Since I’ve actually been asked more than once as a serial fluff monster how I keep the cute up even with pairings that should be angsty as all hell.
I don’t know if the peppy love songs I listen to help but you can always give it a try
1. The first meeting: now obviously not all pairings are going to get along at first…in fact most pairings I write don’t at all which leads us to the problem of how to set up what is going to be romantic tension between these two. So first you have to take the characters basic personality traits and pit them against eachother. With some characters it leads to awkwardness which is good because you can always build off that. With other characters it leads us to arguments…arguments you say? but this is fluff! how does that work? Well let me tell you
2. The cute argument: What the hell is a cute argument you say? Why it’s a pointless argument, one character usually is overly irritated at the other and their argument should be laced with them picking at eachother’s outside flaws. like arrogance, annoying, etc. Then one probably storms off leaving the other feeling slightly guilty about what they did which, depending on their pride levels can lead to a mumbled apology which is always adorable. THE APOLOGY IS IMPORTANT, no matter how long after the argument you make it, it should be there…it can also be in the form of a favour.
3. Build up: Emotional build up is always key in fluff, find something ANYTHING one character would like about the other and have them casually think about it. Even if there’s nothing you can think of then have them wondering why they’re even tolerating their presence. You draw out the picture slowly, have time lapse, etc.
4. If you’re writing one shot fluff: Take your base character personalities and bounce them off one another. If they normally would fight, have playful teasing take that spot. It’s amazing how love can change the picture. If one is normally touchy about something, have them let that slide that one time with a shake of their head or a small tsk.
5. Body language: IMPORTANT EXTREMELY SO. Every movement facial expression, in fluff you pay a larger amount of time feshing out those details. Instead of simply having someone sit on the chair you have them furrowing their brow while doing so, and so on and so forth.
6. CONVERSATION: In fluff you put them in a position where they can talk a great deal about themselves, it gives them a chance to get closer to eachother mentally, even if you never have them kiss, having them talk about past experiences is a great way to stir up sympathy.
7. Laughter: Have one character do something silly or stupid and have that cheer the other character up from a bad mood by causing them to laugh, always gold.
8. Friendship: A romance needs to have a good foundation in friendship for it to be fluffy. Have them occasionally hang out, just do normal things together…even in the middle of a war you can make things fluffy by having them share a drink, or help each other out of a tough spot.
9. Small helpful acts: Even helping the other pick up something they dropped can lend towards a cute moment.
10. Trust: Have them build up a trust for each other, this can be a slower process but it is always worth it because there is almost nothing sweeter than “I trust you.”
11: A happy ending: Oh I know that sounds cliche but it is perfectly possible to make it realistic. You have to find a way to clear any outside obstacles, but for emotional obstacles you build a ladder over them. You have them slowly get over small irritants and walls they have built up, because all humans feel lonliness, even if they are not willing to admit it, but they may secretly indulge.
12: Looks or charms. Yeah yeah I know looks aren’t everything but they do help. What’s really important though is the emotional connection, have them have at least one emotional trait they can like about the other and grow fond of. If you do have them physically attracted casually mention them paying attention to how they look but not too much or it gets redundant.
If there’s any other tips I can help with I would be glad to give them~
dailybridgerton
areudirty
snowghoul
kianamaiart
origamiaround
