hey i’m aro/ace and saw your post on writing romance and it was really helpful,,, but do you have any tips for writing enemies to lovers? mostly enemies-allies-lovers pipeline
Oh Absolutely! Thank you so much for the ask, love!
How to Write Enemies to Lovers for Dummies
Alrighty! So, the key to Enemies to Lovers is Banter. They need to be the type of Enemies to trash talk each other
Before we begin here's some fun psychology facts that make Enemies to Lovers even more fun!
1. If you think someone is hot, you can't/don't actually hate them
2. The opposite of love is indifference not hate (use these as you will)
Anywayssss
Step one!
Writing Enemies to Lovers is the same as normal except that you add on the extra step of them being enemies first, adding more drama and banter throughout
So, you have to make them enemies, naturally. Figure out why they're enemies, why they would specifically hate each other instead of someone else.
Step two
Preferably, make it personal.
Make their arguments and fights feel more like they're fighting each other, and not the actual battle if they're in opposing organizations or something
Step three
Close proximity
Now that you've established how they usually act around each other and their usual banter, find some way to force them into close proximity.
Like one switches sides and the other is now their boss, they're kidnapped together, their bosses go missing, ect.
In close proximity, you want to jeep their former dynamic, but it slowly turns at the least, a bit more polite because they have to work together
(Think about how they'll try to undermine and push each other away according to their personality and morals - but of course make sure it doesn't work and they're still stuck together)
Step four
Give them a 'maybe we could have been friends' moment
Like have them look at each other after a while and go: 'maybe you're not so bad.'
Any of these variations
Step five
Make them talk
Eventually, your characters will be alone together, and they have to talk.
(It's best if one or both of them are in an emotionally vulnerable state)
One of them can ask the other a strangely nice or vulnerable question, they can tell them something, anything really
Examples: 'Have you ever thought about dying?', 'do you ever miss home?', 'you know... I always thought you were better than me.'
Step six
Have them be slightly more compatable by having them voluntarily work together, like coworkers or comrades rather than friends
Step seven
The friends stage
Have them be more friendly and trusting, partners in crime, good friends, and have that slowly develop (make sure to keep their trademark banter throughout)
Whatever level of friends, whether it be aforementioned partners in crime, kinda friends, normal friends, best friends, ect.
Step Seven
The falling for them
Then we develop the crush and eventually fall in love, *refer back to my other post*
