developing the romance

8/20/2019 Developing the Romance

1/35

Developing the Romancein Your Romance NovelVirginia KantraGood love stories are universal yet unique. They tap into shared emotions with story-speciic details o character! time! and place that transport us to the world created "y the

writer. # great romance novel ma$es us "elieve in love. Not %ust that love e&ists! "ut thatthis love "etween these two people is somehow going to last and endure.'ow( )y telling the truth. )y com"ining those universal truths! emotional truth! with thethrill and struggle o two unique people alling in love and wor$ing their way towardcommitment and their own happy ending.There is no ormula. )ut in my own writing! there are seven things * push or to ma$e aconvincing case or each couple+s developing romance! or the ,emotionally satisyingending, that deines our genre - and that "rings readers "ac$ or more.. hysical awareness or attractionYou don+t need to consult scientiic %ournals to $now that men and women! regardless o culture! seem hardwired to ind certain physical characteristics attractive. /ust glance at

eople maga0ine+s most recent ,11 2e&iest, list.*n real lie! "iology drives desire. 3e are attracted to partners who smell ,right, "asedon a comple& chemistry o pheromones! ertility! and a suiciently dierent immunesystem. 3e see$ visual cues that our potential mates can "ear children or protect them4ull lips and a small waist-to-hip ratio in women5 square %aw and a muscular "uild inmen. 2ymmetry o ace and "ody in "oth se&es is a desira"le mar$er o health. Thereare even studies that deine ideal male and emale aces "ased on estrogen andtestosterone levels.3hat does this mean or us as writers( 6ust we use hormonal mar$ers as a "lueprintor descri"ing characters( 3ell! you can! and you can ma$e it great. Thin$ o theheroine+s irst loo$ at the hero in /ennier 7rusie+s )et 6e4 ,8very woman in the room

with a wor$ing ovary pro"a"ly loo$ed at him and thought! This one.,You can also cast your characters against type. The scarred hero and plain! passionateheroine have "een around since )eauty and the )east and /ane 8yre. 2till! mostromantic leads e&hi"it the mar$ers o genetic health4 shiny hair! good s$in! "righteyes . . . a ull set o teeth. 8ven pleasingly rounded heroines are rarely descri"ed as"eing shaped li$e "each "alls. #nd * haven+t yet read a romance in which the heroinesays to the hero! ,9h! honey! * love your tiny pac$age.,:niversal hoo$s ma$e it possi"le or your reader to ind your hero and heroineattractive. )ut to ma$e your stories and characters compelling! your hero and heroineneed to ind each other uniquely desira"le. ;or that! you need more than symmetricalaces and a great waist-to-hip "ody ratio. 8ven i your characters eel love or lust at irstsight


2/35

The stage o the relationshipThe level o action>e&ternal conlict.

*n the ollowing e&ample rom 2ea 3itch! notice how even at the moment o irst

attraction! the seeds o conlict-the tension "etween land and sea! "etween themundane and the magic worlds-are present. # woman shone at the water+s edge! wrapped in twilight and a towel. The sea oamedaround her "are! pale eet. 'er long! dar$ hair lited in the "ree0e. 'er ace was paleand perect as the moon.;or one second! the sight caught him li$e a wave smac$ in the chest! ro""ing him ospeech. 9 "reath. Yearning rushed through his soul li$e the wind over the water! stirringhim to the depths. 'is hands curled into ists at his sides.Not o$ay. 'e throttled "ac$ his roaring imagination. 2he was %ust a $id. # girl. #nunderage girl in an oversi0e sweatshirt with--his ga0e dipped again! "riely--a really nicerac$.

?. 8motional conlictThere are recogni0a"le! universal "arriers to love! staples o the romance genre4 issueso ear! trust! conlicting loyalties and>or control. ;ran$ly! *+m not a "ig an o the one-woman-wronged-me-thereore-*+ll-hate-all-women school o conlict. )ut psychologist/udith Viorst got it right when she wrote4 even in the "est o all worlds! a lasting loverelationship encroaches on our personal control! demanding that we give in! give up!give over to another powers we might preer to $eep or ourselves. 8ven in the "est olove relationships! we will struggle to "alance power and surrender.3hat ha"its! principles! or "elies must your characters surrender "eore they can "etogether( 'ow must they change or grow "eore they can commit to each other(This is where your unique vision! your truth! and your characters+ unique motivations

come to lie. There have to "e clear and compelling reasons why the hero and heroinecannot %ust give up what they want to satisy the other person. 3hy( )ecause toa"andon their goals would threaten their very sense o sel4* am a man o honor5 loving you would ma$e me less honora"le.* am a responsi"le daughter5 loving you would ma$es me less responsi"le.* am struggling or independence5 loving you would ma$e me dependent.

'ow relationship-centered the conlict must "e and how much time you can spend onthe various elements o the plot will depend on your story! your word count! and yoursu"genre. 3hatever the length and ocus o your story! however! you can pull theromance "ac$ to the oreront "y concentrating on@. 2cenes that oster emotional intimacyThe heroines o our "oo$s may "e perectly capa"le o $ic$ing ass and putting ood onthe ta"le. )ut the hero+s a"ility to protect and provide is still attractive to our readers!another universal element that contri"utes to the romance.

# partner who is our heroine+s equal! who can-i necessary-deend the young in thecave! is a desira"le mate. 3hich no dou"t e&plains the popularity o Navy 28#As! gunslingers! cops! and the :ndead. 2tatus and the a"ility to provide also encompass social


3/35

power and monetary power! which why we have heroes who are du$es and "illionaires.'owever! you cannot say your hero is the "iggest! "addest alpha male in the star "elt ievery time the aliens show up! our "oy winds up "leeding under the "ul$head. *t+s notenough to descri"e the hero as rich and powerul. 3e must see him putting his wealthand power at the service o the heroine4 6r. Darcy rushing o to Aondon to save Aydia

rom 6r. 3ic$ham.3e need to see the hero in action to "elieve in him. #nd our heroine needs to see himin action to love him.This gender typing can go "oth ways. /ust as our heroes need scenes that showcasetheir competence or status! our heroines "eneit rom scenes that show either theira"ility to nurture or their desire or connection-which e&plains why the e&asperatinggrandmother! the une&pected child! and the rescued stray are staples o our genre.8ven the $ic$-ass assassin heroine will generally have a high personal sta$e in hermission. This is not only good conlict development! "ut good character development.These universal qualities help our reader all in love with our hero and root or ourheroine. )ut our stories demand that our characters all in love with each other.

3hat are the qualities that ma$e us "elieve that these two people-and no others-must"e together( )ecause i this is all a"out her long legs and his smoldering eyes andpro&imity! you may ma$e a nice case or a long wee$end "ut you+re not going to sell meon a lietime love.Try the ollowing e&ercise4*t+s the relationship! stupid.6y hero admires my heroine+s BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB.


4/35

# change o setting and a pause in the action can give you scenes that mimic theamiliar ,date., 2uch scenes can either appeal to a conventional antasy shows conlictreveals character>osters intimacy

8ven i your setting is unconventional or unique! you can engage your readers+emotions "y engaging their senses with the amiliar trappings o romance4 wine! lowers!candles! irelight . . . ood. *+m married to a man who can coo$. 2ooner or later in my"oo$s! the hero always eeds the heroine. 6ay"e this goes "ac$ to that atavistic,provider, thing! "ut sharing ood is a universal courtship ritual.There is a dierence "etween universal and clich. * your hero is not a red-roses-and-champagne $ind o guy! i your heroine would preer "oo$s or "eer or Aa$ers tic$ets! i

your setting is a castle o the coast o 2cotland or a cave in the North 7arolinamountains! then don+t orce your couple into unli$ely getaways with meaningless props.7hoose settings that are sensually evocative "ut also appropriate to your story andsigniicant to your characters. The important thing is to get your lovers alone! away romthe "ad guys and the $ids! in a setting which is conducive to dialogue.

#nd to se&.E. 2e& scenes2haring ood and conversation requently leads to lovema$ing. *n our genre! that canmean anything rom a irst $iss to a no-holds-"arred se&ual encounter. Not every readeror writer o romance will ind the same words or acts appropriate or erotic. 2o how dowe create the universal hoo$s that ma$e our love scenes "oth si00ling and "elieva"le(

;irst! recogni0e that se& scenes are not a"out "ody parts. * you ma$e them a"out "odyparts! you ris$ sounding clichd or oensive or silly. 3e need to reach "eyond much oour genre or resh! true language! whether it is star$ or e&travagant. :se words thatcome naturally to your characters! that spring rom your own eelings and e&perience.Aove scenes need to engage your characters+ "rains and hearts. #ll the threads! all theunique components! we+ve tal$ed a"out so ar come into play42peciic triggers o physical desire8motional conlict! with whatever issues o trust or control your characters are dealingwithThe vision o the "eloved in the eyes o the lover4 why this man with this woman(2omething should "e at sta$e with each $iss and encounter. The physical action shouldrelect or impact! complicate or resolve the emotional conlict.3hile there is no ormula or love scenes! there should "e a progression to the scenesthemselves. 8ach time! your lovers "ring something new to their relationship-greaterintimacy! higher sta$es. The physical action may e&press the characters+ growingemotional involvement! or it may su"vert it. 3hile delaying se& can increase tension!having se&! especially having se& too soon! can increase the emotional conlict.


5/35

generally ma$e things worse! so that each advance is ollowed "y a su"sequent alling"ac$.9ne way to ma$e things worse is to thrust your lovers "ac$ into society.F. Aovers in society3e have all heard the e&pression! ,No man is an island., 3ell! no couple can live on

one orever. 8ventually! they must reenter society li$e one o 7hristopher Vogler+sheroes returning rom a %ourney with the magic eli&ir o love.The society our characters inha"it encompasses "oth wor$ and amily. 2ometimes thetwo are com"ined! li$e 2usan 8li0a"eth hillips+ 2tars oot"all team or 2u0anne)roc$mann+s Navy 28#As. Now it may "e that duty or careers or heavy-handed parentshave actually contri"uted to the couple+s conlict. Thin$ o rince 7harming! who mustmarry or dynastic reasons! or 6r. 6rs. 2mith! assigned to assassinate each other.'ow your couple resolves their conlict will "e a unction not only o their characters! "uto your values! gender politics! and genre e&pectations. There is no �universal� solution to reintegrating the lovers into society.'owever! to satisy the reader+s e&pectation o a happily-ever-ater! the couple must

negotiate a settlement which satisies each o them. 'ow will they cope with long hoursand missed dinners! with the demands o children and riends( *t+s not enough or thehero to assure the single mother that he will love her son without scenes o him helpingwith homewor$ or childcare or catch-love in action. You also need scenes which showthe couple+s integration into the e&isting amily-and-riends structure4 the heroine holdingher own with her lover+s "rothers or the hero deending his "eloved against her parents+criticism.

#ll these scenes reinorce the ormation o the pair "ond . This is part o the payo! thecommitment! in which hero and heroine demonstrate that their primary "ond and loyaltyis now to each other.3hich "rings us! inally! to

H. ayo scenes3hy do we read romance novels( 3hy do we write them( )ecause we want the,emotionally satisying and optimistic ending, that they promise. 3e want all those other things! too! the si00le o se&ual attraction! emotional struggle and intimacy! courtship!great se&! and a couple capa"le o unctioning within society. )ut we really want ourhappy endings.9 course! our characters have to earn their happiness. They must deeat or at leastcontain the threat posed "y the antagonist. #nd the romantic resolution can+t spring outo nowhere. *n real lie! you wouldn+t trust in a marriage proposal on the irst date! wouldyou( 2ame thing in iction. There are stages in developing the romance! and each stagehas its own payo or reward.The ,duh, moment. #c$nowledgement o eelings or the "eloved. 6ay"e the heroinedoesn+t identiy those eelings as love! may"e the hero doesn+t $now what he+s going todo a"out them! "ut the emotions are there and they+re real. The ,duh, moment can andshould result in more conlict and complications.The ,yes, moment. Declaration o surrender. 'is and hers. )y ma$ing the declaration o love unequal! "y having the hero and heroine admit their love at dierent times! you canincrease emotional tension. )ut or the payo! there must "e some degree o reciprocity!even i it is unspo$en.


6/35

The ,aww, moment. The irst two stages can lead to urther conlict and complications.)ut this third moment should leave your protagonists and your reader with hope andconidence. ;or that reason! the inal emotional payo usually ta$es place ater the "adguys have "een deeated and the lovers have re-entered their ordinary world. Now isthe time to pull out all the stops! to airm the universal lessons learned with those

unique! speciic details that will give the scene emotional weight and signiicance.'ow much time you need to convince your reader that everything will wor$ out depends!again! on your su"genre and your story. The reason epilogues are so popular inromantic suspense is that it+s diicult to %ump rom an action-pac$ed and "loody clima&into a satisying romantic resolution without either sacriicing the story+s pacing orstraining the reader+s credi"ility. *n 2ea 3itch! "ecause o its huge internal! emotionalconlict! * had to write an entire inal chapter to get to that �aww� resolution.Romance "egins with ,9nce upon a time, and ends with ,'appily ever ater., 9ne wayto create that sense o completion! o coming ull circle! is to set up a similarity "etweenthe language and imagery at the "eginning o the "oo$ and the language and imageryat the end-a $ind o ver"al echo which creates an emotional resonance.

R3# National deines a romance novel as ,a central love story, with ,an emotionallysatisying and optimistic ending., Aet critics sco at our "oo$s+ happy endings. #s longas our stories are grounded in our e&perience! in our emotional truth! and supported "ysmall! honest details! we can write stories that are "elieva"le! memora"le . . . andsatisyingI

7reating 8motional 7onlict and Tension in a Romance Novel)y Aeslie 3ainger rom 3riting a Romance Novel ;or DummiesThe conlict! or tension! "etween your hero and heroine should always drive your plot.Your novel should also have a certain story-related momentum! "ut the $ey actor that$eeps your reader turning pages is the progress o the romance! which is driven "y the

conlict "etween the hero and heroine.You can use dierent techniques and com"inations o techniques to create conlict"etween your hero and heroine. 'owever you crat that conlict! though! one point is$ey4 You need to create a source o emotional conlict and tension or your hero andheroine J something that e&ists separately rom the speciics o the plot! somethinginside each o them that would create a pro"lem whether they met in 6aine or on themoon! though the pro"lem certainly should "e e&acer"ated "y their situation.

#ter you decide where the emotional tension comes rom! you can create andcomplicate it at will. #nd "y manipulating that emotional tension! you+re "etter a"le to$eep your reader involved and happy rom start to inish.8motional versus intellectual conlict3ithout the surrounding conte&t o a plot! the distinction "etween emotional andintellectual conlict is easy to ma$e! yet writers continually struggle with it in theirmanuscripts. 2imply put! an intellectual conlict is a conlict o ideas! while an emotionalconlict is one that grows rom eelings.The temptation to use an intellectual conlict J and even to mista$e it or an emotionalone J is understanda"le! "ecause intellectual conlicts are o"vious J and everywhere!and many are ascinating. The morning paper and the news are ull o de"ates over

http://www.dummies.com/search.html?query=Leslie+Waingerhttp://www.dummies.com/store/product/Writing-a-Romance-Novel-For-Dummies.productCd-0764525549.htmlhttp://www.dummies.com/store/product/Writing-a-Romance-Novel-For-Dummies.productCd-0764525549.htmlhttp://www.dummies.com/search.html?query=Leslie+Wainger


7/35

important concerns li$e oreign and domestic policy! the economy! and the environment!and smaller issues! li$e uniorms in pu"lic schools and lawn-watering restrictions.3hat ma$es an intellectual conlict intellectual is the act that it starts out in the mind.eople+s eelings a"out an issue can "e very strong! and arguing them into seeinganother point o view may "e impossi"le5 "ut even so! every argument has two sides!

and intelligent people can ma$e a case or either side. *ntellectual conlicts can "einteresting! "ut in the conte&t o a romance novel J where the intent is to engage thereader+s heart! not her head J they+re counterproductive i they appear ront and center.8motions! unli$e opinions! don+t need to have a logical "asis and can+t "e reasonedaway. They come rom inside and simply are. They+re not up or discussion or argument.Your emotions are an intrinsic part o who you are. They+re not something you decidedon one day ater you too$ a course! read a "oo$! or saw a news special5 they comerom your genetic ma$eup! the way you were raised! and your e&periences in lie andlove. They aect how you see yoursel! your amily and riends! and J may"e most oall J who and how you love.

#n emotional e&ample

You can+t "uild every plot completely around the emotional conlict! "ut every plot needsto highlight that conlict whenever possi"le. The more complicated your plot is! the morethreads you have going on at once5 however! emotional tension should underlieeverything that+s happening. The emotional conlict should always "e in the characters+and the readers+ minds. 'ere are a couple o sample heroines and a sample scenariothat shows you how to create an emotional conlict or each o them4'eroine 4 )orn to a single mother! a"andoned to the oster-care system! and shuttledrom amily to amily! she+s li$ely to "e sel-contained! independent! distrustul! wary oorming close "onds! low in sel-esteem! and practically incapa"le o "elieving that shedeserves love.'eroine ?4 Raised in a large! tight-$nit amily! the only girl among si& children! doted on

and cherished! encouraged in sae directions "ut protected J even overprotected Jrom ris$! she+s li$ely to have a "right! open personality and to ma$e riends easily. )utshe+s also li$ely to dou"t her a"ility to operate independently and ear "eing smothered"y love! especially romantic love.*ntellectually! in a de"ate over coc$tails! these heroines may "e identical! "ut in everyway that counts! they+re polar opposites and always will "e. They approach lie incompletely dierent ways. #nd although "oth may "e wary o love! it+s or totally dierentreasons! which means their emotional hot "uttons are dierent! and they+re drawn toand wary o completely dierent characteristics in men.Their choices in lie are driven "y their inner selves! the emotional human "eings thatthey are4'eroine may choose a way o lie that lets her remain aloo rom others J may"e as aresearcher in a high-tech la" or a computer programmer J "ecause that+s how sheprotects her tender emotional core! the part that+s always elt a"andoned and is araid tolove "ecause she+s sure she+ll only "e a"andoned again.'eroine ? may "e "usy ma$ing her way in the police department! proving to her "ig!overprotective amily


8/35

8nter the hero! a police detective wor$ing on a case. 'e shares the same views onpolitics! religion! and all the rest! so he can+t argue with either woman on that score. Ai$e'eroine ! he was raised in oster care! "ut he had a younger sister who was raisedwith him! and rom the time he was a little $id! he+s "een her protector. 'e %oined theorce to protect even more people. lus! when his parents died! he was old enough to

remem"er what "eing part o a loving amily was li$e! and he wants that again.)oth heroines see a murder ta$e place and need to "e put into protective custody untilthe $iller+s apprehended! tried! and J with the "eneit o their testimonies J sent awayor lie. 9ne o the heroines luc$s out and gets the hero as her watchdog at the saehouse. The story plays out dierently depending on which heroine the hero is assignedto4'eroine 4 * she gets the hero as her protector! she+s going to resent him spending thelong hours they+re conined together trying to connect with her on the su"%ect o theirshared "ac$grounds! "ecause she doesn+t want to "ring up all those painul memories.

#nd she certainly doesn+t want to ind hersel hoo$ed on this incredi"le guy who can Jeven in her present scary situation J ma$e her laugh! get her tal$ing a"out everything

under the sun! even when she $eeps telling hersel to shut up! and who+s se&y "eyond"elie! "esides.;or the hero! it ma$es him nuts that she continues shutting him down and withdrawing

%ust when he thin$s he+s getting close to her. )ut even though he $nows $eeping hisheart uninvolved would "e smart! he can+t help "eing drawn to her! so much so that hehas to remind himsel that he+s on the %o" and pull "ac$ J %ust as he+s a"out to $iss her.2he eels re%ected! all the old hurts o her childhood rise up! and they+re on the outs witheach other and neither one $nows why. This is an emotional conlict created withcomple& characters and letting them react "elieva"ly.'eroine ?4 * she gets loc$ed away with the hero! she+s going to react dierently ordierent reasons. 2he+s going to "ridle at his protective side! point out that she+s a cop!

too! and is more than capa"le o ta$ing care o hersel! and thin$ his antasy o having a"ig! happy amily would ma$e her cra0y! "ecause she+d end up lost in the ruc$us! ta$ingcare o everyone in that traditionally emale way that she+s sworn isn+t or her.'e can+t "elieve she doesn+t understand the value o amily and is ighting to "rea$away rom hers. 'e respects her proessional a"ilities plenty! "ut in the circumstances!she does need to "e protected! and why can+t she see that he+s %ust the guy to do it(They $eep "utting heads! "ut they+re also attracted! challenged! and in no way ready towrite each other o.lot J the need to loc$ the hero and heroine together in a sae house J puts themtogether "ut doesn+t provide the conlict. lot gives the hero and heroine the opportunityto "e in conlict! "ut the conlict itsel is emotional. *t comes rom within! rom a clash"etween who they are! not what they thin$.*n any romance novel! the emotional conlict needs to aect the hero and heroine+srelationship! to have romantic ramiications! so that they+re irresisti"ly drawn towardeach other! while simultaneously eeling that a relationship can+t possi"ly wor$ "etweenthem.Ta$ing care with intellectual conlictYou can use elements o intellectual conlict in your "oo$! too! "ut you have to "ecareul. Keep these two tips in mind4


9/35

*ntellectual conlict can never "e su"stituted or emotional conlict.Relate any elements o intellectual conlict to the characters+ emotional conlict as muchas possi"le.To clariy the second "ullet point! here+s an e&ample4 'e+s a developer5 she+s anenvironmentalist. 'e wants to use a piece o property to "uild housing5 she wants to

preserve it to save the rare spotted squirrel. #rguments a"out the housing needs opeople versus the need to preserve the environment ensue. #ny reader who+s stayedawa$e long enough to ma$e it to the end inds out that they compromise and "uildcluster housing on one section o the property and maintain the rest as legally protectedwoodland. The characters thought their way to a mutually accepta"le solution.8very"ody wins! and now the two o them can act on their mutual attraction. #s a plot!it+s an e&ercise in mental gymnastics and nothing more. The story has no heart.'owever! the story could have heart. 6ay"e the hero+s not %ust an in-it-or-the-moneydeveloper "ut is someone who has a mission4 providing reasona"ly priced housing orpeople who may otherwise never get to own a nice home in a place where they canraise their amilies. erhaps he was raised "y a hard-wor$ing single mother who "arely

made the rent on a cheap apartment! and this is his way o giving "ac$ to the world inher memory. The heroine was raised in the inner city! and the only time she ever sawthe country was on a city-sponsored summer program. 2he+s determined to save a littlepiece o the wild within spitting distance o the city so less ortunate $ids will alwayshave a place they can get away to and meet nature.This plot isn+t the most compelling one on the planet! "ut at least now it has anemotional component! and you can see how the two types o conlict can wor$ together.This approach J ta$ing an intellectual conlict and adding an emotional element toma$e it a "oo$ J isn+t recommended! "ecause it wor$s "ac$ward. )y the time you startwriting! your idea should already "e an emotional one! even i it started rom anintellectual point.

*nternal versus e&ternal conlict #nother


10/35

emotional issues as a su"te&t J a su"te&t that you can clariy "y getting into theirheads or a point-o-view loo$ at what+s going on.ersonal versus situational conlict9ne inal way to tal$ a"out conlict is as personal versus situational. ersonalconlicts are conlicts that grow rom the innate issues and insecurities that everyone

has. You carry around certain eelings inside yoursel that are personal to you. *n mosto your day-to-day relationships! they don+t raise their heads! "ut with the people whomatter most! your personal issues are important. Your amily and riends J these arethe people whose opinions count and who have the a"ility to ma$e you eel great orhorri"le. Those people who are close to you matter on a personal level! and with them!your deepest eelings come into play. This situation is the same with your hero andheroine5 they can touch each other on the deepest! most personal levels.

# situational conlict arises rom place and plot. *n the sae-house e&ample! thesituational conlict comes rom loc$ing the hero and heroine up where they can+t getaway rom each other! which orces them to deal with their internal! emotional issues orelse spend the entire "oo$ in separate rooms. #s with intellectual and e&ternal conlicts!

situational conlict can wor$ with the $ey emotional tension your hero and heroine haveto deal with! "ut situational conlict can never su"stitute or emotional conlict.2ituational conlict can provide the hothouse atmosphere where tension can grow! "utthe novel+s deeper issues are always the characters+ personal and emotional conlicts.The "est romances are "uilt around a comple& emotional conlict that+s played out in anequally interesting and tightly connected conte&t J one that orces the characters todeal with each other and their issues.

2i00ling! 2ensuous and 2teamy4 'ow to 3rite Aove 2cenes"y 7arolyn 7amp"ell

# love scene can provide a satisying ending or an enduring! eective hoo$ that you canthread throughout the plot o a mainstream novel. 2uch a scene can serve as an actionscene! a sequel ollowing a scene! or it can "uild tension and suspense leading up toanother scene. The relationship "etween the two characters in a love scene can addinterest to the story! move the plot orward! or complicate and add tension to the story.. 7reate tension "y rendering the lovers as opposing orces

# "eginning lirtation is played out li$e a chess game. 2he ma$es a move! then waits or his ne&t move. 'e in turn ma$es a move! which she tries to interpret "eore ma$ing herne&t move. *n most cases! neither wants to move too directly or drastically. Neitherwants to risk rejection or embarassment -- but attraction propels them onward. Then tension is li$e a "o&ing match! when one ighter delivers a hit! and the twoopponents pace tensely "eore another "low is delivered. This tension heightens theurgency and immediacy o the scene! which also increases reader identiication.?. Get involved in your love scenes3hy do people read love scenes( Aet+s "e honest here. Readers lose themselves inlove scenes to ma$e their own hearts race aster! to enhance their own "reathlessanticipation! and to eel their vulnera"ility in a harmless! e&citing escape rom theireveryday lives. ut simply! readers love to imagine themselves in the place o thelovers. No other writing emerges so directly rom the heart. 3riting a scene that ignites


11/35

your own passion and ma$es your own pulse quic$en will help assure that your readerswill eel that way! too. Readers pic$ up quic$ly on your sincerity and sense the,realness, o your thudding heart and speeding pulse. This could "e the one practicaluse or those "makeout memories" of the times when you yourself thrilled to theecstacy of kissing a forbidden someone in the back seat of a Chevy. Come on -- it

wasn't that long ago. And your memory imagination and writing skills can helprecreate that e!citement all over again in the scenes with your characters.@. Keep the lovers in character Your characters are the strength o your love scene. Their individuality will ma$e yourlove scene unique i you $eep their personalities true throughout the scene. # womanwho is snappy-quic$ with a come"ac$ won+t suddenly "ecome tongue-tied in a man+sarms. #nd a man who persistently holds his eelings close to his vest will li$ely relecthis emotions internally rather than suddenly telling all within a woman+s em"race. The"lend o your character+s personalities will shape the course o the love scene! too. Thequic$-come"ac$ woman will toss out a "ar" that the private-person man will hold closeto his heart. 2he+ll respond with another tart comment and he+ll clam up and clutch each

word tight -- which will only prompt her cleverness more as she tries to decipher him.Your love scene will "e one o a $ind "ecause your characters are individuals -- each asone-o-a $ind as every living "reathing person on this earth.The issues relating to your story will impact and shape your love scene as well. 2ay thetwo lovers are competitors or the same oice position -- or the same athletic title. Thetension "etween them away rom the love scene will "uild tension within the scene -- ormay"e stop it short. ,This won+t have aect my perormance tomorrow -- *+ll still win themarathon!, /ames assured 2hana! attempting to gather her in his arms once again.,Don+t "e so sure!, she said! "ac$ing detly away! sharp hurt registering in her voice.,That wasn+t what * meant--, he said quic$ly! "ut it was already too late. 2he was gone.C. Raise se&ual tension through conlict

3hile conlict is the heart o any great story! it is especially eective in the arena o lovescenes. 7onlict provides the reason why the two lovers can+t simply ride a white horseo into the sunset the irst moment they reali0e there is a strong attraction. omanticconflict can be visuali#ed as a locked door between two people trying to reacheach other. $t appears insurmountable -- but that doesn't dilute the longing or theurgency. $n an actual scene the man might be thinking "%he's a great kisser. $fonly she wasn't urging my boss to fire me."&r she could be reali#ing "$ could really fall in love with him -- if $ didn't know hewas going to prison ne!t week." on't worry that conflict will add a "dark"element to the euphoria of a love scene. (assion possesses a natural "dark"undercurrent which is an element of its e!citement.E. Reveal se&ual attraction through contrast

#long with conlict! contrast can help the reader visuali0e the se&ual chemistry while thecharacters pretend to deny it. *n my "oo$! Aove Aost and ;ound! the scene that "eginsthis article ends with 7heryl saying! ,Go away. * can+t see you again., while inside she+sthin$ing! Don+t go. lease ta$e me with you. *t could "e as simple as the man saying!,Don+t touch me!, while inwardly he is thin$ing. Don+t stop. Don+t ever stop. The contrastcan also "e relected through the dialogue o one character contrasted with the thoughtso another. The woman could say! ,*+m here to discuss "usiness!, while the man+s inner


12/35

thoughts are ! ,* wish the two o us could get down to "usiness., #gain! the contrast"etween spo$en dialogue and internal thoughts and eelings underscores the conlict"etween the two characters which creates the se&ual tension.Along with thoughts a character's actions can be used to reveal true feelings. #woman who deli"erately steps close enough or a man to gra" her "eore she says!

,You can+t stop me rom leaving!, and a man who says how hot the weather is as hestares at a woman+s "i$ini-clad igure are e&amples o how actions spea$ louder thanwords.E. )uild suspense! anticipation and intensity/ust as a one-night stand lac$s the time-endurance to "e considered a serious romanticrelationship! a love scene requires time or the tension to "uild. The suspense is thesame as any other conlict-it escalates as the reader is continually orced to wonder i-and when-the lovers will ever get together. *n the scene at the "eginning o this article!the two lovers were childhood riends who grew up on ad%acent arms. They spentmonths staring longingly at each other across their ather+s "ean ields. Two loversmight wor$ in the same company! live in the same apartment "uilding! protest the same

issue! litigate the same crime -- but a love scene is most effective after they've hadtime to interact -- and most likely disagree -- on other matters. )he dance of "will-they won't they" as the reader begins to suspect the attraction between the twocharacters helps build suspense and anticipation in both the characters and thereader. $t's like holding your breath while waiting for a bomb to go off.F. 'eighten the characters+ ive senses*n real lie! the euphoria o new love enhances the lover+s ive senses and actuallycreates a sensual east rom his ormerly everyday world. Colors seem brightersongs ac*uire new meaning and clarity even smells are enhanced and enlivened.Applying this principle to your love scenes -- especially during the passionatemoments -- will impart reader identiication and empathy with the activities at hand. #

woman eels into&icated "y a man+s atershave or his clean! natural male smell. # manis entranced "y the sil$en eel o a woman+s hair against his chee$ or eels an electriccharge rom her lips "rushing his ear.;ollowing a $iss in a love scene rom my "oo$! Aove Aost and ;ound! my maincharacter! 7heryl! concentrated on the sot cotton o his shirt! the light "ree0e o his"reath ruling her hair and his wor$-roughened hand gently stro$ing her ace.)esides the actual lovers! the sensory details o settings in a love scene can enhancethe romantic mood. )ree0es eel li$e a sensuous massage! rain hauntingly caresses!streams low in a soothing rhythm! sunlight teasingly "athes desire-warmed s$in.

#round the lovers! autumn+s leaves+ colors are "righter! song lyrics hold personalmeaning! and spring air is im"ued with the sweet scent o anticipation. 2he tastes themint on his lips and he inds the scent o her perume unorgetta"le as he returns to theoice.&n rare occasions the setting can also be used to underscore the individualmoods of the characters. )he woman can stare through a rain-drenched windowas she sadly watches the man walk away. The man and woman ecstatically ride awild horse to the top o a mountain where they daringly $iss at the edge o a cli.H. Reveal relationship status and character changes


13/35

#long with customi0ing a love scene "y including the personalities o your charactersand the issues surrounding them! you can also reveal the status o the relationshipthrough the climate o the love scene. 8arly in a relationship! love scenes still includethe elements o lirtation -- ver"al innuendoes! laughing! teasing! possi"ly nervousnessand tentativeness. *n a continuing relationship! lovers are more rela&ed with one

another. #s the relationship progresses! they are more li$ely to ver"ally e&press theirlove and tal$ o tenderness and possi"ly commitment.L. Tantali0e with temporary togetherness

#s eective as they are as plot devices! love scenes have their limitations. #long withunique characters! "elieva"le settings and realistic dialogue... there are certainpredicta"le elements. A touch usually leads to a kiss...which leads to moretouching... which eventually leads to a culmination.... or not. &ne way to helpkeep the reader involved in the love scene is to not belabor it with clinical details. 8ven a lengthy description o romance that leaves your reader eeling ravished doesn+tneed to read li$e an owner+s manual o "ody parts. +se writing that suggests ratherthan describes in detail and let the reader use her imagination. ",is fingers

inched farther along the smoothness of her skin. eeper. ower. %he gasped inanticipation." Notice that no speciic "ody parts are mentioned! and the ver"iage isactually more cere"ral than anatomical. * you do descri"e speciic "ody parts! $eep these&ual tension alive "y descri"ing your characters+ physical attri"utes in close pro&imity.


14/35

# dramatic situation or conlict that is $eeping the lovers apart can also heighten theemotional climate o the scene. $f one of the characters must choose to make asacrifice to pursue the relationship the drama of that decision will heighten thetension in the love scene. %ay the woman must choose to give up a scholarshipor once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity to continue the relationship. &r say that the

man risks losing his hard-won independence by marrying the secretary in abusiness his family owns. )he greater the sacrifice and risk the more theemotions will be heightened.. 7aptivate with close calls3hile love scenes inherently eel li$e a culmination and resolution! an open ending to alove scene paves the way or urther suspense. /ust li$e a high school girl practicallyperishes with suspense when a "oy she+s passionately $issed the night "eore pretendsnot to $now her the ne&t day! the reader will wonder i the lovers will ever em"raceagain as the "oo$ continues.2uch suspense and uncertainty is also created and enhanced when a love scene stops"eore culmination. #s in the scene that introduces this article! the most eective way to

maintain tension and prematurely end a love scene is or one o the characters todecide that this is somehow the wrong moment. *n the a"ove sense! 7heryl desperatelyloves Davey... "ut eels she must stay married or the sa$e o her $ids. # man mightpassionately $iss a woman! then say! ,* didn+t mean or this to happen now... not yet!,while she is thin$ing! 3hy not now(?. Kiss your story good-"ye

#s e&pressions o aection and conlict resolution! love scenes are natural endings.6any old-ashioned movies simply concluded with violin "ac$ground music and theleading man and lady loc$ed in a tight ,clinch., *n any love scene you write! andespecially i you decide to end your "oo$ with a couple+s em"race! try to $eep dialoguea part o the mi&. Today+s readers tend to s$ip over "loc$s o "lac$ type! and you might

"e surprised what your characters say


15/35

3hat ollows is one o the )82T sequences o conlicts and set"ac$s *+ve come across.Aet+s start ater *ndie inds the ar$.

Conflict2 oes $ndie find the ark3

%etback2 4es 0+) he is captured thrown into a pit of snakes and the antagonisttakes the ark.

emember that it is established early on in the movie that $ndiana hates snakes.%piders and all manner of creepy-crawlies he's fine with just don't bring him near a snake5 6And yes $ know that there's no logical reason why there wouldbe ),A) many snakes in an ancient burial vault but the scene still works.7

Conflict2 o $ndie and 8arion survive the pit of snakes3%etback2 4es they use torches to keep the snakes at bay 0+) the torches areabout to burn out.

Conflict2 o $ndie and 8arion escape the pit of snakes before their torches burnout3%etback2 4es $ndie crashes a pillar through a wall providing them a way toescape 0+) the room they enter is filled with skeletons that--for 8arion at least--seem to come alive.

Conflict2 9ill $ndie and 8arion escape from the ancient burial vault they've beenentombed in3%etback2 4es 0+) the bad guys have the ark and $ndie needs to get it back.

#ter every goal *ndie achieves there is a set"ac$. * %ust noticed we didn+t come across a,No! #ND ..., so lets $eep going.

#nother ;#):A9:2 sequence in the irst *ndiana /ones movie--especially rom theperspective o what we+re tal$ing a"out here--pulling the reader through a scene!creating conlict and using set"ac$s to create narrative drive--occurs at around 14F4@@where *ndie decides he+s going to commandeer a plane. 'e ails in the end and it "lowsup "ut the sequence o goals>conlicts and set"ac$s is memora"le.

7onlict4 3ill *ndie commandeer the plane(2et"ac$4 No! #ND *ndie is spotted crawling up the plane! toward the pilot.

7onlict4 *ndie and a "ad guy ight. 3ill *ndie win(2et"ac$4 Yes! ):T a much "igger man starts a ight with *ndie


16/35

7onlict4 *ndie is ighting a huge "ad guy. *t loo$s li$e he has no chance o winning. 3ill*ndie! against all odds! win the ight against the 6an-6ountain(2et"ac$4 No! *ndie is not going to win a ist-ight with the 6an-6ountain #ND the pilot isstill shooting at him.

7onlict4 The pilot ta$es aim at *ndie! rom this angle he can+t miss. 3ill *ndie survive(2et"ac$4 Yes! indie survives. 6arion hits the pilot over the head and $noc$s himunconscious ):T as the pilot slumps over in the coc$pit he hits some levers and startsthe plane rolling orward while *ndie ights the 6an-6ountain on the ground "elow.

7onlict4 6arion clim"s into the coc$pit to remove the pilot and stop the plane rommoving. Does she succeed(2et"ac$4 No! #ND she gets loc$ed inside the coc$pit.

You get the idea. The entire scene is well worth watching.

9ne thing * want to point out "eore * go on to the ne&t section and tal$ a"out scenes isthat the sta$es or our hero gradually escalate throughout the scene. #t irst *ndie %ustwants the plane and gets into a ist ight! then there+s an impossi"ly huge guy he has toight! then someone starts shooting at him! then the plane "egins to move! then there+sa truc$load o German soldiers who see him! then 6arion e&plodes gasoline containers!then there+s gasoline on the ground running toward the ire.

#t the end o the scene an ocean o gasoline is rushing toward the "urning remains othe gas canisters while the 6an-6ountain continues to "eat *ndie to a pulp and! ocourse! the whole camp has noticed the gasoline "arrels e&plode and is rushing toinvestigate. *t+s really quite something.

2cenes 2equals

To lesh out this discussion let+s tal$ a"out the larger picture. 7onlicts and set"ac$s areparts o scenes and a novel is made up o scenes and sequels.

2cenes are where the action ta$es place! where your character has conlicts andset"ac$s until the end o the scene and he or she attains their goal! or not! as the casemay "e.

2equels are where your character reacts emotionally to what+s happened! where he orshe reviews the acts o their situation and perhaps wonders i their plan is wor$ing orwhether it needs to "e changed. )asically a sequel sets your character


17/35

2cenes

'ere! according to /im )utcher ! is the "asic ormat o a scene4

oint o view character4 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Goal4 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB 7onlict


18/35

his or her goal. /im )utcher writes4

#ll this really means is that you need an antagonist with the same speciic! attaina"legoal! the same $inds o emotional sta$es! as your protagonist. 9nce you+ve got the right$ind o set up! the scene almost writes itsel.


19/35

conlicts could have an impact on the characters+ thoughts and "ehavior during a se&scene! so it+s important to deine the conlicts "eore you write the scene.CDetermine how the se& scene will increase the conlict "etween the two maincharacters. 1enerally when two characters sleep together there's more involved

than se!. 1reat conflict comes from someone or something at risk. )hink aboutways your scene increases the stakes in the story.EDetermine how your characters will react to ma$ing themselves vulnera"le enough orintimacy. Depending on the internal conlict you+ve laid out or them! this moment in thestory could "e a very "ig deal.7rating the 2ceneF?isuali#e the scene in your head as if you were directing a movie in order towrite the physical action of the scene but steer clear of prose that sounds like"$nsert part A into slot 0." That+s ine or a irst drat! while you+re choreographing the

stage directions to get the gist o the scene on paper! "ut it won+t wor$ or the inalversion. *t+s too technical and anatomical.Hic$ one point-o-view


20/35

@Depicting sae se& and the use o condoms in a se& scene is ine! "ut avoid "eing tooheavy handed a"out it. 3eave it in with the other elements o the scene! the actionsand the emotions! so it doesn+t %ar the reader out o the scene li$e a pu"lic serviceannouncement

;orcing the *ssue4 #dding 7onlict to Your 2cenes

)y /anice 'ardy! /aniceB'ardy

2ometimes * notice my protagonist is ollowing along with the plot and doing what theyneed to do! one step at a time! "ut even though things are pro"lematic! there+s no sensethat there+s really anything in the way trying to stop them. 2ure! it+s hard! "ut they %ustneed to ight through it to the ne&t step. 2tu+s in the way! "ut it+s not opposing them. *t+sthe literary equivalent o a "ig action sequence in a movie. *t+s un to watch! "ut it+s all

surace pro"lems.

This is when * $now * need to add more conlict. Not the ,put random o"stacles in theway, conlict! "ut the deeper! more interesting! ,ma$e the choices harder, type conlict.

The e&ternal conlicts are pretty easy. They+re the "ig events that orce "igger choices.)ut the really heart-wrenching stu! the conlicts that $eep readers glued to the pages!are more oten than not the internal conlicts. )ecause heroes tend to win. You $now theprotagonist isn+t going to die. Getting loc$ed away is only temporary! "ecause they haveto "rea$ out and save they day. #s much as we love the e&citing e&ternal conlicts! theyonly carry so much oomp.

The internal ones can "e anything. 3e don+t $now what a character might do whenaced with an impossi"le choice. )ut we can see that that choice is going to have astrong consequence.


21/35


22/35

There are only a ew words+ dierence "etween these two e&amples! "ut the seconde&ample is ar more dynamic.2ources o 7onlict7onlict happens when one o the characters meets an o"stacle to getting somethingshe wants. The ollowing ta"le shows e&amples o conlicts "etween characters.

8Q#6A82 9; 79N;A*7T #2 # R82:AT 9; 79N;A*7T*NG G9#A27haracter # 7haracter )3ants a piece o inormation Needs to $eep that inormation secret*s e&hausted and wants to go home 3ants to stay and party and orders more drin$s

3ants a promotionGives the promotion to someone wellconnected "ut unqualiied

3ants the man to love her 3ants to get the woman into "ed3ants to prove himsel "y poisoning thewater supply

3ants to prevent his amily rom "eingpoisoned

3ants to protect her "rother 3ants to prove that the "rother is a thie 7onlict can "e internal! as when one character seems to shut down and reuse to

connect with another! or pretends that everything is ine when in reality it isn+t. 9rconlict can "e e&ternal! as when two characters disagree or argue or engage in achase or a physical ight. # scene is always more interesting and allows your charactersto show who they are i you layer in some conlict.


23/35

from: http://www.mediabistro.com/mbtoolbox/writing-the-romance-novel-love-scene_b2280 “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!” If you were a studioaudience and this blog were a sitcom, that’s what you’d be saying after you finishreading this post. Ecerpted here from the boo Writing the Great American

Romance Novel is "atherine #anigan’s ad$ice on writing the lo$e scene. %o please be

mature about this and don’t s&ueal too much. If you want to read more of "atherine’sad$ice, you can pic up her boo here at 'llworth (ress. )y the way, a few people ha$eased me about the photo here and I got it off a *oogle image search for “lo$escene.” It is a still from the +arlon )rando-ita +oreno flic he “/ight of the 0ollowing 1ay”.In a romance novel, the love scenes are one of the mostcritical pieces of writing you will do. Be assured that your audience not only wants thesescenes in the book, but they are paying very good money to the authors who deliverthem well.

Love Scenes and “Head Action” The action, dialogue, and pacing in the love scenes are unbelievably important. Again, you will need to refer back to or keep in mind the sub-genre you are writing.If this is a spiritual- or religious-based story, your love scene is not going to be graphicin detail. Your dialogue is not going to hint at anything racy or spicy. You will want tokeep the ictoria!s "ecret underwear in the drawer, but that does not mean that yourcharacters would be prudes, either. There is nothing more beautiful than the human body.#o matter what the genre of romance you have chosen, your hero and heroine shouldalways have respect for each other in bed. Their dialogue will be loving at all times.They can have fun and kid around, but loving respect is what makes a hero and aheroine.$ven in the raciest love scenes you can write, the best part of the scene is what is goingon in the heads of the protagonists.

It is best to break the love scene down into four parts.

%irst is the kiss."econd in the love scene is the proposition of se&.Third is the se&ual act.%ourth is the action after the lovemaking.

The kiss is the most romantic part of the romance. The action, dialogue, and backstoryall lead up to when the hero will kiss the heroine. The ne&t block of action leads up to when the hero will kiss the heroine again. If you!ve ever read a 'udith (c#aught

romance, you know what a great kiss should be like. 'udith writes fabulous kissingscenes.In hers and any good kissing scene there is a lot that the characters think about andreact to as they kiss each other.The kiss is considered by many to be more intimate than the se&ual act. The kiss issharing, caring, and it is sweet. Your choice of how you want to e&ecute the first kiss between your protagonists will depend on their character. "hould it be )uick andimpulsive* Anticipated* Filled with love? Filled with regret? Blatantly humorous*

http://www.mediabistro.com/mbtoolbox/writing-the-romance-novel-love-scene_b2280http://www.allworth.com/Catalog/WP414.htmhttp://www.allworth.com/Catalog/WP414.htmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4636797.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4636797.stmhttp://www.mediabistro.com/mbtoolbox/writing-the-romance-novel-love-scene_b2280http://www.allworth.com/Catalog/WP414.htmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4636797.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4636797.stm


24/35

The options for the kiss are endless.The kiss is an end in itself. It does not have to lead to anything more than what it is. Thedecision for the action of the characters to go beyond the kiss will be determined by thecharacters themselves and what the kiss means to them and its placement in their lives.If you ever saw #ast ango in (aris, the movie set the cinema world on its ear because

two strangers in +aris have se& in the first scene. They don!t even know each other!snames, but they have se&. The rest of the movie then reveals who these people are. alfthe romance movies ever made and most westerns don!t have a kiss until the last scene, when the cowboy gets the girl and rides off into the sunset with her.The placement of the kiss then depends on the characters and theirdevelopment.The second part of action in the love scene is the proposition of se&. This can be impliedand it does not have to have culmination to be effective. In the movie 0rench 2iss, the(eg yan character is forced to sleep in the same hotel room as evin line. %or a briefmoment we believe there might be a proposition of se& between them because thesetting itself /the hotel room on the %rench iviera0 sets us up to believe evin willpropose to have se& with (eg.Instead, evin leans over the bed, takes a bed pillow, and then lies down on the couchon the other side of the room.In your novel, you could write a romantic comedy by using the proposition of se& beingever present, but the main characters can never find a place or time to be intimate. The)uest could be hilarious and frustrating, and yet it would finally have to end with thethird part of the love scene structure, the se&ual act. 1uring the se&ual act itself is when you must use more than the details of lovemaking to make your story interesting. This is when you can reveal a greatdeal about who your characters really are.The heroine might be a virgin. If this is her first time to make love, is she married*"ingle* Is she in love or 2ust e&perimenting* Is this a magical e&perience* 3r does she

wish she were shopping instead* As a general rule, for most of the love making scene you will want to stay inthe heroine’s head. It is her reaction to him that we are most interested in.It is through her heart and her eyes that the reader is experiencing thestory. You will need to have some of the head action be in the hero!s head, but it should be keptto no more than a third.I remember writing a love scene in which I literally split the head thoughts fifty-fifty between the hero and the heroine. (y editor )uickly let me know that that was not the way to do it.There are times when you might want to have all the head action in the hero!s head to

garner empathy for him or to reveal elements of his character that he has kept hiddenfrom the heroine. This is a good place to do it.The dialogue in the love scene can be funny, moving, loving, tender, and even hot. #evermake the mistake that this is the place for profanity. It will get edited out. I have alwaysused the rule that if I even use profanity, it should come out of the mouths of the villains.(ost of the dialogue in love scenes is saved for the aftermath. At this point you can have your hero, if he!s a commitment-phobe like Billy 4rystal inWhen 3arry +et %ally, 2ump


25/35

out of bed and race home.3r, it is a good time for the hero to reveal his deep devotion out loud to the heroine.There are no hard-and-fast rules about this. I!ve heard advice that the hero should neverreveal his love until the very last scenes so that the heroine is kept guessing.I have also read some great romances in which the hero tells the heroine that he loves

her in the very first pages and it takes the entire book for the two to get together andfinally have a life together. %rankly, this last one sounds like real life, doesn!t it*The structure of the love scene is laid in stone.The placement of the love scene probably depends on the sub-genre you are writing.The e&ecution of the love scene is what defines the tone of your work and may be the yardstick by which your readers measure you.The love scene is the internal combustion of the romance. Your reader picked a romance because she e&pects there to be a romance. If he5she wanted a straight mystery, that!s what they would buy. The love scene is the most difficult scene to write as you movefrom your first novel to the tenth. eeping your dialogue fresh and the actionexciting is challenging, !ecause lovemaking has specific elements and thereare no surprises for the reader. "our choice of voca!ulary, the scene setup,the physical surroundings, and then the characters’ emotional reactionsafter the sex act are what make your work uni#ue and memora!le.%or e&ample6*eorge closed the door with his foot, balancing a tray holding two glasses ofchampagne. “I brought you something,” he whispered to sleeping 4anet. Opening hereyes, she pushed down the cream5colored satin sheet enough to lift her hand. %he toothe crystal flute, smiled wicedly, and then pushed the sheet past her naed breasts,down to her abdomen. %lowly, she poured the champagne between her breasts.“Wanna toast6” This is a cute setup. The dialogue is tight and minimal, but the action is playful and spicy without being glaringly erotic.

These two characters are familiar with each other and there is no tension.This could be the last scene of the romance novel we have already written.#ow, let!s make the characters more comple&. In the following love scene there will becommitment but no se&. There will not even be a kiss7 however, we can see an evendeeper commitment between two strangers than we had in the above scene between twofamiliar characters. 8e have the elements of a love scene in that there is a bed, someoneundressing, playful, se&ual banter, and a whisper of devotion. )rad entered the dingy mountain cabin where 4anet sat in the tattered lounge chairhe’d owned since high school. %he clung to the shadows as if they were safe harbor“I don’t ha$e much to drin here. I don’t come up here so much anymore. I’$e only gotsome champagne from last /ew 7ear’s E$e.”

4anet pulled up her nees and hugged them as she glanced furti$ely toward the door.“It’ll be flat by now.” “/o, I didn’t ha$e anyone to share it with.” “Oh.” )rad went to the refrigerator and withdrew the champagne, popped the cor, and poured into two mason 8ar glasses. 3e handed one to 4anet, who started to drinra$enously.“1on’t you wanna toast6”


26/35

“I don’t now you well enough to toast,” she said. 3e nelt in front of her. “I don’t understand why those men ran you off the road intothe icy lae. )ut I’m damn glad I came along when I did or you wouldn’t be here.” “han you for sa$ing my life.” “7ou’re welcome, 4anet. I don’t now what or whom you are running from, but you’re

safe now. I’ll help you.” “What ind of person are you6 7ou can’t sa$e me from them. /obody can. /obodyshould.” “We can tal about it tomorrow after you get out of those cold, wet clothes. I ha$esome flannel pa8amas in the bedroom. 7ou can wear those. here are two downcomforters on the bed. 7ou’ll warm up in no time.” “What about you6 Where will you sleep6” “With you, of course,” he said. 4anet 8umped up. “I’m out of here.” )rad grabbed her shaing arm. “%orry. I was 8ust idding.” “)ad timing.” 3e led her into the bedroom, ga$e her the pa8amas, and turned down the bed while 4anet changed in the bathroom. When she opened the bathroom door, the light frombehind her shone through her long blonde hair. %he looed lie an angel in enormous flannel pa8amas.“hey’re too big,” she said, nearly tripping on the hems as she shuffled across the floorto the bed.“7ou loo asleep on your feet,” )rad said, holding up the co$ers for her. 4anet slipped between the sheets. “hans.” 3e co$ered her up as she closed her eyes. “han you . . . .” )rad sat on the edge of the bed, watching 4anet sleep. “ I didn’t save your life yousaved mine!” The element of the setup that makes the second passage e&citing is that it underscores

the deeply psychological belief in most human beings that 9somewhere, out there,someone is waiting 2ust for me.: 'anet and Brad have stumbled onto each other bycoincidence or divine intervention. They did not plan to meet, but they did.Brad saved 'anet!s life and in that we have a great 9meet.: 8e also have set up allmanner of plot twists to come. In a few short paragraphs we have established the factthat Brad finds 'anet very attractive. 3bviously, even though she is terrified, shesubconsciously finds Brad attractive. e made a cute remark about sleeping togetherand though she threatened to leave, she didn!t.This love scene hints at future love scenes between the two. The reader is alreadyimagining Brad crawling under those two down comforters with a very willing 'anet beside him.

In the above scene we have virtually all action taking place on the surface in dialogueand physical action. There is no 9head action: going on.;et!s move ahead to a few days later. 4anet stumbles out of the bedroom into the main room, where )rad was sleeping onthe sofa net to the dying fire. he flames fliced crimson and gold light across thewalls lie a painter splashes color on a can$as. %he hadn’t put her fear away longenough o$er the past forty5eight hours to really see this man who had sa$ed her life from her husband’s assassins.


27/35

4anet wondered what a simple man lie )rad would thin if he new she had beenmarried to a "I' operati$e and that her life had now been mared by I-' terroristswho blamed her husband for the death of one of their leaders. )rad was 8ust an accountant. 3is wife had left him because she considered himuninteresting. 0rom the sounds of it, 4anet thought his wife was a self5centered,

spoiled brat and that had she been )rad, she wouldn’t ha$e hung in there for ten yearswith her lie he did. 4anet sat on the braided rug net to the fire, where the warmth mo$ed across her baclie a co9y shawl. %he reached out to mo$e a thic loc of dar hair from his forehead. %he noticed that he was bare5chested. %he also noticed that his arms and shoulderswere well defined and his chest was sprinled with tufts of dar hair.Ob$iously, he wored out &uite a bit. +y accountant ne$er looed this ripped, she thought to herself. 't that moment, )rad stirred and rolled onto his side, facing her, and as he did, theblanet fell away re$ealing a $ery flat stomach. %he reached down to touch his chest when suddenly she remembered herself andretracted her hand.“What am I doing6” she whispered to herself and began to rise.“"ome bac here,” )rad moaned, grabbing her wrist and pulling her down on top ofhim.“I should go to bed.” “7es, you should,” he said as he brought his mouth up to hers. 4anet did not pull away, and let his lips linger o$er hers for a long time. %hememori9ed the feel of him and the taste of him and secretly she hoped that he wasdoing the same."ommon sense told her not to hope. hey had only nown each other two days. 3is tongue rimmed the outline of her mouth and then sought her interior. %he moaned. )rad held the nape of her nec in his hand and with his left hand on the small of her

bac he eased her under him until he was on top and she was cradled beneath him. 3is iss grew intense. O$er and o$er he de$oured her mouth as if he’d not had any lo$e for a long, long time. In all her life, 4anet had not nown passion this eplosi$e.hough she had lo$ed her husband, he’d ne$er been a demonstrati$e man when itcame to 4anet. 3e sa$ed his passion for his wor. 3e had wanted to sa$e the world. 4anet could already tell that )rad wanted to sa$e 4anet’s world.his passage has not only the action of the iss going on, but in 4anet’s thoughts wedisco$er history about her and her marriage. We hear her heart taling. Weempathi9e with the empty, nearly icy eistence she has led up until now when she hasmet )rad.We ha$e used the symbolism of the icy lae where 4anet was drowning to eemplify

both )rad’s lo$eless life and 4anet’s lo$eless life. he fire in the fireplace symboli9es the passion that has been ignited between the two protagonists. 'll of these elements eep the teture of our story rich and help to bring our charactersto life.


28/35

*nstructions

1.

o 1

"et up your love scene realistically. (ake sure it is true to the tone of your story. 1on


29/35

Set the ood !" Improvising on the #isual $etails

+isualize all the things your character would see as he or she dives into the iss; the gloss on her shiny lips, the shyness or craving in her eyes, the tricle of a nervous sweat bead

running down her forehead all the way to her mane. (al about what your character sees in the surrounding environment before he moves close to his woman; the stillness of the night

blaneted by the moonlight etc.

E%plain the $ifferent Sets and oods of Touch

start envisaging what it feels lie for your character as his lips connect with his woman; the rush of goose bumps, the wave of electricity through the whole body etc. Imagine the

intensity that builds up with the passing time; the caress of her hair on your face, the sensation of her fingers running through and groping your hair, your hands around her waist

running up & down her body. !lso tal about the role the settingplays e.g. the feeling of the head landing softly against the pillow, the wriggling of the body against the bed sheets, the

sensation of her breath striing your nec.

Bring Up the Smells in an &romatic &m!ience

ou want to mae the iss aromatic and an intense experience. +isualize your focal character smelling the fragrance of her sily hair as he runs his nose down her nec, the aroma of

her sin as he traces her 'aw line with his nose, the bou*uet of the lipstic that layers her lips and the scent of her perfume that sends the focal character in to a trance; lost in that

moment for what seems lie eternity.

)e creative, feel free and let go off any reservations that you might have as a reader because it will be your choice of words that will provide an entrancing experience to your readers

and as readers, they deserve the best.

9riting the ove %ceneby (atricia /ay

*n this article *+m going to tal$ a"out 3R*T*NG T'8 A9V8 278N8 and>or 28Q:#A T8N2*9N *N #R96#N78. This particular aspect o the "oo$ is pro"a"ly the scariest part o writing a romance or 6#NYromance writers! whether they+re "rand new to the genre or whether they+ve written iteen or twenty oreven orty romance novels. * $now that in most o my "oo$s these scenes are the hardest scenes or meto write not "ecause *+m araid to write them and not "ecause * have any hangups a"out writing them! "utsimply "ecause they are so diicult. *t is all too easy to all into the trap o thin$ing a love scene is graphicimages o "ody parts--with the emphasis on physical reaction rather than emotional reaction.

There+s an enormous dierence "etween titillation or titillation+s sa$e and a slow seduction of thesenses both emotional and physical. As writers we should strive to make our love scenes tenderas well as passionate--scenes that show the developing love between two people who genuinelycare about one another and want to make one another happy.

'ave you ever read a love scene and ound yoursel scanning to get through it( 3orse! have you s$ippedit entirely( 3orse yet! have you yawned and decided this is a good place to quit reading or the night(3hat a disappointmentI

'ow can we! as writers! avoid this pitall( 9ell in the very best love scenes the ones that have heldme captivated and evoked all those memories of falling in love and being wildly attracted tosomeone the scenes that made me laugh and cry and @@ the tension built very very slowly .The writer mil$ed the prelude to lovema$ing or all it was worth! devoting pages and pages to emotionaland physical oreplay. 2he $ept increasing the tension until %ust the right moment when the characterscould no longer deny their attraction to one another.

+@ ;2 &?@ %C@N@% %,&+ ,A?@ A %&9 0+$+( & %@B+A )@N%$&N.

They should tease the reader and ma$e her anticipate what is coming. They should seduce her /:2T #2T'8 '8R9 9R '8R9*N8 28D:782 the other. This slow "uildup! this #NT*7*#T*9N is undamental!even! * would say! crucial.

+@ < - ),@ /@4 $N1@$@N) )& A 1&& &?@ %C@N@ $% @8&)$&N .The author has a chance to reveal not %ust the characters+ "odies! "ut their deepest! most intimateeelings. The "est "oo$s! %ust li$e the "est movies! have one thing in common. They do not rely ontitillating the reader with e&plicit and graphic se&. *nstead! whether the stories are ,hot, or ,sweet,! havee&plicit se& or don+t! ta$e us into the "edroom or not! they involve the reader emotionally. No matter whatis happening to the people in the story! the reader is eeling everything the characters are eeling.


30/35

#s an audience! whether we+re watching a movie or reading a "oo$! we want to care a"out these people.3e want to "e inside their s$ins! actually living the e&perience with them.

#s a writer! you must put yoursel inside the character4 see what she sees! hear what she hears! smellwhat she smells! eel what she eels. #nd then you must convey all these thoughts and eelings and

impressions to the reader with your word choices. You must let the reader eel the anguish o your heroinewhen the hero accidentally "rushes her hand! then %er$s away rom her as i he can+t stand the sight oher. You must ma$e your reader eel every accelerated heart"eat! every nervous lutter! and everyagoni0ing moment o uncertainty.

+@ =2 &?@ %C@N@% %,&+ N&) 0@ $N)@C,AN1@A0@.

7heryl 2t. /ohn! in an article she wrote called ,*ndividuali0ing Your Aove 2cenes, says that to ma$e yourlove scene unique! it shouldn+t "e transera"le. *n other words! you shouldn+t "e a"le to cut and paste thisscene rom one "oo$ to another. Yes! there are only so many ways two people can ma$e love--the'Y2*7#A act o love--"ut there are thousands o dierent ways two people can ma$e emotional love.

There should "e enough dialogue and>or interaction "etween the two people involved! enough eeling and

internal narrative to ma$e it a"solutely clear that this e&change couldn+t possi"ly ta$e place "etween anyother two people. 8very pair o lovers should have their own chemistry.

+@ > - A &?@ %C@N@ %,&+ C&N)A$N C&N$C).

*+ll never orget when * irst learned this. *t was during the rewrite o 7*ND8R8AA# G*RA! my irst "oo$ with2ilhouette. 6ary 7lare Kersten! my editor! told me that there wasn+t much o an emotional payo in theirst! "ig love scene in the "oo$! and that * really needed to wor$ on it.

During a telephone conversation with a writer riend rom Dallas! * mentioned what 6ary 7lare had said. *told my riend that * didn+t $now e&actly what to do to increase the emotional intensity and give the readera payo.

6y riend said it sounded to her as i * had no conlict in the scene.

,7onlict(, * squea$ed. ,# love scene should have conlict(,

,#"solutely!, she said. 2he went on to tell me that it was vitally important to remem"er that a love scenewas li$e any other scene. *t should have a "eginning! a middle! and an end and it should have conlict. *tshould move the story orward.

,)ut conlict( You mean! li$e whips and chains(,

2he laughed. ,9 course not., 2he e&plained that conlict can "e su"tle or overpowering! "ut in a lovescene it must "e a conlict o emotion! and most li$ely a dierent type o conlict in each love scene as the

relationship "etween the hero and heroine progressed and "uilt toward the crisis. 2he gave an e&ample4the hero! out o desperation and sel-preservation! reuses to let himsel even consider touching theheroine! despite the emptiness and loneliness he $nows he will endure without her. The heroine! equallydesperate and sel-preserving! needs his caring touch li$e sun-parched earth needs rain! and in a wild!rec$less moment! pushes their relationship over the "rin and into "ed. 9n one level! neither may 3#NTthe other one. They may have a thousand reasons why a physical relationship would "e disastrous. )uton that deeper! more intense level! they can+t turn away rom the emotions that drive them. 2uchemotions provide conlict! and a riveting love scene that the reader


31/35

'er words were li$e the prover"ial light "ul" going o in my head. 2uddenly * $new e&actly what * had todo to i& that love scene o mine. 2ince the theme o 7*ND8R8AA# G*RA was control


32/35

Then thin$ a"out movies such as my personal avorite! T'8 )*G 8#2Y( Does anyone remem"er the "iglove scene( 3here Remy! the hero! and #nn! the heroine! are in her apartment and they+ve $issed andare going to ma$e love( They go into her "edroom! and the ne&t scene shows her sitting up on the "ed!ully clothed! and him laying ne&t to her! his hand under her s$irt.

'er head is thrown "ac$! and she+s "reathless. 2he says wea$ly! ,2top that., 'e gives her a wic$ed

smile. ,2top what(, he says. ,This(, ause. ,9r this(,

Nothing is shown.

8verything is implied.

#s a viewer! you are nearly as "reathless as she is! "ecause you KN93 what he+s pro"a"ly doing! youcan *6#G*N8 how it eels! what she is eeling! and what he is eeling. *t+s a"solutely wonderul. Theirdialogue! their e&pressions! their tone o voice--all are ueling our imagination. The scene is very sensual!with such impact! that everyone in the audience is pro"a"ly eeling their toes tingle.

#nother avorite is the New Years 8ve scene in T'8 ;#):A9:2 )#K8R )9Y2 where the /e )ridgescharacter is playing the piano and the 6ichelle eier character is laying on top o the piano and singing.

Aater! when the revelers are gone and the party is over! they are going to ma$e love. They $now it and we


33/35

li$e your love scenes! should not "e interchangea"le. They are unique and the way they relate to oneanother should "e unique! too.

+@ ;< - &N') &C@ ),@ %C@N@. @) $) @?&?@ NA)+A4.

/ust "ecause it+s page F1! and your hero and heroine haven+t made love yet! doesn+t mean you should

panic and throw in a love scene. The reader isn+t stupid. The reader $nows when you+re orcing thecharacters to do something they wouldn+t normally do. The "est thing to do is %ust write the story the wayyou $now it should "e written. #nd let the love scene come where it+s supposed to come--not dictated "ywhat page you+re on--"ut "y your characters and how they eel. #n editor is not going to reuse to "uyyour "oo$ "ecause your love scene doesn+t appear until the end.

7ase in point4 my /une! MME 2pecial 8dition called T'8 G*RA N8QT D99R. This "oo$ is a"out "estriends. The entire conlict revolves around the act that /enny! the heroine! reali0es she+s allen in lovewith her "est riend! 2imon! and he+s "lind and dense and clueless


34/35

-ialogue oves the /lot 0orward

Dia$o+e keeps the stor- movin+. >nstead o0 te$$in+ the reader what6s +oin+ to happen ne&t, $et the reader $earn it thro+h dia$o+e. Eor e&amp$e:

;sh$e- stormed p to the desk c$erk. 2>6m here to see Ar. Lo+an.3

21o mst e ;sh$e-.3 =he man reached into the desk, rst$ed with some papers and then handed her an air$ine ticket. 2Ar. Lo+an said to te$$ -o that i0 -o wanted to ta$k to him, -o6d e there e0ore

mornin+.3

;sh$e- stared at the ticket, then $inked, her 0r- ro+ht tears to her e-es.

2=hat e+otistica$ a F 3 She it oB her $ast word. 2He serios$- thinks >6$$


35/35

2Did -o hear aot the accident that happened down the $ockG3

;void the ever-da- p$easantries in -or stories. Rotine e&chan+es as in: 2How are -oG3 2Eine, thank -o3 are orin+. ommon +reetin+s, introdctions, chitchat, ma- e needed in $i0e, t not in ction.

Dia$o+e is spposed to sond rea$, t not e rea$.

• Dia$o+e: When eop$e =a$k, Readers Listen

• Wh- Dia$o+e >sn6t Rea$ onversation

Related Articles

• Wh- Dia$o+e >s So >mportant # Writin+ a Romance ?ove$

• =he )$end o0 Dia$o+e and ?arrative # Writin+ a Romance ?ove$

• Dia$o+e Don6ts # Writin+ a Romance ?ove$

• =ips 0or Easter acin+ # Writin+ a Romance ?ove$

• Dia$o+e =a+s # Writin+ a Romance ?ove$

Read More Dialogue: When People Talk, Readers Listen

o Wh- Dia$o+e >s So >mportant

o Wh- Dia$o+e >sn6t Rea$ onversation

o Cavesdroppin+ "K"

o Dia$o+e =a+s

o >nterna$ Dia$o+e

o =he )$end o0 Dia$o+e and ?arrative

o Dia$o+e Don6ts
http://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/http://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/why-dialogue-isnt-real-conversation.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/why-dialogue-is-so-important.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/the-blend-of-dialogue-and-narrative.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/dialogue-donts.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/writing-a-book-they-cant-put-down/tips-for-faster-pacing.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/dialogue-tags.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/why-dialogue-isnt-real-conversation.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/eavesdropping-101.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/dialogue-tags.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/internal-dialogue.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/the-blend-of-dialogue-and-narrative.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/dialogue-donts.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/http://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/why-dialogue-isnt-real-conversation.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/why-dialogue-is-so-important.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/the-blend-of-dialogue-and-narrative.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/dialogue-donts.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/writing-a-book-they-cant-put-down/tips-for-faster-pacing.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/dialogue-tags.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/why-dialogue-isnt-real-conversation.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/eavesdropping-101.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/dialogue-tags.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/internal-dialogue.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/the-blend-of-dialogue-and-narrative.htmhttp://www.netplaces.com/writing-a-romance-novel/dialogue-when-people-talk-readers-listen/dialogue-donts.htm

developing the romance

Documents