Okay so I’ve written romance in stories before, but I’ve never written A romance, so I’m just going to compile all of the knowledge I’ve gained from writing romances within stories and from reading romances.
This is mainly going to be about plot and structure, so for the actual romance part of it you should look at my post about how to write healthy relationships here and another one written by another user that I found helpful here
1. Don’t write paragraphs about how much they love each other
There is absolutely nothing interesting about long pages of flowing prose that describe every single thing about their partner, in excruciating detail, that they adore and why.
It’s just not exciting, and it’s even worse when the reader goes “They say that they’re in love, but they’re never around each other. They don’t do anything that signals that they’re in love.”
That is the LAST thing you want someone to say about your romance; romance actually has to be romantic, and if the characters don’t do anything that show they’re in love except say they’re in love, then you have a major problem on your hands.
Ultimate “Show don’t tell” here.
Instead of scriptually regurgitating onto the page how much the main couple cares for each other, try writing in things that show the reader how much they love each other.
Some things a couple in love might do:
– Love notes/letters
– Snuggles while watching TV
– Protectiveness (but not overly protective or stalkerish)
– You know, actually hanging out (I hate it when couples whoa are supposedly in love never spend time with each other ever)
– Little gifts. Not big things, just buying something in a store because it reminds them of their significant other.
– Playing video games together
– Getting into playful arguments/debates
– Getting into actual arguments over petty things like who’s paying for lunch (Couples can disagree! In fact, it would be weird if they DIDN’T disagree ever!)
– Going on bike rides together
– Just spending time in one another’s presence. They don’t even have to be interacting, just doing their own thing while sitting together.
– Go to the movies
– Compliments! ALL OF THE COMPLIMENTS!!!! And not just “You’re the most beautiful person ever blah blah blah”. Little things, like “You look cute” or “I like your perfume/your hair smells good” “I like your clothes”
– I’m willing to give more examples if needed
2. Have a valid conflict
OKAY SO I’M ACTUALLY GETTING RILED UP BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY BOOKS I’VE HAD TO COMPLETELY ABANDON BECAUSE OF THIS.
You cannot, SHOULD NOT, make a conflict in the story that is easily resolvable, and for this reason many romances fall short in the “plot” area. Just because it’s a romance and there are people kissing in it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t need the careful planning, consideration, and development as other stories where there’s a big villain going around killing people.
There should be a set problem, a series of events that take off because of said problem, and then a path to the solution that can’t be fixed with a snap of the fingers. Also, I find that romances have recurring conflicts: The same problems happen over and over again, and it’s just annoying. Just make a game plan and stick to it.
If the reason why your characters can’t be together/get along is because one or both of them of them just??? Don’t want to tell the truth??? Or they want to withold random information??? For some reason??? Then that’s not a plot. It’s just going to make your readers angry and frustrated.
Part of a healthy relationship is talking to one another, and if your characters can’t even do that, then they don’t belong together.
Also, if your conflict involves a love triangle, please consult my post here [x]
AngelMihe 