When it comes to writing an enemies-to-lovers story, readers can easily spot when the conflict between characters feels forced. If you’ve created a surface-level disagreement or a weak reason for your characters to dislike each other, they may not come across as genuine “enemies” at all. Without a believable conflict driving them apart, the trope loses its impact and doesn’t hold up. So, how do you make sure your enemies-to-lovers dynamic feels authentic and engaging? Let’s dive into what makes this trope work and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Story Purpose
The first mistake many writers make is overloading their plot with twists and turns, rather than honing in on the true purpose of their story. Think of the story purpose as the guiding question or core theme of your narrative—the backbone that gives your plot meaning and direction. When you clearly define this purpose, your story gains focus and depth. Without it, you might find yourself adding one twist after another just to keep things “interesting.”
For example, it’s easy to pile on plot points, big twists, and unexpected events. But when a story has too many moving parts, it can feel cluttered and lose impact. Readers become overwhelmed, and rather than being hooked, they might start to lose interest. Once you know your story’s purpose, the plot becomes more straightforward, eliminating unnecessary fluff and keeping your narrative lean and engaging.
So, if you’re packing your story with twists just to keep readers on their toes, take a step back. Refocus on the thematic question at your story’s heart—doing this will simplify your plot and give it the clarity it needs to truly resonate.
Character Development
The second mistake is focusing too heavily on plot at the expense of character development. No matter how intricate or exciting your storyline is, if readers don’t connect with your characters, they’re unlikely to care about what’s happening in your story. A well-structured plot is great, but it’s the characters—their emotions, choices, and growth—that truly engage readers. Characters are the heart of your story, and they need to come first.
Before diving into plot details, make sure you’ve crafted logical, meaningful character arcs for your main characters. Readers want to see characters change and evolve, and those changes should drive the story forward. Instead of characters merely reacting to plot twists, their decisions and development should shape the plot itself. So, take the time to flesh out your characters’ motivations, struggles, and growth. The result will be a story that feels richer and more emotionally engaging, with a plot that’s guided by the choices of well-rounded, relatable characters.
Head-hopping
The next mistake is head-hopping, or jumping between characters’ perspectives without clear transitions or purpose. This often happens when writers use an omniscient narrator without a strong, consistent voice or a clear reason for doing so. Head-hopping can make a story feel confusing and disorienting, as readers struggle to understand whose thoughts they’re following or which character’s perspective they’re supposed to align with.
Head-hopping occurs when the narrative perspective shifts mid-paragraph or even mid-sentence, jumping from one character's inner thoughts to another's. This can be jarring for readers who expect a smoother, more cohesive narrative flow. To avoid this, many writers find success by sticking to a close narrative style—either first-person or third-person limited—which stays focused on one character's perspective at a time. This allows readers to connect deeply with each character and helps maintain a steady narrative voice.
If you choose to write with an omniscient narrator, make sure you have a strong, consistent reason for this choice. Omniscient narrators need a clear, defined voice that adds to the story rather than creating confusion. When done right, this approach can be powerful, but it requires careful planning, a strong narrative voice, and a logical purpose for why the narrator knows and shares information in this way. Without these, head-hopping risks pulling readers out of the story, making it feel unfocused or disjointed.
Reading
A surprising number of writers think they don’t need to read much—or at all—to create good work. But the truth is, reading widely and intentionally is one of the best ways to improve as a writer. By reading within your genre, you’ll discover the common tropes, styles, and techniques that other authors use. This not only helps you keep up with industry standards but also empowers you to either embrace or purposefully deviate from those conventions to create something original. To break new ground, it helps to understand what’s currently popular, what’s overdone, and what’s missing.
Reading outside of your genre can be equally valuable, exposing you to fresh ideas and new ways of storytelling. You never know where inspiration might strike. Even non-fiction can offer surprising insights and ideas for fiction writers. In fact, some of the most unique ideas often come from unexpected sources. For instance, a memoir about family dynamics might spark new ways to approach relationships in a fictional story. I once found major inspiration for my own novel while reading I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, a book I picked up purely out of curiosity. The themes of family relationships resonated deeply with my work, unexpectedly becoming a comp title I could draw on.
So, if you’re serious about writing, make time to read. Not only will it sharpen your skills, but it can also open doors to inspiration you may not have anticipated. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you’re “too good” to read—no writer is!
Restarting Your Project
We've all been there—you're deep into writing your manuscript, and suddenly, a brilliant new idea hits you. It feels like the perfect solution to a plot problem, so you rush back to rewrite your entire draft. It’s tempting, but here’s the thing: you're going to keep getting new ideas as you write. It’s totally normal, and honestly, it’s a sign that your creative mind is working. But jumping back into the manuscript every time you have a new thought will only slow you down.
Rather than restarting your project, try this: create a separate chapter treatment document. This is a smaller, more manageable document where you can jot down your new ideas and adjustments for each chapter. That way, you’re not getting lost in your massive manuscript every time inspiration strikes. You can keep moving forward with your current draft, knowing that all your new ideas are safely stored and ready to be tackled in the next draft. This approach allows you to stay focused on completing your current project without the temptation to constantly rewrite, saving you time and energy in the long run.
Unnecessary Descriptions
While rich, vivid descriptions are wonderful for setting the tone and atmosphere of your story, it’s easy to go overboard. Not every detail needs to be described in full. As a writer, you might feel the urge to provide exhaustive descriptions of everything from a character’s clothing to their daily routine, but the truth is, readers don’t need that level of detail. Unless it serves the plot, character development, or atmosphere, it’s just clutter.
Focus your descriptions on things that actually matter—those elements that enhance the mood or move the story forward. For example, if you're trying to create a tense, atmospheric scene, you might want to describe the setting in a way that adds to that feeling. But don’t spend paragraphs describing everything in sight. Readers are more than capable of filling in the blanks for themselves. Give them enough to create an image, but leave room for their imagination to work. Trust that they’ll visualize the scene or characters in their own unique way—after all, no reader will ever see your story the same way you do. Let them engage with your world, rather than over-explaining it.
Rushing to Publish
One of the biggest mistakes is rushing to publish their book before they’re truly ready. This is especially common among self-published authors who might think that publishing is as simple as clicking a button. But in reality, it’s much more complicated than that. Whether you choose to go the self-publishing route or pursue traditional publishing, it’s essential to do your research and understand the full scope of what’s involved.
Self-publishing isn’t just about writing and hitting "publish." It’s like starting your own business—there’s marketing, formatting, cover design, editing, and much more that goes into making your book stand out. Before you publish, take the time to understand the pros and cons of each path and make an informed decision about what’s right for you. If you’re writing just for fun and personal satisfaction, go ahead and publish. But if you’re serious about your writing career, give yourself the time to fully prepare, plan, and execute your publishing strategy. The process may take longer, but the payoff will be worth it.
Forcing Tropes
Another mistake that really irks me is when writers force popular tropes into their novels just for the sake of having a marketable hook. Sure, tropes like enemies-to-lovers or friends-to-lovers are beloved by many readers, but if they don’t fit with your plot or characters, don’t try to make them work. Readers can easily spot when a trope feels forced or out of place.
For example, if you’re trying to shoehorn an enemies-to-lovers dynamic into your story but the conflict between your characters doesn’t feel genuine, it won’t resonate with your audience. The characters might not actually be enemies, or their supposed "conflict" might not be believable. In this case, the trope doesn’t hold up, and readers will see right through it. Tropes should serve your story, not drive it simply because they’re popular. Always make sure that any trope you use fits naturally with the characters and plot you’ve crafted, rather than forcing one in just for the sake of a catchy label.
Neglecting Research
The next one I see among writers is the belief that if they’re writing a contemporary story, a made-up fantasy world, or a sci-fi dystopia, they don’t need to do much research. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Research is essential for every kind of writing, whether you’re grounding your story in reality or crafting an entirely fictional universe.
Of course, if you’re writing historical fiction, you’ll need to dive into facts, time periods, and world specifics. But even for contemporary settings or fantastical realms, research is crucial. Understanding human psychology, for example, plays a huge role in crafting compelling characters, emotions, and reactions. Most of the coaching sessions I’ve had with writers eventually touch on how much psychology they need to study to write convincing characters. When your characters’ actions and motivations are rooted in real-world understanding, your story will feel more authentic, no matter the setting. So, whether you’re writing about the present, a completely fictional world, or anything in between, research is an unavoidable and vital part of the process.
Show Don't Tell
The final mistake to watch out for is misapplying the "Show, Don’t Tell" advice, particularly when it comes to character emotions. A common pitfall is when writers try to avoid directly stating how a character feels by overloading the text with physical actions—gestures, body movements, and repeated actions like sighing, glancing, or fidgeting.
While it's true that you shouldn't explicitly tell readers how a character feels, the key is to find a balance. Overdoing physical actions in dialogue can quickly become tedious and take away from the depth of your scene. Readers can easily become overwhelmed by a series of actions that don’t actually reveal much about the character's emotional state.
Instead, focus on subtle internal monologue and body language that conveys the character’s feelings without relying too heavily on constant actions. By using subtext, implication, and internal thoughts, you can show emotions without oversaturating the scene with extraneous movements. The goal is to leave space for readers to interpret the emotions themselves, making the experience more engaging and immersive. Let your characters' feelings come through naturally rather than over-directing every little action.
Char Anna
Char is the author of the writing guide ‘Finish Your First Novel’ and the founder of The Plottery. She’s been in the biz since 2021, and holds a BA in Film & Screenwriting as well as an MA in Creative Writing from Edinburgh Napier University.
Char resides in rainy Scotland with her pup Lavender (who is anything but calm, contrary to what her name suggests), and she writes darker fiction that focuses on unusual family dynamics and lots of queerness.
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