Archive for December, 2004

December 31, 2004

big feet, big…

Pages: 198
Listening to: A Whisper to a Scream, Icicle Works

One of the other reasons I love writing sex scenes is that characters say and do the most unexpected things, and sometimes they just delight me. Other times, they puzzle me. But more often, delight.

As I said before, I thought I’d be writing a sex scene in chapter four for this novel, and my heroine surprised me by refusing to have sex. Well, I’m in chapter ten now, and she’s completely gung ho about it. Yay! She’s also making comments about the hero’s anatomy, after he’s taken off his boxers, and she can’t take her eyes off what he’s revealed:

“Holy moly.” She swallowed. “I knew you had big feet but I never expected anything this big.”

This time, Oz laughed. “Marianne, for a guy who grew up as the skinniest, smallest, brainiest kid in his entire high school, hearing this from you is a dream come true.”

A nice revelation for me about the hero’s character, too.

“Character” being a euphemism, of course…

December 30, 2004

writing sex

Working on: RECKLESS
Page: 192

Inspiration: Click here to see

I really like writing sex scenes. Which is just as well, because I find myself writing a lot of them, and I keep on being asked to give seminars on how to do it. (I’m far from an expert–I just don’t mind talking about it, I guess.)

So the great thing about writing sex scenes is that you get to imagine the entire thing. Look at my inspiration up there. I’m writing about his chest right now. Man, what’s not to like??

The annoying thing about writing sex scenes is that you have to imagine the entire thing. Particularly, for me, awkward stuff like taking off shoes and socks. Taking off shoes isn’t particularly sexy unless you’re wearing killer stilettos. I’ve got to get these two down to their underwear in the next couple of paragraphs. And the heroine is wearing wet jeans. Ever tried to get wet jeans off in a hurry? When you can’t wait to get your hands on the sexiest creature on the planet?

forging ahead

Working on: RECKLESS
Chapter: 10
Page: 189
Music: Still Fountains of Wayne and Norah Jones…really want to hear Mary’s Prayer though.

Went for a long walk to try to get things straight in my head. For some reason, the sex writing just isn’t happening today, and I’ve spent my time online fooling around with this thing instead.

I decided when I started writing this story that–aside from the first three chapters, which I wanted to send to my editor as polished as I could–I’d just keep writing, not go back and fix anything, just get the book out, and then go back and edit and cut. With my other stories, I’ve sent each chapter to my critique partners as I finished; this story, I’m keeping to myself until it’s done. It’s a new process for me, and at the moment I’m finding it hard. I’ve discovered new aspects of the characters’ personalities (such as Marianne’s REFUSING TO GO FOR A CHEESEBURGER, grrrrr–see yesterday’s post) and I want to go back and refocus some of the previous scenes.

But I think, since I’ve set myself goals of writing a LOT, it’s going to be better just to forge ahead.

I don’t think it helps that I’m also facing a revision of my mainstream novel, SPIRIT WILLING, FLESH WEAK, and I’ve got a lot of anxiety about that. I love that book, and while I can see small changes to make, some shifts of emphasis, some plot to add, I don’t actually want to change the main focus of the book. I could do it. But I don’t want to.

I think, overall, it’s just an anxiety day today. I’m gonna make myself some decaf and try to write some sex. Oz (the hero) wants to make a comment about frostbitten buttocks. Think I’m gonna let him.

December 29, 2004

agh!!

Working on: RECKLESS (Harlequin Temptation)
Chapter: 9
Pages: 187
Music: Those Sweet Words by Norah Jones; Valley Winter Song by Fountains of Wayne

Okay, so these characters are driving me mad.

First, I thought they were going to have sex in like chapter four. Which would have been fine. But no, the heroine suddenly decided she had some issues about that idea. Which changed her inner conflict completely.

So I wrote a synopsis to send to my editor, and in that, I decided they’d have sex after a particularly defining moment in the heroine’s development. Basically, she was going to go to a diner and order a cheeseburger and fries. Okay, that might not sound like a big developmental step, but she’s a former anorexic, and her attitude towards food reflects a lot of the fears that are holding her back from living a fulfilling life. Asserting herself in a restaurant, strangely, leads her to assert herself in the bedroom.

But no. Tonight I’m writing, and not only did she decide to have an orgasm by herself in the hero’s tub, she’s decided she doesn’t need to wait until she orders the cheeseburger. In fact, she doesn’t even want the damn cheeseburger.

So what do I do: force this woman to go to a diner and order a cheeseburger before she gets it on, or decide never to write a stupid synopsis before I finish the book!??!!