There’s lots of talk about love this time of year and so today we’re looking at 5 different types of love in stories.
That’s right, because love doesn’t come one-size-fits-all greeting-card type format.
There are a million different ways to give, receive, experience, and feel love. All of these experiences and expressions of love can be super powerful and emotional. This is true of real life and it should be reflected in our stories as well!
This is just a quick skim through 5 different types of love in stories but feel free to chime in below with any I may have missed!
5 Types of Love in Stories
1. Romantic Love
The most obvious answer two days before Valentine’s Day, I know.
Romantic love not only has its own story genre but there are several different romantic themes/tropes commonly seen within it.
We have:
- Friends to Lovers
- Slow Burn
- Fated Mates/Soul Mates
- Arranged Marriage
- Secret Baby
- Secret Billionaire
- Second Chance
- Forbidden Love
- Fake Relationship
- Forced Together
…as well as probably many more!
2. Love for Family
This doesn’t always receive the spotlight of romantic love, but it is just as powerful a force if not more so.
Families take a lot of different shapes and may include both biological and non-biological members. All of these members can have various degrees of love, responsibilities, and emotional histories with one another.
Examples of powerful themes here are a parent’s love for their child, siblings caring for one another, sacrificing for family, and making your family proud.
3. Love for Friends
Love between friends is a big deal and shouldn’t be overlooked. These are people you aren’t “stuck with” like family- these are people you choose to keep in your life and who have chosen you back.
With our culture’s focus on romantic love, sometimes friendship is seen as lesser or just a means to have fun until you find your romantic partner. But it is so much more than that- with friends being the “found family” we make along the way.
4. Love for _____________ (fill in the blank)
We have a lot of love to give and it’s not always tied to a specific person!
Various objects of our affection can include:
- Pets
- Country/Community
- Nature
- Home
- Job
- Money
- Sports
- ….You fill in the blank!
5. Love for Fictional Characters
By Sarah Andersen of Sarah’s Scribbles
We’ve all probably been a bit in love with a fictional character at some point 😉
Not sure whether this is a theme found much in stories themselves but I couldn’t resist including it anyway!
No matter what form our love takes, it can be a powerful force in our lives. And our characters and stories should reflect that complexity and depth!
What kinds of love really resonates with you? What aspects of love have you included in your stories?
