Having your characters be so passionately, undeniably in love with each other is the selling point of a romance novel. I personally love a good romantic novel, particularly a romantic fantasy. There is something so gratifying about the protagonist ending up with their love interest at the end of the novel or series. However, writing romance is not as easy as it seems. Even though almost everyone can say what they expect from love, it is much harder to translate those feelings into writing.

For starters, it is extremely important to make both the protagonist and the love interest worth reading about. There needs to be something that grabs the readers’ attention rather than it just being a character who the protagonist is attracted to. When the love interest is boring or not as developed as the protagonist, there is no motivation to see the protagonist with them. How do they better each other? What are they providing that makes the slow burn of a romance worthwhile?

It is important to ensure that the characters have chemistry when they are interacting with each other, but it is equally as important to include chemistry when the character is talking about the love interest to others. The small details are what add to the romance. Sometimes, having the detail of the protagonist being reminded of their lover by colors, scents, or sights can show just how in love the characters are.

Adding tropes can also make a romance novel more compelling to read. Tropes like enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love, childhood friends, and fake relationships add an extra flare to a romance. Each of these tropes provides conflict, plot points, and exciting twists.

In the Fourth Wing series by Rebecca Yarros, both Violet, the protagonist, and Xaden, the love interest, are exciting to learn more about. They both have fleshed out backstories and personalities that make the audience excited for them to come together in the end. Yarros also uses the enemies-to-lovers trope to entice the audience to invest their time in the series. We want to see what makes them suddenly turn from enemies to lovers, but we also love the tension the trope provides.

Many romance novels that have succeeded utilized poetic writing. It goes beyond similes and metaphors; it’s meant to be an all-consuming love that your characters fight to have and develop. The writing should replicate this. When the two lovers talk to each other, the way they express their feelings should ring true to the audience. While making the characters say “I love you” is heartwarming, having your character say “I would recognise you in total darkness, were you mute and I deaf. I would recognise you in another lifetime entirely, in different bodies, different times. And I would love you in all of this, until the very last star in the sky burnt out into oblivion” (Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles) is so much more heart wrenchingly satisfying to read. To be able to feel the love your characters share as a reader is the best part about reading a romance novel.

When writing a romance novel, you have to dig deep into your passions and understand what you would love to experience. In doing so, you will be able to freely write a beautiful love story because it is one you are passionate about. The words will flow from you, and the love will ooze into your novel. Surrounding yourself in a loving environment can also help you find inspiration for your romance novel. Hopefully, in the end, your romance novel is one we can all fall in love with.