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What does wanton mean when it comes to romance? I looked it up and got this definition:
“Exciting, or expressing sexual desire.” Our characters in a romance need to express a level of sexual desire for one another, or what I’d like to call – they need to have chemistry.
Romantic Chemistry is that undefinable “click” between characters that make us fall in love with them as they’re falling in love with each other. This newsletter I thought I’d take a look at tips and techniques when it comes to writing romantic chemistry.
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Chemistry is that “spark,” that energetic energy between a couple. We’ve all felt it. But how to do we portray it when we’re writing? Here are 4 things to keep in mind when you’re writing and building chemistry between your couple:
1. Make them interesting individuals
Start off your romantic couple by giving readers a look of them as individuals. When readers come to care for characters as an individual first, then investing in them and their story becomes that much more important to readers. Give them traits and flaws unique to them that we can all identify with.
2. Make it Dynamic
When a couple agrees on everything, all at once, it falls a little flat. Insta-romance can get dull quick. These two characters are meeting at point in their lives which should challenge them, intrigue them, and compel them to spend time with each other. Each individual character will have a character arc – a path to grow as a character, and how does the other one compliment that growth.
For example, I’m working on a story now between two ice skaters where my male skater has to learn to trust in himself again, and my female skater, just by her unwavering faith in him, is helping him to discover that trust. For her, learning to skate pairs is nerve-wrecking and she doesn’t have much confidence in her abilities. His display of strength and execution is helping her discover her own confidence in her abilities.
3. Tropes
Romantic tropes really do help in telling the individual story as well as bringing the couple together to tell their story. Tropes like “enemies-to-lovers,” “secret lovers,” and “opposite attracts” are natural tropes that play into developing chemistry. There’s the “I don’t want to, but I want to dynamic” in all these tropes that build internal conflict, external conflict, and play into building chemistry.
4. Make it Physical
Show don’t tell. We want to see our couple touching, looking, and interacting with each other.
- Touching is important. When we feel that magnetic pull toward the other person, we want to hold hands, reach for an elbow, rub a shoulder.
- Looking that special person, gazing at them, into their eyes, shows that we’re drawn to them.
- Bantering back and forth, especially playfully, helps to show us the chemistry between a couple.
Reference: https://lindsay-elizabeth.com/writing-romantic-chemistry/
Enjoy this quiz about a movie couple that had a lot of chemistry in the movies:
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
I had no feedback from my last Romance/Love Newsletter dated: 5 AUG 2025, “Whirlwind.”
Feedback on my Pretty Woman Quiz:
Jellyfish is in Mauritius 🌞 
Great quiz! I love this film and have seen it loads of times, although only managed to get 50% of the questions right  . I think it is good that you have not made it too easy though because a lot of people think they know this movie so well. The no kissing question got me though because I thought her rule was just No Kissing at all (with clients!) But maybe I am wrong on that one?! Love the Pretty Woman Soundtrack too. I wonder if my Mum would get all these because she really loves this film.
StephBee is a 911 dispatcher with LAPD. Rachel is a young witch who has Cotton Mather rolling over in his grave. Can a little “Young Witchcraft” bring her together with her childhood friend, Joe? - “Young Witchcraft” is now available on Amazon as an ebook.
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Romance/Love: September 03, 2025 Issue [#13316]
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