Timing -- Pacing -- And Sex Scenes
I understand pacing, I just don't always practice it...ok, I don't always THINK about it when I'm writing. When I revise and tighten, I sometimes consider it, if I have the time. Echoes of the Dark is going well, but I realized a couple of days ago that the internal timing of the book was off, as usual. And as usual, I haven't made a timeline for it.
Like most of the Summoning books, the first three days are slow because of the set up for the rest of the plot, then I can finesse "weeks passed" or whatever. But when I saw that the timing was off, I knew that the consummation of a relationship had to be moved up. That had me working in my subconscious, but I did figure out that there HAD been just enough set up that this could happen, if I motivated and wrote it right.
So this am was the consummation scene -- sex. Now with most of the Luna books, I've backed somewhat off in description (and in Keepers of the Flame there was just so much plot that much of the sex was "fade to black"). Despite a review on Amazon that Guardian of Honor was explicit, it wasn't nearly as explicit as my romances.
Sex is individual to the couple, the time and the place. I know this couple, but some of my language was wrong and, again, I backed away a little, just seemed the way to do it. Still, it took a lot longer to write the scene than I'd anticipated.
Now these posts are getting long, and I think the length put some folks off, so I'll try and write shorter. And, like, I could have broken it up into three today, but so it goes.
May your work go smoothly today.
Robin
Like most of the Summoning books, the first three days are slow because of the set up for the rest of the plot, then I can finesse "weeks passed" or whatever. But when I saw that the timing was off, I knew that the consummation of a relationship had to be moved up. That had me working in my subconscious, but I did figure out that there HAD been just enough set up that this could happen, if I motivated and wrote it right.
So this am was the consummation scene -- sex. Now with most of the Luna books, I've backed somewhat off in description (and in Keepers of the Flame there was just so much plot that much of the sex was "fade to black"). Despite a review on Amazon that Guardian of Honor was explicit, it wasn't nearly as explicit as my romances.
Sex is individual to the couple, the time and the place. I know this couple, but some of my language was wrong and, again, I backed away a little, just seemed the way to do it. Still, it took a lot longer to write the scene than I'd anticipated.
Now these posts are getting long, and I think the length put some folks off, so I'll try and write shorter. And, like, I could have broken it up into three today, but so it goes.
May your work go smoothly today.
Robin
posted by FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens | 9:35 AM
5 Comments:
I don't think your post was long enough to be off-putting. And it's interesting, regardless.
I don't think the length of your posts is a problem. It gives us a bit more of your thoughts, and that's always helpful. :)
Thanks, Ladies.
Robin
Robyn, my favourite romance scene out of all your novels is Alexya and Bastiens first encounter. The way you wove the different senses (Scent, touch, and emotion) in that first encounter was incredibly romantic. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, I always try to touch on the senses in a not-a-list way, and I worked very hard on that scene to make it romantic and not simply a sexual encounter.
Robin
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