Tag Archives: wish fulfillment

Exploring the Wish Fulfillment Romance: Writing One

Posted on October 31, 2014 by J. Sevick

Last time I discussed how the intrinsic elements of a wish fulfillment romance—the sexist gender hierarchy, the clichés and overused tropes—are pretty much guaranteed to be problematic. And I suppose that’s the core of my issue. If I’m honest about … Continue reading →

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Exploring the Wish Fulfillment Romance: Power Fantasies

Posted on October 29, 2014 by J. Sevick

In non-romance-centered stories, such as female-driven fantasy epics, the heroines gain their power through transformations and tragic backstories much like their male counterparts. But they very rarely begin as super-powered, famous, wealthy badasses like some male heroes (again, Iron Man, … Continue reading →

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Exploring the Wish Fulfillment Romance: The Ordinary Heroine

Posted on October 27, 2014 by J. Sevick

I’ve written at length about my relationship with the romance genre, as well as my perceptions of the relationship between feminism and the romance genre. The core of my fascination is the dichotomy I see within myself—on the one hand, … Continue reading →

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Ordinary vs. Extraordinary Protagonists

Posted on May 24, 2014 by J. Sevick

When you are raised on Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings and Star Wars and other classic hero’s journey stories, it is all too tempting to begin with an ordinary protagonist who is thrown into extraordinary circumstances. It increases … Continue reading →

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Wish Fulfillment and the Mary Sue–Part Two

Posted on February 23, 2014 by J. Sevick

This is a follow-up to this post, which ends with the question: Can you write about wish fulfillment without creating a Mary Sue character? These are just some of my thoughts on the issue… The first and easiest way to … Continue reading →

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Wish Fulfillment and the Mary Sue–Part One

Posted on February 18, 2014 by J. Sevick

Sometimes a work has wish fulfillment as a byproduct of the story (either within the work or within the fandom of that work), and sometimes the wish fulfillment is very much the center of the story. Sometimes the wish fulfillment … Continue reading →

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Wish Fulfillment and Codification

Posted on February 9, 2014 by J. Sevick

There are many experiences which people read as wish fulfillment, and with each, mileage may vary. However, a general consensus grants that things like gaining wealth, fame, a love interest (probably the most variable in specifics), magical powers, heroic qualities, … Continue reading →

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Wish Fulfillment and Conflict

Posted on January 30, 2014 by J. Sevick

One of the challenges of seeking to portray a ‘positive’ experience for a character (and, by proxy, the reader) is that it can lack conflict. The very nature of wish fulfillment is to allow a reader to experience their wishes … Continue reading →

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