The Thing Nobody Tells You About Writing Two (Or Four) Love Interests

It’s not the spice. It’s the spreadsheet.

People assume the hardest part of writing reverse harem is the bedroom scenes. It isn’t. The hardest part is making sure four or more distinct men don’t blur into one brooding smudge.

When I started the Second Chance Academy series, I had a wall of index cards. Each love interest got a column. At the top: their wound. At the bottom: the one thing only they can give Amber. Everything in between had to be different. How they argue, what makes them laugh, what they do when they’re afraid.

Julian shuts down. Kiernan gets loud. Lance gets strategic. Macha disappears. And Amber holds them all together.

If two of them react the same way to a crisis, one of them doesn’t need to exist.

I’m starting this Substack because I want a place to talk about the craft behind these books. The world-building decisions, the character work, the scenes I cut (and why), the folklore I’m pulling from. The stuff that doesn’t fit in an Instagram caption.

I don’t only write reverse harem, though. My first book, Spirit Hunger, is available free for the next week or so. Pick it up here: https://BookHip.com/MRRMTJX

Every couple of weeks. No spam. Occasional chaos.

— Ella

P.S. Yes, I’ll talk about the spice too. Eventually. I have a ranking system. It involves chili peppers.

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Originally published on Writing Through the Veil