TeenageTells- Love Writing

Valentine’s Day is coming up this weekend, so I thought I’d talk about love ❤️

Now, I don't write very much romance, so I'm focusing on love between friends. For the girls, this is Galentine's. But I'm also thinking about loving yourself and being your own Valentine, because you are enough on your own.

Don't worry, this post is nice and quick, and not too lovey-dovey.

So, how do you write a friendship with chemistry?

The best way to do this, is to have them complete each other. For example, character A is loud and confident, meanwhile character B is quiet and thoughtful. This is more surface-level, but a good example. They have certain traits that help them work well together. Opposites attract, as they say.

But let them fight. The most realistic friendships, romances or any relationship includes fights, because we are all human. Getting over the fight and having this moment of almost a renewed relationship is so satisfying to the readers, and shows the true strength. Metaphor time! Every chemical reaction contains an explosion so that something new can be created.

Ok, so how is self-love possible in a book? I'm not writing non-fiction, or anything sloppy.

Many characters have to learn to love themselves, like most people, because society crushes their self-worth until they feel lonely and heartbroken. Within your story's character arc, you could include growing into their own, because this is what a lot of arcs are anyway. Learning you don't need to satisfy everyone else around you? Self-love. Appreciating small successes? Self-love. Understanding you are your own person and don't have to blend into the crowd? You guessed it, self-love.

It doesn't even have to be a clear realisation. Slowly accepting compliments given to them throughout the book is learning to love themself. So can breaking free of their comfort zone and saving the world be self-love. Promoting self-love in any of these forms also connects readers to your characters. A reader looks for themselves in a character, even if they don't look for it, and seeing this self-love, especially if they don't always feel it, can be really beneficial. And, if you're looking for readers to return for the next part of the series, or the new project, this is a really good and healthy way.

That's it for this week! Nice and quick, as promised. Now, write some love, live it yourself or have a self-care day this Valentine's. Remember to like, comment, etc, so that other writers can find TeenageTales and show it the love you do. See you next time!