Emotion: Love

When you want to write the emotion love, it's important to "show" the emotion your character is experiencing through their physical reactions and dialogue, rather than "tell" it. In this article we provide you with inspiration so you can avoid show; don't tell and immerse your readers in your story.

Love is a complex emotion that can take many forms, including romantic love, platonic love, familial love, and self-love. At its core, love involves a deep sense of affection, caring, and connection towards another person, thing, or even a concept. It often involves feelings of warmth, happiness, and a desire to be close to the object of one's affection. Love can also entail feelings of vulnerability, sacrifice, and a willingness to put the needs and desires of the loved one before one's own.

Different Types of Love

Here are some different types of love:

• Romantic love
• Familial love
• Platonic love
• Self-love
• Unrequited love
• Obsessive love
• Long-distance love
• Forbidden love
• Lost love

Situations Associated with Love

Here are some situations where a character might experience the emotion of love:

• Meeting someone who they find physically and emotionally attractive
• Spending time with someone and developing a strong connection
• Sharing intimate moments with someone
• Being vulnerable with someone and feeling accepted
• Feeling a sense of safety and security with someone
• Going through challenging times with someone and coming out stronger together
• Having similar interests and values as someone
• Feeling a sense of excitement and joy when around someone
• Seeing positive qualities and traits in someone that they admire and respect

Physical Reactions to Love

Here are some physical reactions a character experiencing love might have:

• Dilated pupils and eye contact
• Flushed cheeks and warm skin
• Increased heart rate and shallow breathing
• Sweaty palms and butterflies in the stomach
• Smiling and blushing
• Nervousness and fidgeting
• Desire to be close to the loved one
• Affectionate gestures and physical touch
• Protective and possessive behavior
• Daydreaming and distraction

Thoughts Associated with Love

Here are some thoughts a character experiencing love might have:

• My heart skips a beat every time I see them
• I can't stop thinking about them, even when I'm supposed to be focused on something else
• I feel a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest whenever I'm around them
• I want to be near them all the time, just to soak up their presence
• I feel a deep sense of connection to them, like we were meant to be together
• I would do anything to make them happy, even if it means sacrificing my own desires
• Their flaws and imperfections only make me love them more
• I feel a sense of comfort and safety when I'm with them
• I can't imagine my life without them in it

Atmosphere of Love

Here are some ways that you might reflect the emotion of love in the atmosphere of your scene:

• Use warm and inviting colors such as red, pink, and gold to evoke feelings of passion and romance.
• Create a cozy and intimate setting, like a candlelit dinner or a private beach at sunset, to emphasize the closeness and connection between the characters.
• Incorporate sensory details such as the scent of flowers, the sound of soft music, or the taste of a delicious meal to heighten the characters' experiences and emotions.
• Use nature to reflect the characters' feelings, such as a beautiful sunset or a field of blooming flowers.
• Show the characters engaging in romantic gestures, such as holding hands or gazing into each other's eyes, to demonstrate their affection and connection.
• Use language that is poetic and romantic to describe the characters' emotions and actions, such as comparing their love to a rose or a sunset.

Verbs Associated with Love

Here are some verbs commonly associated with the emotion of love:

• Adore
• Cherish
• Worship
• Covet
• Treasure
• Crave
• Yearn
• Embrace
• Devote
• Enamor
• Esteem
• Honor
• Idolize
• Prize
• Revere
• Romance
• Smitten
• Value
• Long for

Emotions Before Love

Here are some emotions that may come before a character experiences love:

• Attraction
• Interest
• Infatuation
• Admiration
• Respect
• Trust
• Comfort
• Fondness
• Affection

Emotions After Love

Here are some emotions that may come after a character experiences love:

• Happiness
• Contentment
• Fulfillment
• Security
• Trust
• Devotion
• Admiration
• Gratitude
• Empathy

Telling Love Examples to Avoid

Here are some examples of telling the emotion love in a sentence. You should avoid things like this:

• She loved him deeply.
• He felt a strong love for her.
• They were both filled with love for each other.
• She knew she loved him more than anything.
• He couldn't deny the love he felt for her.
• Their love was undeniable.
• She was overwhelmed with love for him.
• He had never felt a love like this before.
• They shared a love that would last forever.

Practical Examples of Showing Love

Here are some examples of showing love in a sentence:

• She traced his jawline with her finger, savoring the warmth of his skin.
• His laughter filled the room, making her heart swell with happiness.
• She caught his eye and felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
• He reached for her hand and held it tightly, as if he never wanted to let go.

Exercises for Showing Love

Here are some writing exercises to practice showing love:

• Start with a character profile: Develop a detailed profile of your character to understand their background, personality, motivations, and relationships. Use this as a basis to explore how love might manifest in their life.
• Think about past experiences: Consider how your character has experienced love in the past and how it has shaped them. Use this as a starting point to delve deeper into their current emotions.
• Write from multiple perspectives: Write a scene from the perspective of your character's love interest, their best friend, or a family member to get a different perspective on how your character shows love.
• Use sensory details: Think about how love feels physically and emotionally. Use sensory details such as touch, smell, taste, and sound to evoke the feeling of love in your writing.
• Show, don't tell: Avoid telling the reader that your character loves someone. Instead, show their love through their actions, thoughts, and dialogue.
• Explore different types of love: Love can take many forms, including romantic love, familial love, and platonic love. Consider how your character shows love in each of these contexts.
• Use metaphor and symbolism: Use metaphor and symbolism to convey the depth and complexity of your character's love. For example, you might use the image of a flower to represent the growth and beauty of their love.

Want more help with showing emotion instead of telling? You find more help in our full list of emotions.