Looking to write a cute couple? Here's some tips, and an introduction to the couples in my books :)

Writing couples that readers absolutely adore is a huge feat. To have a relationship that readers are cheering on from the sidelines and wanting to succeed at the end of the day is something to be admired. I think of stories I’ve read, where the romance had me eagerly turning the pages, giggling and squealing happily as the couple got together.

Do I know what it’s like to write the perfect couple?

No, because books are super subjective things. What one person decides is the cutest couple to ever fill the pages might be absolutely annoying to someone else. While I can’t say for everyone, I can say for me, and I think the couples featured in my books are rather cute.

So, let me introduce you to a couple couples, and tell you a bit more about the writing process that went into them.

Let me start with the couple in the book I’m currently querying (!!!).

Etienne and Charlotte’s story, as a whole, came together incredibly quickly and then incredibly slowly. As soon as I got back from a trip to France in 2019, I binge wrote their book. Ideas bubbled into mind faster than a pot full of boiling water on the stovetop … and I tried to include them all.

Originally, there were far too many scenes where this duo spent all of their time together practicing lines for their school’s rendition of Les Misérables. There weren’t nearly half as many scenes where they actually got to know one another. It fell under the ‘Instant Love’ trope, although Charlotte “didn’t have a crush on Eti”. (She so did, and the character was being ridiculously stubborn about it). This version of their relationship was incredibly shallow.

In the years' worth of edits afterwards, I polished their relationship quite a bit.

One way I did this was to better develop these characters as individuals before trying to develop them as a couple. If the characters can’t stand on their own, then that doesn’t make them fully rounded, or help their relationship come across the right way on the page either. Charlotte began as the stereotypical shy girl, but through edits gained a bit more of a voice. She’s still quite a shy girl, but there are times when she demands an answer from Eti, which allows him to open up more. He’s got secrets, and while he’s open with her about them, most of the time, tends to act impulsively and doesn’t involve others in his decision making.

In this way, they as a couple balance each other out. Charlotte gains a bit more confidence when around the outgoing, friendly Etienne. When he lets her in, Eti has someone to help him think through some things and process emotions he would otherwise hide under the guise of feeling “fine”.

These decisions, along with deciding that their whole relationship was not entirely grounded in their school play, provided an escape from the ‘Instant Love’ trope, and added a depth to their relationship that wasn’t previously there.

If you’re a writer, working on writing a swoon-worthy couple, then I highly recommend writing out all the scenes this couple could ever possibly have together within the space of the story. However messy, or silly, or not quintessential to the plot they are, just jot them down. Half the time, you won’t keep them all in when editing anyways (I know … sometimes they’re cute and you want to … but keep that as a fun little side story!). Doing this will help you better to understand the characters and their relationship with each other, even if the scenes aren’t useful to the story itself.

That’s what I did with the couple in the book I’m working on edits for right now. Although, I can’t really say which of the characters it is that end up together because this book includes a love triangle, and I don’t want to give any spoilers away.

Working with a love triangle is a difficult task. You have to balance all three of the characters incredibly well or else it comes off too one sided. Not only that, but the love triangle trope is one that readers either love or hate. If not done really well, it’s even more so.

As I’m working on edits for my summer beach thriller, I realized that my love triangle is leaning a bit too much to one side rather than being perfectly balanced. I’ve written it so that it’s clear who the girl will end up with out of the two boys and haven’t really given the other much of a fighting chance to win her affections.

Putting into practice my scenes trick has helped tremendously as I work on remedying this. Writing out every little scene each of these characters might have together, while it might seem tedious, has given me a well of reasons and ideas that fill out this love triangle better and help it to pop better on the page, rather than being far too easy for readers to figure out.

As I work on first drafts, if a romance element fits the story, then I just let it hit the page however it ought to. Characters sometimes have a mind of their own and who you think a character ought to end up with at the end of the story, might not always be the person they do end up with. It’s important to just have fun with the writing process and see where the story takes you.

Lastly, the best thing you can do to write adorable couples that leave readers satisfied, is to read about adorable couples. Think about the characters whose relationships you loved reading. And take notes as you go. There are thousands of brilliant examples – all you have to do is pick up your favorite book and dive in.

You can also watch movies too … a good Nora Ephron film is always perfect for finding cute couple inspiration.

Happy Valentine's Day!