how to write a good love story

How to Write a Love Story: The Definitive Guide to the Most Popular Type of Story

by Joe Bunting | 0 comments

Love stories appear everywhere in the films we watch, books we read, and shows we binge.

Sometimes these love stories are the center of the plot, like in Pride and Prejudice or The Notebook, popular examples of romance novels and film. Sometimes they're a subplot, like in The Hunger Games or Ready Player One. Other times they're hidden, looking more like a journey of friendship than a traditional romance, like in The Shawshank Redemption or Good Will Hunting or even The Blind Side .

Love stories make up a popular genre in and of themselves, the romance genre, but they also are at the heart of many of the most well-regarded stories in history, including Homer's Iliad , Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises , and also more recent, prize winning novels like All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer and Less by Andrew Sean Greer.

Which is all to say, if you want to write novels or screenplays, you probably need to know how to write a love story.

In this guide, we're going to explore love stories of all kinds, from the ones that end “happily ever after” to tragic love stories and even stories that don't look like love stories but actually are. We'll talk about the elements of love stories, their structure and arcs, the best love story examples to study, and finally how to actually write one of your own.

Here's a table of contents for this guide:

Love Story Definition Elements of Love Stories 1. The Value Scale of Love Stories 2. High Stakes 3. Love Story Character Archetypes 4. Obstacles 5. Tropes Love Story Masterworks to Study How to Write a Love Story: 7 Steps

But first, what is a love story, really?

What Is a Love Story: Love Story Definition

A love story is a narrative centered around the progression of two characters' relationship as they deal with internal and external obstacles to be together. Love stories explore the value of belonging and love, usually romantic love, and deal with the emotional and interpersonal forces of attraction, connection, desire, trust, vulnerability, betrayal, and commitment.

That being said, not all love stories are about romantic love. Some involve friendship, community, and belonging, and we will explore these types of stories as well.

So there you go. That's what a love story is, now let's talk about their different components.

Elements of Love Stories

There are nine types of stories, and each type has its own unique elements, structure, and conventions that readers expect . Love story is no different.

If you want to write love story, it's important to understand the expected elements, even if you choose to circumvent them. While story types are extremely flexible, allowing infinite variations within the established forms, there are almost always a few of the following things in every successful story within this type.

Let's look at the elements and conventions of love stories:

1. Core Value Scale: Love/Belonging vs. Hate/Isolation

Maslow's hierarchy of needs places love and belonging on the third level of universal human values.

To have your needs met, to be truly fulfilled, humans must have a sense of belonging, of tribe, family, and connection with each other. Belonging has a deep link to feelings of safety, since being part of a tribe meant protection and shared resources to our early ancestors (not to mention any characters stuck in a dystopian plot!).

But historically, humans have also believed that we can't be fully ourselves, to reach our true potential, until we find not just our group but our partner , usually a romantic partner.

In fact, the way that storytellers have usually shown belonging within a group or society as a whole is through the relationship between two people, in the form of romantic love.

Mixed in with this human need and value of belonging are the forces of desire and sexual attraction, which is what makes this story type, and often storytelling itself, so vibrant, complicated, and exciting!

Of course, many great stories don't involve romantic relationships: think Frodo and Sam in The Lord of the Rings or the relationship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione in Harry Potter or the caring love between Jean Valjean and first Fantine and then her daughter Cosette. These are all still powerful love stories, that follow the love story plot type, while also not being romantic.

Love story truly is one of most powerful and flexible plot types.

Love story value scale: love vs. hate

Sub values: attraction/desire vs. repulsion, trust/commitment/vulnerability vs. betrayal

2. High Stakes

All stories must have stakes, things at risk if things don't go well in the story.

For a romance story, the stakes usually center around isolation and loneliness, as well as losing their soul mate, the loss of future happiness, and potentially even ruining their lives.

For historical romance stories about women, there was also a real physical threat, since the loss of a prospective partner could mean financial destitution, ruin, and the lack of physical safety.

Whatever the stakes are for your story, they must be significantly high enough and the consequences must be clearly shown if the character doesn't achieve them.

3. The Character Archetypes of Love Stories

All stories are about characters, and in love stories, there are certain types of characters who have appeared so many times over so many years, even centuries, that they've become character archetypes, patterns for characters that are near universal in storytelling.

You should have one character (and sometimes more) for each of these categories (i.e. protagonist, love interest, rival, and sidekick), but you certainly don't need to use these or any archetypes. Hopefully, though, they will help inspire a character of your own and clue you into the common patterns and structures in love stories.

Below are some of the common character archetypes specific to love stories.

Protagonist Archetypes

First is the protagonist, the character the story is about. This character appears in every story, not just love stories. While I usually only recommend having one protagonist, because it drastically increases the complexity and difficulty of the writing process, love stories are the only type that I'm begrudgingly ok with having two protagonists, the couple. There are also some common archetypes for protagonists, including, but not limited to:

The Idealist. A character who believes in “true love” and “soul mates” and has been desperately waiting to find theirs.
The (Loveable) Rake. A character with plenty of romantic experience and who has a long history of using their charm and self-confidence to pursue (and possibly manipulate) their love interests, but one who also has a vulnerable, even soft-hearted side few ever see that makes them sympathetic. (Without the vulnerable side, they would make a better villain than a protagonist!)
The Lone Wolf . A character with a dark past and history of emotional pain who has become distrusting of people as a result and must let their guard down in order to experience love and connection.
The Knight in Shining Armor . A protective, loyal, and competent character who may attempt to rescue their love interest in the process of the story.
The Rebel, With or Without a Cause . A character who is independent, unconventional, and perhaps cynical, and finds themselves challenging the expectations of society and potentially the love interest. This type often blends with other archetypes.

Love Interest Archetypes

Of course, for it to be considered a love story, the protagonist must also have a love interest. This may be a co-protagonist in some stories or romance books.. Here are some common character archetypes for love interests:

The Girl or Guy Next Door. A familiar yet newly exotic character who has recently emerged to capture the protagonist's attention.
The Out of Reach Love Interest. A character who, due to their status, wealth, or other factors, seems unattainable (but of course, they eventually fall for the protagonist, since this is a love story!).
The “Best Friend.” A longtime friend who, at some point in or before the story, begins to foster romantic feelings

Rivals Archetypes

Almost all all compelling romance stories have a rival, either a second love interest to make the protagonist's choice more complicated, or someone also pursuing the love interest, increasing the obstacles. The presence of the rival creates a love triangle, one of the central elements of love stories, which we'll talk about in a moment. Here are some common archetypes for the rival:

The Ex . A former romantic partner who reappears just at the right time to cause emotional mayhem.
The (Unlovable) Rake . A charming but manipulative character who attempts to seduce either the protagonist or love interest for selfish reasons.
The Unrequited Love . Someone likes someone else, but they don't feel the same way. Drama!
The “Perfect” Match . A character who seems perfect for the protagonist, but who just doesn't have the right “spark.”

Nearly all love stories have a sidekick character, a friend of the protagonist who characterizes and aids the protagonist and usually gives to story some humor. Often these sidekick characters will even have their own subplot story arc . Think about Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet or Jane from Pride and Prejudice . Sidekick characters can have their own archetypes in love stories, including:

The Promiscuous Sidekick . The promiscuous sidekick is more experienced (or at least more interested) in romantic pursuits, particularly of the more carnal variety, and is usually pared with a more inexperienced protagonist to draw them out and challenge them. Example: Casey from 27 Dresses .
The Idealist Sidekick . Believing in “true love” and “soul mates,” the idealist is best paired with a protagonist who is more cynical. Example: Casey Sedgewick from Hitch (what's up with all the sidekicks named Casey?).
The Funny and Supportive Sidekick . Caring, kind, and always supportive, this sidekick is best paired with a protagonist with a difficult past.
The Nervous Sidekick . Rule-following and concerned, this supportive sidekick should be paired with a protagonist who is more daring. Example: The Nurse from Romeo and Juliet .

Again, you don't need to use any of these specific character archetypes, but you should create at least one character for each of these broad categories: protagonist, love interest, rival, and sidekick. Feel free to use the above archetypes as inspiration or invent your own!

Which of these character archetypes are your favorite? Which do you have in your story? Let us know in the comments .

4. Obligatory Scenes

Every story type has certain scenes that the audience expects, scenes that if you don't provide, romance readers will be disappointed. These scenes provide emotional payoffs, contribute to character development, and advance the narrative in a way that is both satisfying and familiar to the audience.

However, there is a tension there, too, because you must both provide something that is both familiar and new to the audience.

These obligatory scenes vary based on the story's arc, as well, but here are the obligatory scenes that need to exist in most love stories:

Obligatory Scenes in a Traditional Love Story

Meet-cute (inciting incident): The “meet-cute” is a hollywood term for the first meeting between the protagonist and love interest that sets up their relationship. These scenes are often funny or awkward and evoke strong feelings in the characters either of attraction or anger. At the same time, the meet-cute is often where the first obstacles to the couples potential relationship emerge (see below for obstacle examples).
First connection : A moment when the characters share a meaningful connection or experience, hinting at the potential for a deeper relationship.
The breakup : As the couple grows closer, there is an event or realization that causes creates tension and highlighting the seemingly insurmountable obstacles to the relationship.
The realization : Now separated after the breakup, one or both of the couple realizes any obstacles are meaningless in the face of their need and desire for their partner.
The proof of love (climax) : One or both of the characters undergoes a dramatic declaration or proof of their love, resolving or proving their willingness to resolve the obstacles in the way of their relationship.
Last kiss (denouement) : In the final scene of the story, the couple close with a final kiss, showing how they have overcome their obstacles and begun a bright future together.

Keep in mind that these obligatory scenes almost completely describe a specific love story arc called the Cinderella Arc, which is the most common arc for romantic comedies. See the story arc diagram below.

However, love stories come in all shapes (or ways to map their story arcs ), including man in a hole (or double man in a hole), rags to riches, icarus, and Oedipus. Some of the above obligatory scenes might be tweaked or even removed depending on the story's arc.

For example, a man in a hole love story plot will feature a seemingly happy couple, who through circumstance or betrayal, find themselves facing new obstacles in their relationship.

Obligatory Scenes for a Relationship Testing Plot

Here are the obligatory scenes for a man in a hole love story arc:

Obstacles arise ( inciting incident): A happy couple faces new challenges in their relationship, either through outside circumstances or internal betrayal, but in their naïveté, optimism, or loving commitment, they resolve to deal with the obstacles.
The breakup : After attempting to deal with the obstacles, they appear to be insurmountable, and the couple breaks up.
The realization : Now separated after the breakup, one or both of the couple realizes they must overcome the obstacles in the face of their need and desire for their partner.

As you can see, this structure is fairly similar, but the different inciting incident causes a change to the shape of the story and the feel of the following obligatory scenes.

Also, if you're writing a tragic love story, you might just have a different denouement, changing the “last kiss,” for example, to a last goodbye, or something similar.

The point is that these obligatory scenes are flexible enough to tell any love story but also will deliver the emotional payoffs your audience expects.

4. Obstacles

As with real life relationships, couples in love stories face obstacles that keep them from experiencing the sense of belonging and intimacy they desire. All love stories include obstacles, and some include many different obstacles. Here are the types of obstacles your characters might face, but draw from your own real life experiences too:

External Conflict or Obstacles:

Social barriers: Differences in class, religion, or culture.
Distance : Physical distance can test the characters' commitment and communication skills.
Love triangles or rivals : There's nothing like a good love triangle! Rivals create competition for one of the character's affections, which may create jealousy, force a choice between potential partners, or cause one character to betray the other.
Disapproving friends or family: Friends and family may not support the relationship, causing tension (and if you're the Capulets and Montagues, lots of death!).
Work or personal responsibilities: Careers, duties, or goals that conflict with the characters' ability to prioritize their relationship.
Physical limitations or deformities : physical limitations like paralysis ( Me Before You ), impotence ( The Sun Also Rises ), or illness ( The Fault in Our Stars ) will create major obstacles in a relationship, but physical scars or perceived deformities can also cause issues, like Cyrano's nose or the phantom of the opera's burned face (these also tend to create internal obstacles like insecurity in one or both lovers).
External events : natural disasters, evil vampires, car accidents, or sociopathic killers at the office Christmas party are all examples of external events that can act as obstacles to a love story.

Internal Obstacles:

Emotional baggage : Past trauma, heartbreak, or unresolved issues can affect the characters' ability to trust or be vulnerable.
Insecurity or self-doubt: One or both characters may wrestle with unworthiness or uncertainty about the relationship's viability.
Miscommunication or misunderstanding: Conflicts about misinterpreted actions, words, or intentions can create emotional distance between the characters.
Personal flaws: issues like mental health, addiction, or career pressures can create conflict .
Conflicting ambitions : Characters who have life goals, career aspirations, or values that challenge their compatibility and future together.
Infidelity or attraction to another person : Cheating or breaches of trust, whether fulfilled or felt internally.

There are as infinite number of obstacles in stories as the ones humans face in our own relationships. Use the above as inspiration or as a prompt to dive into your own experiences and the experiences of those you know to find obstacles for characters to face in your story.

How your characters deal with the obstacles to their relationship will ultimately determine whether your story ends happily or tragically.

What obstacles are your characters facing? Let us know in the comments !

5. Other Conventions or Tropes in Love Stories

Tropes are familiar patterns that recur in stories. Tropes don't appear in every story of a certain type, but they're common enough that audiences easily recognize them.

This means that tropes can be overused, even turn into clichés, but can also provide a sense of comfort and enjoyment for the reader when employed effectively or subverted.

Here are some common tropes or conventions in love stories:

Opposites attract: Two characters with contrasting personalities or backgrounds find themselves drawn to each other despite (or because of!) their differences.
Secrets, “if they only knew…”: Secrets that, if revealed, could significantly impact the characters' relationship.
Secret identities: One or both characters conceal their true identity, creating complications, often humorous ones, in their romantic relationship (Shakespeare loved this one!).
Mistaken identities: Similar to secret identities, characters are mistaken for someone else, leading to unexpected romantic complications.
Forbidden love or “star-crossed lovers”: A romance that is seen as unacceptable or ill-fated due to family, group, or cultural barriers.
Fake It Till You Make It: Characters pretend to be in a romantic relationship, only to develop genuine feelings for each other.
Back in (Small) Town: A character returns to their hometown and either rekindles an old fling or meets someone new.
Friends-to-lovers: Characters who start as friends gradually develop romantic feelings for each other.
Enemies-to-lovers: Characters who begin the story in conflict or in a rivalry but eventually fall in love.
Second Chance Romance: Former lovers reunite, often after overcoming past issues or misunderstandings.
Love at First Sight: Characters instantly fall in love upon their first encounter, setting the stage for a passionate and whirlwind romance.
Cinderella Story: A character from a lower social or economic background falls in love with someone from a much higher background.
Disaster romance: A catastrophic event, like a volcano erupting in Los Angeles or assassins trying to murder them or while being chased by the soldiers of half of a kingdom, serves as the catalyst for characters falling in love.

Remember that you don't need to use all or any of the above tropes. Use them as inspiration, not as rules, and even if you do use them as inspiration, make sure to transform them somehow to serve your writing style and unique voice.

Masterworks: 27 Love Story Examples to Study

Good writers read. They study other great books within their genre , stealing and transforming what works, and subverting or putting their unique touch on the rest.

Here are twenty-seven love story masterwork novels and films of all different types that you can study to improve your own story:

Traditional Love Story

The following are traditional love stories that either end happily or tragically:

Pride and Prejudice: Elizabeth Bennet navigates societal pressures and her own prejudices to find love with Mr. Darcy.
Romeo and Juliet: Two young people from families with a vendetta against each other fall in love and vow to be together despite everything.
Jane Eyre: An orphaned governess falls in love with her employer, Mr. Rochester, and must navigate his secret past.
Gone with the Wind: During the American Civil War and Reconstruction, Scarlett O'Hara fights to survive and find love.
The Notebook: A poor boy wins the heart of a rich girl and fight to stay together despite family opposition and later, the challenges of aging.
Outlander: A World War II nurse is transported back in time to 18th century Scotland, where she falls in love with a Highland warrior and navigates political and personal challenges.
Titanic: A wealthy young woman falls in love with a poor artist aboard the Titanic , but their romance is challenged when the ship begins to sink.
Casablanca: In Morocco during World War II, a cynical nightclub owner must decide between his lost lover and his moral and political ideals.
When Harry Met Sally: Can men and women be friends? Two friends attempt to be friends and possibly more over the course of many years.

Love Stories About Group Belonging

Some love stories are as much about belonging to a group as romantic love with an individual. After all, belonging is one of Maslow's main levels in his hierarchy of needs, and the way that writers throughout history have illustrated belonging with a group is through belonging within romantic love. Here are a few stories that show this kind of love story about belonging to a group:

Ian Miller and Toula's Greek Family in My Big Fat Greek Wedding : Ian, a non-Greek man, struggles to win over his fiancée Toula's large, traditional Greek family, eventually finding acceptance and a sense of belonging.
Vianne and the French town in Chocolat : Vianne, an unwed mother of a young daughter, gradually transforms the rigid attitudes of a small French town through charm and delicious chocolates.
Jess and her family in Bend it Like Beckham : Jess, a British-Indian teenager, goes against her family's traditional expectations by pursuing her dream of playing soccer, ultimately gaining her family's support and helping them embrace a new worldview.
Michael Oher and the family in The Blind Side : A wealthy, white family takes in Michael, a homeless African-American teenager, providing him with love, support, and opportunities that lead to his success in football and a sense of belonging within their family.
Hassan Haji and the French restaurant world in Hundred Foot Journey : A prodigy chef, Hassan, faces cultural barriers and competition as he enters the French culinary world, eventually finding success and acceptance as his talent and cultural background win over skeptics.
Joe Rantz and the Washington crew team in The Boys in the Boat : An abandoned young man must overcome the hardships of the Great Depression to bond with his team as they take on the world at the 1936 Olympics hosted by Nazi Germany.

Love Story Subplots

Love stories don't have to be the main plot. Many of the most popular films and novels contain a love story as a subplot , including:

Hunger Games : The love story subplot in the Hunger Games centers around the protagonist, Katniss and her relationships with Peeta and Gale, two boys she is attracted to for different reasons and must navigate while fighting for survival in the Hunger Games.
The Lord of the Rings : In The Lord of the Rings , there are several romantic subplots that involve characters like Aragorn and Arwen and Faramir and Eowyn, but the main love story is not about romantic love but the deep friendship and loyalty between Frodo and Sam.
Harry Potter : The love story subplot in Harry Potter revolves around the relationship between Harry and Ginny Weasley, but throughout there are subplots involving the bonding and friendship between the major characters, especially Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Inception : The movie explores the relationship between Cobb and his wife, the deep passion, tragic ending, and final coming to terms.
The Godfather : The love story subplot in The Godfather involves the relationship between Michael Corleone and Kay, whom he marries despite his involvement in organized crime and the loss of his Italian wife, Apollonia.

Friendship Love Stories

Love stories are also not always about romantic love. Here are several love stories that involve friendship or love between a parent figure and child.

Good Will Hunting: A genius MIT janitor is mentored by a psychologist and must confront his traumatic past and fear of intimacy.
Nina, Sofia, and Count Rostov in A Gentleman in Moscow : An unlikely bond forms between the house-arrested Count Rostov and a precocious young girl, Nina (and later, her daughter Sofia), as they navigate life after the Communist Revolution in Russia.
Jean Valjean and Cosette in Les Miserables : Ex-con Jean Valjean raises Cosette, the daughter of a dying friend, forming a deep father-daughter relationship, all while being investigated and chased by Inspector Javert.
David and Jonathan in the Bible : David and Jonathan develop a deep friendship and remain loyal to each other despite the conflict between David and Jonathan's father, King Saul.
Gus McRae and Woodrow Call in Lonesome Dove : Lifelong friends and retired Texas Rangers Gus McRae and Woodrow Call leave Texas with their cattle for Montana, encountering dangers and challenges along the way.
Lt. Cross and Tim O'Brien in The Things They Carried : Lt. Cross and Tim O'Brien form a complex friendship as they navigate the horrors of the Vietnam War, grappling with guilt, loss, and the weight of their shared experiences.
Andy and Red in Shawshank Redemption: A man wrongfully convicted of murder forms an unlikely friendship with a fellow inmate as he works to clear his name.

How to Write a Love Story

Now that we've looked at the elements of love stories and many different love story examples, how do you actually write one?

1. Start with characters you (and your audience) can relate to.

Great stories are about great characters! Begin by creating characters who can carry the plot of the story.

There are at least four that you will need, and you can use the character archetypes above to inspire or develop each of them further.

Main Characters

1. Protagonist. The protagonist carries the weight of the story, centers the plot, and drives most of the action. Make sure they are someone who makes choices and is sympathetic while not being perfect.

2. Love Interest . Love stories by nature must have a love interest!

Secondary Characters

3. Rival. Almost all love stories have love triangles! By adding a rival to your love story, you raise the stakes, create conflict, and add tension.

4. Sidekick. We all need a good wing man or woman. Sidekicks help progress the plot, characterize your protagonist and love interest, and often give the story some much needed humor. The protagonist of a love story nearly always has a sidekick, but the love interest may have one as well!

Not sure how to create great characters? Here are some resources that will help you in your characterization:

Sympathetic Character: 10 Writing Techniques That Make Readers Care
Character Development: Create Characters That Readers Love
Proust Questionnaire: 35 Questions To Ask Your Characters From Marcel Proust

2. Create obstacles for the protagonist and their love interest.

All relationships have obstacles that we must overcome to experience true intimacy and belonging, and the relationships in love stories are no different.

Create at least one of each kind of obstacle:

External Obstacles: social barriers, distance, love triangles or rivals, disapproving friends or family, work or personal responsibilities, physical limitations or deformities, or external events.
Internal Obstacles: emotional baggage, insecurity or self-doubt, miscommunication or misunderstanding, personal flaws, conflicting ambitions, or infidelity or attraction to another person.

See the love story obstacles section above for more details on these types of obstacles.

3. Choose your story arc.

The arc of your story has dramatic implications on every facet of your story.

For example, are you going to have a happy ending or sad ending? Does the couple start out together or do they meet at the start of the story? Does the couple have a break up in the middle or do they gradually grow closer throughout the plot?

There are six different story arcs, six shapes that stories make, and all of them can be used in love stories. To learn more about each of them, you can read our story arc guide here .

Which story arc is right for your story?

4. Write your story as a one sentence premise.

A premise is a single sentence summary of a story (you can learn more about what a premise is and how to use it in our full premise guide here ). Creating one before you start writing your story is one of the best things you can do to make sure you actually finish .

There are many benefits of summarizing your story in the form of a premise, including:

Simplifying your story to its core elements
Creating a strong foundation for the rest of your story
Helping you break through writers block
Giving you the chance to get feedback before you start writing
Helping you get published by giving you an “elevator pitch”

For a love story, here's a formula you can use to write your premise:

When _____ (protagonist) _______ (situation, e.g. meets the love interest), they must overcome _____ (obstacles) in order to ______ (their goal).

Give it a try!

5. Outline the obligatory scenes.

All love stories have obligatory scenes, scenes that if you don't include them, your audience will feel like something is missing.

We discussed these in detail above, but here are the obligatory scenes in a typical love story (see above for more details on each):

First connection
The breakup
The realization
The proof of love

There are also variations depending on your particular arc.

These scenes typically follow the six elements of plot, which are:

Exposition . The character's normal life at the start of the story.
Inciting incident . An event that upsets the status quo, e.g. the meet-cute.
Rising action/progressive complications . As the story progresses, things get more complicated! If there is a break up, it will occur in this section.
Dilemma . The character must make an impossible choice. In a love story, this choice is usually whether or not to face the obstacles and do anything they can to be with the love interest.
Climax . The character makes their choice, faces the obstacles, and experiences the consequences of that choice. If there is a proof of love scene, this is where it will occur.
Denouement . The story ends by illustrating the new normal. In a traditional love story, this is often where the couple ends with a kiss.

For more, view our full guide on the elements of plot here .

Now, just outline each obligatory scene in one sentence. It doesn't need to be elaborate. Just a quick description will be great to help you create a strong foundation for your story.

6. Decide your subplot.

Most novels and films don't just have one plot, they have three. If your main plot is a love story, you will likely need to include a subplot to flesh out the middle of your story and create further complications and obstacles for your characters to overcome.

Love stories can include any story type as a subplot, including:

Performance
Coming of age

*Yes, you can have a love story subplot in your love story! Just look at Pride and Prejudice .

No idea what these mean? That's ok! See a detailed list of the types of stories here .

Different subplots will interact better with different arcs, so choose your subplots carefully.

7. Then, write the first draft!

Once you've written your premise, outlined your obligatory scenes, and chosen your subplots, you're ready to write the first draft.

Easy, right?

Well, maybe not. But we have resources that can help.

First, here's a complete guide on how to write a novel that you should bookmark and save (it's long!).

Next, consider taking a program like 100 Day Book to get the coaching and accountability you need to actually finish your book. We'd love to help you turn your love story idea into published book!

Check out 100 Day Book here.

In the meantime, good luck, and happy writing!

Today, let's start a character sketch for your own love story or subplot. Look back at the section on character archetypes above and pick one: t he Idealist, t he (Loveable) Rake, t he Lone Wolf , t he Knight in Shining Armor , t he Rebel, With or Without a Cause . Set your timer for fifteen minutes . Start by describing two things: what this character is afraid of (and why) and what they want (and why). If you finish fleshing out those details, go ahead and begin a scene where they interact with a potential love interest.

When time is up, share your practice in the Pro Workshop here for feedback, and comment on three other writers' work too.

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

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How to Write a Genuine Romance

by Lewis / February 11, 2020 / Character Development

Storytelling has taught me that romance is complex.

All too often, fictional romances end up stilted and hollow or outright creepy. Common romance tropes tell us that surprise kisses and fatal attraction are the building blocks of a good romance, when in reality these tropes miss the very foundation that makes romantic relationships work—love.

Of course, romance can be a truly heartwarming part of your novel. The key is to understand what creates true romantic chemistry, and to avoid the many pitfalls and tropes of the genre. Fortunately, by understanding the various stages of fictional romance, you can write a loving relationship worth swooning over!

The Problem With Romance Tropes

1 The Problem With Romance Tropes
2 The Challenges of Writing a Realistic Romance
3.1 Establishing Their Flaws:
3.2 Sparking Mutual Interest:
3.3 Creating Some Conflict:
3.4 Making Time to Bond:
3.5 A Period of Separation:
3.6 Finally Coming Together:
4.1 Characters on Two Sides of a War:
5 A Well-Written Romance is at the Heart of Your Novel

Sexual attraction doesn’t equal love.

One of the most common mistakes writers make when creating romance between two characters is assuming that a mutual—or even one-sided—physical attraction is enough to justify instant love.

While “love at first sight” definitely exists, there’s more going on behind the scenes than you may think. Even when two characters feel that immediate spark, it’ll take time for them to build a genuinely romantic relationship.

Robbing your readers of the chance to see that relationship grow is a surefire way to leave them disinterested or even disgusted by your romantic duo. For instance, imagine this:

What if Gaston was Belle’s love interest, rather than the villain?

Beauty and the Beast works as a love story because Belle and the Beast learn to love one another through a slow, genuine process. Their relationship feels natural, and they both have to earn each other’s love over time (and no, their story isn’t about Stockholm syndrome).

Contrast that with Gaston, who takes one look at Belle and decides he’s going to marry her, and you can quickly see the difference. Gaston is a creep, and definitely deserves the title of villain—can you imagine a love story where he was Belle’s love interest? Yet, many novels take this trope to heart, basing their love story purely on an instant physical attraction.

This isn’t the only negative romance trope out there either:

Surprise/unwanted physical advances
Stalker-like behavior
Extreme emotional dependence
Emotional manipulation

Not only do these tropes set a bad example, but they make for worse love stories too. Unfortunately, it’s easy to lean on them anyways, simply because writing genuine romance is hard. But what makes writing romance such a challenge?

The Challenges of Writing a Realistic Romance

Writing romance is hard because human emotions are hard—and love is one of the most complex emotions we have.

To make matters worse, writing a compelling novel requires you to create conflict , and love stories are no different. There needs to be a certain level of resistance between your lovers to make the story interesting, but there’s a fine line between interesting and harmful levels of conflict. Is it ok for your lovebirds to fight, and at what point does that fight go too far? What is the line for each character, and how much conflict is healthy or ok?

Honestly, writing relationships is one of the most difficult parts of storytelling.

This is why many writers lean on tropes they’ve seen in other stories to make writing romance easier, and society doesn’t help them with this. In the past, many people have touted extreme tales of emotional dependency as some of the best and most romantic stories around, such as Romeo and Juliet . Meanwhile, stalker love interests like Edward from Twilight are often revered, while we brush aside the disturbing things they do to their lover.

Though I don’t personally understand why these tropes ever became popular, I can confidently say that there are better examples out there. Astrid and Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon stand out, as well as Zuko and Katara from Avatar; The Last Airbender and Baby and Johnny from Dirty Dancing .

The trick here is balance—all of these couples come into conflict at various points, but they eventually circle back around to building each other up, not tearing each other down (we’ll get to Zuko and Katara’s more complex relationship later in the article). In fact, many of the best examples of fictional romances follow six distinct stages…

The 6 Stages of a Genuine Romance

This article is more about writing a genuine, loving relationship than it is about mastering the romance genre. The romance genre and its readers have a ton of expectations, many of which deal more with story structure and pacing than with relationship building. If you’re trying to write a romance novel, check out the guide below—it’ll still be useful to you—but also read up on some of the obligatory scenes of the romance genre here.

Establishing Their Flaws:

Before a relationship can begin, you need to establish both of your soon-to-be-lovers’ flaws.

Like I mentioned above, your love story will need a certain level of conflict to engage your readers, and your characters’ flaws will be the core of at least some of that conflict. Their flaws will be what prevent them from developing a strong relationship from the start, and they’ll have to make a genuine effort to overcome these flaws to come together.

Essentially, your lovers will be a catalyst for each other’s growth.

What’s more, their early flaws will not only inject some healthy conflict into your story, but will also give readers a starting point from which to judge their progress. When they complete their character arc and earn happiness at the end of your novel, it’ll feel even more deserved.

Sparking Mutual Interest:

Once you’ve introduced both sides of your romantic duo, it’s time to light the flame of romance!

As we’ve discussed, this is often done through physical attraction, and at this stage that’s ok. The key is that you’ll continue to develop and expand on that relationship going forward, adding some much needed depth. Of course, sexual attraction isn’t the only way to create romantic interest.

Your characters could feel drawn to one another for a variety of reasons:

Sexual attractiveness
Intelligence
Social status
Wit or charm
Spiritual connection

The form of initial attraction you choose will depend on your story and the personalities of your two characters. Think about what each of them would admire in a person and then show off that quality in their love interest.

Once your pair is interested, you can begin building on their romance.

Creating Some Conflict:

Conflict is the core of every good novel , and that’s no less true for romance.

However, when dealing with a romantic relationship you need to balance conflict and compassion between your characters—or risk damaging their relationship beyond what readers will accept. Fortunately, conflict can come in many forms, and it doesn’t always need to be interpersonal conflict.

For instance, your two characters could be separated by the plot of your story. Perhaps social taboo prevents them from being together, or maybe they’re on opposite sides of the world. Likewise, they may be separated by other characters who don’t want them to be together.

Of course, interpersonal conflict can also add some healthy tension to your love story.

Many lovers start out at odds because of their flaws as characters. They may be interested in the relationship, but resist pursuing it because of their own fears of commitment or a lack of trust. They may believe their relationship is wrong (especially if it goes against social norms) or they might have a personality difference.

Hundreds of successful love stories hinge on two characters who bicker like dogs, only to pine for each other in secret!

In the end, the most important thing is to understand where the line is.

How far can each character go before your reader backs out? Violence and abuse have no place in a healthy relationship. Unless you’re purposefully trying to create a negative relationship—in which case this article isn’t for you—then remember that both lovers should have each other’s best interest at heart, even if they disagree about how to achieve that.

Making Time to Bond:

Alongside conflict, you also need a chance to build on your characters’ relationship.

This is where many romances fall flaw—the author simply doesn’t give their lovers enough time to develop a genuine relationship. Creating a love story will take numerous scenes, because your characters need time to progress along their character arcs, come into conflict, and also bond as partners. Fortunately, this bonding can often tie into the plot of your story, meaning these scenes can pull double duty!

For instance, here are some ways your lovers can bond:

Achieving a mutual goal
Escaping danger together
Helping each other with a personal project
Impressing one another with their skill/wit/compassion/etc…
Learning more about each other’s history, personality, or worldview
Being supportive in moments of vulnerability

This list is by no means exhaustive, and there are as many ways for your duo to bond as there are potential scenes for your story. Don’t be afraid to experiment and think about how your characters’ relationship fits within the overall plot of your novel.

And, of course, remember to inject bits of conflict among these more supportive scenes—even if that conflict is as simple as a misunderstanding or minor disagreement!

A Period of Separation:

Before your lovers can come together once and for all, they’ll often experience a period of separation.

While this is by no means a requirement for your novel, it often fits perfectly within the Third Plot Point , or the darkest moment of your story’s structure. Not only is there a negative twist in the plot, but there is also an emotional downturn that pushes your lovers apart, either physically, emotionally, or both. This adds tension to your story and gives your characters a final chance to assess their relationship and fight to preserve it.

For example, maybe the pair has an explosive argument. They storm off, swearing they’ll never talk to their lover again. However, beneath the surface they both regret their actions and fear they’ve damaged their relationship beyond repair. This is the darkest moment of their relationship, and by the end of the story they’ll come back together, making amends and overcoming their flaws in the process.

Of course, this isn’t the only way to trigger separation. Your characters might:

Have a major argument
Be forced apart by rival characters
Have a misunderstanding (perhaps orchestrated by another character)
Be separated by a major plot event like a natural disaster

Fortunately, we know this isn’t the end for your romantic duo—or at least we hope not! Just like your protagonist will have to overcome the Third Plot Point and complete their character arc in order to reach the Climax, your lovers will need to confront their flaws and make amends to be together.

Finally Coming Together:

Last but not least, we have the culmination of your character’s romance!

This is where your lovers will come together to prove they’ve both grown into better people. Not only have they completed their personal arcs, but they’ve also recognized that this is a relationship worth fighting for. Whether they have to regain each other’s trust or overcome a war, they’ll find a way to be together in the end, bringing their romance to its conclusion.

Best of all, they’ve come to this point in a natural, genuine way.

They didn’t take one look at each other and declare their undying love, and they didn’t force each other into a relationship through emotional dependence or disturbing behavior. Instead, they developed their relationship as a pair, learning to love one another and treat each other right even in the face of their differences.

This is the finale of the heartwarming romance that your readers have been pining for!

What About Characters Who Start Out Hating Each Other?

While the six stages above will get you pretty far, not every romance is the same. Some characters will outright loathe one another, so much so that you’d never expect they could one day fall in love.

Of course, these are the romances readers seem to love most. 😉

Not only is it possible to write a romance where the characters start out as enemies, but it can be done to great effect. However, you’ll need to remember everything we’ve discussed above—these characters will need time to establish a genuine relationship, especially because they’re so at odds starting out.

If you’re trying to create romance between two enemies, pay extra attention to these things:

Don’t force either character into the relationship through violence or abuse
Both characters should play a role in helping the other grow and improve
Their romance will take more time to develop, and will hinge heavily on trust
Be careful what kinds of conflict you create—some wounds can never heal
Focus on common goals that can bring them together as allies, even if it takes time for them to discover those goals

Characters on Two Sides of a War:

Let’s look at Zuko and Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender as an example. Yes, I know they don’t end up together by the end of the series, but this is a very popular fan pairing for a reason. There’s a lot of chemistry here!

These two start out on opposite sides of a literal war, but this isn’t a star-crossed lovers kind of situation. In fact, these characters hate each other, and would be thrilled to see the other one dead. Both are extremely flawed as well. Zuko’s desperate need to be accepted by his family has driven him to murder and pillage, and Katara’s resentment for her mother’s death is slowly pushing her in a similar direction.

It isn’t until both characters have begun to overcome their flaws that they come together. Zuko uproots his life after recognizing the harm his actions were causing. Katara refuses to trust him at first, and with good reason, but he makes it his goal to prove he has changed. Eventually, she enlists his help in getting revenge on the general that killed her mother, but in the process comes to the same realization he did—you have to learn to forgive.

This is the real heart of their relationship, and why these types of romances work.

Both characters had to grow as individuals before they could open themselves up to a healthy relationship. Not only that but, once they completed their individual growth, they then helped each other grow as well.

Katara was vulnerable in that moment of revenge, and Zuko did his best to support her and help her heal—likewise, Zuko made himself vulnerable by asking for Katara’s forgiveness, and over time she recognized that he had changed. Despite starting as bitter enemies, they end up as one of the most compelling romances in the entire series.

A Well-Written Romance is at the Heart of Your Novel

While writing romance is complex, it definitely isn’t impossible. At the end of the day, the key is to focus on building a relationship between your lovers that feels real and earned, even if it takes more than one scene to do so.

Here are some final tips to consider:

Think about how your characters’ arcs will affect their romance
Learn your characters’ personalities so you can write them realistically
Look to couples that you admire and find what sparked their love
Don’t be afraid to build friendships that don’t grow into romances until later on
Remember that love is a two-way street—both lovers need to support each other

Above all, avoid creepy romance tropes as much as possible—trust me, you’ll know them when you see them! While they’re an easy crutch to lean on, your novel (and your lovers) will be better off without them. 🙂

How do your characters fall in love? Let me know in the comments!

Thoughts on how to write a genuine romance.

Wow. This is amazing advice. I was looking for ways to develop my character’s relationship without it looking hollow… and this is the best advice for anything like this I’ve read. Sometimes I just can’t STAND reading anything with romance because it just doesn’t seem realistic, and they haven’t progressed enough as characters or emotionally bonded together enough to ever really be able to have a sustainable relationship. Thanks so much Lewis!

Hi there! I’m aromantic, so I have a lot of trouble expressing the emotion of love in writing. This article really is good for talking about how to build a healthy relationships. Currently I’m writing two novels, both with romantic subplots, so I’ve been looking for advice and this is the best I’ve found so far. One of them involves the LI finding the MC injured and alone, and taking him in and bandaging his wounds. As the MC adjusts, their relationship evolves into one of mutual dependence, but both have secrets keeping them apart. I’m not sure if this would put too much on the LI, as the MC becomes paralyzed and they live together out in the woods.

Thank you so much for this article. I write Romance, I guess, lol, but this was a big help.

This is a great article! Thank you for the advice! I’m writing a dystopian novel and am struggling with the romance with my characters. They do escape danger together, as mentioned in your article, which helps them to bond. But I’m not sure how to give them ways to connect outside of the danger they’re in, or how to let them joke around without it feeling out of place in the type of novel it is, if that makes sense.

Obviously this will depend on your specific story, but I don’t think a few quiet, lighthearted moments would be too out of place. These scenes don’t need to be loud parties or side-splitting slap-stick, but even a subdued night before an attack or before a major plot point could give your lovers a chance to bond and you a chance to develop both of their characters. Most of their connection will probably come from the danger they’re in, but they could still have smaller things in common (especially things like their hope for the future, etc…).

Found this off of Google search results; it’s so good and puts this idea into words so well, and I wish more authors and storytellers could see it! I, as a person, am definitely NOT a fan of any romance, but it took me a while to realize that maybe part of the reason I was especially put off by some of it in stories was because the romance that I was seeing was creepily-written, poorly-executed, and unrealistic in every way. Looking back, the romance plots (often subplots) that I did somewhat enjoy were always the ones that felt like what is being described here. Buildup in a story based around a growing character relationship is so essential, and it’s so important to portray it in a healthy and realistic way, so it’s kind of surprising to see how it’s become so common to forget about it that now we have an entire concept of “love at first sight” in the vein of poorly-crafted romance arcs.

I love this advice. It’s so important to establish boundaries, healthy communication and sustainable behaviour in romance novels. So many people base their ideas and expectations of a relationship on what they read or watch so it’s all the more important. I read twilight religiously as a teen and internally swooned at behaviours that I cringe at as an adult. Thank you for putting content like his into the world!

I think you’re absolutely right Olivia! Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with bad boy/girl romances or even questionable behavior in fiction. The most important thing is that readers know what they’re getting into, and that they also have enough healthy romances to look towards to judge what is or isn’t right for them.

Loved your content Lewis, very well-written! Successful romance stories does not happen immediately at first sight. They are build up to get readers in the heart.

Cheers, Monique

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BRYN DONOVAN

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How to Write a Love Story

I’ve read hundreds of romance novel proposals in my day job as an editor, and I almost called this post “how to write a romance novel.” But that would be such a big subject, it would really need to be a series of posts. There are a lot of elements of a romance novel to cover for aspiring romance writers, from subgenres and heat levels to reader expectations and happy ever afters.

Today, I just want to talk about what makes a love story work , and I want to keep it very simple. This advice is just as applicable to anyone who wants to know how to write a good romance subplot in any kind of novel.

To write romance that’s believable and unforced, you can make sure to do these four things.

HOW TO WRITE A LOVE STORY - 4 ways to make the plot or subplot great | image of computer, roses in background

1. Know exactly why these two are perfect for each other.

He’s the best-looking man she’s ever seen in her life? If that’s the main reason she’s in love with him, that’s boring…and besides, most of us know that just because someone’s good-looking doesn’t mean they’re good to date. Even if he’s attractive, you’ll need to dig deeper. There’s just “something about her he can’t put his finger on”? Well, if you as the author don’t even know what that something is, the story’s going to be weak.

To get the readers caught up in this story, these two need to be soulmates . It should feel as though if they don’t pledge their love and commitment to one another, it’s going to be a devastating missed opportunity. Think about who the characters are as people and why they fit together so well.

The possibilities here are endless.

Maybe they bond over a past experience or a deep interest that few other people share.

Maybe they balance one another out. She’s practical; he’s a dreamer. She’s shy; he’s the life of the party.

Maybe they understand one another because they share a point of view, a strong sense of faith, or a snarky sense of humor.

There could be a few different elements that make your characters the perfect fit. If you’re well into a draft of a romance novel and you don’t have this figured out yet, don’t despair. Spend a little time thinking about it and maybe writing a few paragraphs about it. Your love story will come into sharper focus.

2. Know what the obstacle to the romance is…on each character’s side.

Here’s what I see sometimes in romance novel proposals. One character has a good internal conflict to the romance: they need to learn to trust again, maybe, or they need to move on from grieving their late spouse. They might also have an external conflict: they’re about to move to New York, for instance, so it’s not a good time to get into a relationship.

Meanwhile, the other character (usually the man, in a male-female romance) has no conflict. He falls for her almost immediately, his feelings deepen into love, and he tries to persuade her to be in a relationship with him.

Honestly? I’ve read and enjoyed books like that. But I enjoy romance novels even more when both characters have conflict. It makes the story more interesting. So once you’ve figured out why these characters should be together, figure out what might keep them apart.

It’s really common in a romance novel synopsis to have a sentence like, “Josh tries to ignore his attraction to the new guy at the office,” with no explanation of why Josh is trying to ignore it. (Fortune favors the bold, Josh! Shoot your shot!) If you give Josh a reason, it’s much more compelling: “Josh tries to ignore his attraction to the new guy at the office. After all, the last time Josh dated a coworker, the breakup was so messy he wound up leaving the company.”

3. Make sure the people spend enough time together to really have a chance to fall in love.

If they keep randomly bumping into one another, that’s going to strain credulity, and the interactions may not be long enough for feelings to believably develop. (In the first hundred or so pages of my WIP, the hero is ordered to take the heroine into custody and take her half across the country. This gives them plenty of time to talk.)

Give them a shared goal. Make them competitors. Make one of them a butler, a governess, a tutor, or a personal assistant. Do whatever you have to do to make sure they’re actually on a lot of pages together. If they only see each other for brief times and then go off and think about each other, it’s going to be harder to make that exciting.

4. Know how each character is going to change and grow throughout the story.

As readers, we like to see characters learn and develop. Maybe she gives up her goal of marrying a rich man, realizing that true love will make her happier in the end. Maybe he learns how to be a better listener instead of barking orders all the time. In order to overcome the obstacles to the romance, they’re going to need to change.

We don’t want to see that change all at once. Usually, we want to see it unfold gradually over the course of the story. For each of the characters, pinpoint two or three places where they show a little bit of change or growth.

How to Write a Love Story | two espresso cups, two tulips, two small hearts

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I hope this helps as you write a romance novel or a love subplot. If you have any other questions, please ask them in the comments…and if you have advice of your own, we’d love to hear from you, too!

If you’re working on a novel or thinking about it, check out my book Blank Page to Final Draft . It takes you step by step through planning, writing, and editing, to get you to a ready-to-publish novel.

cover of the book BLANK PAGE TO FINAL DRAFT: How to Plot, Write, and Edit a Novel Step By Step, by by Bryn Donovan

Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!

image: highway. 50 CHARACTER GOALS (AND CHARACTER MOTIVATIONS) #character desires list #character goal examples #character goal generator #character wants list

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How to Write a Love Story

Do you want to write a story in the top selling genre of all time? Want to innovate on a classic story that almost everyone can relate to? Want to break your reader’s heart or fill it with joy? Both? If so, let’s explore the Love story where attraction and love just might clash with indifference, repulsion, and even hate.

In this post, we’ll review what you need to know to create and edit a Love story that will meet or exceed your audience’s expectations. We’ll do this by focusing on the building blocks of the genre.

Need to get familiar with the Story Grid’s categorization of genres first? A refresher is here . They aren’t the same as categories found on Amazon or in your local bookstores and libraries.

What exactly is the Love Genre?

It’s not just a romance. The Love Genre encompasses a number of different story types and we’ll look at each one.

The Love story is an arch-plot (single protagonist) or mini-plot (character ensemble) external genre.

Shawn Coyne describes the genre as “centered on romance with the possibility of sexual intimacy.”

Editor Tip: This means the Love Genre does not include the bromance or familial love stories. The bromance is usually secondary to a Crime or Action story. The familial love stories are often found in Performance, Society, and the internal genres. But you can find bromance and familial love stories in any of the other genres, even secondary to a Love story.

According to Coyne, “Love stories give us prescriptive (positive) and cautionary (negative) tales to navigate love’s emotional minefield. They give us tools to try out to attract a mate and behaviors to avoid.”

What’s the Global Value at stake in a Love story?

The Global Value at stake describes the protagonist’s primary change from the beginning of the story to the end. It’s the primary arc you’ll keep your protagonist moving along throughout your story. There are no exceptions to this guideline. It’s the heart of what makes a story a story.

The global values of the Love story slide between hate masquerading as love and intimacy. Your protagonist need not experience each of these values but should progress from one value to another in a logical sequence, ending somewhere along the spectrum other than where they began.

Unlike most other genres, conflict in a Love story must be expressed on three different levels:

External Conflict arises from social and/or environmental pressures. The protagonist is motivated by the expectations and limitations of a group of others. This can be family or other community members enforcing larger problems such as classism, racism, nationalism, religious prejudice, homophobia, etc. But external conflict can also be job related deadlines, team performance expectations, courtroom drama, and the like.

Interpersonal Conflict is primarily between the lovers. The antagonist of a Love story can be one of the lovers, a rival, or a character who represents the external conflict.

Internal Conflict is a war within the protagonist. This often follows a Worldview trajectory and culminates in a shift in thinking which allows the protagonist to change in order to earn the love of another.

Editor Tip: Story Grid Editors recommend you choose an internal genre for each of your lovers. You can read more about the Status , Worldview , and Morality stories on this site.

As we see in the Story Grid Gas Gauge of Need, a Love story arises from the need for the obvious– love. The Love protagonist’s primary goal (want) might be to obtain a lover or avoid love all together. Their want could be related to something that seems entirely unrelated to love such as getting a promotion ( Status ), training for the big game ( Performance ), solving a mystery ( Crime ), etc. But their ultimate need in this story is gaining or maintaining romantic love.

What’s the Core Emotion?

The core emotion is what a reader wants to feel–the reason they choose a particular type of story.

In a Love story, the core emotion is Romance . Readers want to experience the excitement and mystery associated with love without the real-life risks involved.

What’s the Controlling Idea?

The controlling idea of a story is the “lesson” your reader comes away with, the meaning they apply to your story. Also called a theme, it’s the single sentence summing up the argument your story attempts to prove through narrative.

It’s made up of the big value change at the climax of your story, plus the specific cause of that change. Each of the main content genres has a generic pair of controlling ideas, one for the positive outcome and one for the negative. (For everything about controlling ideas, see Chapter 34 in The Story Grid book, or The Big Takeaway on this site.)

If your story is positive , your controlling idea might look something like this:

Love triumphs when lovers evolve beyond desire and overcome moral failings.

Love triumphs when lovers sacrifice their needs for one another.

If your story is negative , your controlling idea might look something like this:

Love fails when the lovers don’t overcome moral failings and evolve beyond desire.

Love fails when lovers don’t sacrifice for one another.

Editor Tip: Here, you see why an internal genre arc for at least your protagonist is important. Gaining the love of the other character is dependent on the internal genre value shift (sacrifice and emotional growth).

What are the Obligatory Scenes?

According to Coyne, Obligatory Scenes are “must-have scenes for paying off readers’ expectations as set up by the conventions of the genre.” If you leave out a scene, you’ll have a story that doesn’t work.

Each Love Subgenre has its own obligatory scenes, but here is what they all seem to have in common:

The lovers must meet. This one is obvious, right? In a romantic comedy this is the meet-cute scene. In a marriage story this will likely be off the page (spare us the flashback unless absolutely needed to move your story forward).

The inciting incident of the story is a shock (negative or positive) that upsets the homeostasis of the protagonist and disrupts their ordinary life. This could be meeting the new lover for the first time, discovering a spouse is cheating, or both lovers being called to a new adventure that will force them to adapt their relationship.

At least one of the lovers denies responsibility to respond to love and/or the antagonistic force, creating conflict for the characters.

Editor Tip: Lajos Egri writes, in The Art of Dramatic Writing , that the other lover (the non-protagonist) acts as a kind of minor antagonist to the protagonist. Basically, this equates to the primary lover trying to deny the attraction or keep away from the more assertive lover.

The protagonist’s initial strategy to outmaneuver antagonistic force or character fails .

There is a confession of love by one or both lovers. Usually, one lover confesses love too soon and creates an obstacle in the relationship. This is often the turning point complication of the story or integrated into the climax.

The lovers experience a first kiss or intimate connection together. This could be the first time they hold hands or when a married couple finally makes progress toward emotional intimacy. This is the scene when the truth of their feelings first becomes known to the other, perhaps even to themselves.

The lovers break-up or are forced to separate. A story is only a story if there is conflict which forces change in one or both of the lovers. They must learn the hard way and survive a break-up, or fail.

The all-is-lost moment is usually the break-up or a scene that shortly follows the break up where the lovers are miserable without one another and certain they will not reunite. Though the all-is-lost could also be the scene where at least one lover finally realizes that they must end the relationship (common in Marriage stories).

Editor Tip: The duration of the break-up must serve your story. If they will be apart for a long time, make sure that time is spent well. If not, consider shortening the duration. Unless your story has an epic quality (Brokeback Mountain, Bridges of Madison County, Restraint, The Thornbirds), a close timeline works best.

The big climactic event of the Love story is the proof of love scene where one lover sacrifices for the other without any expectation of receiving something in return .

Editor Tip: Notice how the climactic event ties directly to the controlling idea? Once you know your climactic event in your story, it will point you directly to your genre. Already know your genre? Then it points you right to your controlling idea and climactic event.

The lovers reunite after the break-up or a forced separation. Unless you’re writing parody, the reunion carries residue from the break-up and requires conflict before all is well again.

The protagonist is rewarded with at least one level of satisfaction (external, internal or interpersonal) for their sacrifice and/or growth. They gain love or lose it.

Editor Tip: These obligatory scenes don’t have to be individual scenes. You can combine two or three into one scene. Example: The confession of love scene is often combined with the lovers break up scene.

What are the Conventions?

Here’s how Coyne explains Conventions : “They are elements in the Story that must be there or the reader will be confused…Conventions are not obligatory scenes…they are specific requirements in terms of the Story’s cast or methods in moving the plot forward.”

Each Love subgenre has its own conventions, but here is what they all seem to have in common:

The story follows a cause and effect trajectory as the protagonist pursues their object of desire from beginning to end. This is every working story, not just in the Love Genre. It is a foundation of storytelling. Even if your story is a dream sequence, supernatural events, or has a fairy tale quality, this holds true.

Editor Tip: It’s important to remember that the protagonist in a love story (courtship, anyway) is usually not the pursuer, but is the object of desire of the other character.

There are secondary characters representing helpers and harmers. There must be characters for and against the relationship. Those in favor of the match help unite the lovers and those opposed to it will do everything to destroy it.

Editor Tip: Consider creating a shapeshifter character who seems to fill one role but is actually filling an opposite.

There must be a triangle of relationships that includes a rival. In courtship stories, the rival is a character who is involved, often romantically, with one of the lovers. The rival could be a personal belief that keeps one lover from accepting the other or prevents them from being available to love. The rival can also be an addiction to work, substances, gambling, sex, etc.

There must be an external need , something outside the romance that is driving the actions of the main characters. See other external genres for ideas. Maybe they have to work together, solve a crime, save a life, win a match, keep a secret, or discover a cure. Something other than love is at stake.

Editor Tip: Make sure you have a foil for your protagonist within the story. This is the character who embodies the ideals and attributes opposite of your character. As in a Status story , this character exists to show the reader the other path your protagonist could have taken. Or, they appear to embody attributes and ideals similar to your protagonist but, ultimately, make different decisions.

There must be forces opposing the lovers’ relationship , often outside the lovers’ control. Explore other genres for ideas. Is it Society ? A War ? Are they on opposing teams? Are they separated by land or time? Familial obligations? Can you represent these forces with “harmer” characters?

There are secrets. Your story may have only one kind of secret or include all three of the following types of secrets:

1) Secrets the couple keeps from society (they hide their relationship from friends and family).

2) Secrets the couple keeps from one another (a rival, past or present sins, shame).

3) Secrets one of the lovers keeps from themself (a character flaw that prevents intimacy such as narcissism, racism, or the belief that they are unloveable).

***There MIGHT be secrets society keeps from the couple (they discover they’re related, the sacrifice of one lover is concealed from the other lover by harmers, a lover will be killed).

The lovers develop rituals of intimacy such as shared traditions, private language, and inside jokes. This convention is not always present in Obsession Love stories where the action or clock is so fast paced that there just isn’t time or space for these to develop.

Love stories have a moral weight. They suggest those who cannot love have a moral failing. For one to live happily ever after, they must get over the moral failing by story’s end or suffer the consequences.

What are the subgenres?

Obsession (Desire)

The psychological driver in this story is desire. One of the “lovers” has a shallow but intoxicating passion for the other that leads to clear danger for the “beloved.” These are cautionary tales. They don’t progress beyond the desirevalue and usually end in tragedy. Examples of this subgenre are The Great Gatsby , Damage, and Last Tango in Paris.

Courtship (Commitment)

The psychological driver in this story is commitment. This story encompasses the romantic rituals one goes through to find a lover. It typically ends in a commitment with the expectation of a “happily ever after” future for the lovers where intimacy assured. The Courtship story is prescriptive. Traditional romances fall in this subgenre. Examples of this subgenre are Pride and Prejudice, Bridget Jones’ Diary, The Notebook, and An Affair to Remember.

Marriage (Intimacy)

The Marriage story concerns a committed relationship that certainly had early stages of passion and is now at a crossroads. Something external provokes trust issues and challenges the lovers to recognize, accept, and love the authentic other person rather than the illusion the other displayed during the courtship phase. There is a paradoxical (win-but-lose, lose-but-win) ending. The Marriage Love story may be either prescriptive or cautionary. Examples of this subgenre are War of the Roses, Ordinary People, The Corrections, Private Life, and Blue Valentine.

Forbidden (Desire, Commitment, Intimacy)

In this story type, romantic desire leads both lovers towards emotional and physical intimacy, but official commitment is prevented by society. A happily ever after is impossible despite the lovers’ willingness to commit. Their love is glorious and painful, and they have a win-but-lose ending or a tragic one. Examples of this subgenre are Brokeback Mountain , Restraint , Romeo and Juliet, Cleopatra and Mark Antony, and Sir Lancelot and Lady Guinevere.

Erotic (Desire, Commitment, Intimacy)

The erotic love story must be driven by desire but can encompass both commitment and intimacy. The story is about a character’s sexual journey and how it impacts them as individuals. If the sex scenes were removed from these stories, they wouldn’t work because sex is integral to the arc of the story. A happily ever after is possible but not required. Books focusing on both explicit sex and commitment are often called “erotica” or “romantica” or found in the “black label” lines of romance publishers. Examples of this subgenre are Blue is the Warmest Colour, Fifty Shades of Gray (as a series), and Nine and a Half Weeks.

Again, you can see why the Love Genre doesn’t operate alone. In order to meet the obligatory scenes and conventions of the Love story, at least one of the lovers needs a strong internal genre arc. And, often, the Love story is entwined with a second external genre that is driving most of the action. A couple of great resources for combining Love with other genres are The Units of Story: Subplots and Editors’ Roundtable on Jane Eyre .

Editor Tip: The journey of a lover is one of change the hard way. Consider taking your protagonist through the stages of the Kubler-Ross change curve .

How Do You Structure a Love Story?

Now that we know that stringing together a bunch of kissing and sex won’t build a story, I offer some basic guidelines:

Beginning Hook

Here, you introduce the characters and setting of the story world. You set the plot in motion and create questions in the minds of the audience. You make them want to learn more.

Begin by introducing the protagonist doing something they consider normal (In a Courtship story, we see the single life of the protagonist or their unsatisfying relationship with someone else. In a marriage story, we see the status quo of their relationship.

Editor Tip: Their normal doesn’t have to be what you or I would consider normal. It’s relevant to the protagonist. The goal is to show their baseline, what they will change (or fail to change) from by the end and what it is that the inciting incident disrupts.

Demonstrate their flaw or fear to establish empathy in readers. Before the protagonist is making tough choices, we need to want them to love and have a life worth living.

Demonstrate the protagonist’s want. This can be internal or external. Make the want blatantly clear to encourage empathy. Remember, the want doesn’t have to relate to Love. The need is Love.

Introduce supporting characters as rich and interesting. Include most of the same Hero’s Journey archetypes as in any other external genre story.

Editor Tip: Give them distinctive names, appearances, emotions, and actions. Use description to evoke a sense of their broader culture or background. Don’t create meaningless sidekicks, flawless heroes, or solely evil antagonists. It’s imperative that every character have a clear and supporting role for your lovers and that they operate as believable in the story world.

Grab your audience’s attention with an inciting incident that launches the global story as soon as possible.

Make the stakes clear. What can the protagonist gain or lose? Are there consequences to not securing this particular lover? To not securing love at all?

At first, the protagonist reacts to the inciting incident (negative or positive) with inaction, either because they delay making a decision or because external forces prevent them.

Editor Tip: If the subgenre is Forbidden, the consequences of loving, rather than failing to find love, must be clear from early in the story.

Crossing Story Grid terminology with that of The Hero’s Journey, your story’s beginning hook will contain your inciting incident (call to adventure) and first progressive complication (refusal of the call). In the Kubler-Ross change curve, your character will experience shock and denial.

Middle Build

Create a scene where the protagonist is forced to act in order to gain Love/Intimacy or avoid it. Actively choosing one launches the middle build.

The middle build belongs to the antagonist or antagonistic force that is continually putting obstacles in the way of the lovers. You will test the protagonist and their ability to love.

Your goal here is to build tension and increase the stakes for the protagonist. You might answer some questions here but you’ll want to raise even more. The protagonist is confronting increasingly complicated challenges. Demonstrate how they are learning (possibly changing) and setting new goals or failing to do so.

At the midpoint of the story, the protagonist shifts from avoiding the problem (by relying on old patterns of behavior and thinking) to actively attacking the problem (with a new way of viewing the challenge).

Crossing Story Grid terminology with that of The Hero’s Journey, your story’s middle build will contain the second major progressive complication of your global story (crossing the threshold), the third progressive complication (test, allies, enemies), the turning point complication (the ordeal), and the crisis (apotheosis). In the Kubler-Ross change curve, your character will experience frustration, experimentation with new ideas or behaviors, depression, and the need for decision making.

Editor Tip: You will slowly expose your protagonist to greater and greater Love obstacles due to the bad choices they make (and hate making) to create rising action. A central dilemma must be solved before love or intimacy can be gained.

Ending Payoff

In the ending payoff, you ramp down the tension and action with scenes that answer the primary story questions. How have the characters changed and learned or failed to do so? How will that success or failure impact the protagonist’s daily life and create a new normal?

Crossing Story Grid terminology with that of The Hero’s Journey, your story’s ending payoff will include your climax (the resurrection, in Hero’s Journey terminology) and the resolution of the global story. The protagonist confronts their fear or flaw, rises to the challenge, and sacrifices for the other lover in order to gain love/intimacy (prescriptive tale). Or they fail to so and lose their opportunity for love/intimacy (cautionary tale). In the Kubler-Ross change curve, your character will make act on the big decision and integrate the decision into their new way of thinking and behavior.

Final Thoughts

We’ve read and watched the Love story a hundred times, so how can anything be new? In the Editors’ Roundtable Podcast on Harold and Maude , Leslie Watts discusses the challenge of innovating in such a popular genre. Leslie suggests deconstructing your story idea in order to plan and execute novelty.

Once you’ve identified the wants of the characters and who they are within their social constructs, you’ll want to identify the historical context and the resources available to the characters for obtaining their wants. Be clear about the nature of the antagonist or antagonistic force.

Examine these elements from different points of view and metaphor. How could you present the story core in new and fresh ways? Through style and tone? Through narrative device and structure? Will those changes improve and support your story idea or undermine it? How do your ideas compare with other stories outside of the Love Genre? Are there innovations in other genres you appreciated and could implement in your story? What do you know has been overdone in the Love story that you can definitely change in your story without leaving out a convention or obligatory scene?

Other resources that might help you write the Love story:

Love and an Immersive Story Grid Experience

How to Write a Great Love Story

More Than a Love Story

Editors’ Roundtable on Brokeback Mountain

Editors’ Roundtable on The Bridges of Madison County

The Fundamental Genre

Shawn’s annotated Pride and Prejudice, a Story grid analysis

Now you have the basic keys to the Love Genre and many of the tools you’ll need to write better Love stories. Put this all together by reading widely within the genre. Compare the masterworks of the genre. Imagine your story arc by using the values at stake in the Love Genre. Get your words on the page and then compare your work to those masterworks. Check your work with The Story Grid book and against the Love Genre secrets here. Use what you learn to edit your work and finish that story. (If you want help anywhere along the way, go ahead and book a free half-hour consultation on my calendar .)

I wish you the best of luck and hard work with your story.

*Special thanks to Anne Hawley , Certified Story Grid Editor, for editing this post, providing the Value Infographic, and for updating the Gas Gauge of Need Infographic.

This post originally appeared at storygrid.com where I am a regular contributor for the Fundamental Fridays blog series.

About the Author

Rachelle Ramirez helps writers develop their stories and believes stories are our most important catalyst for change. She received an MA in psychology from Goddard College and attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Masters in Creative Writing Program on merit scholarship. Rachelle served as the executive director for a national writing community before becoming a Certified Story Grid Editor. She is honored to have edited the award winning fiction of some amazing authors but her favorite work is with first-time novelists and memoir writers. She is easily bribed with promises of iced coffee drinks, piles of puppies, and long walks in thunderstorms. She is currently on contract, writing a Story Grid Guide to a masterwork. Her forthcoming novel is White Grrrl, Black Sheep. Grab a spot on her calendar for a free 30-minute consultation on your story.

3 thoughts on “ How to Write a Love Story ”

Hey Rachelle, you have give innovative ideas to write a love story. Would highly recommend your ideas. I am a huge fan of love genre stories and novels. Thanks for providing such amazing and innovative ideas.

Love your content Rachelle, very well-written! Everybody loves a book that can give them butterflies in their stomachs. Romantic novels give an emotionally satisfying narrative to readers.

Thank you! Our Story Path course at pages and platforms is a great place to start when deciding to write or having trouble writing a story. You can attend our free masterclass on Story Types at https://www.storypath.me/masterclass-registration-2

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How to Write a Love Story: My Top 4 Tips

Mar 31, 2022 by Mary Adkins published in Writing

What makes a great love story?

Whether you’re writing romance, mystery, or literary fiction, when you’re incorporating romance into our work, the task is the same—to write a believable, engaging relationship that keeps readers turning the pages. (I write contemporary fiction, for example, but I write contemporary fiction that sometimes has romance in it, and so, of course, I want to do that well.)

So let’s talk about how to keep readers turning the pages with a heart-tugging romance—maybe even one that sticks with them long after they’ve read it. (I think about Rebecca Serle’s book In Five Years all the time, for example, and I read it well over a year ago.)

Before we get into the tips of how to write a love story, I want to briefly tell you how I came to this advice, myself.

Learning How to Write a Love Story

Before I started publishing novels, I was a lawyer.

I had no time to write, and I’d been dying to be an author since I was twelve.

So I quit my law job only seven months after graduating from law school. I found a tutoring job on Craigslist, broke my lease to move to a cheaper apartment, and then the real work began.

I was going to write a book, but I didn’t know where to start. So I signed up for writing classes.

I took writing class after class on everything from how to write a short story to how to write a funny essay to how to write beautiful sentences. Six years into writing classes, I had managed to eke out my novel.

I was submitting it to literary agents—which is how you get a book deal from a publisher, typically—but, over and over, I was hearing “no.”

I couldn’t figure out why. So I choked up $3,000 I didn’t have and hired a freelance editor to tell me what was wrong with my book. And this editor wrote me a letter that changed my writing life.

Here is an excerpt from the letter, with the part I want to highlight in bold:

“You have the humor in spades. It’s the heart that you need more of. And heart demands deep work . (I should say here that I was really impressed to find as I was reading that the prose was near-flawless. On a sentence-to-sentence level, your writing is remarkable.) If you are serious about this novel, I want to encourage you to reshape it, to give your characters more love.”

My work needed heart.

This letter changed my entire approach to writing.

I felt exposed reading it, and I knew that she was 100% right. As she notes here, I’d mastered writing individual sentences , but that wasn’t enough—that wasn’t the heart of the story.

I hadn’t been showing up emotionally on the page because I was too worried about inciting incidents, themes, and foreshadowing to believe in the characters I was writing about. I was too hung up on writing devices to feel my characters.

I didn’t even open the attached manuscript with her line edits; I didn’t need to.

Over the next six weeks, I rewrote my draft yet again, but I showed up emotionally this time, and I wrote love into my story.

Within six weeks, I had a literary agent. And that was the version of my first novel When You Read This , that sold at auction in the United States and to major publishers around the world.

Again, whether your work is formally classified as romance doesn’t matter—the tips I want to share next will be useful if there is romantic love in your story, at all.

Let’s dive in! Here are my top four tips for how to write a love story.

Tip #1: Be brave enough to draw from your own experience.

The first tip I have for you today may sound obvious, but if you’re anything like me, it wasn’t always.

As fiction writers, it’s a given, to an extent, that we’re always drawing from life.

But sometimes we are hesitant to do this with romance writing, especially physical or erotic scenes rooted in attraction, where we’re trying to construct a degree of wish fulfillment for the reader, due to personal inhibitions.

We feel like our Sunday School teacher is looking over our shoulder and going to tell our parents.

But just like with other emotional experiences in life, this is where we mine for the good stuff—inside the secret chambers of our own emotional experience.

So if you’re feeling bashful or vulnerable, here’s something to remember: you’re writing fiction, and you don’t owe anyone any kind of answer as to what part of your own life the inspiration came from.

If a reader says, “Dang, Jessica, that hot scene—was that real? How’d you think up that?”, just smile and say, “I’m glad you liked it.”

Tip #2: What are your character’s primary attraction drivers, and what makes this time different?

We’ve all heard the saying, “she’s/he’s/they’re my type,” right?

And if you’re unlucky, you’ve been told that you’re someone’s type…as you’re dating them.

There is nothing less appealing than thinking that someone wants to be in a relationship with you because you look or act like other people they’ve liked before, right? It’s objectifying; it removes personal uniqueness from the equation.

On the contrary, when someone is attracted to another person in a way that plays against their tendencies, our ears perk up. We pay attention. If it’s us, we feel good.

We think, huh, what’s going on here ? There can even seem to be more potential validity to the romantic feelings—they hold more promise—because it’s the exception, not the rule.

A fun way to play with creating a believable love story that’s genuine and special is to play with this idea—to identify your character’s primary attraction drivers, so that you can work against them.

Ask: how is this love interest different from the love interests that came before? Brainstorm. Pick your favorite(s). Make this time different.

Tip #3: Love in real life is not one-dimensional—and real love is hotter love. Lean into complexity.

Often when we write romance into our stories, we are writing a kind of wish fulfillment for the reader—we want the reader to want to be in the shoes of a character who is experiencing the romance. We are hoping to offer that pleasurable experience.

But for the reader to have that pleasurable experience, they need to believe in the love story.

Readers are smart. You may have heard the adage, which I think is a great one, to assume that your reader is at least as smart as you are.

If the love story feels one-dimensional—if it’s all light and positivity—it’s going to strike the reader as false in some way. Maybe not false as in fictional or made up, but false in the sense that one character is idolizing another, putting them on a pedestal, willingly indulging their blind spots to prolong the romance. And that’s going to create space between the reader and the character, thereby making it harder for the reader to want to identify with the character.

For the enticement of wish fulfillment to work, the relationship must seem realistic. And for it to seem realistic, we need some degree of complexity.

So lean into the complexity—be willing to get into your character’s mind and heart and explore the complex feelings that come up there. Don’t worry; it won’t make your love story feel less deep—it will do the opposite. It’ll make it feel real.

Tip #4: What limits (perceived or real) can you explore to deepen a character’s longing?

The last tip about writing a love story here—we all know that what carries a story forward is tension, right?

I tell the writers I work with that when you don’t know what to write next, ask: what tension is the reader most nervous about at this point in the story, and how can I ramp it up even more?

In writing romance, leaning into that tension serves an additional purpose, which is that limitations and obstacles to the realization of romance tend to heighten longing.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? So does forbidden love.

So what externally imposed—or at least perceived—limits could make it harder for these people to be together? How might you use limitations to infuse the longing in the story with even more energy, which the reader will feel?

Want some writing prompts for how to write a love story?

Those are my romance writing tips for you! I’ve written 10 writing prompts to help you write compelling romance stories in your work, and you can get them by going here and dropping your email—I will send them right over.

Tell us in the comments: What did you learn about how to write a love story?

Mary Adkins is the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick, “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping and Real Simple ), Privilege (Today.com Best Summer Read), and Palm Beach ( New York Post “Best Book of 2021,” and “like a sandy beach, equal parts beautiful and uncomfortable” according to the Associated Press ). Her books have been published in 13 countries, and her essays and reporting have appeared in the New York Times , The Atlantic , Slate , and more. A graduate of Yale Law School and Duke University, she teaches storytelling for The Moth worldwide and runs The Book Incubator , a program for aspiring authors. You can also follow her on Instagram .

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How to write love stories: 7 romance novelists’ wisdom

Successful romance novelists offer many insights into how to write love stories that hook readers. Read 7 quotes that give insights into telling great love stories:

Post author By Jordan
2 Comments on How to write love stories: 7 romance novelists’ wisdom

How to write love stories according to romance writers:

Decide on a primary conflict
Write romance you want to read
Subvert stereotypes to write real people
Be the romance novelist you’re missing
Read beyond your genre
Examine characters’ romantic motivations
Cut what you don’t need

Let’s explore these romance ideas closer:

1. Decide on a primary conflict

Author Nicholas Sparks (though not a genre romance author, more a love story writer) wrote beloved romantic novels such as The Notebook and Message in a Bottle .

When asked where he finds inspiration for romantic stories in an interview for CliffsNotes , Sparks says:

From events in my life, from people I know, from articles that I read, or conversations I overhear. The question I always seek to answer first has to do with the primary conflict (what keeps the characters apart). I’ve learned to keep my mind open to ideas from any source.

Decide what keeps your characters apart early. This will help you devise additional scenarios and scenes arising from that conflict.

Some examples from popular romantic novels, films and series include:

Interfering parents/wartime drafting ( The Notebook )
Lovers being from feuding families ( Romeo & Juliet )
Being part of a circle of platonic friends (Ross and Rachel in Friends , Jess and Nick in New Girl )
Marriage to another person ( Anna Karenina )
Having a mistaken impression of the other ( Pride and Prejudice )

How will the primary conflict keeping lovers apart affect their choices, fears and goals?

2. Write romance you want to read

Many romance novelists are prolific. Nora Roberts has published over 200 romantic novels.

In an interview with The Guardian , Roberts describes the liberation that comes with writing romance your way:

Roberts released her first standalone romantic thriller, Hot Ice, in which a Manhattan socialite crosses paths with a thief on the trail of a hidden fortune, in 1987. “I could use swear words! The relationship was still key, but I could develop the characters, every scene didn’t have to be together or spatting or making up. A friend of mine once said that category romance is all the elements of a book – the lighting, the costumes, the characters, the music – in a phone booth. And I could get outside the phone booth.”

What conventions as a romance novelist would you challenge or abandon?

Lisa Gardner on how to write love stories - 'who' matters more than 'what'.

3. Subvert stereotypes to write real people

Many romance novelists writing category romances in the past simply reproduced the time’s stereotypes, uncritically. Girl-who-has-nothing marries rich oil sheik. POC is an exotic, dangerous and forbidden attraction for caucasian heroine.

Contemporary and erotic romance author Alisha Rai writes romances that subvert racial and other romance tropes and stereotypes . As Rai puts it to Bustle :

I’m not sure if I ever have an actual process when I create characters, but I do very carefully consider every trait and action to try to make sure they don’t fall into harmful stereotypes. Subverting them when the stereotype falsely says that the person should be unloved or not powerful — by giving them love and power — that’s actually a pleasure. I like to write people, and people are rarely stereotypes.

Writing about a romantic lead who belongs to a culture or group different your own? Do research. Find a sensitivity reader or good editor to ensure that inadvertent stereotypes and played out tropes don’t detract from the story.

4. Be the romance novelist you’re missing

Toni Morrison famously said ‘If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.’

Romance author Beverly Jenkins is one such author. Her first novels, for example, told stories of African-American experience that did not exclusively center stories of the civil rights movement. As she told Jezebel :

There’s so much history that is not taught in schools surrounding or concerning folks of color who have made their contributions to American history. I’ve said before, I look at it as a quilt. The pieces pertaining to African Americans or Chinese Americans or Japanese Americans or Native Americans have been some of it ripped out, some of it cut out. And so I look at it as—I don’t know if you want to use the word ministry—to stitch those pieces back into the quilt.

5. Read beyond your genre

Harlequin has guides to each category romance genre and what it typically includes.

Yet writing a romance that grips readers – readers of any sex and reading preference – requires that all elements of story are engaging.

Reading widely and beyond the romance genre is a useful way to develop different aspects of your writing.

Author Colleen McCullough – whose The Thorn Birds , a forbidden romance saga, is the bestselling Australian book of all time – said this when asked what books helped her develop as a writer :

I can’t remember any standing out above the flood. I was omnivorous and totally eclectic in my choice of books, which, in a time of acute paper shortage, were seized upon eagerly as something to read in a desert.

How to write love stories - infographic | Now Novel

6. Examine characters’ romantic motivations

Romance stories often explore ideas such as:

What do we desire, and why?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of physical and emotional intimacy?
Why do relationships work or dissolve into conflict?

Author Helen Hoang’s 2018 novel The Kiss Quotient tells the story of an autistic woman who hires an escort.

Hoang described to NPR how the idea for the novel arose out of examining the motivation for a successful woman to hire an escort:

I’d been considering writing a gender-swapped Pretty Woman , but I didn’t know why a successful, beautiful woman would hire an escort. And I puzzled over this for a long time. And it was a meeting with with my daughter’s preschool teacher that really brought things together for me — she told me that she thought my daughter was on the autism spectrum, and that was very surprising for me, because at that time I hadn’t had much exposure to autism, but I came home and I researched it […] Then I was thinking about autism, and one of the big things they say is there’s difficulty with social interaction. And that’s something that I can really empathize with. And I thought, wouldn’t that be an interesting reason to hire an escort.

This reminds us that it’s important for readers to understand why characters make the romantic (or purely carnal) choices they do.

What background events or underlying conditions explain their romantic behaviour?

7. Cut what you don’t need

Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series has proven hugely popular. A genre-defying romantic saga about a 20th Century British nurse who travels to 18th Century Scotland, it has spawned 8 novels (with a ninth in development), as well as a Starz TV series that has been renewed for a sixth season.

Gabaldon offers great advice for managing length in a longer historical romance epic on her blog:

Answer to the Question: “How do you decide which words to cut?” You cut the ones you don’t need. The very last thing I do to a manuscript before sending it to the assorted editors (in US, UK and Germany) is what I call “slash-and-burn:” I go through it one word at a time, chanting (silently) “Do I need this word? Do I need this sentence? […] And if the answer is no, I pull it out […] and save it, so I can pull things back in if I change my mind or realize that I do need X because it’s attached to a later Y that won’t make sense if X isn’t somewhere, even if not where I originally put it).

The best romance novelists invest in good editors. Get a no-obligation quote for a manuscript evaluation now.

Writing romance and love stories: Complete guide
Writing love stories: Creating love letters to readers
How to write a romance novel: Avoid romance writing mistakes
Tags romance writing , story conflict , writing genres

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

2 replies on “How to write love stories: 7 romance novelists’ wisdom”

You made a good point that desire is huge driving force that governs a lot of romance stories. I’ve been thinking about picking up some young adult alternative fiction romance books soon because I’m planning to write a paper that surveys how the romance genre has been changing throughout the years. I would also like to make sure to point out the elements that managed to stand the test of time and are still loved by contemporary readers.

Hi Alice, that sounds like a great paper, I’d be interested to read it.

I was watching a director roundtable the other day where they were talking about Hollywood heyday romance movies, and the director Patty Jenkins was saying good love stories strike a balancing act between two key emotions of love – desire and fear, plus how this shifts when one party gets (or wants to get) the upperhand. It was an interesting take on romance as a genre, too; where its core tension comes from.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for reading our blog.

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How to Start a Love Story

Last Updated: March 14, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Grant Faulkner, MA . Grant Faulkner is the Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and the co-founder of 100 Word Story, a literary magazine. Grant has published two books on writing and has been published in The New York Times and Writer’s Digest. He co-hosts Write-minded, a weekly podcast on writing and publishing, and has a M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 380,394 times.

Maybe you have the characters, setting, conflict, and plot completely mapped out for your love story, or maybe you just have a general sense of where the story is going to go. Regardless, your love story needs to start somewhere, and sometimes writing the beginning can feel like the hardest part! Don’t worry—we’re here to help you work through it, from creating an intriguing opening scene to introducing your love interests, so you can get the beautiful love story that’s swirling around in your head down onto paper.

Introducing your Love Interests

Step 1 Introduce someone for the reader to love.

Prepare the reader to care for a character throughout the story, and to invest their own emotions in that character’s achievement of happiness and contentment.
For instance, introduce a character by showing them experience some sort of significant personal revelation about themselves or another character in the story.
Equally reliable; introduce a character as they’re enduring an undeserved hardship.

Step 2 Introduce the story’s love interests to each other.

For example: As Sarah walked down the gangplank, a man with mane-like hair approached. “It is thrilling to meet you. My name is…” He trailed off, rather stunned by the beauty of a woman he had imagined a thousand times, but whose actual appearance surpassed his fantasies. She looked at him for a moment and said, “Fetch me a horse.”

Step 3 Make hurdles comical, heart wrenching, or seemingly insurmountable.

For instance, “The man turned to beckon a servant. He dropped his rope, forgetting that it was wrapped around the pole and attached to the gangplank. Just then, a gust of wind pulled the boat from the dock. The rope unwound with incomprehensible speed, dropping the gangplank and a visibly displeased Lady Sarah into the bay.”

Exploring Options for Powerful Opening Lines

Step 1 Condense the opening moment into a single line.

“Suddenly, she felt the secret of a kiss ripple through her body and bloom beneath the surface of her skin. Her joints softened, her breath caught, her lips fell heavily against one another and her tongue swelled against them, reaching for a taste of air tinged with enticement.”

For instance, “Sarah jumped down from her intricately-saddled elephant and handed the reins to a shirtless man she had never met before.”
Alternatively, “The cauldron boiled thickly and looked of effervescent syrup, but her heart sank quickly as she tossed it into the stew.”

Step 4 Sadden, disgust, or frighten your reader.

For instance: “He woke up, rose slowly, counted the stains on his ceiling as he did every morning, glanced at the empty spot beside him, and decided not to eat breakfast.”
And of course: “Her cats began licking her ankles where their tongues had already thinned the fabric of her tights as soon as she entered. She sighed at the darkened patch of carpet in the center of the room, knowing she could remove the visual evidence, but never the odor.”

Step 5 Get inspiration from other authors and songwriters.

Take, for instance: “We were both young when I first saw you."
Note that even the contemporary artists reference classic storytellers. Consider the lyrics from a popular radio single: “Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone.” This line pays homage to Shakespeare by referencing a well known romantic narrative.

Creating Intrigue in the Opening Scene

Step 1 Choose the moment your readers will enter the story.

The beginning is important because it lures your reader into the story. Even if the opening scene is not important to the plot, it needs to be interesting.
Hook your reader within a few pages, or better yet: a few paragraphs.

Step 2 Introduce suspense on the very first page.

A common route here is a moment in which danger or the threat of danger are recognized or experienced by a character who will be featured prominently in your story.

Step 3 Excite the reader with immediate action.

Though you may be tempted to get the story rolling, keep initial action sequences simple. Maintain a focus on luring the reader in, without asking them to do too much thinking.

Look over the list and identify the most compelling links between this moment and other aspects of your story.

Amplifying the Scene’s Emotional Potency

Step 1 Make your characters relatable, but extraordinary.

For instance, when introducing your character, make it clear that they don't have time for relationships because they have to work overtime in order to pay the medical bills for a relative.
Later on, have their love interest, unbeknownst to them, put in overtime as well in order to help fund the costs of the relative's medical treatment. This selflessness will make them more likeable.

Step 2 Bank on the appeal of emotional intrigue.

For instance, have a character say or do something emotionally significant to prove their commitment to someone they care about, perhaps without the other person knowing about it.

For instance, have a character seize an opportunity to get a reader cheering for them, or miss one if you want your readers to sympathize.

Step 5 Expand upon your characters following the opening moment.

Write strong protagonists – both male and female – who are independent and capable of making decisions on their own.
Give every character a reason to be respected by your readers. This rules out the lover simply waiting to be saved, as well as a “villain” without any relatable characteristics.

Step 6 Include a healthy dose of character flaws.

Get your readers to feel as though they really understand the character, then shake things up. Show them that even characters in a book can surprise them, just like real people.

Expert Q&A

Tips from our Readers

It may help to develop your characters before thinking about the storyline. Their appearances, hobbies, interests, careers, dreams, role models, personalities, and ethnicities are all useful to know. Maybe while creating characters, an idea for the actual story may pop up.
Even if your characters end up together, remember to add plenty of conflict throughout the story to keep readers wondering.
Don't overdo it on the sentimentality.

↑ https://nybookeditors.com/2016/10/tips-writing-first-romance-novel/
↑ https://www.novlr.org/the-reading-room/9-ways-to-write-your-opening-line-is-the-first-line-really-important
↑ http://www.dailywritingtips.com/20-great-opening-lines-to-inspire-the-start-of-your-story/
↑ Grant Faulkner, MA. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 8 January 2019.
↑ http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/taylorswift/lovestory.html

About This Article

To begin writing a love story, start by introducing readers to the main character and their love interest, who should be likable and someone the reader can connect with. Next, create a scenario where the love interests meet each other. This can be romantic, or just a chance encounter that’s not love at first sight. To create conflict, use humorous or heart-wrenching storylines to create hurdles for your characters to overcome before they can be together, like moving far away from one another. For more ways to start a love story, like how to compel your reader with sadness or fear, keep scrolling! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Romance 101: How to Write Characters Falling in Love

Any story can be enhanced with a good romantic subplot, but if romance isn’t your genre, you’re probably worried about how you’d pull it off. You want it to be emotional and meaningful, but not sappy and cliché. Sooner or later, it’s a genre you’ll end up having to explore at least briefly in order to create dynamic and varied relationships between characters. But… even if you’re in a happy relationship, you might still be lost on how to convey romance authentically in your stories.

The most difficult part about writing a romantic story is the initial meeting between the love interests and the romantic spark between them. It can be difficult to write characters falling in love, since it’s such a natural experience for people in real life. Too often, romances feel unrealistic, forced, or just downright problematic. It’s easy to mess up, so how should you approach writing characters discovering and developing their feelings for each other? Well, there are a few techniques that you can utilize to create an authentic, emotional romantic plot that will keep your readers hooked.

How to Avoid Romance Clichés

First and foremost: “love at first sight” does not exist . This isn’t a hot take, it just isn’t a real thing that happens. Love is complicated, and you can’t expect such a deep connection to develop on its own. It doesn’t simply manifest after one look. Real love is something that grows over time as people get to know each other and make the effort to foster an intimate connection. Love doesn’t evolve overnight like a Pokémon. In fact, romance stories hardly ever involve realistic depictions of love—most of them don’t even come close .

With that said, “attraction at first sight” does exist. You can meet a person and be physically, emotionally, or intellectually attracted to them. Attraction doesn’t come with any attachments. You don’t need to know someone to know that they’re gorgeous, you just have to look at them. But finding someone attractive does not mean you’re in love with them. Too many times, fiction writers rely on the notion of “love at first sight” to create the basis of their romantic relationships, when all that really is is lust. It just doesn’t feel authentic.

That is probably the most prevalent (and worst) romance cliché that writers litter throughout their stories, but that is by no means the only one. Clichés can kill an otherwise good story, and they are unfortunately abundant in romances. Even if the story you’re writing is primarily some other genre, like comedy or mystery, romantic clichés can work their poison into the storyline.

It’s difficult to describe every type of romantic cliché, since there are just too many to count. The best way to avoid clichés is to be able to spot them yourself, and you just can’t do that if you aren’t familiar with the genre. Although it might seem counterintuitive to read a bunch of romance stories to learn what not to do, that’s the best advice I can give you. Immerse yourself in cheesy romance stories, watch every rom-com you can, and read every sappy romance novel you can get your hands on.

Then, when it comes to writing your own story, you know the types of tropes that work well and what feels wrong to a reader. Never forget that you are a reader as well. If something doesn’t feel right to you in someone else’s story, don’t put it in yours. Your reactions to an incompatible relationship, unrealistic flirty dialogue, or bizarre romantic scenarios are likely going to be in-line with how your readers would react too.

How to Write Attraction

Let’s jump back a few steps and focus on the notion of attraction. Attraction and love aren’t the same thing, clearly, but an initial attraction can inspire people to pursue a conversation, which can lead to feelings of love developing. Being physically attractive, having a good sense of humor, or having similar hobbies can all inspire conversation between two hopeful romantics, but it’s not until after they’ve gotten to know each other can the attraction become something that resembles love.

When it comes to writing attraction, subtlety is your friend. The last thing you should consider doing is having your character see someone else and simply announce “they’re cute.” That is a boring way of really slapping your readers in the face with the fact that the other character is likely to be the story’s love interest. And honestly, in reality, no one looks at someone with wonder when they enter the room, no matter how attractive the other person is. (Remember those clichés we talked about above? Any time you feel tempted to write about “time slowing down” or “nothing else in the room mattering” or something along those lines, you should really stop yourself and consider how creepy it would be if someone just stopped to stare open-mouthed at someone who just entered the room. Yeah… not cute, is it?)

Instead of being obvious about the attraction, you should draw attention to smaller details . Have the main character notice little things, like the way their love interest’s skirt flows when they move, or the way their hair blows around in the wind. Eye contact is a fantastic way of conveying attraction more subtly, so have your character notice the color of the other person’s eyes, or the way they wrinkle when the person smiles. Have your main character think about the other person’s voice, the way they stand, or how they move. These aren’t things you would typically think about—unless you had a crush on someone.

Along that same line, you can also use this technique to show romantic interest budding between two friends. Even if two characters have known each other for a while, throwing in one simple line can be a strong clue to readers that the character is slowly falling in love with their friend. For example: “how had I never noticed before how blue his eyes were?” That not only suggests a peaked interest, but it also tells your readers more subliminally that the two characters shared a moment of eye contact long enough for the main character to notice that detail.

Letting readers notice on their own that the main character likes another character is much more rewarding for them than simply being told. This allows them to become more invested in the relationship, which is important for any love story. However, there are many other ways you can influence readers to make them care more about the characters, the relationships between them, and the story as a whole.

How to Make Your Readers Care About the Romance

You can put a lot of effort into the relationship between two characters, but that doesn’t obligate readers to care about it. In order to make your readers care about the romantic plot, you need to make it interesting, and you need to make it meaningful to the storyline. Romance in a story shouldn’t exist just for the sole purpose of existing. It should create conflict in the story, illustrate a character’s shortcomings or personal development, or just create a fun dynamic that is interesting to read. Ask yourself: “what is the purpose of this relationship?” If you don’t have a good answer, then you need to find a way to make it more integral to the way the story plays out.

In addition to having a purpose in the story, the relationship between the characters should be inherently interesting. In order to achieve that, you should consider a few different factors that would influence your readers’ perceptions of the relationship.

Make the Characters Individually Interesting

Long before you even consider the romantic relationship, you need to make sure the characters are interesting on their own. In addition to that, you need to make sure that your readers have time to get to know the characters before you rush them into a relationship with another character. You don’t want any character’s identity to be tied to their relationship with another person—they need to be complex and unique individuals, both within and outside of their interactions with other characters.

The process of making a compelling character is a little difficult to cover in just one short section, but fundamentally, you should establish several distinct things about each character long before you should consider how to make them fall in love. These things are:

Likes and Dislikes

Each of those aspects is important, but I don’t have the space here to talk about all of them. So, I will be focusing on what is arguably the most important point: flaws. Characters should have behaviors or fears they need to overcome, warped beliefs, or some sort of bad habit. These traits might make them confrontational, difficult to love, or even a bit dysfunctional—but that’s the whole point. No one in the world is perfect, so your characters shouldn’t be either.

Flaws create conflict, which drives a story forward, and above all else, they make characters more believable and relatable. If a reader can root for a character to achieve something they struggle with, overcome personal obstacles in their life, or find love despite their flaws, then they’re going to be much more attached to that character.

Some great character flaws that work well in romantic stories are:

Emotional coldness
Fear of commitment

With that said, it can be difficult to create flawed characters that aren’t over-the-top, annoying, or just generally unlikable. If you want some more guidance on the topic, I have another article that could be helpful: How to Create Complex Flaws for Characters .

Ensure the Characters have Romantic Chemistry

Only after you have unique individual characters should you begin thinking about crafting romantic interactions between them. Your characters should be interesting by themselves, but when your couple comes together, they should have a dynamic that’s interesting too. The pairing needs to have Romantic Chemistry, meaning that they have to be compatible and make sense together. Romantic chemistry between characters cannot be forced, and trying to pair two characters together that aren’t a good fit for each other just isn’t going to work. That kind of relationship isn’t going to resonate with your readers.

There are four main types of romantic chemistry. You don’t need your couple to check all four boxes, but you should at least take the time to consider each one.

Physical – the characters should be physically attracted to each other, at least a little. This plays into the characters’ sexuality, and a strong sexual bond can help support trust in a good emotional relationship.
Emotional – the characters should feel emotionally supported by each other, and they should trust in their partner.
Spiritual – the characters should share similar beliefs or lifestyles, at least in some aspects of their lives. Conflicting cultures, religions, and ideals can still work together, but you should make sure it’s still a realistic dynamic.
Intellectual – the characters should have similar degrees of intelligence. This is less about particular areas of intelligence, and more about critical thinking abilities. An artist and a scientist could get along fine, since their individual pursuits both require a degree of intelligence, skill, and critical thinking to achieve. However, a scientist may have trouble feeling attracted to a bumbling idiot.

So, how do you create romantic chemistry between two characters? Well, you need to think about them as individuals again. I know that sounds redundant, but bear with me.

In order to make a couple romantically compatible, they need to have character traits that complement each other. That doesn’t mean that they should always be opposites, however. Complimentary doesn’t have to mean they balance each other out. The two characters could share many similar traits and still be compatible. Two characters that are similarly sarcastic could riff off each other’s sarcasm and get along quite well, but that same situation could also end up frustrating everyone involved if the characters’ other traits conflict.

In addition to the pairing working well together, you need to consider what each character wants, and what makes sense for their personality. A character struggling with addiction and depression might benefit most from a relationship with someone patient, caring, and doting, but if that’s not the type of relationship they want, then it would be difficult to justify. You should take into consideration the characters’ sexual preferences, emotional needs, and desires in a relationship. Two characters might be great for each other objectively, but if you can’t make it realistic given the characters’ preferences, then it won’t feel right.

Use Conflict to Keep it Interesting

To get readers really invested in the romance, there needs to be some sort of conflict. You can’t make things too easy for your lovebirds, or you’ll bore your readers. Conflict is the heart of storytelling, so you need to put something in the way of the characters’ relationship to keep it interesting.

The easiest way of creating conflict in a romance is to have an obstacle in the way of the lovers’ relationship. This obstacle can take many different forms, but here are a few example scenarios that you could use to create some difficulty for your couple:

One character’s family is unsupportive of the relationship between the two characters. That could be because of an arranged marriage, a conflict of beliefs, or just good old fashioned helicopter parenting. This is especially applicable if the other character has bad habits, a general disregard for tradition, or a hard emotional exterior.
One character has a destructive habit that just can’t continue if they expect the relationship to work. If they smoke, and the other character is against that despite being compatible in all other aspects, then that could be enough to disrupt the relationship. The original character would be forced to choose between their vices and their love for the other character.
One character is offered a great job that they just can’t reject, but that would mean moving far away from the other character. The other character may be unable or unwilling to move with them, so each character has to decide between their individual futures and their future together.
One character has had bad luck with love in the past, and they’re having a difficult time opening up to the other character despite their feelings. They could experience significant inner turmoil as they try to find a balance between loving the other character and protecting themself.
One character has a crush on another character, but can’t or won’t confess for whatever reason. This is especially entertaining if the other character feels the same way.
Two characters want to be together, but one character’s vengeful ex keeps trying to sabotage them with lies, trickery, or even just digging up their pasts.

There are tons of other options you could choose for establishing conflict in the relationship. Whatever you choose, make sure it makes sense for the story, and doesn’t push the characters or their relationship too far. Too much conflict between the two characters could be perceived as toxic or unhealthy, even if they end up happy together in the end.

Develop the Romance Over Time

Once you’re sure that it’s realistic for the characters to fall in love in the first place, then you need to figure out how to pace the romantic development. Love isn’t something that develops quickly, but rather builds up slowly over time. Sometimes, the onset of romantic feelings can be so discreet and so slow that your readers may notice the attraction between the characters before the characters themselves acknowledge their own feelings.

One of the most irritating tropes in romance stories is the idea of falling “hard and fast” in love. Passion and lust can blossom quickly, but don’t confuse that with true feelings of love. If you want the relationship between your characters to be perceived as true love, then the longer you draw it out, the more authentic it’s going to feel. Additionally, if your readers get to watch the relationship unfold slowly, it will be more rewarding to read once the two characters get together.

Sometimes, however, situations can force two characters together faster out of loneliness, desperation, or mutual fear. Two characters destined to save the world together may end up caring about each other much faster than two characters that meet for coffee on weekends. A night of passion could lead to feelings of confusion and self-reflection, which could end up developing into emotional and romantic attachment. Additionally, near-death experiences could pressure characters to face or admit their feelings earlier than they otherwise would, since they could fear they’d miss their opportunity if the other character died.

You should approach these kinds of situations cautiously, however, especially if you want the readers to perceive the relationship as authentic and not just a product of the characters’ circumstances.

Love in the Little Things: Writing Love Subtly

Love isn’t something that everyone expresses the same way. Everyone has their own ways of expressing and cherishing love, so don’t assume that there’s only one right way to write about it. Some characters may show their love physically, with kisses, hand-holding, and running their fingers through their partner’s hair. Other characters may show their love through their actions, by staying up with their partner even when they’re exhausted, always giving them the best part of things they share, and preferring to do everything together rather than apart. Some characters may go to great lengths to act on their love for another character, such as changing bad habits, learning how to do things their partner enjoys, and showering their partner in gifts.

Characters showing their love for each other doesn’t have to be dramatic. You can illustrate love between two characters in the thousands of little things they do for each other, in the way they look at each other, and the subtle ways they think and talk about each other. Hide hints of their feelings together in every action, every word they say, and your readers will understand their feelings without having to be told.

Remember, when characters really truly love each other, your readers will love them too.

✍️ Love Short Story Prompts

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A love story that starts and ends in 24 hours.

A person dictates who he or she will date based on quantitative measures, such as horoscopes, how they perform on a test, etc., a romance told through a series of texts., a young boy working up the courage to ask his long-time crush to dance with him at the school dance., an elderly married couple toast each other over a pint on st. patrick's day..

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If you’re looking to inspire your students’ writing and creativity, turn to these fun and exciting writing prompts. Perfect for overcoming writer’s block or even starting a brand-new short story in a different narrative, creative writing prompts can help students begin a new piece with confidence.

Plus, these story starters can also encourage students to explore different genres while honing their writing skills. There are a lot of ways you can use writing prompts in your classroom. Try:

Reading a book in a genre, then having students use a story starter in that same genre.

Starting off class with 10 minutes of writing, using one of the prompts below. If you'd like, you can ask a volunteer to share their story! Students may be surprised by the variety of stories that are written based on the same prompt.

Using these prompts as an introduction to a creative writing unit.

Providing fast finishers with a way to stay busy — and have fun.

Using story starters to encourage students to write at home.

Adventure Story Starters

Take inspiration from classics like Treasure Island and newer popular series like The Bad Guys to explore how to write thrilling adventure stories. And to encourage students to begin writing their own adventure-focused stories, share these creative story starters:

You’re part of a pirate crew in search of a long-lost storied treasure trove. What is happening on the ship and where do you find the treasure?

You get the chance to use a time machine to meet one historical figure of your choice. Who do you go meet, and what will you do to explore that time period?

You receive a fortune in a fortune cookie that changes the course of your life. What does the fortune say, and what happens when it comes true?

Get students excited about adventure stories with these great books:

Fantasy Story Starters

Have fans of dragons, unicorns, wizards, and other mythical creatures in class? Encourage them to give fantasy writing a shot.

You’re on a quest through a hidden underground world that no one else has ever seen. What magical creatures do you come across? What do they look like, and how do they act?

There is a witch who lives in a nearby legendary haunted house. She puts a hex on you that needed to be broken by the time the clock struck midnight the next night. What kind of hex is it, and how do you break it?

You stumble into an enchanted forest. How did you find it, and what do you discover in it?

Check out these fun fantasy titles for more inspiration:

Sci-Fi Story Starters

Kids interested in STEM concepts will love science fiction! Try these prompts to see how your students combine science with their wildest imaginations.

You’re the first person to ever set foot on Mars. What is it like? What do you explore first?
You and your friend have the same dream in the middle of the night about a prophecy that involves another dimension. What is the prophecy, and what is this other dimension? What do you and your friend have to do to reach and alter this dimension?
After NASA discovers a whole new world of giants in a nearby nebula, they send a team of scientists through a wormhole to study them. You are one of the scientists on board. What does the journey feel like? What do the giants look like in this world?

Plus, find great kid-friendly sci-fi here:

Genre Scrambler Story Starters

Have some fun with genre studies by combining them! Try these prompts to get started:

You are on an expedition in the Arctic and discover a new species of animals living in the harsh climate that no one has ever seen before. What kind of species is it, and what characteristics do they have?
You’re walking home from school and notice that the front door of a neighbor’s house is wide open, and no one is in sight. The old man who normally lives there is nowhere to be found. Curious, you go into the house and find that everything is fake: the furniture, the food, the technology, etc. In fact, the whole property is made of plastic, even the grass and trees! What happened to the old man who lives here? Why does this house exist, and why is everything fake?
You are a child living in the early 1800s in an unnamed country when an asteroid hits, releasing aliens that want to make contact with your leaders. What do these aliens want? How does everyone react?

Shop popular books of all genres that will inspire young writers below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store .

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California Today

Readers Share Why They Love the Golden State

Readers have been writing in about some of their favorite things about California, including the biodiversity and the sense of community.

By Soumya Karlamangla

An old sepia-toned photo of a dug-up landscape with a large pipe running through it.

I was recently driving around Gold County when I followed a turnoff onto a narrow, forested road toward Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park.

Once I arrived at the desolate park , about 90 miles northeast of Sacramento in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, I drove by wooden homes, a church and a schoolhouse in a gold-rush ghost town (originally called “Humbug” by unlucky miners). Minutes later, beneath a canopy of pine trees, I stood in awe at the park’s most recognizable feature: enormous and stunning white-and-ocher cliffs.

As I soon learned, Malakoff Diggins has a fascinating and awful history. In the second half of the 19th century, miners who couldn’t find any more gold in streams began washing away entire mountainsides here in search of precious metals buried in the hills. This practice, known as hydraulic mining, devastated the landscape and eventually led to the first environmental law enacted in the nation, according to the state parks department. And it left behind the carved mountainsides that visitors marvel at today.

That there’s still so much of California for me to discover is a big part of why it’s a joy to live here. Readers have been writing to me about why they also love living in the Golden State.

Here’s some of what they shared, lightly edited:

“I love the biodiversity of California, stemming from coastal to montane to desert habitats. From superblooms in Carrizo Plain and the desert — Joshua Tree to Anza-Borrego — to the vernal pools of California to the redwoods and the coast. And let’s not forget the elephant seal colonies, the orange-bellied newts that crawl out every spring, the huge aggregations of snow geese and ducks in winter, monarch butterflies hanging in long clusters and so much more.” — Sharon Strauss, Davis

“Just yesterday we’re hurrying home and see a crowd of people on the overpass facing the beach and wonder what they could be looking at. I notice there’s even more people trudging up the on-ramp to the overpass. We look in the rearview mirror and realize all those people are there to watch the oncoming sunset. How amazing. Something that happens like clockwork is so beautiful in our city that it draws a crowd. Every day.” — Susan Alinsangan, Santa Monica

“I love my block in the flatlands of North Oakland, located between and near freeways, multiple BART tracks, and a world-class children’s hospital. Since moving here in 1991, I have seen a lot of changes, but its core values have remained the same. When my husband had a devastating bicycling accident, an older neighbor took care of me. When I took in my brother’s children, I found nearby youngsters to play with them. Now, many years later, I am the oldest person living on our block. The other day I was lamenting the fact that I would have to reserve an Uber for an upcoming flight. My young tech-employed neighbor volunteered to take me, despite my protests that it would be too early in the morning.” — Susan Parker, Oakland

“No need for a clock, I hear the hourly and semi-hourly chiming of the bells of Saints Peter and Paul Church on Washington Square. No need for a car, I walk to my dentist, my grocery store, to Mario’s Bohemian Cigar Store Café, not for a cigar but for a cappuccino, and I pass the streets and apartments of America’s great poets, thinkers and troublemakers: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The sounds and smells of the Pacific Ocean mingle with roasting coffee beans, fresh pizza, a jazz combo on the corner of Columbus and Stockton Streets, and barking harbor seals at Pier 39. I live in North Beach, San Francisco — a village within a 47-square mile city.” — Nancy Bertossa, San Francisco

If you read one story, make it this

San Francisco’s “Twitter menace” or true believer? This man might be both .

The rest of the news

A new proposal by California state regulators would change how power bills are calculated , making a portion of the bill a fixed charge rather than the current calculation based on how much power one uses, The Associated Press reports.

The minimum wage will jump to $20 an hour for most fast-food workers in California on Monday. Employers and employees have mixed feelings.

Southern California

A partnership program devised as a pipeline for Black workers to find employment with the city of Los Angeles is falling short of its numerical goals, CalMatters reports .

A pilot project in San Diego to make mental health care for children and teenagers easier to obtain has sharply reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety among those enrolled in the program, The Times of San Diego reports .

A new exhibition tells the story of how two rising stars in the early 1980s, the art dealer Larry Gagosian and the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, worked together in Los Angeles.

Northern California

In 2023 there was a 62 percent increase in arrests on the BART system compared with the previous year, coinciding with increased patrols on the trains, NBC Bay Area reports.

Some parents of students at the University of California, Berkeley, have hired private security workers to patrol near the campus , something the school says should be left up to the campus police.

We’ve been compiling our California soundtrack for years and have captured most of the hits. What songs do you think still need to be added?

Tell us at [email protected]. Please include your name, the city where you live and a few sentences on why you think your song deserves to be included.

And before you go, some good news

Older skiers on the West Coast and in California are still getting their runs in even well into their 80s and 90s.

These skiers, some of whom have been hitting the slopes since the days of leather boots and straight skis, are still tackling mountains every season thanks to a network of local clubs.

One such club at the Alta Ski Area in Utah, called the Wild old Bunch, has been around for half a century and has more than 100 members. Similar groups have also formed at ski resorts in Colorado and Vermont, and a national group called the 70+ Ski Club takes older skiers on trips across the country.

The groups have created an important community for older, die-hard skiers, many of whom no longer have peers at home to ski with. The community has enabled many to continue the sport, keeping them healthy while also providing social connections.

The perks aren’t bad either. Mammoth Mountain in California, as well as resorts in Utah and New Mexico, allow people over 80 to ski free, a huge draw for those on fixed incomes confronting the nearly $200 price of a daily lift ticket.

“The people I started skiing with have all either died or quit skiing,” Fran Ando, 92, of Torrance, who is a member of the 70+ Ski Club, told The New York Times in a recent interview . “Many of my friends are through this group now.”

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on Monday. Enjoy your weekend. — Soumya

P.S. Here’s today’s Mini Crossword .

Maia Coleman and Briana Scalia contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at [email protected] .

Soumya Karlamangla reports on California news and culture and is based in San Francisco. She writes the California Today newsletter. More about Soumya Karlamangla

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25 Love Story Ideas For Writers: Make Time to Write Today
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108 Romance Writing Prompts & Love Story Ideas
A LOVE STORY
What Makes a Good Story? 10 Elements

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How to Write a Love Story: The Definitive Guide to the Most Popular
2. High Stakes. All stories must have stakes, things at risk if things don't go well in the story. For a romance story, the stakes usually center around isolation and loneliness, as well as losing their soul mate, the loss of future happiness, and potentially even ruining their lives.
How to Write a Genuine Romance
Spiritual connection. The form of initial attraction you choose will depend on your story and the personalities of your two characters. Think about what each of them would admire in a person and then show off that quality in their love interest. Once your pair is interested, you can begin building on their romance.
How to Write a Love Story (with Pictures)
1. List out traits you want to see in your main characters. The best characters in a love story are ones with depth. Think about what traits you want to see in your characters, and why those traits are significant to your story. Then, make a list for each character and note 5-6 specific character traits you want to see in them.
How to Write a Romance Novel
Though love itself may be hard to explain, the process of writing love stories isn't. Using examples from a variety of media, here are seven steps for writing romance: 1. Find your niche. 2. Set the stage effectively. 3. Write a strong main couple. 4.
How to Write a Romance Novel: 5 Tips for Writing a ...
3. Make Your Main Characters Compelling. Writing romance writing requires strong main characters. A reader's engagement with the story will likely be determined by the chemistry of your protagonists. Make sure your characters have compelling backstories that inform their points of view about romantic relationships.
How to Write a Love Story: A Romance Writing Guide
To structure your plot effectively in a love story, start by focusing on the central relationship and its evolving dynamics. Here's how: Introduce the inciting incident that brings the characters together or highlights their connection. Create obstacles that test their resolve to stay together, enriching the storyline.
How to Write a Love Story
Make them competitors. Make one of them a butler, a governess, a tutor, or a personal assistant. Do whatever you have to do to make sure they're actually on a lot of pages together. If they only see each other for brief times and then go off and think about each other, it's going to be harder to make that exciting. 4.
Writing Romance and Love Stories: Complete Guide
Writing romance requires excellent characterization ability. You have to make your reader care about this relationship on the page, its ups, downs, and outcome. Read on for tips to create relationships that feel real, using the psychology of desire and attraction, key stages in romantic connection, and more.
How to Write a Love Story
There are secrets. Your story may have only one kind of secret or include all three of the following types of secrets: 1) Secrets the couple keeps from society (they hide their relationship from friends and family). 2) Secrets the couple keeps from one another (a rival, past or present sins, shame).
How to Write a Love Story: Tips to hook your reader
Show your characters' personalities and background through their perceptions of the setting. Setting builds the backdrop of your love story and provides the potential for tension, conflict, emotion, excitement. Through setting, writers make promises; these promises should aim to hook the right readers.
How to Write a Love Story: My Top 4 Tips
Tip #3: Love in real life is not one-dimensional—and real love is hotter love. Lean into complexity. Often when we write romance into our stories, we are writing a kind of wish fulfillment for the reader—we want the reader to want to be in the shoes of a character who is experiencing the romance. We are hoping to offer that pleasurable ...
Writing Love Stories: Creating Love Letters to Readers
Words used with positive sentiment to describe love stories include 'charming', 'funny', 'soothing', 'heartbreaking', 'endearing', 'feel-good'. Whether happy or sad, make readers care with characters who care themselves and have credible goals, motivations and conflicts. Love story characters who feel full and real.
How to Write a Love Story
In the scenes after the meeting but before all the love, we need to see a progression in the relationship. We need to see the reasoning behind why they're falling for each other. These can be very simple scenes, but filled with emotion impact. Maybe she likes the way he reads to his grandmother on the weekends.
108 Romance Writing Prompts & Love Story Ideas
7. Write a romance story about an undercover cop investigating a person for a crime they didn't commit. As the cop learns more about them, they realize they are innocent and they might be falling in love. 8. The heroine's father warns her that she'll be in terrible danger if she accepts the hero's marriage proposal. 9.
The Language of Love: How to Write a Swoon-Worthy Romance
The fastest way to sink a love story is to write characters who never act spontaneously. Love calls for risk and vulnerability. Readers want to feel the rush of hanging over the chasm of heartbreak while clinging to the hope of fairytale bliss. If your pacing feels predictable and your lovers seem wooden, make a decision that you personally ...
How to write love stories: 7 romance novelists' wisdom
1. Decide on a primary conflict. Author Nicholas Sparks (though not a genre romance author, more a love story writer) wrote beloved romantic novels such as The Notebook and Message in a Bottle. When asked where he finds inspiration for romantic stories in an interview for CliffsNotes, Sparks says:
Page 1: How to Start Your Romance Novel
STARTING TO WRITE YOUR STORY. Figuring out where to start telling your story is one of the bigger challenges you face. You have limited time and space—a few pages, at most—to seize your readers' interest. If you start too slowly and include too much of the characters' history, readers may get tired of waiting for the interesting stuff to start.
The Do's and Don'ts of Crafting Your Story's Love Interest
To counteract this, treat your love interest as the protagonist of their own story, giving them autonomy in the form of their own goals, desires, and needs. #2: Make your love interest human. It's easy to idealize our love interests, projecting onto them our own unrealistic wishes and desires.
4 Ways to Start a Love Story
Either way, thinking about specific, attention-wrangling lines will help you keep the start of your love story focused on the potency of the first emotional moment you want your reader to experience. [2] 2. Be blatantly sensual. There's nothing like a dose of sensuality to get a human intrigued.
Romance 101: How to Write Characters Falling in Love
3 How to Make Your Readers Care About the Romance. 3.1 Make the Characters Individually Interesting. 3.2 Ensure the Characters have Romantic Chemistry. 3.3 Use Conflict to Keep it Interesting. 4 Develop the Romance Over Time. 5 Love in the Little Things: Writing Love Subtly.
25 Love Story Ideas For Writers: Make Time to Write Today
The notes detail journal entries and your character pieces them together into a linear story but soon finds themselves falling in love with the writer. Write a story similar to The Truman Show, where everyone is glued to their TVs, waiting for two people to meet and fall in love. Write about two characters who fall in love.
20+ Love Story Ideas to Spark Your Romance Writing
Curated with love by Reedsy. We found 17 love stories that match your search 🔦 reset. You're sitting at your desk eating candy hearts. You start to realize the notes on the hearts are trying to give you a message.
How to Write Your Love Story
Step Three: Write a rough draft. As with most things pertaining to "Love," the pressure to be profound can arise when you write your love story. Try to not let that pressure infect your mind. When you begin writing a rough draft, imagine that you are either talking to your loved one or gushing to one of your best friends about them.
Whimsical Story Starters to Get Kids Writing
Adventure Story Starters. Take inspiration from classics like Treasure Island and newer popular series like The Bad Guys to explore how to write thrilling adventure stories. And to encourage students to begin writing their own adventure-focused stories, share these creative story starters: You're part of a pirate crew in search of a long-lost ...
How to Attract an Agent: From Query to Career
In this live webinar, Andrea will discuss the four major factors that determine every agent's decision. She will reveal the strategic questions that every agent asks, helping you position your project for optimal success. She will reveal the steps to crafting a query letter that will yield results and multiple manuscript requests.
March 31, 2024
Good Morning from Omaha ! Happy Easter ! 7h. View more comments. 2 of 7 ...
Readers Share Why They Love the Golden State
Readers have been writing to me about why they also love living in the Golden State. ... A new exhibition tells the story of how two rising stars in the early 1980s, ... some good news.

How to Write a Love Story: The Definitive Guide to the Most Popular Type of Story

Table of Contents

What Is a Love Story: Love Story Definition

Elements of Love Stories

1. Core Value Scale: Love/Belonging vs. Hate/Isolation

2. High Stakes

3. The Character Archetypes of Love Stories

Protagonist Archetypes

Love Interest Archetypes

Rivals Archetypes

4. Obligatory Scenes

Obligatory Scenes in a Traditional Love Story

Obligatory Scenes for a Relationship Testing Plot

4. Obstacles

5. Other Conventions or Tropes in Love Stories

Masterworks: 27 Love Story Examples to Study

Traditional Love Story

Love Stories About Group Belonging

Love Story Subplots

Friendship Love Stories

How to Write a Love Story

1. Start with characters you (and your audience) can relate to.

Main Characters

Secondary Characters

2. Create obstacles for the protagonist and their love interest.

3. Choose your story arc.

4. Write your story as a one sentence premise.

5. Outline the obligatory scenes.

6. Decide your subplot.

7. Then, write the first draft!

Joe Bunting

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How to Write a Genuine Romance

Storytelling has taught me that romance is complex.

The Problem With Romance Tropes

The Challenges of Writing a Realistic Romance

The 6 Stages of a Genuine Romance

Establishing Their Flaws:

Sparking Mutual Interest:

Creating Some Conflict:

Making Time to Bond:

A Period of Separation:

Finally Coming Together:

What About Characters Who Start Out Hating Each Other?

Characters on Two Sides of a War:

A Well-Written Romance is at the Heart of Your Novel

How do your characters fall in love? Let me know in the comments!

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tell your stories, love your life

1. Know exactly why these two are perfect for each other.

2. Know what the obstacle to the romance is…on each character’s side.

3. Make sure the people spend enough time together to really have a chance to fall in love.

4. Know how each character is going to change and grow throughout the story.

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Discover more from BRYN DONOVAN

How to Write a Love Story

What exactly is the Love Genre?

What’s the Global Value at stake in a Love story?

What’s the Core Emotion?

What’s the Controlling Idea?

What are the Obligatory Scenes?

What are the Conventions?

What are the subgenres?

How Do You Structure a Love Story?

Final Thoughts

About the Author

3 thoughts on “ How to Write a Love Story ”

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How to Write a Love Story: My Top 4 Tips

Learning How to Write a Love Story

Tip #1: Be brave enough to draw from your own experience.

Tip #2: What are your character’s primary attraction drivers, and what makes this time different?

Tip #3: Love in real life is not one-dimensional—and real love is hotter love. Lean into complexity.

Tip #4: What limits (perceived or real) can you explore to deepen a character’s longing?