Writing Romance Intuitively

And making it feel different each time

Win an ARC of The Executioners Three!

Before I tackle a question on romance below, there is a SWEEPSTAKES happening for advanced reader copies (ARCs) of The Executioners Three.

Tor Teen is giving away 25 copies and I’m giving away another 8!

To enter, just click the appropriate button!

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Writing Romance Intuitively

Now on to this question in the latest AMA from DD:

How do you decide what kind of romance to write for your characters without it all feeling the same? Each of your romantic pairings for the Witchlands is so distinct! I know the characters themselves are unique which dictates how it will go down but how do you layer all the romance threads together ex: first sign of attraction, first kiss etc without it feeling redundant ( if that makes sense ) when you have several romanced going on? And then once you’ve written several series- how do you make sure the romance doesn’t feel the same for pairings you’ve already written? Ps I can’t wait for Witchlight!

First off, thanks, DD! I really hope you enjoy Witchlight—and that you are satisfied by the romantic resolutions therein. 😉

I am now going to do my best to articulate what is largely a very intuitive process: how I build my romances.

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This beautiful Aeduan and Iseult art (from a scene in Bloodwitch) is by Melie Scribbles.

I Love Love

I would be lying if I didn’t admit right off the bat that a huge driving force behind my books are the “romantic cookies.”

You may recall that my term cookie scenes refers to scenes that first spark you to write the story. They’re the beats and interactions you’re aiming for because you’re just so excited to write them.

For me, a lot of the cookies are romantic. These might be tense moments between characters where they don’t yet realize they have feelings for each other. Or first kisses. Or passionate reunions.

Or, since I write a lot of “high-octane fantasy,” I also love a chase or fight scene featuring my romantic duo. (Bonus points for scenes that force them to feel big things about the person they’re with.)

Examples of romantic and “epic” cookies from the Witchlands:

• Aeduan, a Bloodwitch, hunts Iseult through Veñaza City. He realizes he can’t sense her blood, and she—a Threadwitch—realizes she can’t see his Threads.

• Aeduan leaps into a river to save Iseult after she jumps in to avoid raiders trying to kill her. He doesn’t have to save her…but he does.

• Iseult does this REALLY EPIC THING in Bloodwitch I don’t want to spoil to protect Aeduan. It involves ice, an Origin Well, and her magic.

Each of those cookies came to me long before I ever got to write them—and so it was such a joy when I finally reached them (sometimes many books in!).

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Often, however, the romantic cookies are less “individual moment” and more “get these characters together as often as possible.” So for example, when I first wrote The Executioners Three in 2018, I just knew Theo and Freddie needed to be in each other’s company more, more, more.

They’re from rival schools, and they’re each leaders of their school prank squads. They realize they’ve met their match in each other right away…

And then, they are forced to kiss pretty early in the book.

I wanted that early “first kiss” because I wanted physical attraction to force them to look past their You are the enemy! instincts.

I won’t spoil how it happens. (You can still read the Wattpad version for now!) But suffice it to say that because any interaction between Freddie and Theo was a cookie for me, I made sure to include plenty of them.

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I Love a Payoff

One of the most important things for me as a storyteller is the sense of an “earned payoff.”

It’s not satisfying if a character gets the key to a locked door right when they need it. Instead, it’s more satisfying if the character found that key six chapters earlier, dismissed it, and now remembers the key just in time to unlock the door and save the day.

I feel this way about any story element: character arcs and growth must be earned. Plot twists must be planted early. Girst kisses/intimate moments must come because there is too much tension for any alternative but release.