Writerly Stuff
This one’s long. May even count as babbling. Not sure. I apologize in advance.
Being new in town I know…well, no one. My editor suggested I join the San Diego RWA Chapter. She told me the Chapter was warm, welcoming and fun the group. She was right. The ladies of my new RWA Chapter have been very sweet. Fellow Brava writer Linda Thomas-Sundstrom has tried to take an introvert like me under her wing and help me adjust. I am grateful.
In a break from my usual hide-in-my-house philosophy, I took part in a few Chapter events this weekend. First, went to a dinner with the published members of the group. Very cool. It’s always great to sit around and talk about what’s happening where on the NYC publishing scene. There’s a calming “I’m not alone” feeling to it. Then went to an author signing. Picked up Night Rising by Chris Marie Green (aka Crystal Green) and Give Me More by P.J. Mellor, Size 14 Is Not Fat Either by Meg Cabot (she wasn’t there, but I kept meaning to pick up this book and finally did, so I thought I’d tell you that) and Hitting The Mark by Jill Monroe (Jill also wasn’t there, but I gave the copy I had of this book to a friend who insisted category romance wasn’t any good to see what she thought, so I needed another copy for me to read). Celia May Hart also signed Made For Sin but I somehow missed getting her book. Not sure how…
Saturday I went to the monthly meeting. Sylvia Day and P.J. Mellor talked about “writing hot romance” which is a topic that drives me a bit crazed. Before the chat, Sylvia and I were talking and she pointed out that the topic is hard since, really, you either write hot or you don’t. I think she’s absolutely right. The reason I get crazed when this discussion comes up is that there are so many definitions out there for erotic romance and hot romance and whatever, and so much chatter about how many sex scenes and upping the ante with each one, making each book hotter than the next, that I think it’s too easy to lose sight of the craft of the writing in favor of the titillation aspects.
For me, the number of sex scenes isn’t the point. I don’t plot out how much sex I need and then fill in a bit of plot around them. I’m not suggesting other authors work that way, but some readers and aspiring writers seem to think that’s how it works. I want the heat to ratchet up, the sex scenes to be integral to the plot, the plot to be an actual plot and not just a reason for non-stop sex. Sometimes, many times, that means the sex scenes aren’t the hottest part of the book. Maybe the chase is. Maybe the banter is. Maybe the lead up is. Part of the reason I enjoy writing for Brava is that my editor never says, “gee, I’d like a sex scene by page 20.” She understands I’m writing romance.
In fact, if you want “Tab A into Slot B” over and over, let me warn you that my upcoming single title Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy is not a sex marathon. The title might make you think so, but the title is really a play both on the sensuality and the banter. I tried to grow a relationship over almost 400 pages (don’t panic, that’s the page count on my computer, it will be closer to 300 in book form). I believe (and my editor believes) one of my strengths is in real and believable dialog. Sexual attraction, a growing respect for each other despite a lack of trust in each other and sexy dialog - and I’m not talking dirty talk here - drive Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy. That, is the main point of the title, not non-stop oral sex. So, you’ve been warned.
With all this in mind…having gotten a Google Alert that my name was mentioned on the site, I Fancy Books. I went over and checked it out. Cute site. Not sure if she actually liked my books or not. Seemed to have a problem with the lack of sex, which is what got me thinking about my ramblings above. She comments on smart and witty conversations in Viva Las Bad Boys!. Of course, this means the author of this blog is brilliant and everyone should link to her. She also loved (I think) Player’s Club in Viva, which happens to be a favorite of mine so, again, she’s brilliant. I just worry she’ll be disappointed if she thinks as she says here that Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy is all oral sex. Nope. Now, don’t kid yourself, oral sex is in there. And, yes, I love the him-on-her scene and how it fits in with the book. Hope you all do too, just don’t expect erotica or whatever term you want to use. I write romance. Romance, romance, romance. There will be sex. There will be heat. But, this is not the Sexual Olympics. That’s not what I write. Look elsewhere for that.
February 18th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Hi!
Great seeing you yesterday!
I must not think dirty enough. When I saw “Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy”, I didn’t see “oral sex” at all. Until you said that in your blog post, I didn’t even think of it! LOL I just thought her conversation drove him nuts! (and don’t ask me why I thought it was her driving him nuts and not the reverse. No idea.)
Hugs,
Syl
February 18th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Well, now I want to buy the book more than ever. Just waiting until the next time I’m allowed on Amazon. Hopefully this week!
I don’t think of Brava as erotic romance, so I personally think you’re safe. I think of Brava as sexy romance, which is a big difference to me. The love scenes might be explicit when they occur (then again, I’ve read some Bravas with barely any love scenes and others with love scenes that aren’t explicit at all), but they aren’t so much the focus of the story like they might be in erotica or some erotic romance. I have a sexy romance novella sitting here I just don’t know what to do with, because I targeted it to Brava and it didn’t fly for reasons that have nothing to do with the sex or lack thereof, but it’s too tame for my erotic romance publisher and, I suspect, other erotic romance and erotica novella publishers out there. Yet the story is so darn cute! And rewriting it to *have* sex by page 20, IMO, could be a major mistake.
My novella WIP, I admit, in the writing I focussed on getting sex in the first three chapters. I did this as a result of editorial input from my publisher on the rejected one. So I hope I’m hitting the right balance this time. But, basically, I’m guessing.
It never occurred to me that your title would mean there’s a lot of oral sex in the book. I thought more in terms of sexual tension. To me, that’s what the title relates.
Cindy
February 18th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Oh this is becoming one of my “issues” with the corrent books out there. I love the hot stuff, I really, really do, but it’s gotten to the point where I feel so de-sensitized to it that I’m spending more time re-reading old favorites, and as much as I enjoy that, I get frustrated because I love reading current books but hate that almost every new story I pick up is about the instant gratification. Where is the buildup, the sexual tension, the emotional intensity?
Cindy is spot on about Brava. Your story in Viva Las Bad Boys, the one about the chef (sorry it escapes me even though I’m looking at your bookcover as I type this) is a great example of what I’m talking about as far as the above mentioned elements that make this reader happy. Your characters did not meet, have sex, then have more sex until we hear about how sore they are. There definitely has to be more of a plot than that, and you created the tension, the storyline and the attraction that kept me glued to the pages.
I agree with Cindy about the title of your next book too. I didn’t think it was all about oral fixation, but rather a mouthy heroine who is getting under the hero’s skin - she has both a sexy mouth and a sassy attitude - and it’s driving him wild. After reading your “warning”, I really can’t wait to read it!
February 18th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
I *really* wish there was something like this for black writers. I’m struggling to establish IBWA, but it’s so uphill, it looks like Everest. That’s the best thing about RWA, the support. Since we aren’t considered romance writers, the support for us is about nil and we need to build our systems. RWA is a great model.
October 28th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Hi! Do you have any suggestions about my modest amendment Fresh joke! If a pencil and a piece of paper had a race, which would win? The pencil. (The paper would remain stationary)