We must end with a warning. While we love relationships and romantic storylines, we cannot let fiction become a blueprint for real life.

Writers’ rooms are now acutely aware of "ship wars." The debate over whether Rory Gilmore should end up with Dean, Jess, or Logan haunted the Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life revival. The backlash against the finale of How I Met Your Mother remains infamous.

Before two characters can fall for each other, they need individual desires. She wants freedom after years of obligation. He wants to prove he’s more than his family’s name. Their romance becomes interesting when those wants clash — then align. Ask: What does each person need, and how does the other person threaten or complete that need?