New profile picture. New me. Anyways.
Let's face it: humans are pretty amazing.
I once read this book about a man who returned from WWII, sent letters to every girl from his hometown asking them if they were single and ready to mingle and tingle with his pringle, if you catch my jingle. In the book, there were these letters, and I thought they were odd because they had typos and weren't really phrased very romantically. Then, I read the author's notes.
The letters were real letters. That man was a real man who actually sent those letters to all those ladies. And one of those ladies did accept, and the author of the whole book was their grandchild.
My heart, man. My heart.
There are amazing love stories everywhere. My aunty ran into her childhood sweetheart after fifteen years, and they rekindled their love and got married. My neighbour had a dream about a man she had never met, saw him at a supermarket, and they fell in love after a few months. My friend had a car accident, got out of the car to yell at the guy who rear-ended her, thought he was cute (but still yelled at him), and now they've been dating for three months.
And then there's me and the love of my life, who I had to buy for $5 at a waterpark.
Yes, the love of my life is a bucket of cotton candy.
Moving on.
After reading and reviewing lots of books, I've realised that there are some really popular love interest tropes! Let's go through them and have some fun! Let me know which ones you love, which ones you hate, and if you know any books that fit the trope, let me know because I'm always looking for fresh reads!
In advance, I would like to apologise for the titles.
THE BROODING BAD BOY.
I mean, we're on Wattpad. It makes sense to start with this one.
I did a whole chapter on this guy. He is sexy, badass, and mysterious. He sits at the back of the classroom, and says absolutely nothing. His father is probably rich, famous, or dead. Or part of a mafia industry. He is cold, rude, and no one is able to reach his heart...
Until the protagonist comes along. And, because she's oh, so special, suddenly his guard is lowered. He shows his caring side. He shows his thoughtfulness. He shows his abs.
To be honest, I'm considering becoming one of these bad boys to see the hype. Yes, I identify as a girl, but still. I'm going to buy a leather jacket, get some tattoos, and start glaring at everyone who walks past me. I'll let y'all know how it goes.
THE SOB STORY SOLDIER.
This one is usually found in historical fictions, but also... a very specific range of them. But go with me here!
She is at a bar. He is there. They make eye contact. She flashes her wrists. It's very scandalous.
Then, just as she falls in love and he proposes...
Hitler gets rejected from art school.
War ensues. He is sent to fight for his country. And she is left, wondering if he will be alright... stealing fleeting kisses as he visits every now and then... crying over the few letters he sends.
TL;DR: don't flash your wrists to people if you think a war is about to happen!
THE BOSOM BUDDY BESTIE.
The best friend.
This is your typical best friend who, after years of laughing and having inside jokes and venting about all their other relationships to each other, they've realised that... gasp! All along, they were the ones perfect for each other! It's like You Belong With Me, by Taylor Swift, turned into a trope!
Seriously, this trope has messed up my life. Now, every time my best friend does something out of the blue for me, I panic and freak out and wonder if I'm about to marry my bosom buddy bestie.
Like. My friend once called me over to help him to cook. And I freaked out. And was like, "This isn't a date, right? Like, you're not going to try kissing me while I teach you how to cut some chicken, right?"
To which he replied, "You literally offered me cooking lessons yesterday. This was your idea."
Seriously! This trope, man. It's slowly going to ruin my life and all my friendships.
THE FUN, FORBIDDEN FUDGECAKES.
I'm trying to do some alliteration. Help me.
Anyways. The forbidden lovers. The Romeo and Juliet. The Kovu and Kiara in The Lion King rip-off of Romeo and Juliet. Because, yes, lions can also have forbidden romances.
These two shouldn't be dating. Whether it's because their family is at war, or they're both already in relationships, or they come from two completely different societies -- their attraction is just so strong that you want them to hook up anyways. We love the drama. We love the threat of execution via sword-fight.
Sometimes, this can be done in really fun ways! Like, one is the criminal, and the other is chasing them down and arresting them. Sometimes, one is a grasshopper, and the other one is a spider, and their reproductive systems just don't work together. Sometimes, it's Romeo and Juliet, but the author decided to make them zombies.
Either way, despite the romance being forbidden, we should want them to fall in love and succeed. We're all rebellions at heart, after all.
THE NOT-SINGLE, NOT-AVAILABLE, NOT-ON-THE-DAMNED-SHELF.
The protagonist should not be wanting them. They are taken! They are married! They are in a relationship!
But... the protagonist feels the spark. So does the love interest. And their partner, who is either 'not right for them' or 'a really bad person', is an obstacle they have to face. In a way, this is a forbidden romance, because having an affair with someone who is already in a relationship is... not great for the person being cheated on!
And yes, random Wattpad author who I argued with last year, if the affair is with his child's babysitter, it is still an affair. It's just even more questionable.
THE EXPIRED, EXCITING EX.
This person has backstory with the protagonist. They dated years ago, and probably broke up because one of them was not their best self, cheated, or moved countries so that their father could successfully continue to handle the mafia business using Microsoft Teams.
I don't know. Either way, they used to be an item, then they split, and now... he's returned. Looking sexier than ever. And the tension between them is immediately high, because even though she swears she is over him, is anyone really ever over their first boyfriend?
(The answer is yes. I am so over mine.)
(But also, Jake, if you're reading this... call me.)
They rekindle their love, after lots of denial and reluctance and cute outfits, and realise that, now that they've grown a bit, they fit each other more. Congratulations!
THE NUMERATOR NOTATION NERD.
This one is the really smart one. Quiet, awkward, clumsy -- usually, it's a girl. Actually, it might be pretty well-balanced. But this one is the textbook kid, who gets amazing grades, is lined up to go to Harvard and Oxford at the exact same time, and is probably too busy doing smart people things (I wouldn't know) to be in a relationship.
Then, tada! When they fall in love, they must choose between maintaining good grades, or getting Ds in all aspects of their lives. Exams and... well.
They're super cute, though, and it's always funny them work out exactly how to handle relationships.
THE PRETENDING POSER PLAY [#GONEWRONG #GONESEXUAL].
I'm gonna... I'm gonna use dialogue.
"Hey, Person A. I'm trying to get Not-Relevant-Person to fall in love with me. But I need them to get jealous. Could you pretend to date me?"
"Hey, Person B. That sounds like a great proposal. What's in it for me?"
"Chocolate. Lots of chocolate."
"I'm in."
"Cool. Quick! Not-Relevant-Person is walking past us! Make out with me!"
[a few months later]
"Hey, so you know how we were only pretending, Person A? Well..."
"We should elope."
Then, they make out, realise they are in love, and while I'm screaming at Person A to just take the chocolate and run, they have their happy ending.
THE PRETENDING POSER PLAY [#UNOREVERSE #STILLGONEWRONG #STILLGONESEXUAL].
This is really specific. I've just seen it too many times.
Person A and Person B are in love. Person B is reluctant to have their heart broken by Person A. So they pretend to date Person C. But Person C does a terrible job and Person A and B fall in love and hook up anyways.
Do better, Person C. Do better.
THE WHACKY WHIMSICAL WEIRDO.
This one is usually a girl. And, honestly, she's crazy.
I find that this sort of girl is usually written by a man, and they make her like... extremely weird. She is a wild, free spirit, who is kind of like a pixie in how quirky she is. She is prone to saying strange things that happen to be on her mind, like, "I wonder what it's like to lick an arm pit?"
And the protagonist is usually just your average guy, who is fascinated by her, and because she considers him 'lame' but 'special', she makes him a bit of a toy. She also probably has a tragic backstory that she keeps hidden behind all her crazy theories about witchcraft. In some cases, she may even disappear and the protagonist has to find her.
But, yeah, she's a wild one.
Please, miss ma'am, stop licking armpits.
THE FEMME FATALE FRUITCAKE.
I mentioned Femme Fatale in the antagonist section, but sometimes, she also fills in the love interest role.
This woman is a seductress. She's usually wearing red or black. She bites her lip in a way that is attractive. Side note: I literally spent five minutes trying to seductively bite my lip in front of a mirror and it's not working? Like... I look like a squirrel. Moo. Or whatever sound squirrels make.
Anyways, speaking of squirrels, it's easy for her to get the nuts. She's gorgeous, she's elegant, she's fierce and incredibly intelligent. She's usually present in James Bond movies, too!
THE RICH ROYAL RICECAKES. [titles hard. cakes it is.]
Fantasy or Historical Fiction. The love interest is some sort of prince/princess or king/queen or chief royal guard. Maybe all three of them, in the progression of the trilogy.
Being in love with them comes with all these societal expectations that the protagonist has to learn. Sometimes, said protagonist is just a villager. Sometimes, they're not a villager; they're also royal, just from a different family. Sometimes, in some... odd, but accurate historical fiction cases, they're literally cousins with the love interest. Um.
They're usually calm and poised. Elegant and graceful. Everything the royal family is, and the protagonist isn't.
Cue the gala/ballroom scene. Cue the dancing. Cue the love.
THE BADASS BECOMES BRAINLESS.
This one is specific to Wattpad. And it's usually the girl.
She's scary. Dangerous. She isn't afraid to speak her mind and give people pointy reckonings. She will punch you in the nose if you dare to threaten her shoelaces.
And then the guy comes along.
Suddenly, she's flustered. Blushing. No longer literate. Her eyelashes are falling out of place. Her words make no sense. She's awkward, silly, and this amuses and entices the guy.
I do agree that, when I'm flustered, I can be awkward and say some pretty stupid things. Last week, when someone delivered pizza to my house but he got the wrong house, I asked him if he needed a lift to the correct house. While he was on his motorbike.
But, sometimes, the flip from badass to brainless is just... way too painful to witness. It becomes cringe galore. Besides! Women are attractive when they are intelligent. You shouldn't need to act dumb to get a guy to like you.
THE RAGS -> REVAMPED -> RICHES.
This is Cinderella, when she meets her Prince Charming.
This is Anna, when she meets Christian Grey.
This is me, when I text my sugar daddy.
Basically, this love interest is super rich, while the protagonist is as broke as...well, a college student. This rich guy (or girl, but usually a guy) swoops in with all his helicopters and mansions and really expensive vacuum cleaners, and basically helps her out of poverty. Oh, yeah, he also helps her fall in love, too. That was... the main point. Sure.
It comes in many shapes and sizes, but basically, we have a poor protagonist and a very rich love interest. He transforms her life.
THE ONE WHO IS A COMPLETE WASTE OF SPACE IN THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE AND BASICALLY MAKES IT 100X HARDER TO SURVIVE BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST SO STUPID LIKE SERIOUSLY CARL WHY DID YOU THINK IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO GO "CHECK OUT" THE HOTEL YOU MORON--
Ahem. How unprofessional of me.
THE BIG BULKY BOSS
This trope, I find, usually has the male as the love interest, but I've seen it go both ways. This one usually is in more erotica-esque stories, but to summarise:
Protagonist gets a new job. Their boss is sexy.
Suddenly, their new job isn't the only job they're doing. If you know what I mean.
Next!
[If not a boss, a teacher.]
THE SWEET CINNAMON SCROLL AND YES THIS IS ALLITERATION BECAUSE CINNAMON IS BASICALLY SINNAMON.
This love interest is so freaking adorable.
Like, if you want this person to exist, you need to mix cinnamon, sugar, cotton candy, more sugar, pixie dust, rainbows, and the tail of a puppy dog into a pot.
They are so wholesome, so innocent, so awkward and supportive and just... you wanna squeeze them. Because, gosh, they're like a sweet child with their doe-eyes and goofy grin and thoughtfulness.
Personally, when I read stories with these people, I want to just... bite them. Like I have this urge. To just. Bite. Why are they so precious?
THE WEEPING WIDOW/WIDOWER WATERMELON.
This love interest was madly in love with someone, and then, that person passed away. It is very tragic, it is very sad, and the protagonist is convinced that they are the ones who will make this widow/widower love again.
And, because these stories usually have a happy ending, it works out!
The widow/widower wasn't necessarily married; I also see a bunch of young adult novels where the teenager lost their partner in a party accident gone sour, and swore never to love again... until the new girl came along, of course.
These stories, if done well, are emotional and about moving on. Letting go of the past. Embracing the present.
If not done well, then it's like... lowkey making fun of dead people. Haha, corpse of my ex-boyfriend! I moved on from you literally five minutes after meeting this other hulky bulky gulky guy! Seeya! I'll deliver roses so that the protagonist and reader feels sorry for me at some point!
THE SOUL MATES.
I couldn't do alliteration for this title. It's just too well known.
The Soul Mates.
The two who were destined to be together due to some otherworldly powers, and therefore, while they may or may not have any compatibility as people, they are drawn to each other. They fall in love. They are each others' chosen ones.
Sometimes, the magic is even discussed. Like, there's some weird chemical in both their bloods. Sometimes, the guy is drawn to a girl, but he's not actually drawn to the girl, he's drawn to the egg inside her because the baby she eventually gives birth to is his soul mate [by the way, this is the story of Twilight]. Sometimes, it's just this inexplicable feeling like... they belong.
Good on them, honestly!
Except the egg one. If someone told me they were in love with something inside my ovaries, I think I'd call the police.
THE DREAM DESTINED DIRTCAKE.
This person is someone the protagonist saw in their dreams. Like, literally. It's like the story of my neighbour: she dreamt about her husband before she had even met him.
This sometimes happens in stories, too, and while it can sometimes feel weird because dream sequences are really hard to write, it can be pretty clever.
THE NICE NORMAL NELL(IE).
I mean, this person is literally just your average Jo(anna). They are literally nothing special. They are just kind of chilling. They have flaws, dreams, quirks, but it's nothing really crazy or stereotypical. They just are a person who is well adjusted to their setting, and they're vibing.
These are so nice to read! So refreshing! Stories about a lady who falls in love with that one guy who happens to go to the same yoga class as her. Or stories about two people falling in love because they're co-workers who interact every day and are just like, "Yo. You're kinda chilling."
Like, there's nothing particularly fascinating about them. They're just cool. They're real.
THE INSTA.
I'll keep it quick. Because, insta-love is pretty quick when it comes to developing the romance.
They see each other.
They fall in love.
That's it. That's the trope.
I did a whole talk about it in my Love At First Sight chapter, if you want more information!
THE CREATURE TEACHER PREACHER
Ah, yes. The Creature Teacher Preacher.
Creature, because they're not human, while the protagonist is a human. They're either a sexy, brooding vampire, or a really interesting alien, or some sort of fae thing. Werewolves. Robots. Demigods. Whatever.
Teacher, because while they also are the love interest, they teach the mundane protagonist about the new, magical/sci-fi world.
Preacher, because I needed another rhyming word.
THE LOATHERS TO LOVERS.
This love interest hates the protagonist. The protagonist hates them back.
But, because the author is devious and cruel, they are forced to work together to save the day, or complete that biology project that we never see them properly work on, or steal from some pirates. It depends on the genre.
They hate each other. However, as they spend time together, they slowly become attracted to each other.
By the end, they're probably pressing their faces against the toilet seat after their spouse has used it, just to feel their warmth. Good on them!
THE ONE WHO IS TECHNICALLY A LOVE INTEREST BECAUSE THE AUTHOR WANTED A LOVE TRIANGLE AND NEEDED OPTIONS BUT REALLY THEY HAVE NO SUBSTANCE SO ARE THEY REALLY A LOVE INTEREST OR ARE THEY JUST AN IRRELEVANT CORNER OF THE TRIANGLE?
description of image: a love triangle consisting of me and the love of my life, my dog. on the left corner, crossed out and labelled 'irrelevant' is harry styles. i don't know why i've decided to talk in all lower caps. help.
THE OPPOSITES ATTRACT.
I also couldn't do a name for this one, because, once again, it's too popular.
In this one, the love interest is just starkly different to the protagonist in every way. One is a party animal, the other one is shy and prefers to stay at home. One prefers pencils, the other prefers pens. One likes animals, and the other regularly steps on the faces of frogs.
They're opposites. However, they're so mesmerised by the other person, that they can't help but fall in love.
THE ARRANGED AFFAIR ARMPIT.
I don't know. I needed something that started with a.
These two didn't want to get together. But, due to societal norms or family pressure or weird contracts with the mafia, they are betrothed. Now, they're married, and they know nothing about each other, and they just have to deal with it.
Aka, 68% of all weddings in my traditional Fijian side of the family.
It is a mess.
However, in stories, they usually magically turn out to be quite compatible. And they fall in love over time, with the familiarity, with the quirks, and with the marriage, too. This can sometimes be hate/love, but more often than not, it's like... "Well, this is awkward. We're now married. What's your name again?"
THE BAND BOY(S) BISCUIT.
Watermelon sugar high. -- Harry Styles
I mean, the rich and famous strikes again. But, this time, he also sings! And whether the protagonist is a fan of his music or not, they'll meet and fall in love. Cue lots of random chapters where, instead of a chapter, it's just a word vomit of song lyrics.
But, seriously, I have a question: if you had song lyrics describe your love life, what would it be?
Mine is:
Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet. [Heart Shaped Box, Nirvana]
THE TOXIC TOXIC TOXIC.
Then, we have the problematic stories. Where the love interest is so utterly horrible.
There is no respect given to the protagonist. They are controlling. Manipulating. Gaslighting. Stalking without consent. Touching without consent.
And this goes two ways:
- The protagonist lets it happen, because they're in love.
- The protagonist leaves/escapes, because they know they deserve better.
This goes to both book characters and to real life people: if one is not being treated in a way that is respectful, then it's time to get out. It's scary, yes. But it's important.
I think it's totally alright to write about toxic relationships, as long as we are encouraging our readers to know what isn't acceptable, and show them that there is a way out [or, I guess, the consequences of staying.] It's so important to show our younger readers how they deserve to be treated as people.
And, on that sombre note, let's wrap it up!
THAT WAS SUCH A LONG CHAPTER? I didn't realise there were so many. Heck, I probably missed some.
Granted, some of them definitely overlap, but hey, that's fine!
Speaking of spontaneously long chapters, next chapter will be all about pacing! So if you have any questions about that, please let me know, and I'll be sure to try answering that! Or, if you have any advice, I'd love to hear it!
Because, reminder, I'm not a professional author. I'm just trying my best! We all are!
TWO IMPORTANT NOTES:
- If you want a review, my review store on my personal account [this one] is open again! However, I'm only accepting a limited number of slots, and in less than 12 hours, 33% of that limit has already been filled. So, if you want a review, request fast, and if you know someone who wants a review, tag them in the review book so they know!
- I have all chapters planned out to Chapter 87. Meaning that, if I aim to finish this at 101, I am only going to be accepting 14 more chapter request ideas. So if there's something you want me to talk about, let me know soon!
Have a lovely day/night/afternoon/morning/nothing-because-you-live-in-a-void-with-no-time-or-space!