While not always necessary in all stories, romance can be that additional touch on top of a well thought out storyline. It adds that added bit of drama and tension that a lot of people love to see. It can help with the character development of those involved and can lead to heartwarming scenes or incredibly tragic events. There are several different ways to approach romance in storytelling and how it develops between the characters involved. Love is diverse and can be incredibly complicated and messy depending on how much of a focus it has in the story being written. What makes it complex is understanding the characters involved and if they have chemistry together or are being forced together for the sake of the plot. What makes that chemistry, the connection between the characters, more believable are the scenes that develop that special bond they share. Understanding the way to build up and show that romance between characters is vital to writing a believable romantic subplot.
I should explain my own personal bias towards how I prefer to read romance in stories. I believe that there’s no real right or wrong way to approach writing romance as it’s heavily dependent on the people involved. Just like in real life, it’s complicated and can get quite messy and, in some cases, it can get problematic if not considered carefully. For my own preference, I like the softer side of romance in stories serving as a subplot to the main story. The main characters have their own goals, ambitions, and, in some cases, destinies to be fulfilled and the romantic connections serve to add tension, drama and stakes to the story. A character being in danger feels more tense when they’re the love interest of the protagonist because, as the reader, we know how important they are to them. I think the same can still be achieved with a close friend in peril but there’s something readers often find more compelling about a romantic partner in peril. There’s a special and deep connection between the two characters that makes it all the more suspenseful.
Romantic Subplot Spoilers for Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Skyward, Shadow of the Fox
(I try to keep the spoilers to a minimum but it can’t be helped that a little has to be spoiled)
Chemistry is crucial to making any romance believable to the readers. There needs to be something that the characters can bond over and deepen their relationship. More importantly, these need to be shown to the reader rather than simply told it happened. It’s the age-old philosophy of show don’t tell. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan does this both very well and rather poorly (the curse of love triangles). The protagonist, Xingyin, experienced learning and growing alongside Liwei and they share special moments together that the reader gets to witness and understand the feelings they have towards one another. In contrast, Xingyin’s relationship with Wenzhi isn’t quite as well developed and felt more rushed in comparison. While they did have moments together, it felt more frigid and colder and, supposedly, the moments that were talked about in passing were how their relationship grew. Because it was told to us and not shown, it made it hard to believe compared to the romance with Liwei.
A more tragic side of romantic growth between characters can come through shared traumatic experiences. This can be very difficult to write as it delves into some potentially very dark and depressing subject matter. But these kinds of situations can have characters find comfort and strength from one another as they help each other to endure and overcome the pain they’ve experienced. The relationship between Spensa and Jorgen in Skyward by Brandon Sanderson is a good example of a dynamic relationship that grows into a deeper bond as the two confront the pain and tragedy of their lives in the military. The two of them support each other and help one another when they get to their lowest points and it feels believable because throughout the book the reader is shown how both Spensa and Jorgen experience the loss of the same people and same beliefs both separately and together.
My favorite way of showing romance in a story is the slow build up and growth of a romantic relationship between two characters who genuinely want to help each other. It’s a sweet and healthy way of showing two characters who care for each other grow into a deep love for one another. When each of the characters can work towards their own goals and still be their own people while still caring for one another and wanting to help the other grow and achieve their goals is just such a sweet, romantic and healthy way to really love someone. It’s one of the reasons why Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa is one of my favorite book series. Yumeko and Tatsumi are two of the most endearing characters I’ve ever read and reading about them adventuring together was such a delight. Across the three books, the reader gets to witness their growing relationship and feelings towards one another and it creates this air of tension and drama mixed with a wholesome and sweet romance that’s just perfect.
Romantic connections between characters suffer most from failing the “show don’t tell” philosophy. It’s a deep connection that can’t simply be stated as it doesn’t come off as believable to the reader if it’s not shown to them. The reason for this is because when it is shown to the reader, the actions, the thoughts, and the feelings the characters have are shown and that’s what most critical to making a romance between characters believable and not forced.
Hope this helps!
– Raphael
P.S: Sorry this is late! Bit of a hectic weekend.
Raph's Cozy Musings 