Stuck Romance, or "How to Fall in Love Under One Space"
Imagine: you've just managed to secure a wonderful vacation after months and months of hard work, but due to a mistake at your campsite, you're forced to share your five-star bungalow with a random tourist. You just became the main character of a stuck romance.
What is a "stuck romance"?
"Stuck romance" is also known as the "forced proximity" trope, where the main characters are forced to share something or find themselves in unpleasant situations, whether they like it or not. They are often business rivals, exes, your neighbors, or complete strangers.
The situations can vary, from teamwork to a friendly remark on the highway, from an apartment to a hotel room, from a trip to an office, from a plane to a rented car... but with the same goal: to trigger the hidden chemistry and make them fall in love.
An example of a "stuck romance" is The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, an enemies-to-lovers where the main characters are forced to share an office.
How can you develop a good "stuck romance"?
The first, and most important, step is to build friendship between the characters. Forced closeness isn't always welcome, and first impressions aren't conducive to coexistence. To best build it, try some creative activities.
- Truth or dare, board games, or a recipe book. There's no specific age; it's enough to get to know your roommate.
- Debates about your favorite movies, books, and TV series. Even if they're different, they can be an incentive to discover something new!
- Mutual help. Whether it's a household chore, schoolwork, or a work assignment.
Every activity, even a coffee break, is crucial to build empathy between the characters. It's the key to igniting chemistry, but not immediately. Use all the time you have available (days, weeks, months) to create moments of pure intimacy, where the protagonists can show their emotions, weaknesses and positive vibes.
Tell your characters' pasts, their darkest moments, or create a situation where they reveal their greatest fears. It establishes moments of deep discussion, creating a strong and mature bond that can grow together with love. Never use the emotional manipulation card.
Two different personalities are always bound to clash, especially in a negative way, and if there is no friendship and empathy, the tension ends up hindering you from your goal. To ensure that the plot unfolds as realistically as possible, tension between the protagonists must be built on the emotions of both, depending on the context they are.
Tension can lead to embarrassment, hatred, or even spicy (Note: always contextualize, never overwhelm the plot!) and it's an excellent ally for triggering your characters' chemistry.
What tropes can I pair with this subgenre?
You can match any trope to your stuck romance, but we'll list the most popular ones.
Enemies to Lovers → Your worst enemy can become your best friend, if you put aside resentment.
Second Chance → It's never too late to rekindle that old flame, especially if you're in the same room.
Marriage of Convenience → Even if he's not the Prince Charming you dreamed of as a child, the spark can still fly.
Mutual Pining → Forced proximity has allowed you to get closer to your crush and even if you know it might not be mutual, this is your chance!
Forbidden Love → Whether it was a coincidence or not, a stressful room or situation can break down any social barrier.
Age Gap → Love has no age, even if you're stucked in an elevator.
Now's your time: grab your pen, choose your incipit, and write your next stuck romance!
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Tips Corner
Non-FictionThis is where we talk about writing romance. Everyone is welcome! Tips Corner is an interactive learning format rather than teaching. We all love to read or write romance and whether we realise it or not, are experts and have ideas to offer. There...
