Tips for Writing a Steamy Love Scene

As a newly self-published Historical Romance author, several people have asked me just how I write those steamy love scenes. So I came up with these few important notes.

-Stay true to character – if the heroine is bashful do not make her the dominant, sexy seductress. If your guy is strong and confident in character, do not turn him bashful.

-Keep it ‘real’ – don’t contort your characters in such a way that the reader will not believe the act is physically possible.

-Use your imagination.

-Keep the reader engaged – static love scenes and repetitive language is not likely to keep anyone’s interest. Stay fresh.

-Use this opportunity to get to know your characters, and allow them to grow. It isn’t just sex, it is a future husband and wife falling for one another.

It is at this point in my blogs in which I usually ask a question to readers. As the content here is of a ‘spicy’ nature, I have chosen to change the topic for my question.

So now I ask you: Do you have any tips for writing that you would like to share?

Important Little Notes

When writing a novel, there are many small details that one must remember. Once you have mentioned that your hero enjoys smoking cigars, you must remember to add scenes with him enjoying one. If you imply that your heroine’s favourite pastime is riding horses, you had better put her on a horse at some point. If you decide to put your characters in costume, you must remember what each is wearing.

This is why I have a large notebook full of odd notes. I am constantly scribbling, scratching out, and re-writing notes. I’ve got arrows indicating the sequence of events, lists that help me understand terms that I looked up, and translations for the characters that happen to be from a different country.

My notebook is an indispensable tool for me while I do my writing. It helps me keep my novels free of discrepancies or continuity errors, and it ensures that I remember important plot points.

I keep a notebook for my ‘real’ life, as well. It has my list of things ‘to do’ and the list of things I must remember.

So now I ask you: Do you have a special notebook? What do you use yours for?

Pen Pals

I have recently been given the opportunity to blast back to my youth and become a pen pal. I think we can all honestly say that we seldom write letters anymore. In this age of technology we tend to connect with people via Facebook, Twitter, or by E-mail. Some even use programs like Skype and Facetime.

Now, as much as I enjoy using these methods to connect with my family and friends, I think it is so much more personal when you send someone a letter that has been handwritten. It adds a personal touch in my opinion.

My new pen pal is one of my best friends. She just moved a province over, and I already miss her terribly. I very much look forward to writing her, but the excitement of being a pen pal pales in comparison to actually being able to see her face to face. I wish I could.

For now I must content myself with writing the ‘old-fashioned’ way. By hand and from the heart.

So now I ask you: Do any of you have a pen pal? Do you remember when they were assigned to us in elementary school? Do you find that writing by hand adds a personal touch?