What Makes a Good Love/Sex Scene?

As a writer of wonderful naughtiness, I am always interested in people’s views toward sex, but more specifically regarding romance books. A good sex scene can really amp up the intensity of a book. It can push characters past their limits or make them regress. Some sex scenes are all about inserting tab a into slot b, then rinsing and repeating. Then they may include a bunch of “dirty” words into, what I would consider, a strictly action based sex scene, where there is no insight into the characters deep thoughts or emotions. These types of scenes unfortunately do nothing for me.

The ones that really pull me in, have loads of sexual tension, so intense, the reader has to wonder how the characters have kept their hands of each other (whether the timeframe has been thirty minutes or thirty days). I want to know what’s in their heads, what they feel not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. I don’t want to just know that it’s “good” I want to know how and why it’s good and the affect the experience is having on the characters. The scene can be expressed in the most adult, frank, language the author can conjure, it can be sweet, luxurious and lyrically beautiful or even a mixture of both. These are all things that can make a sex/love scene come alive for me. How about you?

Using Time Wisely for Writing (Or Motivation Issues)

I’m still tweaking my time management plan. It’s been working somewhat, but now the issue is not so much that I don’t have the time, but more of being consistent with the time I have. I have certain times of day that belong to me and just me. Of those times I’ve decided which ones are going to be writing time and which ones will be… other.

In my mind I am very dedicated to my writing. I want to be productive and creative. I want to feel good about the time I use to focus on my writing, but when I feel the story is taking too long, or when I feel I’m being distracted by my environment, or when I feel the story isn’t getting my creative juices flowing the way it should I start avoiding my writing time, which I’ve worked so hard to establish. (Holy run-on sentence Batman!)

Recently, I’ve decided to give this consistency thing another go (there must be something to it, right?). I’ve edited everyday this week, for at least an hour, which is encouraging. I’m thinking if I can get myself used to doing it regularly it will become more like a routine and harder to get away from or “forget.” Wish me luck.

How About A Poem?

I think this poem applies to writers especially, but also to anyone who as ever had to wait for anything, especially if it's something they've considered to be important or life changing. Enjoy!

Nervous
By. Lauren Murphy

Foot tapping on concrete floors.
Antsy jitters vibrate causing,
Sweaty palms and haggard breaths.
Head dizzy, thoughts bouncing.
Stomach clenching, heart pounding.
Tired of waiting, feeling anxious.
Frustrated screams never released.
Time running out for decision making.
What will it be? Did they pick me?
God only knows, how I hate waiting.

© Lauren Murphy, All rights reserved

The Summoning by Tatiana Caldwell

NEW RELEASE: The Summoning by Tatiana Caldwell, from Liquid Silver Books.

Everything comes with a price …

Gailyn Bridges is a psychic who is ready to end her troublesome career as a private investigator. For the last time, she summons a powerful spirit to help her close a final case.

However, the mysterious entity who answers, Malak, is no ordinary spirit. He’s more than willing to help Gailyn save the would-be victim of a violent crime.

But who’s going to save Gailyn when Malak returns to collect payment for lending her his power?

Read a free excerpt and buy the book here.