Birds, bees, and other fun stuff

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

Midnight confessions...

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