact your story, it's an easy fix worth doing to make sure the romance feels safe, intentional, and ethical to the reader, rather than relying on “historical accuracy” to justify something that reads as uncomfortable today. That’s why it’s important to remain vigilant, ask these tough questions you're asking, and even get sensitivity readers wherever you're concerned. Being conscious of these dynamics protects your story from accidentally sending messages you don’t mean to send.
If I were you, I would make the princess 18. but in medieval times, laws were different. I would either make it very clear to the reader that it's set in medieval times or I would make the princess 18.
View hidden comment
thank you! this book is like soo mentally draining. I'm like trying to make everything in the book feel like a late medieval vibe, so that the arranged marriage makes more sense. thanks for the feed back
View hidden comment
Nah, that's fine. thanks so much. I did what you said, and I think the storys a lot better
View hidden comment
What’s on your mind? Ask anything.
Get advice and feedback from experts and wikiHow readers just like you.
Ask a Question
