On Writing | February Love Stories
How to Write Chemistry Between Lovers in Your Romance Novels
Why do you read romance?
I don’t know about you, but for me, I want to live vicariously through the characters. I want to experience their romantic tension and root for them as they navigate the challenges that test their love.
I’m a sucker for a good love story. If you’re like me, imagine what it feels like to read one where there isn’t enough chemistry between the lovers. Where the interactions between the two feel like AI readings of the Magna Carta.
Frustrating, isn’t it?
To avoid putting your readers through that, not only must you pay attention to the plot, character development, and setting, but also to the key element that makes it a love story; chemistry.
It is the heart of any great romance.
But what’s chemistry?
It’s the branch of natural science that studies the composition, structure, and properties of matter. Okay, I’m just kidding. Well, not really. That’s the definition of chemistry as a science.
Scientists do say that love is a chemical reaction in the brain. Yep, it can be scientifically explained. You want to hump that hot bartender you met at the club because some neurons are firing in your brain.
Okay, maybe that’s more lust than love. But a similar thing explains why you feel the way you do about your significant other or crush.
However, when I say chemistry, that’s not exactly what I’m talking about. I don’t mean the chemical reactions in your brain responsible for love. I’m talking about all the other things — physical and emotional — between lovers that show that they truly are obsessed with each other.
Chemistry is what you see between two people who are attracted to each other even if they never told you that. But you sense that attraction because of how they interact.
Their gazes are so full of tenderness and love that it almost feels like you’re intruding on their privacy simply by watching them.
That’s chemistry.
You want your readers to ship your characters. You don’t want to pair two characters as a couple only for readers to hate their relationship because of the lack of chemistry between them.
Even worse, some random character you never even thought about ends up having way more chemistry with one of your protagonists, while their actual love interest is just there. Existing. Stale.
Yeah, no.
What are the signs that two lovers have chemistry?
1. They are compatible: No, they don’t have to agree on everything under the sun. However, they must have shared interests and values. And they usually do these things together.
2. They feel a deep sense of comfort and safety around each other so they don’t have to hide who they are.
3. They have eye contact: My goodness, this is a big one. When two people are obsessed with each other, you can see it in the way they look at each other. The eyes are the gate to the soul. If you’re into someone, you simply want to catch a glimpse of their beautiful soul.
4. Physical touch: They also find every means to touch their partner. This is especially the case if that’s their love language. Lovers with a lot of chemistry are more likely to be always hugging, caressing, cuddling, and just being a physical menace with each other.
5. Sexual tension: Yep, you can feel that sexual tension between them. They steal glances at each other as they bite their lips, leave small touches here and there, and laugh at each other’s stupid jokes. Seriously, these two should get a room already.
Writing chemistry between lovers in your story
Now that you know what chemistry looks like, how do you write it in your story to make it come alive and give your readers something to fall in love with?
1. Show them being kind to each other
Kindness encompasses a wide range of things. You can show it by how they talk to each other with respect, how they avoid doing something if they know it will be malicious to the other, and not saying or doing hurtful things to each other even when they’re fighting.
For example, when someone bullies your protagonist because ‘he’s a nerd’, or whatever bullshit bullies come up with these days, let his love interest speak up for him to show that they care.
While the lovers can banter and joke around, they must not be malicious… unless you’re writing an enemies-to-lovers story. But there should be a point where they finally cross into lovers’ territory, and when they do, it doesn’t make sense for them to keep being spiteful toward each other.
Another way to show kindness between them is to have them do things that will make the other’s life easier, especially through acts of service. This should be reciprocal.
Don’t just tell the reader that they like each other. Show it. One character finds out that their love interest is enduring an injustice, so they take it upon themselves to give them justice. This is love.
2. Build trust between them
The foundation of any relationship is trust. Showing that your characters trust each other is a great way to build their chemistry.
How do you show this trust between the two?
Well, ask yourself, what do you do when you trust someone?
You’re not afraid to be at your lowest around them. You’re not afraid to share your deepest, darkest secret with them. You’re not afraid to be vulnerable. Because you trust them utterly.
The same thing happens with your characters. If there’s trust between them, why are they never vulnerable to each other? Of course, it doesn’t have to be sudden. Trust is built over time.
But one of the best ways to show that your characters have transcended the mere crushing stage to two people who are deeply in love is by writing a scene that proves this. Have them be vulnerable to each other by sharing their trauma, dreams, hopes, and fears.
Another way is to write a scene that demonstrates that their unyielding trust in their partner is not misplaced. Sure, you can say you trust someone all you want, but are they worth that blind trust? This scene will clear all doubts in the reader’s mind.
For example, the villain wants to kill the male lead (ML) because he owes him money. The female lead (FL) pleads with the villain to let him go, and the villain comes up with a diabolical idea to let the ML go as long as the FL stays behind. Of course, the villain will not harm the FL provided the ML brings back the money in three days. If the ML doesn’t bring back the money though, the villain will do whatever he pleases with the FL.
Now that’s a conundrum.
The only way out is to take the deal to save her boyfriend’s life. But, does she trust him to return with the money and save her?
If you want to prove against all odds that these two will do anything for each other, it’s a great way to let the FL accept the deal so that the ML will do whatever it takes to save her girl. Not only does it prove their trust in each other, but it shows to the reader that these two truly love each other.
3. Let them do things together
This is just as straightforward as it sounds, but no doubt powerful. Couples who are not into each other hardly do things together. No dates, no movie nights, and they certainly don’t discuss random topics passionately. They rather avoid each other as much as possible, even when they’re in proximity.
Do the very opposite if you want to build chemistry between your characters. No, they don’t have to do everything together. But there should be a couple of activities they share.
By the way, it’s not only restricted to things they already love to do. They can explore completely new things. But because they’re doing it together, it becomes so much fun. And when it comes to the bedroom, let them try new things to spice things up.
Just let them have fun.
4. Communication is key
One of the tropes I hate about romance is terrible communication. Usually, this is in the form of miscommunication, where the two characters misunderstand each other completely.
One person says one thing and the other understands it as something else entirely. And instead of asking for clarification, they don’t. Because well, the plot demands it.
Of course, it’s great for conflict, but when it’s too over the top, it feels immature and melodramatic.
For any relationship to thrive, the partners have to learn to communicate effectively with each other. There will be issues in the relationship, of course. But the best way to navigate those problems is by talking things out.
The lack of communication breeds resentment. You may think you’re doing what’s best for your partner but unknowingly hurting them.
Instead of speaking out though, they don’t, because they expect you to know. But of course, you can’t possibly know, because you’re not a psychic. So you keep doing it, and it keeps hurting them.
All of a sudden, your partner is being passive-aggressive toward you, and you don’t understand why. So that also makes you angry, because you’ve been nothing but the best partner to them — in your mind, at least.
And instead of confronting them about their behavior, you don’t either. So you return the same energy. Before you know it, you two are strangers.
This is how a lot of relationships die.
If the characters in your romance are endgame, strengthen their relationship by letting them learn to communicate effectively.
If one hurts the other unknowingly, the hurt partner must speak up. And if their partner truly loves them, they will listen to their worries and try to be better.
5. Intimacy
This is by far the most obvious way to show that two people are into each other. It’s all in the way they touch each other. How they gaze into each other’s eyes. Having a lot of sexual tension between them.
Kissing. Cuddling. Pillow talk.
If you write erotic romance, take it a step further by writing intimate love scenes that feel both physical and spiritual. Let your readers blush. Let them wish they had someone who loved them as much as your characters love each other.
They will fall in love with your characters, rooting for them to be together every step of the way.
Have you loved a couple in a movie or TV show so much that their breakup ultimately broke your heart too?
Yeah? Well, that’s the power of great chemistry. And this is what to aim for in your romance stories.
Now go write those stories and rouse the same strong emotions in your readers.
You can do it.
I wrote a paranormal romance between a witch and a demon. Read my book here.
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