Top 26 How To Create Chemistry Between Characters Top 13 Best Answers

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Make your characters messy and human. They make mistakes and they keep pushing forward, both with their individual goals and as it relates to the romance. Motivate them because the more there is to lose, the hotter the chemistry becomes, and the better the payoff is for the reader.What is Chemistry? In its most basic sense, chemistry is how two characters interact with each other. It’s an energetic exchange between two people in a relationship—whether that relationship is romantic or not.

We most often hear about character chemistry in reference to actors—particularly those playing love interests to each other.

5 Ways to Create Scintillating Character Chemistry
  1. Bring Together Two Lively Characters. …
  2. Create the Dance of Opposition and Harmony. …
  3. Focus on Dynamic Character Archetypes. …
  4. Enact Change.
7 Tips for Building Relationships Between Your Characters
  1. Draw on your own life experience. …
  2. Create a relationship arc. …
  3. Let outward character behavior come from a detailed inner life. …
  4. Give your characters unique traits. …
  5. Place your characters in multiple relationships. …
  6. Let subtext carry the load.
How it’s done is unique to every writer, character, series, and subgenre.
  1. 1) Dialogue: …
  2. 2) Internal thought. …
  3. 3) Action or plot points. …
  4. 4) Resistance. …
  5. 5) Something Is Missing. …
  6. 6) Make it unique to the character.

How do I make my character chemistry?

Make your characters messy and human. They make mistakes and they keep pushing forward, both with their individual goals and as it relates to the romance. Motivate them because the more there is to lose, the hotter the chemistry becomes, and the better the payoff is for the reader.

How do you develop a relationship between two characters?

7 Tips for Building Relationships Between Your Characters
  1. Draw on your own life experience. …
  2. Create a relationship arc. …
  3. Let outward character behavior come from a detailed inner life. …
  4. Give your characters unique traits. …
  5. Place your characters in multiple relationships. …
  6. Let subtext carry the load.

What does it mean when two characters have chemistry?

What is Chemistry? In its most basic sense, chemistry is how two characters interact with each other. It’s an energetic exchange between two people in a relationship—whether that relationship is romantic or not.

How do you write romantic tension between characters?

How it’s done is unique to every writer, character, series, and subgenre.
  1. 1) Dialogue: …
  2. 2) Internal thought. …
  3. 3) Action or plot points. …
  4. 4) Resistance. …
  5. 5) Something Is Missing. …
  6. 6) Make it unique to the character.

Can other people see chemistry between two people?

Two people might also have intellectual chemistry, in which they are attracted to each other’s minds. Or they might have emotional chemistry, where they can understand each other at an emotional level and include things such as spirituality, attitudes, values, and more.

What does romantic chemistry look like?

Key Takeaways. Romantic chemistry is often described as a “spark” felt between two people upon first meeting. While sexual chemistry is an initiator, emotional and intellectual connections make for longer-lasting relationships. Greater use of dating apps has changed our perception of chemistry and how we recognize it.

How do you build friendship between characters?

So today, I am going to give you 7 things you need to do to develop your friendship.
  1. Make Each Character Their Own Person. …
  2. Give Them Something in Common. …
  3. Give Them Meaningful Differences. …
  4. Give Them a History That Shines Through. …
  5. Create a Glue. …
  6. Create Meaningful Scenes. …
  7. Don’t Make Their Relationship Perfect.

How do characters fall in love with each other?

Contents show
  1. 1 Don’t Rush Your Characters.
  2. 2 Get the Dating Right.
  3. 3 Balance the Physical and Emotional Attractions.
  4. 4 Make Sure the Love Interest Is Flawed in Some Way.
  5. 5 Make Sure the Romance Fits Into the Main Plot.
  6. 6 Start Off With a Meet-Cute.
  7. 7 Make Them Care About Something Other Than Each Other.

How do you write someone falling in love?

Ensure the Characters have Romantic Chemistry
  1. Physical – the characters should be physically attracted to each other, at least a little. …
  2. Emotional – the characters should feel emotionally supported by each other, and they should trust in their partner.

How do you make a character love interest?

Let’s take a look at some structured first steps:
  1. #1: Choose the type of chemistry you’d like to build. Chemistry is that potent magnetism that draws two people — or, in our case, characters — together. …
  2. #2: Define your protagonist’s romantic interests. …
  3. #3: Begin crafting your story’s love interest.

Why do some actors have chemistry?

This allows us to really see the actor’s take on the character. Then from those auditions, we bring in the actors we feel might be right together and have them perform in different combinations, mixing and matching to see how they play off each other and if there is chemistry between them.

How do you portray a character?

8 Tips for Character Development
  1. Establish a character’s motivations and goals. …
  2. Choose a voice. …
  3. Do a slow reveal. …
  4. Create conflict. …
  5. Give important characters a backstory. …
  6. Describe a character’s personality in familiar terms. …
  7. Paint a physical picture of your characters. …
  8. Develop secondary characters.

How to Craft Believable Romantic Chemistry Between Characters
How to Craft Believable Romantic Chemistry Between Characters


5 Steps to Writing Great Character Chemistry – Helping Writers Become Authors

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What Is Character Chemistry

The Riddle of Character Chemistry

5 Ways to Create Scintillating Character Chemistry

5 Steps to Writing Great Character Chemistry - Helping Writers Become Authors
5 Steps to Writing Great Character Chemistry – Helping Writers Become Authors

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Three Keys to Crafting Chemistry Between Characters – Writer’s Digest

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Three Keys to Crafting Chemistry Between Characters

Plot Twist Story Prompts False Flag

How To Write a Friends-to-Lovers Romance (When You’re Addicted to the Enemies-to-Lovers Trope)

Managing Point of View The Distance of Time

Ellen Jovin On Hosting a Nationwide Grammar Party

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How to Write Better Romantic Chemistry and Tension

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    How to Write Better Romantic Chemistry and Tension

    Updating …

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    How to Write Better Romantic Chemistry and Tension

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What is Chemistry

So what does make chemistry

What is Conflict

What is tension

Consider your favorite stories

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        How to Write Better Romantic Chemistry and Tension

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How to Craft Romantic Chemistry Between Characters — Well-Storied.

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to Craft Romantic Chemistry Between Characters — Well-Storied. To craft believable romantic chemistry between characters, you must first craft believable characters. Ones that aren’t merely half of a love … As both a reader and a writer, I am a big fan of romance.

    I love the unique tension and allure that exists within a love story, the
    will-they-or-won’t-they mystery that leads to such great page-turning
    material. But that material can’t exist without strong romantic chemistry
    between the characters in question (as evidenced by many a lackluster
    rom-com, am I right?) And unfortunately, chemistry isn’t exactly easy to
    define or to craft.

    Though I don’t write within the romance genre myself, romantic subplots are
    a staple in my personal brand of storytelling. So today, I’m going to share
    with you everything I’ve learned about crafting romantic chemistry readers
    can believe in.

  • Table of Contents:

GRAB YOUR FREE GUIDE TO CHARACTER CREATION!

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How to Craft Romantic Chemistry Between Characters — Well-Storied.
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Three Keys to Crafting Chemistry Between Characters – Writer’s Digest

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  • Table of Contents:

Three Keys to Crafting Chemistry Between Characters

Plot Twist Story Prompts False Flag

How To Write a Friends-to-Lovers Romance (When You’re Addicted to the Enemies-to-Lovers Trope)

Managing Point of View The Distance of Time

Ellen Jovin On Hosting a Nationwide Grammar Party

Speak It Write It Tell It Everybody Has a Story To Share

Mental Health in Storytelling Creating Compelling Neurodiverse Protagonists

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Three Keys to Crafting Chemistry Between Characters - Writer's Digest
Three Keys to Crafting Chemistry Between Characters – Writer’s Digest

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How to Write Better Romantic Chemistry and Tension

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    Let’s discuss in the comments: How do you create chemistry between characters in your stories? D the tips in this article help you write better character … …

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    How to Write Better Romantic Chemistry and Tension

    Let’s discuss in the comments: How do you create chemistry between characters in your stories? D the tips in this article help you write better character …

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What is Chemistry

So what does make chemistry

What is Conflict

What is tension

Consider your favorite stories

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177 – Creating Character Chemistry – Mythcreants

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5 Steps to Writing Great Character Chemistry

What is character chemistry? And how can you use it to make your story un-put-down-able?

We most often hear about character chemistry in reference to actors—particularly those playing love interests to each other. Chemistry is hard to define but easy to spot. When two people show up on stage together and the result is a special “spark,” you know you’re seeing chemistry.

Chemistry is the “it” factor in all great fiction.

Scratch that.

It’s the “it” factor in life.

Consider some of the people you know. Even assuming you like them all equally, I’ll bet you don’t respond to them all in the same way when they walk into a party. Some of them get a smile and a casual wave from you. Others, however, light up the room. They amp up your energy, instantly make you happy, and make it easy for you to be your best self.

What Is Character Chemistry?

To one degree or another, chemistry exists in all relationships, whether they’re romantic, familial, friendly, or just casual. Some chemistry is positive; some negative. Either way, chemistry is basically just an energetic exchange between people.

Instinctively, humans respond to one another according to any number of social and subliminal signals that end up creating paradigms that belong uniquely to any two of us. It’s a subtle dance, in which we take cues from one another, testing out our moves, discovering to what degree we can unleash the full power of our personalities in an ever-shifting dynamic of opposition and harmony.

When we have great chemistry with someone, we discover an almost instinctive synchronization that allows us to rest into our peak energy while easily batting back and forth the ball of interaction.

Hello, friendly banter.

But chemistry doesn’t necessarily have to be friendly. We can potentially do this dance with our worst enemy just as surely as with the epic love of our lives.

And that’s where character chemistry becomes so valuable to fiction.

In fiction, as in life, the chemistry between people lifts simpleexchanges of dialogue or action beyond the status of basic information and into “entertainment.”

Think about some of your favorite scenes. What makes them great? They’re not doing anything more than presenting characters who are either showing or telling you something. And yet these scenes are branded into your brain. You love them. They’ve engaged you permanently, either because they’ve intellectually stimulated you, emotionally engaged you, or (a combination of the two) entertained you. I’m willing to bet my typewriter that character chemistry played a huge role in creating this dynamic (and, yep, even if the scene only featured one character—because, guess what? that character still has chemistry with you).

The Riddle of Character Chemistry

Long ago and far away, I ran a poll asking readers what they’d like me to write about. That was years ago and I’ve long since written about almost all of the viable ideas from that poll. The one that I neither wrote about nor threw away was a request for a post about—you guessed it—character chemistry.

I’ve been kicking that idea around for a long time, trying to get a handle on what it is that creates character chemistry. It’s such a nebulous thing, right? Even after I spent those nine paragraphs up there explaining what chemistry is, do we actually have any solid info on how to create it?

Nope.

It’s kind of like theme in that we all know it when we see it, but we don’t instinctively understand how to break down something so abstract into a practicable approach that can be applied consistently to our own characters.

Character chemistry shares another similarity with theme: it’s far too important to leave to the whims of our subconscious. Character chemistry can make all the difference in creating a superior story.

I’ve read far too many books that were excellent in all respects except their characters just flopped around on the page like dying fish. They were bland, they were boring, and they had zero chemistry. This is perhaps most obvious in by-the-numbers romance stories that throw flabby Marty-Stu and Mary-Sue characters together and expect readers to care just because there’s gonna be a kiss in the end.

Contrast that with books that offer great character chemistry. You know what I’m talking about: the ones where you just can’t wait for two particular characters (whether they’re romantic or not) to get together on stage because you know the results are going to be electric.

For a very basic example consider Barney and Otis in the classic sit-com The Andy Griffith Show. These archetypal frenemies lit up the screen with their bickering every time they were together.

Or how about Jo and Laurie from Little Women? There’s a reason everybody ships them—and it has nothing to with romance and everything to do with chemistry.

Or how about Cathy and Heathcliff’s love/hate relationship?

Or Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin’s odd-couple pairing?

Or friends-on-the-run Thelma and Louise?

All of these characters are great in their own right. But they’re better together, yeah?

5 Ways to Create Scintillating Character Chemistry

Today, let’s consider five ways you can double your money by bringing your already-dynamic solo characters together in powerful ways.

1. Bring Together Two Lively Characters

Great character chemistry begins with great characters. Those flabby Marty-Stu and Mary-Sue characters I mentioned above aren’t ever going to light up a scene no matter how many chemistry-clever tricks you pull. The foundation of good fictional relationships is good characters.

This goes without saying. Still, creating these fabulous characters remains one of the greatest challenges in all fiction. Double-check yourself.

Have you created characters with:

2. Create the Dance of Opposition and Harmony

Remember that dance I talked about earlier? Character chemistry is never static. It is an ever-shifting dynamic of opposition and harmony.

The perfect example of this is banter. Whether in real life or in fiction, banter is a generally playful exchange that takes on the appearance of an argument, in which the engaged parties try to verbally one-up each other. This can have various undertones—from being totally lighthearted with no consequences to verging on a real dispute with grave stakes.

Great fiction is often noted for its witty banter, and great banter is always a sign of character chemistry.

Back to the dance metaphor: think about professional dancers out on the floor. They are always in sync, but they are always moving. One pushes, another yields. Then the roles are reversed. Back and forth, back and forth. They’re not fighting. Their energies are harmonized (in this instance, toward the mutual goal of a seamless performance), perfectly balanced against one another.

Even in instances where two characters are fighting (whether subtextually, verbally, or physically), the balance remains. They are evenly matched. Each gives as good as they get—and there is inevitably a certain measure of respect, one for the other’s skill.

Consider Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester. They spar almost from the moment they meet. Their arguments are earnest, but their energy is always aligned. There’s a reason these two still top the list of fictional lovers, and that reason is character chemistry.

3. Focus on Dynamic Character Archetypes

Again, this dance of character chemistry is founded on the adjoining ideas of resistance and acquiescence. Some of this can result from a careful use of character archetypes.

As in life, some of the best exchanges and relationships arise when one character pushes against his assumptions about the other character—only to eventually be met with resistance as those assumptions are subverted.

For example, the best banter always includes moments of surprise. The banter rolls on pretty much as expected—an instinctive script of classic responses—until suddenly one of the characters no longer fits the expected role. She says something unexpected, and the entire dynamic shifts. The other character is forced to adapt a new response.

Nowhere do we find better banter (or, generally, better character chemistry) than in the heyday of Golden Hollywood. For example, from one of the great romantic pairings of all time, William Powell and Myrna Loy in The Thin Man:

Nora: All right! Go ahead! Go on! See if I care! But I think it’s a dirty trick to bring me all the way to New York just to make a widow of me.

Nick: You wouldn’t be a widow long…

Nora: You bet I wouldn’t!

Nick: …Not with all your money.

4. Enact Change

The energy present in strong character chemistry means there must be movement. There must be progress. Evolution. Change.

Bringing together these two dynamic personalities on the page is like smashing clouds together in a thunderstorm. There’s gonna be lightning.

Mutually strong characters who share storytime for any length will necessarily change each other. Again, it is a search for balance. They spark against each other because of their differences, but if they’re to remain in the same space, they must each adapt. Either one completely overwhelms the other (as is usually the case with protagonist/antagonist relationships), or they start rubbing off a few of each other’s rough spots.

To some degree, the amount of change present will depend on the type of relationship you’re creating.

Relationshps like Barney and Otis’s in The Andy Griffith Show and Jack and Stephen’s in the Aubrey/Maturin series are designed around static characters. If they changed, the show would lose the opportunity to reuse their schtick time after time.

But in standalone stories, such as Little Women, Wuthering Heights, and Jane Eyre, the characters must change if they’re to reach their individual goals. It’s telling, in fact, that Cathy and Heathcliff—the one pairing in this group of examples that do not change—are the only ones who do not ultimately reach harmony in their relationship and success in their external goals.

5. Create Coherent Conflict

In my opinion, here is the entire secret of character chemistry: it must be thematic.

What we call “chemistry” is what happens when we have two characters on the page whose interaction is interesting because it is pertinent to the theme, with each character illustrating different facets of both it and the conflict.

It’s “coherent conflict,” so to speak.

It’s completely possible to create characters who are witty and fun together even if they’re misplaced within the larger storyform. However, for character chemistry to be a worthy piece of a larger whole, it must, of course, contribute to that larger whole.

When character chemistry becomes the fuel in the engine of a well-designed story, it then becomes the driver for the back-and-forth piston of plot and theme.

In designing characters who will work well together, always look to theme first. How will they represent different facets of the thematic argument? How will they contrast each other’s pertinent strengths and weaknesses? How can these very differences become important catalysts within the story itself?

In short: it’s not enough to create characters who can argue in an entertaining way. You need to make sure these charged exchanges are moving the plot.

***

Character chemistry is one of the secret “it” factors of great fiction. Learn to inject it your own stories, and you can be sure you will create the kind of scenes that stick with readers long after they close your book.

Wordplayers, tell me your opinion! How do you create character chemistry in your stories? Tell me in the comments!

Click the “Play” button to Listen to Audio Version (or subscribe to the Helping Writers Become Authors podcast in Apple Podcast or Amazon Music).

___

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Three Keys to Crafting Chemistry Between Characters

What is chemistry? Well, if you ask my two high schoolers, Chemistry is a really hard class that mom the writer can’t help them with at all. And according to Dictionary.com, chemistry is the branch of science that deals with the identification of the substances of which matter is composed; the investigation of their properties and the ways in which they interact, combine, and change; and the use of these processes to form new substances as well as the complex emotional or psychological interaction between two people.

(Michelle Major: The Meat of the Story)

Despite my kids’ doubts, I have a lot of experience with chemistry—at least as it relates to creating it on the page. Chemistry between the hero and heroine in romance is the heart of the story. It’s both that indefinable spark and the deep emotional connection that keeps readers turning pages instead of turning off the light and heading to bed. Here are three keys to making sure your book is binge-worthy.

Three Keys to Crafting Chemistry Between Characters

1. Make readers care. The romance genre gets a bad rap with cliches like “bodice rippers” or “porn for women.” But the best romance books pull readers into the stories with details that make them care about the hero and heroine. Elements such as strong motivations, actions toward a visible goal, and a journey of transformation help readers identify with and relate to your characters. The reader feels what the characters feel toward each other through witty banter or revealing vulnerabilities. There might be a moment of surprise that shifts the dynamic—a push and pull of responses that give readers insight into the hero and heroine that they might not yet have. When we are watching them fall in love and are falling in love ourselves at the same time, it’s a magic moment.

(5 Tips for Writing Engaging Romance)

2. Tension and stakes. Will they or won’t they? It’s a timeless question that keeps readers at the edge of their seats. Whether in books, movies, or with fan-favorite TV couples, there’s an investment in watching or reading a romance play out on the page or the screen. We feel those emotions right along with them and when an author ups the stakes, the reader goes with them for the ride. Make your characters messy and human. They make mistakes and they keep pushing forward, both with their individual goals and as it relates to the romance. Motivate them because the more there is to lose, the hotter the chemistry becomes, and the better the payoff is for the reader.

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3. Intimacy at the level of essence. Chemistry is more than a physical connection, although that physical spark can play a big part in bringing two people together. But it can just as easily push them apart. What if your hero is falling for his boss? What if the heroine can’t stop the butterflies that flutter across her stomach at the sight of the guy who once broke her heart? Figure out why your characters are perfect for each other and at the same time the exact wrong choice for what they think they want. Then use that to create intimacy. Not just the mechanics of sex but how they reveal the vulnerabilities behind their guarded hearts. When you allow them to connect at that deep level, the reader has the authenticity of it. That’s how you create characters who live beyond “the end” in our hearts.

Every reader wants to feel something when they dive into the pages of a book. It’s our job to give them that emotional heartbeat. No matter the level of heat you write or whether you add a bit of mystery or paranormal into your romance, the chemistry between your characters is what makes the book unforgettable.

Do you yearn to write a romantic story? If so, you need to know what sets romance writing apart from other types of fiction. This workshop will help you to understand those specific factors that make up the specialized world of romantic fiction.

Click to continue.

How to Write Better Romantic Chemistry and Tension

How to Write Better Romantic Chemistry and Tension

If you’re writing a romance novel or a story with a romantic subplot, then you know that the romantic chemistry and tension between your two main characters can either make or break your story.

So, how do you create romantic chemistry between two characters in a way that’s authentic and compelling enough to keep your readers on the edge of their seats all the way to “the end?”

In today’s post, we’re going to explore romantic chemistry, conflict, and tension. We’ll talk about what romantic chemistry is, and I’ll show you how to create it in your own stories. Let’s dive in!

What is Chemistry?

In its most basic sense, chemistry is how two characters interact with each other. It’s an energetic exchange between two people in a relationship—whether that relationship is romantic or not. On the surface, chemistry might look like:

Dialogue that flows well (teasing, witty repartee, etc.)

Using affectionate nicknames (middle names, pet names, etc.)

Physical attraction (lingering stares, special smiles, etc.)

Reminiscing over shared history (going to the same grade school, etc.)

Being comfortable in someone’s physical space (adjusting their collar, etc.)

But none of these things are what actually MAKE chemistry—they are all a RESULT OF chemistry.

So, what does make chemistry?

Real chemistry occurs when two characters are brought together, and one or both are inspired to change in some fundamental way because of their relationship. In other words, real chemistry occurs when two characters act as the catalyst for each other’s change.

For example, in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet needs to learn how to get over her prejudice of others. She wants to marry, but only if she can marry for true love, and to someone who she deems acceptable by her many standards. She meets Mr. Darcy who she judges as wealthy and pompous and dismisses him as a viable romantic option. As the story goes on and the two characters interact, Elizabeth realizes she was completely wrong about Mr. Darcy and that she is in love with him. She becomes a better, happier, more mature person because of her interactions with Mr. Darcy, and gets what she wants (a husband).

So, how do you create this kind of chemistry between your main characters? Well, first, you need to have two fully-developed protagonists with their own goals, motivations, values, false-beliefs, and worldviews. Then, you need to push them together (by way of your story’s plot) and force them to face various levels and types of conflict that challenge their values, false-beliefs, and worldviews.

What is Conflict?

Conflict is anything that gets in the way of your protagonist achieving their story goal.

Readers want to see how your characters act when faced with conflict because your character’s actions help your reader to make sense of the conflict in their own life. They also want to “worry” about your characters and whether or not they’ll succeed in achieving or accomplishing their story goal. Conflict is what creates that “worry.”

There are three main types of conflict—inner conflict, personal conflict, and extra-personal conflict. Let’s take a look at each of these types of conflict and how they could manifest in your story.

1. Inner Conflict

Inner conflict comes from inside the character themselves. It happens when the thoughts, feelings, or physical characteristics of the protagonist block the achievement of their story goal.

For example, an inner conflict could manifest as some kind of fear or false belief. Your heroine could have trust issues that prevent her from falling in love. Or maybe your hero pushes his love interest away for fear of getting hurt. Maybe one person wants to settle down and have kids, and the other doesn’t.

Case Study: In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet wants to fall in love and get married, but her pride and judgment of others prevent her from seeing people for who they really are. In other words, her false-belief and naïve worldview keep her from accomplishing her story goal.

2. Personal Conflict

Personal conflict comes from your protagonist’s relationships with other people or an antagonistic character. It happens when relationships with other people or groups block the achievement of your protagonist’s story goal.

For example, one or both of your protagonists might already be in a romantic relationship with someone else. Or they could have opposing interests in the outcome of a certain situation. Maybe your hero is an architect designing a new building for the park near your heroine’s house. Maybe your heroine played with her deceased father at that park as a kid. She’s doing everything she can to protect the park while your hero is planning its destruction. Perhaps you have two characters who went to grade school together and now have a complicated history full of conflict.

Case Study: In Something’s Gotta Give, Harry is dating Erica’s daughter, Marin. When Harry has a heart attack, Erica allows Harry to stay at her house to recover (as a favor to her daughter) even though she initially can’t stand him. Her dislike of Harry and the fact that he’s physically in her house distracts her from accomplishing her story goal of finishing her play.

3. Extra Personal Conflict

Extra personal conflict comes from something which your protagonist does not and cannot have a “personal” or “human” relationship with. It happens when an institution, life circumstances, or a natural phenomenon (like a hurricane or a harsh winter) block the achievement of your protagonist’s story goal.

For example, maybe your protagonist is up against a “ticking clock,” and needs to be in a specific location by a certain time, but there’s a blizzard preventing him from making progress. Or maybe there’s a cultural taboo or law related to romantic relationships in your protagonist’s world keeping your two characters apart. If the taboo is strong enough, your characters might be ashamed of their feelings which can provide your story with internal conflict and give your characters an opportunity for growth.

Case Study: In Twilight, the fact that Edward is a vampire is out of Bella’s control. She wants a relationship with Edward, but society’s ignorance of and lack of acceptance of vampires stand in her way of having a relationship with Edward out in the open.

And as you can see, using the three different types of conflict and circumstances in your story will provide you incredibly fertile ground for dynamic chemistry and tension to spark between characters.

What is tension?

Romantic tension is the suspense created by the way two potential romantic partners orbit each other before their union is certain. It grows from the question—When will these two characters get together?

Building in this suspense is one of the most important parts of developing an intriguing romantic story arc. To keep your readers turning the pages, you need to make them care about what’s happening in the story and create suspense by doling out information—the payoff (the answer to the story question—will these two get together or not?)—in increments, withholding the most important pieces until the end.

In other words, you should deliver scenes in which the chemistry and tension increase in frequency and intensity as the novel progresses. Each scene should bring your two main characters either one step closer to or farther away from “happily ever after.” At the end of each scene, the reader is left in a position of suspense that compels her to read the next scene in the hope of getting the answer she’s wanted since page one.

Consider your favorite stories.

Think about some of your favorite romance novels. You know the ones I’m talking about—the ones where you just can’t wait for two characters (whether they’re romantic or not) to get together on stage because the results are going to be amazing. What makes those stories great? Can you see how the author kept you in suspense while dolling out “little wins” along the way? Did you notice what caused the chemistry between the two main characters? Were you able to identify the various levels of conflict occurring around the characters? And the various levels of conflict that occurs because of the romantic relationship?

👉 Let’s discuss in the comments: How do you create chemistry between characters in your stories? Did the tips in this article help you write better character chemistry, conflict, or tension in your story?

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