5 Tips for a Realistic Romance Subplot

1. Make the lovers three dimensional and perfect for each other. Neither lover should be a cardboard cutout or mere plot device. Give them unique but equal quirks, strengths, and weaknesses that compliment one another. As iron sharpens iron, both characters will be the only person who can be a catalyst for the other’s transformation and perfect them. However, that is not to say other characters can’t change the main character’s life.

2. Make the relationship realistic. Ask yourself why the lovers like each other. They should have traits that make them perfect for each other, have a mutual attraction towards each other, and have a common goal to journey towards so they can support and strengthen each other along the way. If one character is a sexy, popular jerk and the other is a sweet, homely loser, that relationship needs a brilliant reason as to why it happened and why it’s working.

3. Build the anticipation. Let your characters be friends first, gaining each other’s trust and enjoying each other’s company before realizing they like like each other. Tease the romance and flirtation to cause tension and make readers wait and long for the big kiss at the end.

4. Don’t make the lovers stupid or clingy. They shouldn’t bicker over dumb things that could be solved by one civil conversation. This isn’t to say the characters can’t fight - they should, since relationships have ups and downs. But the conflicts should be realistic and intelligent.

5. The relationship should have an arc. There must be something keeping the lovers from being together. It cannot be easy to solve, and it should be the hardest to overcome near the end. Build the romance organically into the plot so that it compliments it well.

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