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implementing romance in a fantasy novel

Lavender

Minstrel
I've been working on a sequel to my novel and I want to implement a bit of romance between two of my main characters but I'm finding it difficult.
I want to make it believeable - I don't want them to suddenly have this realisation that they are attracted to each other. I also don't want it to be all soppy and cheesy - my story is not Twilight-y and I don't want it to be.
I want it to be a gradual process that happens throughout the novel building up to the moment when they finally get together only for one of them to tragically die.
I've had my female character comfort the male character when he believes that an accident (that caused the death of several people and several unicorns) was his fault and introduced the initial closeness between them at that point. The pair have been close friends for a year so the basic foundations for a romance is there but so far it all seems a little too rushed. I'm better at writing the adventure and action scenes or constructing a friendship between characters than a romance.
Any tips?
 
Flirting, touching, smiles, and interruption. Work it in to how they talk to each other and how they interact.

The romantic idea of having them realize they have feelings for each other and torn apart in the same moment is a bit overdone imo. Give them romance, sure, but perhaps break them up but make them stay together hating each other. Or something that is not the old trope.
 

Dante Sawyer

Troubadour
Use examples or experiences from your own life. Don’t just have them suddenly love each other. That’s stupid and pretty unrealistic. Like sasha said, subtle smiles or touches are a great way to ease your characters into a romantic situation. Also, you may want to try having your characters start to notice things about each other. I think physical when I say this, but you could also mention personality traits (such as if one of your characters is kind and the other is taken by that kindness). But it does sound like you have the foundation for the relationship down at least, so the rest shouldn’t be too hard.
Best of luck. Chamos.
-Dante
 

Lavender

Minstrel
Flirting, touching, smiles, and interruption. Work it in to how they talk to each other and how they interact.

The romantic idea of having them realize they have feelings for each other and torn apart in the same moment is a bit overdone imo. Give them romance, sure, but perhaps break them up but make them stay together hating each other. Or something that is not the old trope.

I agree that the whole tragic love story I had considered is a bit too overdone. I'll have a think about how else I could write it. I think I'm going to mainly use dialogue to get this romance rolling as I can't see the characters in question being overly touchy with each other until the whole relationship is properly established. What do you mean by interruption?

Use examples or experiences from your own life. Don’t just have them suddenly love each other. That’s stupid and pretty unrealistic. Like sasha said, subtle smiles or touches are a great way to ease your characters into a romantic situation. Also, you may want to try having your characters start to notice things about each other. I think physical when I say this, but you could also mention personality traits (such as if one of your characters is kind and the other is taken by that kindness). But it does sound like you have the foundation for the relationship down at least, so the rest shouldn’t be too hard.
Best of luck. Chamos.
-Dante

Having the characters notice things about each other that they didn't before is a good idea. I've had my main character do that a little already but I reckon I'll try and build more on it.

Thanks for your advice guys it's really helpful :)
 
If you avoid much description of feelings and instead show actions and conversations that suggest the romantic direction, you should be able to avoid both the heavy cheesiness and the problem of things happening too fast. So instead of saying that 'she couldn't understand why she suddenly cared how she looked around him', have her mess with her hair and then meet his eyes. And instead of having his pulse race as he looks at his old friend, maybe he puts especial effort into polishing his scimitar while listening to the unique musicality of her voice, perhaps briefly admiring the trim ankle in the soft leather boot that's all he can see of her while he works.

Build a few of those moments, and since you already have the pair close enough to comfort each other, someday it should be completely natural for a casual word or touch to set off some fireworks.

Just thoughts. Best of luck! The story sounds like a tearjerker. :)
 

Lavender

Minstrel
Thanks, Jenna some wonderful ideas for me there, thanks for commenting, it's much appreciated :)

(P.s - looked at your blog and followed)
 
I'm really glad it was helpful, Lavender. And thanks for the blog follow! I'm trying to accept your friendship request, too, but the button doesn't seem to be working... I will as soon as I can figure it out, though. :)
 

Caged Maiden

Staff
Article Team
I love romance, love, lust, all of it.... because it exists in real life, and we all know what it feels like. I can't help but put at least some sort of attraction into everything I write, so I say GO FOR IT!!!
I don't think you can go wrong, as long as it's believable.
I have strangers who meet by chance and form an instant friendship, which leads to a very tragic love story, I have rivals fighting for status in the same social network who go through a traumatic escape and begin to see each other in a new way... I have a mercenary hired to guard a group, and a woman who basically throws herself into his arms...
I love writing the interaction between people, the raw way that people actually act, fueled by my own experiences. I think love, lust, and romance are a part of people as much as fighting, talking, eating, breathing... am I making my point?
Cliches aside, people are attracted to other people for any number of reasons, sometimes just because they were there. I get that you have a slow-building romance going on, and if you are simply asking how to switch from friends to lovers... well there are any number of ways... yeah too many to name, really. Maybe take one of those friendly moments, and make it get a little too friendly, say with a hand-hold that goes on too long, or is accompanied by some comment which makes it an important moment... or, maybe one character just grabs the other and kisses them... or, your characters are in a social place, say, and someone hits on one of the characters, and the other gets jealous... or one of them just does something very thoughtful, a gift or something, and the thank you reveals feelings... I could go on forever. Good luck and have fun.
 
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