How to Write a Romantic Subplot (and Why You Should Consider One for Your Story)
A romantic subplot involving two of your primary characters.
Charming, intriguing and revealing? Or an unnecessary addition that takes away from the main focus of your story?
Well… it all depends on how your romantic subplot is executed.
Why you should consider a romantic subplot for your story
You may be wondering why anybody would want to read about a blossoming relationship when they’ve chosen to read, for example, a fantasy book.
If a reader wanted a tale of star-crossed lovers they’d have picked something from the romance section, right?
Not necessarily. Romance isn’t only reserved for romantic fiction. And adding it into your story, whatever its genre, can be really exciting for your readers and super useful for you as a writer.
A romantic subplot can:
Help to humanise your characters
Allow you to show another side to your characters
Be used to create complications for your main storyline
Make your story more realistic
Be used to mirror and enhance your story’s themes
Appeal to readers who enjoy romance novels
Bring variety to your story
Help readers to feel emotionally invested in your characters
Lots of readers do enjoy romance. But they don’t always want it to be the driving force behind the stories they choose to read.
It makes sense. Romance is a big part of human existence. So adding an element of romance to your plot can make your characters feel more realistic and relatable.
I know I for one LOVE a bit of romance in the stories I pick up; a romance subplot definitely adds an extra dimension to a story, without it having to dominate the book or series.
How to write a romantic subplot
People are sometimes sniffy about romantic subplots. But that’s usually when they’ve been done badly.
Get a romantic subplot wrong and you’ll have your readers cringing and eye-rolling their way to another book and another writer.
So how do you get a romantic subplot right? Let’s take a look.
Have a clear purpose
First things first. Ask yourself whether the two characters you have in mind as romantic leads actually have chemistry. Will it make sense for a reader? Or will a romance between these two feel forced?
If the answer is the latter, then adding a romantic subplot may mean complicating your novel unnecessarily.
A romantic subplot should be there to help develop character and plot.
It should raise or decrease the stakes. Or make your characters more relatable. Or expand a reader's understanding of the characters.
Basically, it has to have a clear purpose.
If you’re simply including a romantic subplot to tick a box, it might be worth giving it a miss or going back to the drawing board.
Pace yourself
When writing a romantic subplot into your novel, you have to build it up gradually.
This helps you to avoid the storyline becoming too intense, too quickly.
It also bases the romance in reality. People rarely, if ever, fall head over heels in love with each other at first glance. So if you want your romance to feel real, you can’t rush it.
To avoid your romantic subplot coming out of the blue, give an early indication that there is (or will be) chemistry between two characters, way before your loved-up pair actually get together.
This gives your readers plenty of time to anticipate a future romance - and the opportunity to root for these characters and their relationship.
If you’re anything like me, a slow burn romantic subplot is definitely where it’s at! Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series, renowned for its slow burner romantic subplots, is a particular favourite.
Darkfever is the first book in Moning’s urban fantasy series.
The main plot explores how the life of a once ordinary, 21st century woman, Mac, gets turned on its head after the murder of her sister.
But, early on in the book, Moning also depicts the beginnings of a relationship between Mac and Barrons, a relationship we get to see more of as the story unfolds.
Utilise popular romance tropes
Not quite sure how to execute a romantic subplot in your non-romance book? Then you may find inspiration by taking a look at the most popular romance tropes. They're popular for a reason!
Will your romantic subplot involve a meet cute? Will your characters be embroiled in a love triangle? Or will you go with an enemies-to-lovers storyline?
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne is a prime example of an enemies-to-lovers story.
Thorne gives readers an insight into the rising tension between Lucy and Josh, before transforming that tension into passion.
One word of warning. A romance feels too predictable if your subplot follows a trope to the letter. You need to subvert reader expectations just enough to keep them guessing.
Develop your characters’ dynamic
As I mentioned earlier, pacing is incredibly important when writing a romantic subplot. You have to develop your characters’ dynamic over many chapters, not a handful of pages.
So how do you ramp up the romance gradually and show a couple’s changing feelings towards one another?
Moments of physical contact and eye contact are useful. Plot events where the couple support or impress one another can be used to move the relationship along.
Dialogue is also key.
Whether your pair are bickering or enjoying deep and meaningful conversations, realistic dialogue helps you to show their relationship evolving.
But this is a writing skill that can be difficult to get right. If you’re struggling, take a look at my handy guide to writing dialogue, which explains the best way to incorporate dialogue into your novel.
Avoid cliché and perfection
The course of true love never did run smooth.
Which means the relationship in your romantic subplot should face problems. There should be misunderstandings, conflict and complications for your couple to overcome.
This helps you to paint a realistic relationship that your readers can relate to. And it allows you to explore your characters - and their humanising flaws - in more detail too.
Real life relationships aren’t clichéd perfection. So fictional ones shouldn’t be either.
Avoid going off track
It’s easy to get carried away with the excitement of writing a romantic subplot. But don’t let it sway your novel in the wrong direction.
Your romantic subplot is there to add depth to your story. But it shouldn’t become your entire focus.
Generally speaking, the story arc of your romantic subplot should reach its resolution before the main plot comes to an end.
Science fiction and fantasy books with romance subplots
Sometimes, the best way to learn how to write a romantic subplot in your story is to look at critically acclaimed and well-loved examples of them done well. Below, I've shared a few examples of popular science fiction and fantasy books and series with well-loved and well-written romance subplots.
While more renowned for his epic worldbuilding, hard magic systems, action scenes and intricate plotlines, Brandon Sanderson, one of the most prolific writer's in the SFF genre, incorporates a romantic subplot into almost all of his stories (I'm saying almost because I haven't read them all - but in all of those I've read, he has). With every new book he publishes, his improvement in how he writes romantic subplots is evident, and it's clear to see how valuable he finds it in crafting an engaging story. Skyward and The Final Empire are both great examples of this.
On the less rosy side is Joe Abercrombie, who is hailed as the new king of grimdark fantasy writing. While his romances may not end in happily ever after (or maybe they do, no spoilers!), there's no denying that he knows how to write a fantastic romantic subplot. I'd highly recommend his First Law Trilogy, and in particular the second instalment, Before They Are Hanged.
Evan Winter's The Rage of Dragons incorporates a friends to lovers romance subplot which breaks up the fast-paced action and adds a completely different dimension to the high fantasy story, as well as ramping up the stakes of the story.
For a sweeter and lighter romance that definitely takes somewhat of a backseat in the story, but adds an extra depth and something special, I'd highly recommend the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman, and for one that takes more of a front seat, but makes you feel all warm inside, check out Stardust by Neil Gaiman.
And then there's Leigh Bardugo, who manages to incorporate some of the most well-loved couple and pairing in YA fantasy. Her books tend to feature excellently executed romantic subplots, including her Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology.
In-depth guidance on writing a romantic subplot
Writing a romantic subplot can be great fun, so don’t be put off by what could go wrong. However, ultimately, a romantic subplot is not an obligatory feature of a novel, so if it doesn't feel right for you or your story, don't stress.
If you’re an author looking for guidance on writing a romantic subplot, or not quite sure whether you're getting it right, I offer a manuscript assessment service in which I offer feedback on all of the larger elements of your story, including the execution of your romantic subplot.
And that's all from me. Until the next time,
Candida x
