Favorite Enemies
- A Little Sisterly Advice
- Cheeky Reads
- DRD aka Donna's Blog
- Gunner Marnee's Blog
- J.K. Coi: Living with Immortals
- Just Janga
- Killer Fiction
- Kimberly Killion
- Maggie Robinson
- Maureen O. Betita
- Megan Kelly
- Pam Clare
- Renee Lynn Scott
- Romance Bandits
- Romance Dish
- Scapegoat's Blogspot
- Smartass Romance
- Terri Osburn Writes Romance
- Tessa Dare
- Vauxhall Vixens
Blog Archive
Powered by Blogger.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Faking it... An art form of acquiring perfection.
"Life is like a dirty pirate ship, you never know who your mates are gonna be."
There is a lot to be said for a supportive cast.
Especially when they are a seductive group like aboard the Romance Writer’s Revenge. And in honor of the sultry wenches on board, I’m going to take the time out to talk about a subject that’s near and dear to a lusty wench’s heart.
Faking it.
Now, I know you’re groaning and thinking where the hell is she going to take this. But I assure you there matey, this topic holds no bounds.
There are things to be said for faking it. If you fake it, you don’t have much to worry about if you do it right. Faking it absolves you of a guilty pleasure you might have gotten from it. Faking it allows you to think of the gardener, the hottie half your age that winked at you, next week’s episode of Moonlight *clearing throat*. And faking it can be done at any time of the day, no matter the circumstances. But faking-it just isn’t laying there and taking it. Faking-it is an art form that requires perfection. It’s a well honed skill that, if mastered, can serve you well for the rest of your life in all facets.
But be aware, there is this little place in the deep dark corner of your heart that just gets a kick out of ruining all the fun faking-it can bring you. There are sometimes that faking it isn’t your best option. When you’re so into it, that faking it isn’t even considered. When the only thing in your mind is you and him and the moment. Special times in your life when faking it is very inappropriate- like when the face god graces you with his presence.
Writing sex is the same way.
I’m not going to write today about those truly inspired moments. We all have them. Those moments are worthy of a blog, but not like this. Instead, I’m going to talk about those dark moments in your life when sex is the furthest thing from your mind. The times when faking it is the only option you’ve got to save the relationship of your WIP and the stunted writer in you.
You can NOT know sex and write a good sex scene. Faking a sex scene can be some of the hottest sex ever caught on page. If you allow yourself free thought flow, allow no-holds-barred-anything-goes, then you quite possibly will write something you never thought sexually possible. For a lot of us, plain Jane sex is the norm. It’s something we grew up knowing, it’s something that’s easy for us to get into the groove with. It allows us to be comfortable. And we all LOVE to be comfortable. But when faking-it, you should go for it. Always. Push past that comfortable zone. There is no room for sweatpants in the faking-it territory.
When I write sex, I like to push boundaries. I like to write things I don’t know if I could ever possibly do or would even want to contemplate. The wilder the scene for me, the better I feel about faking-it. Anger, spontaneity, that first taste of ecstasy as you know you’re doing something forbidden. I love it all. And I love the scene that follows directly after when the pair (or group, if you will), realize what just transpired and try to backtrack. But there is no going back from passion like that. But there are times that forcing it is my only option. When my words feel stunted, the scene feels cold, the characters not working together or bouncing off each other. It’s those times when you realize writing a sex scene can feel horribly awkward and there will be times that you pull up the word processor and you’re trying to put those words to fruition but it just isn’t happen. You just aren’t feeling it. These are those times that you need a back-up plan. Your faking-it-plan (FIP).
There is only one phrase that I remember when I resort to my FIP.
“If you’re gonna fake-it, you better bring it.”
This means if you’re going to fake the whole sex scene you better dump all the emotion you can muster up and pull out all the stops. The FIP requires concentration and to write everything you can find at the moment in your little writing brain (it can always be smoothed out and edited later on. The goal is to get something on paper that is half way workable.)
It has to be one of those scenes that literally burns up the monitor, shuts down your word processor, makes you and your momma fan yourselves when you re-read it. (And I know what you’re thinking, “Your momma!? You let your momma read that?” Well, yeah, my mother is a woman. And I’m a writer. If I’m ever going to get out of the rut of being embarrassed, you have to let go. Who better to teach you this than your mother? Your mother has seen you through every embarrassing moment of your life… but this is another blog at another time.)
And PS- Nothing embarrasses me. Just ask Hellion. My mother gets embarrassed at my ability to never be embarrassed.
Faking it requires a certain pizzazz that you wouldn’t normally bring to the table. You have to be spot on perfect; your performance depends on your execution. One false move and the reader is going to laugh you off and shut the book. And they won’t pick you back up. The goal is to be realistic while pushing your limit. Never written a sex scene in a shower? To employ the FIP you have to be willing to take a risk. Writing is always a risk, but be willing to go out on that extra limb for a sex scene you’re stumped with. Give that FIP flava.
In the same respect, there is a fine line to tread when faking it. You get too showy, get too porn-like (ie: “Give it to me daddy! Oh Yeah! Right there!”) I assure you, if your character is screeching that at the top of their lungs and you’re writing a contemporary romance where your character is a little shy and self-conscience, you’re NOT doing the FIP scene justice. Even worse if you’re writing a historical. I’m not saying that doesn’t ever happen. I’m saying it’s not likely and your reader is going to feel the same way. Remember your target audience and your characters when making your FIP. Stay within your realm. If your character is willing to take risks, take that chance with the FIP. Be willing to take a chance for yourself. This goes hand and hand with the risk factor. I know you have guts. You’re a writer for goodness sakes. Trust your instincts. Shut down that inner critiquer and get down to business!
The FIP is depicted solely on your writing style. It’s based on what tools you use in order to get in the mood. So tell me, when you write a sex scene what do you require in order to write it? And when you’re in the mood to fake it, what do you do differently?
There is a lot to be said for a supportive cast.
Especially when they are a seductive group like aboard the Romance Writer’s Revenge. And in honor of the sultry wenches on board, I’m going to take the time out to talk about a subject that’s near and dear to a lusty wench’s heart.
Faking it.
Now, I know you’re groaning and thinking where the hell is she going to take this. But I assure you there matey, this topic holds no bounds.
There are things to be said for faking it. If you fake it, you don’t have much to worry about if you do it right. Faking it absolves you of a guilty pleasure you might have gotten from it. Faking it allows you to think of the gardener, the hottie half your age that winked at you, next week’s episode of Moonlight *clearing throat*. And faking it can be done at any time of the day, no matter the circumstances. But faking-it just isn’t laying there and taking it. Faking-it is an art form that requires perfection. It’s a well honed skill that, if mastered, can serve you well for the rest of your life in all facets.
But be aware, there is this little place in the deep dark corner of your heart that just gets a kick out of ruining all the fun faking-it can bring you. There are sometimes that faking it isn’t your best option. When you’re so into it, that faking it isn’t even considered. When the only thing in your mind is you and him and the moment. Special times in your life when faking it is very inappropriate- like when the face god graces you with his presence.
Writing sex is the same way.
I’m not going to write today about those truly inspired moments. We all have them. Those moments are worthy of a blog, but not like this. Instead, I’m going to talk about those dark moments in your life when sex is the furthest thing from your mind. The times when faking it is the only option you’ve got to save the relationship of your WIP and the stunted writer in you.
You can NOT know sex and write a good sex scene. Faking a sex scene can be some of the hottest sex ever caught on page. If you allow yourself free thought flow, allow no-holds-barred-anything-goes, then you quite possibly will write something you never thought sexually possible. For a lot of us, plain Jane sex is the norm. It’s something we grew up knowing, it’s something that’s easy for us to get into the groove with. It allows us to be comfortable. And we all LOVE to be comfortable. But when faking-it, you should go for it. Always. Push past that comfortable zone. There is no room for sweatpants in the faking-it territory.
When I write sex, I like to push boundaries. I like to write things I don’t know if I could ever possibly do or would even want to contemplate. The wilder the scene for me, the better I feel about faking-it. Anger, spontaneity, that first taste of ecstasy as you know you’re doing something forbidden. I love it all. And I love the scene that follows directly after when the pair (or group, if you will), realize what just transpired and try to backtrack. But there is no going back from passion like that. But there are times that forcing it is my only option. When my words feel stunted, the scene feels cold, the characters not working together or bouncing off each other. It’s those times when you realize writing a sex scene can feel horribly awkward and there will be times that you pull up the word processor and you’re trying to put those words to fruition but it just isn’t happen. You just aren’t feeling it. These are those times that you need a back-up plan. Your faking-it-plan (FIP).
There is only one phrase that I remember when I resort to my FIP.
“If you’re gonna fake-it, you better bring it.”
This means if you’re going to fake the whole sex scene you better dump all the emotion you can muster up and pull out all the stops. The FIP requires concentration and to write everything you can find at the moment in your little writing brain (it can always be smoothed out and edited later on. The goal is to get something on paper that is half way workable.)
It has to be one of those scenes that literally burns up the monitor, shuts down your word processor, makes you and your momma fan yourselves when you re-read it. (And I know what you’re thinking, “Your momma!? You let your momma read that?” Well, yeah, my mother is a woman. And I’m a writer. If I’m ever going to get out of the rut of being embarrassed, you have to let go. Who better to teach you this than your mother? Your mother has seen you through every embarrassing moment of your life… but this is another blog at another time.)
And PS- Nothing embarrasses me. Just ask Hellion. My mother gets embarrassed at my ability to never be embarrassed.
Faking it requires a certain pizzazz that you wouldn’t normally bring to the table. You have to be spot on perfect; your performance depends on your execution. One false move and the reader is going to laugh you off and shut the book. And they won’t pick you back up. The goal is to be realistic while pushing your limit. Never written a sex scene in a shower? To employ the FIP you have to be willing to take a risk. Writing is always a risk, but be willing to go out on that extra limb for a sex scene you’re stumped with. Give that FIP flava.
In the same respect, there is a fine line to tread when faking it. You get too showy, get too porn-like (ie: “Give it to me daddy! Oh Yeah! Right there!”) I assure you, if your character is screeching that at the top of their lungs and you’re writing a contemporary romance where your character is a little shy and self-conscience, you’re NOT doing the FIP scene justice. Even worse if you’re writing a historical. I’m not saying that doesn’t ever happen. I’m saying it’s not likely and your reader is going to feel the same way. Remember your target audience and your characters when making your FIP. Stay within your realm. If your character is willing to take risks, take that chance with the FIP. Be willing to take a chance for yourself. This goes hand and hand with the risk factor. I know you have guts. You’re a writer for goodness sakes. Trust your instincts. Shut down that inner critiquer and get down to business!
The FIP is depicted solely on your writing style. It’s based on what tools you use in order to get in the mood. So tell me, when you write a sex scene what do you require in order to write it? And when you’re in the mood to fake it, what do you do differently?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Books by the Crew
21 comments:
Requirements: baby oil and my hot-flavor-of-the-month...
Okay. Not really. I usually have to have watched some romantic movies. (Amazing how that works for writing sex just as well as it does for...) Then when I'm in the mood--or at least have an inspiration--I pull up my laptop (this time with POTC blaring in the background TV) and start writing.
I do try to put myself in my character's place as much as possible. How would this feel? How would you describe this? How would I respond to this?
If I can't fake it (and I fake it a lot), I'll try to write a different scene instead that doesn't require that sort of emotion. If I'm feeling about as sexy as roadkill, I'm not going pull off a sex scene with any aplomb.
And away we go....
I admit I have not sat down and actually tried to write a sex scene. I've barely gotten the kissing out of the way and that damn near did me in. But I'm getting more confidence that I'll be able to pull it off (pun intended) when the time comes (pun not intended).
My problem is so far these scenes tend to sneak up on me. I'm writing along and the hero decides he's moving in. Wha..! I didn't say you could do that? It's not time for that? Is it really time for that?
No time to prepare, to think ahead, to wrap my head around it. But maybe that's good. Who knows. I do like the idea of taking risks and putting it out there. All or nothing, that's the way to go. But don't be surprised if y'all get a freaking out email in about a month or so...LOL!
Well considering sex and smut is pretty much the only kind of writing I do, I am familiar with faking it.
I am kind of ...adventurous... in real life, so I do get the inspiration for most of my scenes from real stuff, but I definitely fake it. I fake it for passion and emotion and that raw "I want you so bad I'm having you right here" thing
Most of the time, I love to write sex. And faking it enables you to really go all out and make it everything reality might not always be. Faking it is essential in my smut writing, even though I really don't feel like my smut is all that great. But if I didn't fake it, it would just plain suck.
And now I'm off to write some more smut. =)
LOL.
Hellion you crack me up. Baby oil? Surely I've taught you better than that by now...
Put yourself in the character's position helps a lot. I find myself constantly thinking, "Hm, if my leg were here, then I would be doing this." I think it helps give it that real feeling you need in a sex scene to make it good.
BSTerrio - remember I told you email me any time. I'm more than happy to help you. Well, as long as the muse is cooperating. LOL. Really writing a sex scene is much easier to write when you're not expecting it. It's that go-with-the-flow that's easy to write. But the first one you write is always the hardest (I say).
Lin! You write some of the hottest sex scenes! I think we all feel like our sex scenes are inadequate when we're reading them back to ourselves because WE are the ones who wrote it. It's that internal critiquer that messes with your mojo.
I use music in a big way. If I know I've got a certain scene coming up I put myself in that mood. I get the playlist out that I've made for such an occasion and I sit there in my chair for one complete play through before I continue to write. I admit I have a weird process but you do what you have to do. :)
like when the face god graces you with his presence.
OMG....love it!
I say stay realistic to your characters, that's the best way to fake it. Okay admittedly, I've been there done that, and there isn't a lot that embarrasses me when it come to sex.
My sex scenes are heavily layered, and I try to include all the senses (emotion and feeling in a physical sense more than others) but I like taste, sound, what you see.
I love writing sex scenes the most, they just come to my voice much more naturally (come you gotta love my phrasing).
I write scenes that are all about sex, without emotion too. Sometimes the story and characters just call for it.
Love the blog, sin. I should do more sex blogs... :D
Faking it's good, but it's also about being original, less clichés (can't believe I Said that I have a few clichés in my writing)
All great points Tiff. Including all the senses in a scene is a must but not for every time. Timing when using all of them is crucial. But it's truly up to the writer to do it and do it well.
Cliche sex scenes turn me off. But I've been known to throw the ILY in the sex scene and to me it's the ultimate cliche. I can't remember a single time (myself) that I've ever uttered those words during. But I write what I know. And when I make it up, you can tell because it's just hog wild.
Thanks so much for the nod on the blog today, Tiff. I really thought it would be a little more difficult to blog about sex but when I have great readers like you and the crew, I find it much easier to blog about such things. Thanks for stopping in Tiff!
I think it's important to note there are scenes when they have sex and there are scenes when they make love. Two totally different things. You can throw the ILY in the making love one but even then it's probably better to leave it out. I have uttered it once in RL and it came out of nowhere without thinking so it fit.
I have an idea in mind of making it more than just hump and run. You know, throw in a little sumthin-sumthin for the ladies. The hero has to make love to ALL of the heroine. That spot behind the knee. The curve of the hip. The small of her back and a touch (or lick) behind her earlobe.
Thorough would be the word I'm looking for I guess...LOL!
Thanks Sin for the kind words, but I have to say that you are the all time queen of all things sexy and hot.
But you are absolutely right about our own inner criticizer being the worst. I read my own smut and I think it reads awkwardly and doesn't really make me hot... Even though I was feeling it as I wrote it. =P
lin, I feel that way about my stuff. I'm totally feeling it while I write it, but when I go over it, the flame is gone...and then I rely on other people [nudges terri] to say...don't worry I'm still feelin' the love :)
Feelin' the love? The love? Oh yeah, that was love he running down his chin. Pulleaze!
LOL! I bet if you write it then don't read it for several days you'd feel the *love* again when you go back to it. If I'm wrong, humor me and lie...
You is wrong... I just don't feel it after it's been 'layered' sheesh it's a lot of work getting those scenes just right...
And [ahem] the line is: Loosening the knot in his neck cloth he slid it off and wiped the evidence of her pleasure from his face.
Still not anymore romantic than the last time I read it. LOL!
But I say that with love...*g*
I'm sure there will tons to bash about my sex scene when I finally get around to it. And I better get around to it by the end of the month or I'm going to be irritated...
uh, excuse me, this is about sex... and there wasn't supposed to be anything romantic about that whole scene, TYVM! pfft! I will just stop talking, cause next you'll be tellin' me my writing ain't hot!
I don't do anything differently when writing sex scenes than any other scene. Maybe that's a problem...from now on I'm going to light a cigarette *I don't smoke so that's a stretch* and conjure up thoughts of the face God... *grin*
To be honest writing smut is very difficult for me. I don't enjoy it, and it stresses me to no end. I stress over everything from what to call the anatomy to going too pornish.I tend to write the same scene just a different scenario.
The best smut I have ever written was a personal fantasy. I found it inspired me...and no QC and Lin I'll never tell:)
Great blog QC! I always knew you were a great faker...
PM Lisa! Blah! What fun is a secret if you can't share with shipmates? Especially a secret fantasy of that nature!
And I do faking damn well, thankyouverymuch! Been granted Pro status. And shut it. I know you're gonna say something about not having to fake it if you know how to do it. Brat.
Okay a hint....spin cycle. So there!
You my dear NEVER have to fake a sex scene. IMO you are the sex Goddess master of all writers. *bowing at your feet oh wench of mine *
I love it when you kiss my ass, wenchie. *LOL*
Would you two like to be alone? LOL!
Now I know what she's blowing out the cannon. A boatload of sunshine straight up QM Sin's ass.
LMAO. I know. And she's great at it isn't she?
Shit Lisa, that "spin cycle" smut was so incredibly hot. *hot flash*
Between you and Christie, my screen keeps melting I get a keyboard full of drool. And yet it's worth it every single time...
Obviously the only thing left to say here is:
Bow Chica Bow Wow.
Post a Comment