What kind of love interest does my protagonist need?

The next step in crafting the perfect love interest for your protagonist is to determine what they need in a relationship. Think about what your protagonist needs to learn and how they need to grow. It’s important to keep this in mind so that you can craft a love interest who will challenge, aid and encourage the protagonist in a way that makes the connection between them apparent.

Equally, you should also consider ways in which your protagonist might be irritated by or at odds with the love interest. Romantic conflict is an essential element to your story that you’ll explore in Step 10, but the questions below will help you think about issues that may arise between you protagonist and the love interest.

• What qualities would your protagonist find attractive in a romantic partner? → Does your protagonist have any prejudices that would blind them to those qualities in the love interest?

• What is your protagonist’s biggest fear, flaw or regret? → What kind of love interest could challenge that fear, flaw or regret? 

• What values does your protagonist hold dear? → What kind of person would share those same values?

• In what ways does your protagonist feel alone or unworthy? (Remember their misbelief!) → What kind of person would it take to show your protagonist just how loved and special they truly are?

What does your protagonist desire more than anything? → What kind of partner would help your protagonist achieve true happiness?