Adding Romance

One part of character development is the romance angle. Let's face it, a story is always a little more exciting when there's a bit of romance involved. Do you agree or disagree?

And do we handle this differently in fantasy?

Of course, it depends on what age you are writing for and the audience you're aiming at. But I have a suspicion even boys don't mind romance if it's handled properly. I'm writing YA fantasy and I do have a love interest for Akeela. I've had to tread carefully, though, showing their attraction to each other. I want it to be real, but I don't want to stray too far.

My friend, MaryAnn Diorio, is talking about romance right now on her blog, The Write Power (the link is to the right on my blog list,) and she's breaking it down nicely. Check it out.

But let's talk fantasy romance here. If you've included it, how are you handling it? And don't worry if you don't have romance. It's not necessary for every story. But I'd like to hear from you anyway, because you've probably read books with romance in them. How do you feel about adding romance to fantasy?