The Introduction to the Romance

Writing a romantic scenes or a romantic novel places on the author the obligation to build a story which makes an emotional connection that develops throughout the work.

Think about the beginning position of the two romantic protagonist. At what stage in life are they as the story opens and what should be the inciting incident that continually pushed them together. Are they adversaries who need to spend an increasing amount of time in each other’s company, do they embark on a romantic encounter straight away or does their relationships build slowly during the story?

What are the personality types of the romantic protagonists and how do the compare? There needs to be a foundation for a mutual attraction to develop during their interactions, but they should also have opposing and contrasting qualities. If the characters are from contrary and very different backgrounds this can inject a certain amount of tension and antagonism into the mix. The classic romantic tales evoke heroes and heroines from very different worlds. Think about Cinderella or Romeo and Juliet.

The character persona and traits should ideally roll out from their individual backgrounds and the setting of the work. Consider the backdrop of your romance. The setting of the romantic story in many ways is the source of the drama and tension. In building a setting you should think about how the protagonists are placed within their environment, the societal roles they perform, relations with people around them and what conflict points might exist. A well chosen setting should in addition set the backdrop scenery and themes for the unfolding drama of the novel.

Another important step is to embed character arcs into your story, where the romance blossoming between the hero and heroine progresses as their interactions grow closer. A good approach is to plot out the major highs and lows that will happen within the narrative, that way the diligent writer can construct believable motivations for the characters. This will establish a romantic story that feels believable and earned.