WRITING TIP: REMEMBER WHO YOUR CHARACTERS ARE

By Isabo Kelly

In another blog post, I mentioned one of my tricks for writing loves scenes is to “fake it” when I’m not in a sexy mood. But that’s not the only tip I have to rely on when writing those intimate scenes.

One of the other things I have to remind myself of with every book and even every love scene is that these two characters (or more if you’re writing ménages) are their own individual selves. They’re coming to this scene with their own personalities, baggage, agenda’s, and expectations.

After awhile, if I’m not carefully, sex scenes can start to feel alike—there’s only so many positions and possible things to do during sex! So I always have to remind myself to think like the characters and bring their histories and personalities into the scene. Their emotional issues are more important in writing the scene than the actual act itself, and that’s how I try to keep my scenes unique and interesting as well as sexy.

I still slip, but by remembering to see the scene through my characters’ filters and not my own, I hope I manage to write unique scenes each time. At least, that’s the goal.

Isabo Kelly’s latest fantasy romance, BRIGHTARROW BURNING, from Samhain Publishing, does have a lot of sex scenes for a novella. She tried very hard to make each one unique. For more on Isabo’s books, visit her at http://www.isabokelly.com/, follow her on Twitter @IsaboKelly, and friend her on Facebook www.facebook.com/IsaboKelly.