During When Words Collide Calgary 2017, I took a workshop on writing relationships for YA readers. I toyed with a few of my characters from an Adult Fantasy piece I have been working on. These scenes do not occur in the original work. This is just me practicing some skills.
So romance is defined as the feeling of excitement and mystery related to love. In the scene, I try to show this intimacy and excitement without using trigger words like love, like, etc.
Romance
Ashta hit harder.
Ceerie didn’t even blink. It had been almost an hour training in the courtyard. Yet Ceerie hadn’t even broken a sweat.
“You’re standing wrong,” she said, smiling. She was only playful when the others weren’t around.
She walked around Ashta and moved her body, her hands wisping over Ashta’s arm.
Ashta shivered but dared not look onto the other girl’s eyes.
“Like this,” she whispered into Ashta’s ear. They stood still for a moment, arms locked.
A giggle. The other girls were arriving. Ceerie stepped back.
Morena Stamm 
