I wanted to talk a little bit about what makes a love scene a really good love scene. And don’t worry, there isn’t going to be anything super explicit here – though if that’s your jam, check out my books…

So: where do we start?

I think a love scene has to start with emotions. Without an emotional connection, a true and deep intimacy, a love scene isn’t going to feel romantic. It might even feel forced or unbelievable, which is the last thing I want in a book.

Second, a love scene has to have time. I don’t mean time to write it (although that is helpful) – I mean time in the actual scene! No one wants this sort of moment to be rushed…unless that’s the point of the scene. Ahem. You want your characters to have time to explore, discover new things, and enjoy themselves.

And thirdly, a love scene has to have consequences. Now, those consequences could be in the shape of a bouncing baby nine months later, but it doesn’t have to. But there has to be some difference in the characters, individually and as a couple, because of what they shared. The love scene has to move the plot along.

So that’s what I think a love scene has to include! Obviously other authors are going to have different ideas than me, and that’s okay. Every author SHOULD have a different approach, otherwise reading would be pretty boring.

Do you think I’ve missed anything? Let me know in the comments below!