First confession: I don't write erotic romance.
Still with me? Good. Because I do write great stories -- they just happen to be what is, I believe, termed 'vanilla' when it comes to sex. Interesting how we classify things, isn't it?
I began my love of the romance novel many years ago. At age 13, I discovered the local drugstore sold paperback romances: Harlequin and Harlequin Presents -- the latter being the more sexy of the lines in those days. ;) I fell in love with... love. The whole idea and nuance of it all... the forbidden passion. I suppose my favorite part of it all back then was the tension -- that spark and sizzle when the characters are dancing around their attraction. It could make any young, inexperienced girl sigh.
Want to know a secret? It still does. That flirty, does-he/does-she moment. The first, accidental touch. That first time the heroine looks into his eyes. Yes, it's still my favorite part of the romance. The sexual tension. The sizzle before the actual kiss or, um, other stuff. ;)
It's also my favorite part to write, if truth be told. Sometimes, writing the 'love scene' is a chore. It can be the most difficult part of the story for me. I have to find just the right mood; just the right atmosphere (no children under foot); just the right everything.
But the tension that leads them there? For me that is oh-so-easy. Oh, yes, that's where I shine, smack-dab within the literary foreplay. What part of the romance do you prefer? The sizzle? The cuddling? Or more?
~~Meg Allison
Indulge your senses...
http://www.megallisonauthor.com
8 comments:
Hi Meg, good to know I'm not the only one preferring the push-pull, the dance of attraction to the more explicit...other stuff. After all there are only so many ways to describe docking maneuvers, yet the dance of love itself is endless.
I love the build up to the love scenes. And I wear a paper bag over my head when I write them. (Just don't forget to cut out a little nose hole, so you can breathe.)
I usually close the doors and let my characters get more intimate without me. I enjoy writing the lead-up more than the actual event. However, some authors are amazing at all those fun details too :)
I'm not a fan of writing love scenes, either. I mostly skip them when I'm reading as well, unless the author manages to focus on the emotions of a love scene rather than the physical. Nora Roberts is one of my favorites when it comes to an emotional love scene.
I like a well written love scene with lots of emotion. It's all about the emotion. Without emotion you just have clinical description, and who wants that? Ok, maybe a med student.
Docking maneuvers--I love that way of putting it. :-)
For me it depends on the romance and the writer. Sometimes it's the dance; sometimes, the sensual description; sometimes, the climax. Any one--or all--can be splendid.
I don't read erotica, and even "regular" sex scenes that go beyond hugs & kisses can make me blush (and/or skip ahead to the next scene). I DO love seeing the sparks of attraction, to feel the characters falling in love with each other, even if they don't realize it at first (sometimes that's the best)! Not everyone is comfortable with writing sex scenes (or reading them), but a good emotional read doesn't need, as Valerie put it, "docking maneuvers." It just needs heart & soul. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the comments, everyone!
Valerie, I love that term "docking maneuvers"! Perfect!
Laura, I need that paper bag sometimes, too. ;)
As long as it concludes the emotional journey of falling in love, I think any type of love scene works.
It's all about the romance. Sometimes more heat is good... sometimes it isn't needed. The sizzle is just where my personal comfort zone lies. :)
~~Meg
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