Quick Tips: How To Write Romantic Love
Writing romantic love is simultaneously one of the most joyful things you can do as a writer, and one of the most difficult. There’s a lot of emotion to cover – from the highs of a new relationship, to the struggles of a relationship on the rocks.
Like all of us, your characters will display love differently. Are they open and affectionate? Shy and nervous? Loud and blunt? To help you along the way, here are some examples of descriptions you can use to show (not tell) your readers that your characters are in love.
Movement
- Inching towards each other to touch
- Shyly tucking a stray hair behind the ear
- Unconsciously parting or licking lips
- Embracing with full bodies touching
- Nervously shuffling feet
- Running and reaching with open arms
- Fiddling with hair or clothing
- Crossing or uncrossing legs
- Leaning forward to show attentiveness
- A bounce in the step
- Glancing flirtily over the shoulder
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Facial expressions
- Flirtatious winking
- Smiling to themselves at nothing
- Glancing up through lowered lashes
- Unblinking eye contact
- Grinning or beaming uncontrollably
- A look of yearning
- Lips slightly parted with desire
- Dilated pupils
- Glowing cheeks or flushed skin
- Faraway, daydreaming look
- Slight, secretive smile
Sounds
- Deep sighs
- Unconscious swallowing
- Nervous coughing or throat clearing
- Light chuckle with a silly grin
- Grunts of appreciation or praise
- An inner, audibly racing pulse
- Thumping heart
- Quick, short breaths
- Low, whispered voices
- Listening to love songs
- Joyfully humming
Feelings and sensations
- Nervous tingling
- Butterflies in the stomach
- Hot and flushed face
- Hypersensitive skin
- Acute awareness of personal proximity
- Weak knees or legs turning to jelly
- Shaky hands
- Loss of speech or getting tongue-tied
- Daydreaming and absentmindedness
- Seeing the beauty in the world
- Pulse racing