I posted this last year, but it’s worth repeating: How do we characterize love in your writing?

Because, if you’re a writer, you must. It doesn’t have to be sex but it has to take readers that direction, right to the edge of the cliff. Yes, you can leave the lurid details out, but let readers peek over the edge.

How do you do that? Start with a few decisions:

• Is it platonic?
• Is it unrequited?
• Is there conflict?
• Is it lust disguised as love?
• Is it serial love? Or one-of-a-kind?
• Is it kinky or traditional?
• Does love bring joy or sadness–or misery?
• Is the manifestation of love baby-ish or mature–goo-goo eyes and saccharin words or Paris vacations?
• Is love verbal or silent?
• Is this love constructive or destructive? Flowery or brutal?
• what part does the spiritual play in the emotion–or is it uninvolved?
• Is it a subplot or a…