I want you all to be attentive, because today's lesson is going to be…
Love!
That's right, this lesson is going to be about developing good love interests. The love interest is the character who, obviously, enters a romance with the hero.
First off is the character type:
Princess type- Named after the role Princess Peach had in the Super Mario Bros. game, this love interest does nothing but get kidnapped, championed by the hero, and can be a goal.
Comrade type- The love interest who fights alongside the hero.
Waiting At Home type- The loved one who is the hero's escape from the life they dislike, a reward for the end of their labors.
Protector type- The lover who is the shield of the protagonist, protecting them from danger.
Rival type- The hero's competition.
Reluctant type- A love interest who starts out disliking the hero.
Of course, the hero and lover could have a reversed role. Indeed, there are many ways to write a love interest, and I can't simply write a comprehensive list of all the different kinds. The best way of writing a love story is to create a unique love interest and hero. You can't just come up with one single best formula for a romance. And everyone has their own idea of what the best is. Be original, give us something we can enjoy for its own merits. The last piece of advice I'll give you is to not get too down about others' comments on what you've done, but be ready to make changes when someone gives you constructive criticism and keep it realistic.
Oh, right… We can't finish the lesson without an example, can we?
He was the handsomest, most mysterious boy in the class. Edward Cullen…
Shoot. That's bad…
Romeo, seeing his love, apparently dead, could do nothing but take his sword, turn it to his own heart, and—
Dammit… Not very romantic, is it?
His guard sidled over and removed her helmet. After running her fingers through her hair a few times, she lifted her chainmail shirt over her head and loosened her braces…
Wait, this is romance, not biblio erotica, right? Let's try this again.
The sweet young librarian leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. For the first time in a long, long time, Julius felt at peace. Maybe it was time to give love a chance again. Only time would tell…
I guess that's workable. Yeah, something like that. A bit of a backstory to go into there, maybe some confrontation and character development, and a somewhat unusual combination of details. Unique. Go for it.