Late to the party again -- sorry! Life has been a roller-coaster lately. But nonetheless, here I am.
Some like it hot -- yep, they sure do. I don't mind a little heat, myself, however if you really want to know the truth, I prefer what I like to call 'the sizzle'. ;)
The sizzle is all that sexual tension that leads up to the big moment between the main couple in a story -- whether that moment is on-screen, off-screen, or some combo of the two, it doesn't really matter to me. The sizzle is where a romance shines. It shows the couple falling in love.
Honestly, many romance writers will tell you that writing love scenes can be tough. I've even had some writers tell me it's their least favorite part of the story. Reason? There are many to choose from.
For instance: You can either wind up sounding like a biology textbook or an engineer.
Really? (fights urge to turn book sideways) Is that physically possible?*
Then there is the issue of what words to use. Should you call it what it is? Use the clinical and sometimes cold or jarring terms? Should you find some interesting metaphors or euphemisms to soften the prose? And what if your mother reads this?!
"Yes, mom, I know that word."
Yes, there are quite a few reasons why writing sex is last on many writers' list of fun things to do. It's also difficult to make things different from book to book -- I can't even imagine the magnitude of that task for some multi-multi-published authors.
As I said before, I prefer sizzle. A subtle glance; a brush of skin to skin; the sudden realization that he really, really smells good. *sigh* I like to build that tension between my hero and heroine, usually from the moment they appear on the page together. Spark. Heat. Blush. Sizzle... and then on to something else if the story line and story length allow.
Romance novels are not, despite popular opinion, all about the sex. They are about relationships and trust. But I shouldn't have to defend the genre here. Everyone here loves romance. :)
~~Meg Allison
www.megallisonauthor.com
Step Into The Mists with our adventurous band of award-winning authors to otherworlds of paranormal, SF, fantasy and speculative romance. Nervous? Don't be. The creatures that live here are friendly. Most of the time... This blog is for age 18 and over only.
3 comments:
Well said, Meg.
I LOVE the sizzle. Truly, it is what I remember long after I finish a great book.. Characters who fight through all the difficult and sometimes life or death conflicts to be together to make that initial blush spark, sizzle and finally ignite are so much fun to read about.
Speaking of multi-multi-published authors, Janet Evanovich is on record as saying she stopped writing romance and started writing mysteries because she'd "run out positions". LOL
Great post, Meg!
I love the sizzle too. I think that's what can make a story compelling and, if it's not done right, it can ruin the story. Once Castle and Beckett got together, for example, it wasn't nearly as fun to watch them. Northern Exposure's ratings fell drastically when they got the two main characters together. It happens all over the place.
I wasn't sure about adding sex to my stories, but now that I have, I actually enjoy it; it's been fun coming up with sex scenes that are true to the characters. It's more about the psychology and characterization than insert tab A into slot B.
Post a Comment