I know, subtle title, right?  So, I’m revising because I realized I need more sexual chemistry.  And how do I get that?  Subtle sensuality.

It’s not that I’m an idiot when it comes to writing the sex.  Some people have told me I’m quite adept at it.  It’s just that, sometimes, when you’re trying to get a hundred other things right, like plot and characters and goals and motivation–you get it, it’s easy to forget that people who just jump into bed aren’t sexy.

I started thinking about personal space.  I’m married with kids, so people are in my space all the time.  We hug, we kiss good night, we hold hands.  I forgot, for a moment, how sexy personal space could be.

Because letting someone in your personal space, past that bubble, is incredibly intimate. Click To Tweet

A touch on the hand, a massage, a hand brushing the thigh–tell me that couldn’t send your blood pressure through the roof with the right person.  So, I’m focusing on showing sexual chemistry and attraction by showing that secret, tingly sharing of personal space and putting off the payoff as loooooong as possible.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  Maybe even posting a sampling.

Love scenes are not all about the physical act, they are more about the characters and the story. What happens to change them and advance the plot?

via Writing the Love Scene in Fiction Stories: How to Add Heat to Romance Novels without Turning the Reader Off.

The site is gone. But the thought is still fab, right?

1 Comment

  1. Aside from your great title, I’m in absolute agreement that writing great sex is all about the build-up. And even then, once it all explodes into action, I don’t especially need or want to be presented with a full blown sex manual description. All of which not only works to turn the scene into something resembling a clinical exam, but in effect, steals the moment from the readers imagination. Yep, bring on the “subtle sensuality.” Now that’s sexy!

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