Love and Lust

What do you think makes the perfect lovemaking encounter between hero and heroine that would capture the readers attention?

I don't just toss characters in bed. In fact, it's not uncommon for my characters to take half a book before they finally find their way between the sheets, especially if they've just met or if there are other issues/conflicts involved. I write "real" characters in terms of personality, and I think like real life the sex needs to be real. Many women don't climax during intercourse without a little *ahem* help. I hate reading a book where the woman jumps in bed with the guy, he does his thing, and in five minutes she's screaming his name as the hugest O she ever has hits her without him doing very much other than being present.

Uh-uh. That's not real life.

I also think some sex is steamy, some is sweet, some is quiet and gentle. When I write a love scene, it's set in the context of the "world" I'm writing about and what's going on at that time. They don't have a HUGE screaming fight and then the sweetest sex they ever experienced. Etc. I think a lot of sexual tension is key throughout the book, the characters have to be hooked into each other, and the reader needs to be hooked into them as well.

How do you convey the emotions behind the act and make it as realistic as possible for the readers?

I write realistically in the context of the world I'm writing about. If the hero isn't much of a talker and keeps his heart and emotions deeply buried, unless something's happened to change that, he's not going to sweet talk her non-stop throughout the scene. Likewise, if the heroine is a very straight-laced girl, unless something's happened to her, she won't be doing a strip tease on a bar for the hero. Etc. I think sometimes the best love scenes are the ones you can get into and read and when you finish reading them you think, wow! Nothing jarring happens that pulls you out of the narrative flow or stops you in your tracks and makes you think, "They wouldn't do THAT!" If I think about a love scene and MY knees get weak when I'm writing it, I have a feeling it's probably a good one!

In your opinion what takes writing a love scene from sensual, romantic or even erotic into the realms of writing pornography and how do you keep from crossing that fine line?

Well, see, that's a problem. One person's passion is another person's porn. I think if you show the loving relationship between two people (or at least set up a plausible reason for two strangers to be in bed together) and you aren't gratuitous, then you really have to write for the characters and the story, not for the audience. I'm not talking about the obvious taboos like incest, beastiality, etc. Those are obvious off-the-table topics, just flat-out off-limits, duh (not to mention, ewww!).

But two characters in one story might be very sedate, calm people, and two characters in another story might dang near bring the house down around their ears swinging from the ceiling fan. As long as the sedate characters are true to themselves and the story, and the "swingers" (haha) are true to themselves and their story, all is well. Let's face it, if someone is looking for a romance story and they have a problem with sex, they shouldn't be buying a sensual love story, they should stick to "sweet" or inspirational romances.

Lesli Richardson is the author of "Love and Brimstone," available for sale from Amira Press.
http://leslirichardson.blogspot.com
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