As an aroace, I usually pick the no romance option, if it’s available. But it makes you miss out on a lot. A lot of character interaction, and general character development is all tied to romance, which is so so annoying. I love The Infected because it replaces all the romance scenes with friendship and it’s just as enjoyable, if not more so.
If you’re going to include a no romance option, please consider replacing romance with friendship
Edit: Flunkers Club’ by Zara Jay is also an example of this
Also recommendations are appreciated! Don’t be shy to self promote
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It’s kinda sad that almost every story has a romance option, even if it’s not under the romance category. As a writer, I honestly don’t think about this, so thank you for bringing awareness to it.
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Exactly!! You read a horror story and the MC is more worried about which love interest to choose, 
who tf cares about her potential gruesome death because she certainly doesn’t
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Right and it’s actually funny that you mentioned the Infected bc I’m rereading it at the moment. The author did a great job.
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I’ve only read it once but it was an instant favourite. I got so sad when I realised it was an old story and wouldn’t be updated anymore : (
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This is why I decided to take a new approach with my most recent stories. There are LIs present, and you can gain points with them, but it’s for the purpose of developing a platonic relationship. Call me crazy, but I think it’s best to get to know someone before you think about spending the rest of your life with them. 
If you get enough platonic points with the LIs, then later on there are, or will be, choices where you actively choose to romance them and gain specific “romance” points. But if you don’t choose those options, things continue along a platonic route. Seemed like the best way to give people as many options as possible while keeping things a bit more realistic.
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I absolutely love The Infected! It really is the mark for great writing, directing, character dynamics, points systems, mini-games…the list could go on lol. It really inspired me to take into consideration the no-LI path. In my most recent story, I have a detective, and their detective partner is a potential love interest you can earn romance points for to end up with, but you can still get an equally good ending without pursuing him. I think drawing a fine line between the difference of a happy (single) ending, and romantic ending are so important!
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I cant read a story without a love interest involved it gets boring after a while
I have this in my story! It’s not shown because the romance hasn’t even developed, but I’m also on the aro ace spectrum and also love to see this 
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what is it called? I’d love to read it
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One of my stories features the same thing! You can choose to be friends with all of the potential LIs, and you will only get romance points if you choose gold (romance) options, and it doesn’t change the enjoyment or plot.
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you can’t say that and then NOT include the title >:(
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I gotchu! Roomdates by Abi K. 
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Ah beat me to it!!! Ahahaha
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I once tried to make a story with no romance option because I am 
at writing romance but then I got feedback from someone saying a lot of people might not read my story because of that.
It’s prolly true and again my story shouldn’t be influenced just because of that but like dude it’s a story of a detective finding answers to a murder case why you want romance there?
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This is so true (although probably not a popular opinion). With my writing I felt pressured to add romance to my stories or write in the romance genre because that’s what gets the most views. I’m also aroace and whenever I try to write a romance I end up killing off the LI after one kiss so I just stopped writing romantic side plots. A lot of my stories are more friendship based and I’m even writing an aroace story right now. Dead or Alive by @sargym also has an aroace MC.
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