tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post8285380006040389268..comments2023-05-24T08:06:43.882-04:00Comments on Romance Writer's Revenge: Sexual TensionTerri Osburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17176989488447450585noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-49308782242811535242010-06-10T06:07:14.000-04:002010-06-10T06:07:14.000-04:00Excellent. I worry the same thing sometimes, that ...Excellent. I worry the same thing sometimes, that everyone will have already read it. I just make people promise to buy it if it ever gets published (both cheap AND manipulative!) (and YES, I will race into the bookstore, waving my credit card in the air like a madwoman if yours gets pubbed!)halnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-8790650703119175392010-06-10T06:09:33.001-04:002010-06-10T06:09:33.001-04:00Hal - You must change BOTH of those "if"...Hal - You must change BOTH of those "if"s to "WHEN"s. LOL! An all pirate booksigning is in our future, you just wait. (And the hotties will usher readers around, of course.)Bosunhttp://www.romancewritersrevenge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-20249660441680484342010-06-10T00:08:15.000-04:002010-06-10T00:08:15.000-04:00Anna Campbell is a master at all those things! Ton...Anna Campbell is a master at all those things! Toni Blake is a master at it in contemporary. They both have that raw emotion dripping from the page. For pure sexiness and a little action I like Lora Leigh. She's totally my crack. <br><br>I think it's in the little details that suck the reader in and make them hyper aware. It's the thoughts your characters have about each other. Those one or two sentences between the hotness that build on the tension already amped up on each page.<br><br>Get lots of rest, Marnee!Tiffany Clarehttp://www.tiffanyclare.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-19422960652461528882010-06-10T04:02:47.000-04:002010-06-10T04:02:47.000-04:00Can't believe I still haven't bought this ...Can't believe I still haven't bought this book. Must get around to that. I love Anna's writing.<br><br>I also love the books where steam rises off the page from sexual tension. Elizabeth Lowell is a master at it. And I want my readers to feel the tension sizzle through the book, but I'm not sure my stuff reaches the spontaneous combustion levels. The truth is, that's not my strong point and they say play up what works, so my angst outweighs the sexual tension.<br><br>Then again, someone might read my stuff and say the total opposite. LOL! This is the problem with being the writer, I'm too close to know if it's in there or not.Bosunhttp://www.romancewritersrevenge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-48669799247601255412010-06-10T04:07:58.000-04:002010-06-10T04:07:58.000-04:00Tiff - I love that hyper-awareness between charact...Tiff - I love that hyper-awareness between characters as well. Isn't that how it goes in real life when you're attracted to someone? No matter how far across the room they are, you know every slightest movement :)halnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-18002066153207803852010-06-10T04:11:21.000-04:002010-06-10T04:11:21.000-04:00Ter - I haven't gotten my hands on it yet eith...Ter - I haven't gotten my hands on it yet either, and it's driving me mad! I think a trip to the bookstore is in order today.<br><br>I'm better at angst than tension too, and really, the two are just opposite ends of the same "reader experiences emotion" spectrum. But I think you're very right about writers being too close to it to realize. I wrote this fanfic once that I genuinely did not think as angsty. And *everyone* made comments on the amount of angst. A couple years later, I read it again, and was floored by the amount of angst I'd inadvertently packed it with. But when we're writing, it's not like it's agnsty to us!<br><br>Hmm, now I want to track down Anna and ask her if she sees the sexual tension while she's writing, or if it just happens through her voice....halnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-20405630268309033642010-06-10T04:15:34.000-04:002010-06-10T04:15:34.000-04:00I'm still waiting for my copy of Anna's bo...I'm still waiting for my copy of Anna's book to show up -- B0rders managed to send the package to an old address, and I've been waiting for over a week since FedEx TOLD me it would be forwarded. Aaaugh!<br><br>I'm reading a book that's about to get set down permanently -- the characters TALK about how sexy they find the other person, but for some reason it doesn't FEEL that way. I'm trying to figure it out, because when other authors do this, I'm faint from all the tension! LOLDonnanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-29482996183559621852010-06-10T04:32:10.000-04:002010-06-10T04:32:10.000-04:00Hal - We definitely need Anna back to ask her. LOL...Hal - We definitely need Anna back to ask her. LOL!<br><br>Donna - I'm finding that more and more lately and I was wondering it if was just me. The hero noticing and thinking about her cleavage, even what he might like to do with that cleavage, does not amount to sexual tension to me. The awareness is of each other, the sparks flying around the room, not the basic physical attributes themselves.<br><br>Does that make any sense? You can have attraction without sparks, maybe that's what I mean. There needs to be something more for the sparks. Now, if I only I could pinpoint "what" constitutes *more*, I'd have it all figured out. LOL!Bosunhttp://www.romancewritersrevenge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-5312078842518345222010-06-10T04:42:45.000-04:002010-06-10T04:42:45.000-04:00Bo'sun, it definitely makes sense. And I'...Bo'sun, it definitely makes sense. And I'm puzzling it out myself. For me, I think the *more* has to be -- the people aren't interchangeable. The hero has to be admiring HER cleavage, without you feeling like if you slipped someone else's cleavage in there, he'd be having the same response. LOL<br><br>I'm going to quaff some more coffee -- see if I can get my words in the right order. <br><br>I just got off the phone with B0rders and my order has been re-sent. Yay!Donnanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-8440764536796387742010-06-10T04:48:27.000-04:002010-06-10T04:48:27.000-04:00I'm reading Tessa Dare's One Dance with a ...I'm reading Tessa Dare's One Dance with a Duke (I know! A duke! But it's soooo GOOD!) and I'm loving it. I think the sexual tension is spot on. <br><br>I think there should be awareness, definitely, but too much "hyper" awareness gets on my nerves. And not in a good way. And granted, the hyper awareness I'm reading is usually in the guy's POV, so it's probably not too far off the mark and it's romanticized up a bit that he's all drawn to the silkiness of her skin or her hair instead of how great her tits look in that top...but sometimes when its done, it just grates. It needs to be blended with something. Banter. Sweetness between them. Something. It's sorta like foreplay--you need to switch it up frequently or I start to notice what you're doing and I'm no longer enjoying it. <br><br>However, I've read books where the lovers are FRIENDS and they bond over something SWEET...and then there is no hyper awareness of any kind, and that just seems lame. (See, you can't win with me. You really can't.)<br><br>I need it all. I want it all. I deserve it all. <br><br>Good thing, laAnna delivers it all, eh? And Tessa Dare... *LOL*Hellienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-23484072698512321022010-06-10T04:53:17.000-04:002010-06-10T04:53:17.000-04:00I think the 'hyper' awareness that annoys ...I think the 'hyper' awareness that annoys me is the kind that annoys Bo'sun and Donna--the one where it could be anyone's cleavage. *LOL*Hellienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-65396395770093360052010-06-10T05:02:33.001-04:002010-06-10T05:02:33.001-04:00That's exactly it. He's admiring her girls...That's exactly it. He's admiring her girls and not her. Which, as Donna pointed out, could be anyone's girls. LOL!<br><br>But on the reverse, when the guy is drawn to the heroine like he's never been drawn to anyone before and they haven't yet said hello to each other, I'm out. An attraction, sure. Has to be. But giant magnatron pull of "must merge our souls or I'll die" variety is too much. <br><br>Perhaps this is why I'm not particularly a para girl. LOL! But I know it works for others!Bosunhttp://www.romancewritersrevenge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-56041005940168858142010-06-10T05:02:33.000-04:002010-06-10T05:02:33.000-04:00Damn it, I need that Tessa book too. WHY do they p...Damn it, I need that Tessa book too. WHY do they put all these terrific books out at the same time?Bosunhttp://www.romancewritersrevenge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-55526364716445688092010-06-10T05:09:09.000-04:002010-06-10T05:09:09.000-04:00Yeah, the "drawn to her like no other girl&qu...Yeah, the "drawn to her like no other girl" has to be cleverly done and it's so rarely cleverly done. I've occasionally bought into it--I either have to be in the right mood or the stars are lined up or the characters are particularly believable...but usually I think, "Great, now I think this guy's an asshole" and it's no longer fun for me.<br><br>I don't believe in love at first sight. But strangely I seem to meet a lot of guy who DO believe in love at first sight. I'm beginning to think it's a guy thing. I don't think any girl over the age of 19 believes in love at first sight...and any girl below 20 is a stupid teenager and can't be trusted anyway.Hellienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-8795846379847474552010-06-10T05:12:12.000-04:002010-06-10T05:12:12.000-04:00Gah -- these discussions tear me up. I always fee...Gah -- these discussions tear me up. I always feel like, "OMG, this is what *I* do in MY books!" LOLDonnanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-27397026788627839092010-06-10T05:15:43.000-04:002010-06-10T05:15:43.000-04:00Donna - No freaking! There can be an instant attra...Donna - No freaking! There can be an instant attraction. She intrigues him. There's something different about her. But for him to instantly compare it to the "like no other before" is the line for me.<br><br>Even if you feel strongly attracted to someone, no guy goes right to "like no other". He can recognize that she's different. He can really want to know more about her. But as Hellie says, it has to be cleverly done.<br><br>Or maybe the trick is to be subtle. If I'm eased into the situation and by the time we get to the "like no other" point, I've progressed there with him, then I'm with you.Bosunhttp://www.romancewritersrevenge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-74930670828798427522010-06-10T05:22:50.000-04:002010-06-10T05:22:50.000-04:00LOL -- the freaking comes from no matter WHAT we d...LOL -- the freaking comes from no matter WHAT we discuss, there are people on both sides -- so I invariably do one or the other! <br><br>I need to step back while I'm working on revisions or I'll paralyze myself, and won't be able to get them done. :) Must be one of those days where my Muse is killing me softly. LOLDonnanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-48537872156291724242010-06-10T05:35:27.001-04:002010-06-10T05:35:27.001-04:00okay, I'm trying to keep up with this conversa...okay, I'm trying to keep up with this conversation, but you three have flown right by me :)<br><br>Donna -- I definitely know what you mean, and I think it's a telling, not showing issue. The characters can *say* they feel attracted to each other all they want, and talk about being attracted, but if you don't *show* that attraction, then I'm just left thinking, what the hell are they talking about?? <br><br>So of course, that goes back to asking how you show attraction without telling, and without going so far past the mark that you do the "me sees soulmate...must merge souls or me dies" that Hellie hates!halnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-2974094675989650172010-06-10T05:35:27.000-04:002010-06-10T05:35:27.000-04:00We're all freaking. I have all the sexual tens...We're all freaking. I have all the sexual tension and wonderful sex of a nun in my stories. However, Terri is always kind enough to lie to me and tell me it sounds much better than I think. I'm sure yours is the same. Yours is much better than you think.Hellienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-87434606565927233052010-06-10T05:38:30.000-04:002010-06-10T05:38:30.000-04:00Hellie - I've actually never read a Tessa Dare...Hellie - I've actually never read a Tessa Dare book, and that sounds like the perfect one to start with :) *adding to my bookstore list*<br><br>I think, for me, there has to be a healthy mix of the attraction (her chestnut hair sparkling and drawing him in...blah...blah...blah) and them actually bonding over something. It can't just be hyper-awareness of the psychical - I agree, that gets old FAST. <br><br>But if can admire her glowing chestnut hair and cleavage while helping her sneak out to take punch to a younger sibling...(or something, anything, where there's an actual *relationship* building), then it works for me. As long as it's done well. If it's done crappy, then...well...halnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-30113869642750367102010-06-10T05:39:57.000-04:002010-06-10T05:39:57.000-04:00I don’t think any girl over the age of 19 believes...<i>I don’t think any girl over the age of 19 believes in love at first sight…and any girl below 20 is a stupid teenager and can’t be trusted anyway.</i><br><br>LOL!!! I totally agree. There's certainly attraction at first sight. But love? No way.halnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-90272713969914874592010-06-10T05:42:42.001-04:002010-06-10T05:42:42.001-04:00Must be one of those days where my Muse is killing...<i>Must be one of those days where my Muse is killing me softly. </i><br><br>It sounds less like she's trying to kill you softly than she's trying to bludgeon you to death.Hellienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-19276777940261927372010-06-10T05:42:42.000-04:002010-06-10T05:42:42.000-04:00the freaking comes from no matter WHAT we discuss,...<i>the freaking comes from no matter WHAT we discuss, there are people on both sides — so I invariably do one or the other! </i><br><br>Don't forget, too, that there are exceptions to EVERYTHING, and we're talking in huge generalities. Even the cliches we swear up and down we hate can be handled perfectly in the right voice.halnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-28698787416373995712010-06-10T05:44:06.001-04:002010-06-10T05:44:06.001-04:00I definitely know what you mean, and I think it’s ...<i>I definitely know what you mean, and I think it’s a telling, not showing issue. The characters can *say* they feel attracted to each other all they want, and talk about being attracted, but if you don’t *show* that attraction, then I’m just left thinking, what the hell are they talking about?? </i><br><br>That's it exactly! That's how some are able to do it but not others! It's showing versus telling...Hellienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-416913236621309814.post-56763172491674665512010-06-10T05:44:06.000-04:002010-06-10T05:44:06.000-04:00Ooohhh Jeez. You guys are making me think to much...Ooohhh Jeez. You guys are making me <i> think</i> to much! <br><br><i>Even if you feel strongly attracted to someone, no guy goes right to “like no other”.</i><br><br>Neither do most women. Most <i>sane</i> women any way. I'm fairly sure that I was strongly attatched to my DH the first time I met him. But I spent the first six months of our relationship denying to myself how attracted I was . In fact someone else had to tell me. Even then I was like “ You’re mistaken … surely? I can’t be in love… Its not in my schedule. I don’t have time for this.” <br>Seriously. I didn‘t. I Didn’t want It. Wasn’t looking for It. But … there I was. Being lectured to by a woman I had never met before. A 47 year old professor who was supposed to be interviewing me for one of the best programs in the country at the college of my dreams… but instead of welcoming me to her school she’s telling me that I have to choose. <br>Between career. Or love.<br>WTH? I wasn’t in love. <br><br>So maybe that’s where the best kind of tension is? Its not just about fighting the sexual attraction. Its about fighting the elemental distraction of your life becoming “our” life. <br><br>Does that make sense?Julienoreply@blogger.com