Five must-haves when writing romance

What makes for a good romance in fiction? We can all think of our favorite romances, but you need to break them down to write them well.

Romance has always been a part of my books. My work-in-progress, Trevor and the Eight of Swords, is the first one where romance (albeit a dark one) is the focus. There are five things I found are must-haves in fictional romances.

1. We must care about the romantic partners.

They may be wonderful people who we want to see get deserved happiness. Or they may be so wild and out-of-pocket that we can’t help but see what happens next. But unless our audience cares about who these people are, they won’t care what happens to them.

We should always make our characters human and three-dimensional, and it’s especially important in romance. Titanic isn’t about any poor boy and rich girl. It’s about Jack and Rose, the poor and passionate artist and the woman who wants to escape a confined life.

Add depth and detail into your characters. Let readers get to know them. Then, readers will root for them to fall in love.

2. Romance starts with physical attraction.

Ultimately, relationships are built on the characters’ personalities and conduct, but physical attraction is how a romance is kicked off. It doesn’t…