Crafting the Ideal Love Interest

Introduction

Crafting the ‘perfect’ love interest is an essential part of crafting an engaging romance story. But ‘perfect’ doesn’t mean flawless— it means crafting one that is compelling, realistic and complementary to your protagonist.

Dos and Don’ts

Do: Give Complexity To Your Love Interest

Your love interest should be fully realized as their own person. Give them a distinct personality, backstory, flaws, and life goals. They should be as multidimensional and engaging as your protagonist, with a story that feels equally vital to the narrative.

You can learn how to create a more multidimensional character by reading my other article: Creating Multi-Dimensional Characters.

Do: Develop Chemistry Between Your Characters

Chemistry with your main character is also important to keep in mind while crafting your love interest. You want their developing relationship to feel natural and believable, not forced for the context of the story that you’re writing.

You can learn how to create better chemistry between your characters by reading my other article: Developing Chemistry Between Your Characters.

Do: Make Your Love Interest Relatable

The love interest should feel relatable to the reader. If characters lack relatability, it’s easy for readers to lose interest in the story. Since no one is truly “perfect,” your characters shouldn’t be either. To make them more authentic and believable, take the time to list their flaws, quirks, and the unique traits that set them apart. These imperfections will not only add depth to the character but also help readers connect with them.

Don’t: Make Your Love Interest Flawlessly Perfect

People aren’t perfect, so neither should your characters. Making “flawless” characters makes them boring and unrelatable. Make sure that your love interest feels “human”, even if they aren’t human as a species.

Don’t: Use Overused Tropes and Stereotypes

Using too many common tropes and stereotypes is a quick way to get a reader to become uninterested in the character, or even the story. Cliche after cliche without having something different as an interest point gets old. So making sure that your character is flawed in an interesting way is a great way to make more readers become interested in the love interest as their own character and not just a plot device for your protagonist.

Conclusion

Creating the ideal love interest is about more than just pairing your protagonist with someone attractive or charming. It requires crafting a character who feels as alive and layered as the protagonist themselves, with their own struggles, aspirations, and quirks. By focusing on complexity, relatability, and genuine chemistry—while avoiding overused tropes and perfection—you can create a love interest who enriches the story and resonates with readers. Remember, the best love interests don’t just support the protagonist’s journey—they embark on one of their own, making your romance all the more engaging and memorable.