Writing Believable Characters for Your Romance Novel: a guest post by Ana Obradović

Published in

I Love Romance Blog

5 min readJul 26, 2024

Writing Believable Characters for Your Romance Novel: a guest post by Ana Obradović

Relatable characters and authentic relationships are the heartbeats of any successful romance story. This guide is there to help you navigate the process of character development — a couple of steps to ensure your protagonists are not only easy to resonate with but also unforgettable. Let’s get started with the art of romance writing and discover how to make your characters’ love stories as captivating and memorable as possible.

Creating Interesting Main Characters

Background and Drive

Think of your main character as a close friend. What challenges have they faced? Maybe they’ve experienced heartbreak too many times, leading them to be cautious.

Or maybe they’ve had a perfect upbringing and now crave excitement. Explore their past experiences, struggles, and triumphs because these shape who they are and their relationships today. Knowing what motivates them in life and love adds depth to your character and makes their journey relatable. What are they looking for in a partner?

Each relationship and each character are unique. When you create a character profile, image you are creating a real human being that exists in the real world. The best way not to forget anything is to note stuff down. Make sure you use worksheets, a notebook, or even better character websites where you can store all of the character information, backgrounds, and traits.

Weaknesses and Strengths

No one wants a flawless character — they’re not realistic. Your original character should have a mix of weaknesses and strengths that make them human. They might be loyal but stubborn, or charming and funny, yet afraid of commitment. These traits should influence how they interact with others and their romantic relationships.

Their strengths can bring their love interest closer, while their flaws create conflict and challenges to overcome. It’s these imperfections that make their love story engaging and authentic.

Building Genuine Relationships

Relationships and Drama

Developing a strong bond between your characters is like creating a delicious cocktail. It involves mixing together common interests, clever conversations, and mutual admiration. So many possibilities are there just like in real relationships, so try to avoid clichés and mix up your own recipe for magic. Think about those special moments when they lock eyes and feel a connection, or when they argue fiercely, but there’s an underlying attraction you can still sense in the air, no matter how mad they are. This bond keeps readers engaged in their story.

However, don’t forget about conflict — it adds excitement to the romance. Introduce obstacles that challenge their relationship and force them to grow. Maybe they have different backgrounds or conflicting beliefs. These hurdles make their eventual union even more rewarding.

Gradual Progression vs. Immediate Attraction

Think about the pace of their relationship. A slowly burning romance allows for a gradual build-up of tension and emotions. It’s the uncertainty of whether they will end up together that keeps readers hooked, enjoying every moment of anticipation. On the other hand, instant attraction can lead to quick drama and intense passion.

It’s a whirlwind romance that takes characters by surprise, filled with strong feelings and rapid changes. Either way, both are possible and and can result in a strong character relationship, so consider what fits your story best.

Emotional Development

Emotional Growth

In a captivating love story, you have to show how your characters develop emotionally as the story unfolds. Maybe your main character starts off scared of getting hurt because of past experiences, but eventually learn to be open and trust again. Or maybe they have to overcome a long-held fear or belief that’s been holding them back from true closeness. This personal growth is crucial for them to be ready for a meaningful relationship. Highlight their challenges and breakthroughs, and how each step forward helps them become a better partner and individual.

*Photo by Serhat Beyazkaya on Unsplash.*

Emotional Milestones

Think about the important moments and turning points that show how the relationship is growing. Consider how they first meet — what do they think of each other right away? Then, make things more complicated with misunderstandings or problems that test their new relationship. Include moments when they say “I love you” that feel real and strong, and times when they’re not sure if things will work out. Each of these big moments should make your characters face their fears, make their bond stronger, and bring them closer to the relationship they’re supposed to have. These special moments are like the foundation of your love story so make sure to add them to your character’s profile. Some character websites like CharacterHub, offer a special feature to note down all of the important moments in a timeline.

Conclusion

Creating interesting characters and genuine connections is essential for any love story. By paying attention to detailed backgrounds, building chemistry and tension, mapping out emotional progressions, and using resources like CharacterHub, you can construct stories that really connect with your readers.

Take some time to familiarize yourself with the best popular love stories out there, and you’ll discover all of the principles we mentioned above are not that hard to incorporate into your writing.

Remember, the enchantment of romance is in the adventure. Seeing your characters change, overcome obstacles, and ultimately discover love is what captures and entertains your audience. Keep improving your skills, stay faithful to your characters’ emotional journeys, and keep delving into new layers in your storytelling.

Happy Romance Writing!

Guest Bio

Ana Obradović is a team member at CharacterHub, a website for storing, creating, and developing original characters for writers and artists. She stays busy helping her team bring all fictional characters to life; writing articles and resources for original character creators in her spare time.