I- I is For Interest(The Love Kind)

     Why do heroes and heroines have love interests? Well, I was originally going to say it's similar to the 'escort quests' in MMORPGs, and it's just because the developers are lazy and need more filler content to make the game more challenging, but that's not entirely true. Love interests are a great source of conflict, motivation, and filler content subplot. They can be central to the story, minor to it, or grow over the course of several books. The love interest can be a good thing or a bad thing--or a complete mystery to which it is (see Sam and Ruby from Supernatural).

     Getting your hero to fall for someone is just a matter of figuring out what he wants in a lover, and then creating a character that will actually help the plot along who conforms to that. But watch out... don't create cardboard characters just so your hero can have a damsel in distress. And please, oh please do not let the love interest ever fall prey to the 'Standard Female Grab Area'. If you do that, I will find you and force you to rewrite the scene. No one is going to cry foul if the bad guy punches the girl into unconsciousness. He's a bad guy. He does things like that.

     Getting off subject here. Love interests are a good thing to throw in the story, but don't do it unless the love interest provides a legitimate addition to the story. No cardboard lovers, sorry.