Ah, yes. Love at first sight. The thing that most of us probably believed in until we joined Wattpad.

And, you know what? I have a really, really controversial opinion on it.

I like it.

That's right! You heard it! Throw the tomatoes! Unfollow me (you're probably not even following me, anyways!)! Dishonour on me, dishonour on my family, dishonour on my cow! Stick a carrot up my--

... Oh no. We're back to farms already.

But yes. I like love at first sight.

Some people say it's unrealistic. But, you know what? So are dragons. And the ability to shoot earthworms out of your hands. I was going to say mermaids, but fun fact about me: I think mermaids are real. We haven't discovered, like, 90% of the ocean. I'm not saying they can sing and be pretty and have a friend named Flounder, but I'm convinced they're real.

Similarly, I'm actually convinced that love at first sight is kind of real.

Yep. I said it. Someone call the cops.

For once, I'm not going to launch into the literature straight away. I'm going to talk about real-life. And yes, this might get weird.

Not all of us, but some of us have probably been minding our own business, procrastinating writing reviews, juggling golf balls, and so on. Then, someone walks along.

It's not like the movies. Time doesn't necessarily stop. But you do pause for a second, take them in, and, if you're anything like me, your brain goes:

Well. They're cute.

And yes, maybe if you do talk to them, you are a bit flustered. Maybe you can see it in them, too -- they're a bit flustered by you. You talk to them. There is an instant click. When you eventually walk away (maybe with their number if you're lucky, or their PO Box if you're old-fashioned), you can't help it. Your cheeks feel flushed. You're smiling. You're replaying the moment in your head, cringing at how awkward you were, or silently congratulating yourself for already finding the poor person's social media platform for stalking.

I swear. It happens!

Time doesn't slow. Your heart doesn't necessarily pound like, as some Wattpadians put it, a bird in a cage (I see it all the time, but I don't get it? Birds don't pound-- oh).

But people do feel attraction towards people. Sometimes, it's mutual.

And sometimes, it's considered love at first sight.

Now, now, now, I know what you're thinking. Love is a very strong word to replace 'attraction'. I agree -- I think love is a very strong word that is often poorly used. For me, love involves commitment, intimacy and passion, and that's not something that can be instantly decided and sealed within minutes of meeting someone. However, at the end of the day, I think 'love at first sight' is a lot easier to type than 'attraction at first sight'.

What I'm saying is that I have no problems with love at first sight/attraction at first sight/pounding birds at first sight.

But it does need to have, to an extent,

Let's say that you disagree with everything that I've said so far (which is totally fine -- everyone is entitled to their own opinion), and you think love at first sight is totally, completely unrealistic.

So is the ability to shoot chicken nuggets out of your eyeballs. And the ability to stop time. But that doesn't stop authors from writing about superpowers, and when they are included in the stories, there is a layer of realism added to them that makes the reader go... well, they could be real.

In most stories I read, there is a certain amount of magic that characters can use before they feel exhausted. In some stories, the magic comes at a cost -- in The Sea Thief, I have one where, whenever a Selkie uses magic, they become uglier (which sounds silly, but Selkies literally lure fishermen into the seas using their beauty -- it's kind of their purpose).

So, with love at first sight, it needs to be realistic.

With that extremely long introduction done, here is my take on how to write love at first sight if that's where you want your story to go. These are all based on what I've taken notes on as a reviewer; sometimes I like love at first sight in Wattpad books, but not always. After a hunt and analysis of my past reviews, I think I've pinpointed the reasons why I don't always like them.

Also, wait, by the way, I feel like I should mention: I'm actually not that into love at first sight. I'm a slow-build kind of girl. Or the friendship turned romance. Or the "I want to rip your eyeballs out" turned into "I still want to rip your eyeballs out but also, you're kind of cute."

Anyways! Gosh. Quarantine has made me a hopeless romantic. Onto the list!

First of all, we've already decided that love at first sight is mostly attraction at first sight. So your character should not change personality upon meeting someone who makes her hoo-ha a little excited.

It's the most frustrating thing in the world, honestly, when I read this:

Badass, kickass female protagonist. Takes no crap from anyone. Strong, sassy, tough.

Boy walks in.

She's clumsy. Giggling. Overwhelmingly flustered. Cannot compose a single sentence.

Boy walks out.

Back to be a sarcastic, kickass girl who will threaten people with her sword for teasing her.

Sweetie, get out of here. I'm not tolerating a complete shift in who you are.

Why would we care about a romance if we don't give a damn about the characters? You need to make sure we are emotionally invested in your protagonists. You need to make sure we love her before we even meet her love interest.

Which means that your character must make a statement. She must feel real.

Most importantly, she must feel human.

Segue time.

Wait! I don't mean that you can't write a fantasy romance between a bee and a human!

What I mean is that your characters need to be complex. Have flaws. Make mistakes.

They should have moments of vulnerability. A few fears, flaws, regrets -- those are perfect. Ask yourself:

- What are my protagonist's values? What kind of love interest might challenge these?

- Do they feel lonely, or content?

- What are their fears, flaws and regrets? Prejudices, even?

- What is their take on love?

Then, carry on.

Again, realism.

Imagine your future husband walks into the room.

"Hey, what's your name?"

"I'm protagonist. You?"

"I'm love interest."

"Cool. What do you do for a living?"

"I'm the love interest."

"What are your hobbies?"

"Being the love interest."

"Skills?"

"Love interest."

"Actual interests?"

"You."

... Please. Give them a life. Not just to compensate for my lack of one, but also so that they don't feel completely and utterly cringe-worthy.

I mean it. That moment where they see each other needs to be memorable. It should give the protagonist a reason to feel something.

I'm not saying he has to spill coffee on her. All I'm saying is that, when the moment happens, write it well. Describe it well. Make us instantly invested.

Use engaging dialogue. Use purposeful, clear descriptions that don't feel cliché.

Do not overuse exclamation marks.

Honestly, I repeat: do overuse exclamation marks.

The moment has happened. Their orbs have locked. They've decided that...

Yes. I want to know you.

Unless your protagonist is especially stupid, please don't have them invite the love interest over to their house straight away without asking any questions. Please establish some sort of banter or communication so that both the reader and the protagonist can trust this person.

Because, my gosh, what if they're a murderer? Someone who still uses plastic straws? Someone who does not use earphones when listening to music on a bus?

Awful, I tell you! Awful!

I don't want to see them come to the protagonist's house straight after you meet them to see a seashell collection.

Honestly, not just to the protagonists, but to everyone reading this: do not invite strangers over to your house! Be safe, my children. Please.

In literature, there are reasons we use love at first sight. Like most things in your story, it has to be purposeful. These are, in my opinion, some of the reasons authors should employ married at first sight:

- Historical Fiction.

Yes, it's a genre, but also, back in the day, love at first sight was a massive thing. You genuinely could meet someone and be engaged with them on the same day. While it may not always lead to a happy ever after, the attitudes of the time should reflect your romance.

- Making a commentary.

For example, believe it or not, Romeo and Juliet, despite what Taylor Swift makes of it, is not supposed to be an 'ideal romance'. In fact, Shakespeare used Romeo and Juliet to teach readers the consequences of a hasty love.

- Magical reasons.

Werewolves mating, faeries mating, vampires mating -- honestly, what doesn't have a mate at this point? You get it, though. I won't argue with any author about the mechanics underpinning their creatures. Even if it sometimes does feel like a plot device.

- Plot purpose.

For example, Frozen. Anna and Hans were a love at first sight, but it had purpose -- Hans was actually a villain conning Anna. Anna was written in a way that made her crave affection, and Hans was a manipulative rat. The writers made them fall in love at first sight so that they could set up a villain, a climax, a plot twist, and some heavy stakes.

I'm so sorry for all the people I've spoiled.

No, I'm not. Frozen came out in 2013. If you're mad at me... let it go.

- Your story is short!

I'm not defending myself because I just wrote a romance short story. I swear.

But if your novel is short -- say, it's a novella or a short story -- then you're going to need a quick romance. So... attraction at first sight is a handy tool.

- It teaches your character a lesson.

Maybe your character learns that love at first sight sucks. Maybe they learn that it can lead to a happy ending, but it's not so smooth-sailing. Either way, your character should develop from it in some way.

In other words, what matters is how it is written -- especially in terms of characters.

Does your character stay true to who you've set them up to be? There's a reason Elsa doesn't fall in love with Hans, after all.

In other words, love at first sight is not bad. It may be mislabelled, but it's certainly not bad. It happens in so many books, and most of the time, it's actually quite sweet to read. Except for on those days where you're cynical because the guy you liked turned out to only be using you to get closer to your best frien--

Oh. Did I say that? Pardon me.

Okay, just fixed that. It's "Character Voice." In this chapter, I think I'll be talking about creating a character voice (no, duh). If there are any specific queries regarding this, let me know! Someone sent a request going "Character Voice vs Writer Voice" but didn't elaborate on what they meant, so if you're still reading this, please let me know! I can't find your comment anymore, oops?

As always, I'm still taking on requests! If there's something you want me to talk about, please let me know.