Life Advice From Rainbow Rowell Characters

If you haven't ever read Rainbow Rowell, let me tell you a little bit about why she's one of my favorite authors. Rowell is extraordinarily talented at writing realistic love stories — but that's only one reason why I love her books so much. Her characters are what really seal the deal for me. Rowell always writes characters that have just as many great qualities as flaws, and the story lines she creates are relatable on about a zillion different levels. There's never been a time where I didn't take away a few important lessons from her books.

Probably like you, some of the best advice I've ever received while going through a rough patch has come from fictional characters. And, just like you'd expect from my favorite author, Rowell's writing never fails to pick me up when I'm down or push me in the right direction when I need it. From relationships to heartache, Rowell's characters know it all, and always have something to teach.

Whether you're just diving into a new relationship or are struggling to keep one afloat, these Rainbow Rowell quotes will help you stay strong and keep moving forward. Here are 15 incredible life and love tips from Rainbow Rowell's characters to keep in mind every day:

"Every woman wants a man who'll fall in love with her soul as well as her body."

—Attachments

When you're looking for someone, keep in mind to look for someone who is more interested in who you are, rather than how you look. Building a relationship shouldn't start on shallow ground, but instead begin on a sturdy and concrete surface.

"Happily ever after, or even just together ever after, is not cheesy," Wren said. "It’s the noblest, like, the most courageous thing two people can shoot for."

—Fangirl

If you're like me and have trouble seeing love as something other than cheesy and complicated, this quote from Wren is a helpful piece of advice to live by.

"Even if your heart is broken and attacking you, you're still not better off without it."

—Landline

It can be difficult to remember this when you're going through some major heartache over a breakup or relationship issues, but it's true. Your heart is a trustworthy guide that you'll always need.

"There are moments when you can't believe something wonderful is happening. And there are moments when your entire consciousness is filled with knowing absolutely that something wonderful is happening."

—Attachments

This isn't exactly a piece of advice, but it something to watch out for. Noticing the wonderful and beautiful moments around you will fill your life with more positivity. You'll also keep more of the good memories rather than the bad.

"Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something."

—Eleanor and Park

Instead of looking at another person as attractive, try looking at them like a work of art. Physical attractiveness is a great thing to look for, but it isn't everything. What a person makes you feel is much more important.

"Months are different in college," Levi said, "especially freshman year. Too much happens. Every freshman month equals six regular months — they're like dog months."

—Fangirl

If you're just starting out in college, or about to take that step soon, keep this quote with you. So much is going to happen and you'll make so many new friends that it'll feel like your entire world has flipped upside down. But don't worry, you'll get the hang of things soon enough.

"Nobody's lives just fit together. Fitting together is something you work at. It's something you make happen — because you love each other."

—Landline

It's a trap to believe you and someone else should fit together like lost puzzle pieces. If you're in love and you both want this to last, you have to continue working at it.

"He knew why he wanted to kiss her. Because she was beautiful. And before that, because she was kind. And before that, because she was smart and funny. Because she was exactly the right kind of smart and funny. Because he could imagine taking a long trip with her without ever getting bored. Because whenever he saw something new and interesting, or new and ridiculous, he always wondered what she'd have to say about it--how many stars she'd give it and why."

—Attachments

This is a good quote to read if you're wondering if you're in love with someone. If you feel the same way about someone when it comes to taking long trips and wanting to know what they'd say or think of something, then you might be falling in love.

"Sometimes writing is running downhill, your fingers jerking behind you on the keyboard the way your legs do when they can’t quite keep up with gravity."

—Fangirl

As a writer or even as an artist, you can't always control where your creativity takes you, and you shouldn't see that as a reason to stop — but a reason to keep going.

"I think I missed my window.""What window?""My get-a-life window. I think I was supposed to figure all this stuff out somewhere between twenty-two and twenty-six, and now it's too late."

—Attachments

Every twentysomething believes she has this window in which to get her life together by. And if she misses it, she's sadly out of luck. This is not the case! It's never too late. And this quote reminds us all that we're certainly not alone in feeling this way.

"Neal didn't take Georgie's breath away. Maybe the opposite. But that was okay — that was really good, actually, to be near someone who filled your lungs with air."

—Landline

I've had this moment wondering if I was with the wrong person because they didn't give me butterflies, and maybe you have, too. It's not a bad thing, though. In fact, it might be a good thing. The more comfortable you are around someone, the better.

"I know that people change. I thought ... I thought we're going to change together. I thought that's what it meant to be in love."

—Attachments

As someone who can deeply identify with this quote, this is a hard pill to swallow. Wanting someone to change, or even trying to change yourself for someone else is not love. Change does happen over time, but you'll always be you and the sooner you accept that, the better off you'll be.

"But it’s up to us …’ he said softly. ‘It’s up to us not to lose this"

—Eleanor and Park

It's only up to you and your partner to keep the love strong between the two of you and no one else.

"Things get better — hurt less — over time. If you let them."

—Attachments

How many times have you heard this after a breakup? Too many. But how many times has it been right? Always.

"So, what if, instead of thinking about solving you whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow."

—Attachments

Trying to figure out your life is somewhat pointless. If you continue adding goodness, slowly but surely, you'll get to a point where things don't always need to be solved or perfect.

Images: we play endlessly/flickr; giphy (15)