Comments on: Guest Author: Roslyn Hardy Holcomb

By: Gwen

Gwen — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:57:53 +0000

Whee!! and SQUEEE! I won!

Thanks, Bam! And thanks, Roslyn! I’m looking forward to this book!

By: LadyZini

LadyZini — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:55:47 +0000

Gremlins at work again!!

The last sentence should read “what you remember when you read 100s of romances a year, is the characters and their relationship.”

By: LadyZini

LadyZini — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:11:29 +0000

Great article. I agree with you that the relationship is more important than “random people sticking their wizajigget into someone else’s hoo-ha” I’ve been reading romances since the 80s (Is my age showing?) and what you remember when 100s of romances a year, is the characters and their relationship.

By: Shannon

Shannon — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 02:11:12 +0000

I tend to lean toward slash romance myself, so I found it a bit surprising that some people have trouble keeping track of the male parts during the scene, because I seem to have no problem. I just seem to be unable to not describe things in extreme detail…

Trying to find words to describe parts is really my biggest issue. I have little trouble with guys (I lean toward cock, erection, penis), though when I read things like member and (once) love staff I tend to giggle. A lot. Women are my trouble. For some reason I just cant find words I like to describe the genitalia. Which is why I seem to be writing slash…

The comment about how publishers react to slang words is something I found pretty interesting. I wouldnt have thought it would be such an issue, since it is such a common thing in everyday speech and suchlike.

By: Roslyn

Roslyn — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 01:27:29 +0000

Bettie, I don’t really mind the word, ‘cock.’ I definitely prefer it to the ‘member,’ and whatever other euphemisms folks have dreamed up. But oddly enough, I really, really like the word penis. I don’t understand why it seems to strike fear in so many people’s hearts, but I think its a perfectly lovely word. Most of the guys I know use it, so it wouldn’t be odd for a character to do so. But it really depends on the character. At least one of mine would be far more comfortable with ‘cock,’ and another would probably come up with some stupid nickname for it. (He’s bent that way, and I can’t change him, he won’t let me!)

Selene, its gradually changing, but at one time, slang words for genitalia were not permissible.

By: Roslyn

Roslyn — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 01:22:54 +0000

Kaitlin, I understood you. For me, this is why The Grind is so important. Its been my experience that once you’ve spent the time with the characters falling in love the scene almost writes itself. I don’t mean that in any kind of ‘airy fairy’ kind of way. Just that, as the characters evolve, you’ve got a pretty good idea of what they’d be like together. Like in my current WIP, my hero is a virgin. Not only that, he’s very inexperienced as well. It only seems reasonable that as they go along he’d ask if he was doing things right. It fits his character, and, to me, its sexy as hell.

And that comes to a key point; it has to be sexy to me. If it doesn’t get my girly parts all tingly, it probably won’t do anything for the reader either. I don’t usually do anything in particular to get ready to write a sex scene. For my first book, the sex scene is the first thing I wrote. (And no, I don’t recommend that anyone else write a book this way––its excrutiating.)

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:50:51 +0000

Oy…that sounded funny when I read it again.

I meant to say what do you do to get yourself into the mood to right love scenes? (end clarification).

Thank you much!

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:46:58 +0000

Okay, I’m keeping this article for my own personal use. I know as an aspiring writer that I’ve always had trouble getting the love scene to sound right. Sure, it might look good when I’m first getting it down on paper, but afterwards, I’ve usually screwed something up.

Do you do anything to get yourself in the mood (so to speak)? I’m always curious about this because I’ve heard of so many different techniques from so many different authors. I’d really like to know.

Thanks!

By: Jambrea

Jambrea — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:23:26 +0000

I enjoyed your article. I’ve been writing for a little while now, but I always have difficulty with the sex scene!!

By: Josie

Josie — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:17:09 +0000

Great post Roslyn!
I agree that the lead up to the sex is so important. If there’s no sexual tension between the characters beforehand, how can you believe that it’s really hot for them when they’re actually having sex? I read a book last week where a human woman and a werewolf male were magically pre-destined ‘Chosen’ mates, and they “had” to sleep together because of it. Apparently they had awesome sex (so the author tells me) but I really didn’t buy it because there was no other build up. So disappointing!
Oh and one word I hope I never hear again to describe, ahem, feminine wetness? Cream. Just icky.