Well then, I'll try and think of some things. Thank you Andrew for throwing me under the bus. XP
This is actually a topic I'll admit I don't think I understand very well. I secretly love romances in stories more than I'll admit to most people (you guys aren't most people), but I haven't had much success with relationships myself. So...
I suppose for me, a romance makes a good subplot. I don't really like seeing a romance as the main plot of a story because romances typically end one of two ways: they get together or they don't. Kind of predictable. That said, I enjoy romances for many reasons. For one, we as humans are relational by nature and romantic love is a very relatable, almost universal experience. Seeing a character fall in love is one way we get a glimpse of their humanity. Romances can show more vulnerable sides of characters and can serve to create character depth.
I do believe, however, that a romance should not exist just for the sake of itself (much like many other things in writing). It should fit within the larger scheme of the story. Say what you will about Terry Goodkind, but one of the things I thought he did well with the romance in Wizard's First Rule was that it tied directly into the story's plot and, in particular, the magic system. It was relevant to the story on multiple levels.
When it comes to writing romances, here's something to watch out for: don't create characters whose only purpose in the story is to romance the protagonist! This is actually a mistake I've made in past stories that I've tried to create. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I would often introduce a character (typically female, because most of my protagonists were male) and my sole motivation for them would be to have them fall in love with the hero. It's a tired trope and one that doesn't reflect real life.
In a relationship, your significant other does not exist solely to be your significant other. Likewise, love interests are not robots. They are full fledged characters. They're people. They have goals, desires, and motivations, some of which might not align with those of the person they love. Relationships aren't just about agreement and mutuality - they're just as often about conflict and struggle. They're dynamic.
Don't just think about reasons why the characters involved in your romance are good together. Think about what's going to create problems for them as well.
So yeah. That's about the best I've got. 
On a, uh... final note: I'm the kind of person who tends to shy away from discussions on sex. But I do feel that having a sexual component to a romance can definitely enrich a story. I don't like sex in stories for the sake of gratification, though. That's just cheap. Sex works best when it serves a higher purpose like character development. It's not the act of it that's significant to me. It's about who the participants are and the depth of their relationship.
Okay... I'm going to stop talking now... >.>
Well then, I'll try and think of some things. Thank you Andrew for throwing me under the bus. XP
This is actually a topic I'll admit I don't think I understand very well. I secretly love romances in stories more than I'll admit to most people (you guys aren't most people), but I haven't had much success with relationships myself. So...
I suppose for me, a romance makes a good subplot. I don't really like seeing a romance as the main plot of a story because romances typically end one of two ways: they get together or they don't. Kind of predictable. That said, I enjoy romances for many reasons. For one, we as humans are relational by nature and romantic love is a very relatable, almost universal experience. Seeing a character fall in love is one way we get a glimpse of their humanity. Romances can show more vulnerable sides of characters and can serve to create character depth.
I do believe, however, that a romance should not exist just for the sake of itself (much like many other things in writing). It should fit within the larger scheme of the story. Say what you will about Terry Goodkind, but one of the things I thought he did well with the romance in Wizard's First Rule was that it tied directly into the story's plot and, in particular, the magic system. It was relevant to the story on multiple levels.
When it comes to writing romances, here's something to watch out for: don't create characters whose only purpose in the story is to romance the protagonist! This is actually a mistake I've made in past stories that I've tried to create. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I would often introduce a character (typically female, because most of my protagonists were male) and my sole motivation for them would be to have them fall in love with the hero. It's a tired trope and one that doesn't reflect real life.
In a relationship, your significant other does not exist solely to be your significant other. Likewise, love interests are not robots. They are full fledged characters. They're people. They have goals, desires, and motivations, some of which might not align with those of the person they love. Relationships aren't just about agreement and mutuality - they're just as often about conflict and struggle. They're dynamic.
Don't just think about reasons why the characters involved in your romance are good together. Think about what's going to create problems for them as well.
So yeah. That's about the best I've got.
On a, uh... final note: I'm the kind of person who tends to shy away from discussions on sex. But I do feel that having a sexual component to a romance can definitely enrich a story. I don't like sex in stories for the sake of gratification, though. That's just cheap. Sex works best when it serves a higher purpose like character development. It's not the act of it that's significant to me. It's about who the participants are and the depth of their relationship.
Okay... I'm going to stop talking now... >.>
