Let’s do this! –>
In your workbook, jot down notes and ideas about how the romantic relationship will develop between your protagonist and the love interest by answering the questions below.
| Stage 1: PHYSICAL AWARENESS / AESTHETIC ATTRACTION How will my protagonist become physically aware of the love interest? Where will they be? What will they be doing? How might they react? What will the protagonist find attractive about the love interest? Aim to come up with specific and unique characteristics that they admire. |
Stage 2: ADMIRATION OF OBVIOUS VIRTUE What positive personality traits or endearing qualities will the protagonist admire in the love interest? What situation will I put my characters in to allow the love interest to show their virtues and for the protagonist to notice them? |
Stage 3: COURTSHIP What date simulation opportunities will my characters have to exchange meaningful dialogue? What will each of my characters reveal in dialogue that lets the other character know them a little better. |
Stage 4: EMOTIONAL CONNECTION Given their backgrounds and past experiences, what will my character bond over? How will they form an emotional connection? What situation can I put the characters in to allow them to form this connection? |
Stage 5: UNCOVERING THE TRUE SELF What new things will the characters learn about each other? What admirable qualities will they uncover in each other? |
| Stage 6: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FEELINGS What happens to make the characters acknowledge their feelings for one another? How do they each react to this realisation? |
Stage 7: SURRENDER TO FEELINGS What happens to cause the protagonist to surrender to their feelings for the love interest? What action does the protagonist plan to take to help them achieve their new goal of being with the love interest? |
Stage 8: PHYSICAL INTIMACY What event leads to physical intimacy between the protaognist and love interest? What’s the nature of the physical intimacy and how will it raise the stakes for the characters? |
Stage 9: LOVERS IN SOCIETY How will the lovers “enter society”? How do people react to the characters being together or the possibility of them being together? |
Stage 10: LESSONS LEARNED What lesson does the protagonist need to learn in order to find true love and happiness? What role will the love interest play in teaching the protagonist this lesson? What is it about the relationship that contributes to the protagonist learning this lesson? |