Ah yes, romance... an essential part of every story that decides to have it as an essential part of it. It can be one of the trickiest part of a story to do well, and I would rank it up with fictional global politics in how difficult it is. Do you have any tips for writing romance? Do you prefer to go by experience, real-world stories, or other fictional works for inspiration... or entirely from your own imagination with no historical backing?
Romance works well when the characters like each other and get along. I know this sounds obvious, but it's astounding how many couples in fiction get together despite their constant bickering... That's not to say that love interests can't argue, or even that they have to have always been fond of one another. But the characters need something that makes them like each other (beyond physical attractiveness, of course). Basically, each character should have something that the other admires about them (mental fortitude, generosity, confidence, outgoingness, etc). Having similar interests and goals helps, but it is by no means a requirement. All the characters really need is something that makes them desire each other. When it comes to romantic scenes, it can really help to describe the details. The way the sunlight makes the love interest glow, the flakes of snow caught in their lashes, etc. When you want to convey that the narrator is deeply attracted to someone, this is the best time to show rather than tell. Instead of saying that the character feels flustered leading up to a kiss, describe the heat rising to their face and their rapid heartbeat. I kind of draw on personal experiences, kind of don't. When writing romance, it's usually about the beginning of a relationship, so it's the infatuation stage that gets described. It's been a while since I've been infatuated, so I typically either draw on other works or just pretend that I'm a teenager with a first crush again. Either works for me
I think, first and foremost, fun should be at the front of your writing. If you enjoy it, others probably will as well. As for what makes romance more interesting to read, it's just like any other character interaction: You're writing 'people' with their own lives, and they shouldn't 100% revolve around each other. Uhh, I guess a quick and easy tip I could recommend is your character shouldn't change their whole, well, 'character' just because of a relationship. Atleast, not because of a healthy one.
With a romance, if you're going to build up to it make sure you actually build up to it. It can be really frustrating when it's the end of a story and suddenly character A and character B are in a relationship with each other, even though it's never been implied that either of them have any feelings for each other. You don't have to say from the very beginning that they're romantically involved, but I do think the characters should be involved in each other's lives. If they're going to be getting together, they need some kind of chemistry. That way, when they do get together the reader/audience will have either been shipping them already, or they will at least understand where the relationship is coming from.
In Wattpad, I Am Known For Shipping Cassini Spacecraft And Huygens Probe Under Romance Stories Between Both Of Them (Or CasHuy, It's Official Shipping Name). It Is All Inspired By A Fellow Friend On Wattpad Who Also Want To Ship Cassini And Huygens Like Me. It Is More Easier As Cassini And Huygens Did Stay Together And Bond Stronger Until The Fateful Day Where...I Didn't Want To Spoil It But If You Search Huygens's Landing On Titan, Then You Know What I Mean. A Tips For Any Romance Writer: Study Your Character's Personality And Plan Well In Terms Of Their Relationship Stages! If You Want, You Can Stage Their Relationship Stage With Arc By Arc!
