Oooh, we’re going to get into it today!
I wanted to spend today’s blog talking about writing love scenes, something that many people I spend hours and hours on. And in a way, I do…collectively. Not per book!
It’s a challenging thing, writing steamy historical romance. Some people automatically look down on the genre because they disapprove of ‘smut’.
Now, I’m the first person to say that there is a place for every type of book because there is an infinite number of types of readers…and there is absolutely nothing wrong with smut!
But romance as a whole, and steamy romance in particular, is often looked down on in the publishing industry. I cannot tell you how many publishing events I’ve been to where I’ve been asked what I write, I tell them…and there’s the smirk. It almost always comes!
That is, unless I’m at a romance event. Then the person grins and asks me exciting, relevant questions. We love to see it! But that’s sadly not the norm.
From my perspective, crafting a good love scene is like crafting a good battle scene. Yes, there is some action, and for some people it might be too graphic for their liking – but the scene exists in some way to either a) propel the plot forward or b) reveal something about the characters or c) spark a conflict. Sometimes that conflict is, of course, far more literal…
For this reason a love scene is just like any other scene. I work really hard at making sure the writing is beautiful and sparkling, and then I move on.
What do you think? Have you ever considered a love scene to be similar to a battle scene?
Emily E K Murdoch 