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| Yaoi Example: Honey Darling |
This plot device/problem has an interesting history of being accepted as a given, criticized for its supposed political incorrectness, and now accepted as a possibility. Current acceptance is due to a growing defense of bisexuality and, interestingly enough, to a growing knowledge that everyone's story of sexual maturation is a little different. And doesn't happen overnight (so my knee-jerk "erk" reaction to labels when I was a teen was prescient, thank you very much).
In a prior post, I discuss how to create romantic tension between fictional couples. The subject of this post--"slow recognition"--is one of those ways; it is also one of my favorites since, by default, it takes the constant calculation of attraction off the table (at least temporarily).
Since at least one member of the couple thinks he is straight, i.e. "not interested" or not in the game, all the problems of dating--deciphering motives, pondering degrees of attractiveness, feeling self-conscious about action and reaction, being confused over signals, etc. etc. etc.--is momentarily shelved. It all comes to bear eventually but by then, members of the couple have established themselves as friends. They grew into their mutual attraction rather than having to figure out how much it mattered from the get-go. Novels vary, obviously, on how well they handle slow recognition--here are a few that I think handle it well:
The first book of The Cambridge Fellows Mysteries by Charlie Cochrane presents Orlando, who doesn't know what he is in terms of orientation. He slowly recognizes his attraction to Jonti (who is entirely aware of his own proclivities and willing to wait for Orlando to catch up). Once he does, the matter is closed. He has a logical mind that accepts his attraction to Jonti in a 1+1=2 way. Slow recognition, however, allows their friendship to grow into true love.
Keira Andrews's Beyond the Sea in which both
protagonists think they are straight. It seems rather improbable, even
though the protagonists are stuck on an island together. Of course, the "stuck on an island together" motif has the same inherent problem as Love Boat episodes (I love them anyway). A
relationship begun in the heat of the moment may not last once everyone
leaves the island/ship for the actual continent.Andrews manages to make the relationship work since the friendship is believable, the growing attraction is believable, and the desire--even back on the continent--to be with the "one person who gets me" is also believable. That latter desire carries powerful weight in the human soul. Both characters have been burned enough to hold onto a working relationship when they find it.
Fake Out by Eden Finley--Maddox thinks he is straight, sort of. He "experimented" in college. He isn't lying to himself. He is honestly convinced that percentages make him heterosexual rather than proclivity. He is that kind of guy--rather innocent and prone to blurting out his thoughts. He is likely also somewhat demisexual as well as having an in-grained horror of being "stuck" in a long-term relationship/marriage (as he almost was by his high school girlfriend). His relationship with Damon uses slow recognition and consequently, successfully, slow adjustment.Slow recognition by itself, of course, is not enough. Attraction and proclivity have to be there. Sorry, Internet fans, cat-fishing truly doesn't work. Consequently, slow recognition also has the writing blessing of involving daily interaction and dialog.
