My work this time will have romance in the plot. And I've never tried my hand at it, and I was thinking of sort of having a li'l foreshadowing throughout the story to show that the romance was always there. Unfortunately, I'm clueless with romance elements. So any tips/suggestions or anything? Help is appreciated.
How to foreshadow it depends on the relationship the characters have to start with. If they're already friends I find a good way to show that there's almost something there is to have other friends notice it or else to have the characters go out of their was to deny the possibility of anything existing between them.
Have you ever been in a romantic relationship? A lot of writers base their romance stories on reality.
I'd subtly draw attention through the POV's of the characters themselves—their thoughts, a lingering touch, a private joke that means something to them but goes straight over the head of the other characters, or going out of their way for each other in a way that seems a little beyond the call of 'duty.' There are so many ways you can express that kind of romantic feeling. If you are keeping a tight POV and are in the characters' head space, the attraction should be evident, even if, at that point, unspoken. You really shouldn't need to go out of your way to express it, imo.
You can signal a lot by how they react to each other. Are they hyper-aware of each other when they're both in the same room, even if it's crowded with other people? Do they use a lot of eye contact? Do they use a different voice when speaking to each other, maybe more confidential in tone, than they do with other people? Do they watch each other's backs, and leap to the defense if necessary? If one of them spends time with what looks like a 'date' or romantic interest, how does the other one feel? This can be the first clue, actually. One of the potential couple feels uncomfortable when the other one shows attention to somebody else. A lot depends on whether this romance is something they know between themselves, or if it's something either one or both of them is still unaware of. But there are LOTS of ways to signal it.
I don't let my characters fall in love easily. They frequently deny their attraction, and make excuses as to why it couldn't work. This builds tension. Or, if it's apparent they are going to fall for each other, I toss obstacles in their way to frustrate them and also give the reader a reason to root for them. Very few romances happen easily, and if they do, I'd think they would be rather dull to read about.
Maybe watch some good love movies. I always enjoy a good old fashioned chick flick. And if you want to weigh heavey on your readers, try dangerous liasons, with meryl streep.
