Writing a Relationship Your Readers Will Ship
Relationships, especially in beginner writerâs works, have a tendency to feel forced. Even in some popular and famous works of fiction, the relationship doesnât feel natural. It seems like a boring afterthought which the writer added in at the last minute. Far too often, I find myself completely indifferent to a characterâs romantic life. A good romance in a story will give the reader a bit of second-hand infatuation. Theyâll root for the relationship, beg for it. If the romance is well written, you can make a reader smile and blush just by reading a few sentences. When done properly, it can even compensate for a weak and clichĂ© plot.
But first, decide whether the romance is needed. If youâre adding a character to the plot simply for the sake of being a love interest, itâs probably not a needed romance. You can still add it, of course, but it will be much harder to keep your story focused on the central plot.
Step One
Make sure the characters have chemistry.
The characters should compliment each otherâs personalities. If heâs loud, stubborn, and aggressively opinionated, a more tranquil and soft-spoken love interest would suit him well. Two headstrong people wouldnât be likely to have a lasting relationship in real life, unless they (impossibly) agreed upon every subject. But, there should be some similarities. While opposites do attract, polar opposites will not and the whole relationship will feel forced. The characters should have something in common. It could be morals, a parallel backstory, the same motivations, whatever. As long as thereâs a reason for them to be drawn to each other, thereâs potential.
Step Two
Slow burn ships are fantastic.
Donât make your characters fall in love right off the bat. There can be attraction, of course, but genuine feelings of true love donât happen instantly. Your characters should become closer as people, feel at ease around each other, and truly know the other before they fall head-over-heels. The readers will crave the relationship far more, like dangling a treat right in front of a dogâs nose, but keep pulling it away. Teasing is a beautiful thing.
Find ways of showing (NOT TELLING) the characters are falling for each other. Have them stand up for one another, be protective. Have them break their own normal routine for the other. For example, a callous, guarded character could lower their walls for a moment if their love interest needs emotional support. These scenes can be awkward for the character changing their typical behavior and that discomfort can demonstrate how much they care for the other, altering their own selves for the otherâs benefit.
Howeve, make sure that you combine these cute emotional moments with distance. Make the characters deny their true feelings or even distance themselves from their love interest upon discovering their feelings. The more the characters long for each other, the more the reader will long for them to be together. Build barriers between them for your characters to have to work to knock down. Keep them close, but maintain that distance until the moment is right.
Step Three
â_____â translates to âI love youâ
The first example of I think of when I think of this is The Princess Bride, where the male protagonist tells his soulmate âas you wishâ when he really means âI love you.â
This falls under the category of show, donât tell. Hearing a character say âI love youâ has become so boring. Unless itâs done in a surprising confession or unique way, itâs boring and stale.
Come up with a phrase that you can repeat in moments throughout the story until it has a meaning of love for the characters and both know exactly what the other means when itâs spoken.
Step Four
Taking a break can help create tension.
You know you loved someone if you leave them and feel awful. Apply this into the writing. Your characters can break up, then get back together in a joyous reunion.
Step Five
Not every couple has a happy ending.
Sometimes, things donât always work out for different reasons. An ending that leaves readers craving more can be a good move.
izzy806
amandla
romaincrisis
stormborns
kianamaiart
vaporwave
dailybridgerton
