Creating Sexual Tension in a Romance
by Tina Donahue
I write steamy romances
where sexual tension is a must. However, even the ‘sweet’ variety (stories with
no more than hugs and a few chaste kisses) has the same kind of buildup in them
or they should. It begins with the first time the hero and heroine see each
other. How their pulses pick up, their hearts turn over, their bodies weaken. Without
that, the writer doesn’t have a satisfactory story and readers won’t pick up
the author’s next book.
Some who haven’t read steamy
romance mistakenly believe it’s all about the bedroom play—that is, the stories
titillate but don’t move or inspire a reader. It’s just page after page of sex
with no discernable plot, no real character development, and no lasting
satisfaction. I can’t blame anyone for avoiding that type of tale. I certainly
would. And I’d never consider penning something like that.
That said, the sole
difference between steamy and sweet romance are the intimate details. There are
no other distinctions. Both should have strong characterization, believable
plots, and tons of emotional build.
To me, sex is the least
important aspect of any romance, including erotic. What matters most is the
emotional connection and the sexual tension that comes prior to any bed play.
The way the characters look at each other before they even touch. Their banter
and flirting. The longing in their souls. That’s what makes for a great romance
no matter the subgenre.
So, how do you build
sexual tension? How do you incorporate emotional involvement?
You have your characters
behave as real people would. That means there’s a reason for them to be drawn
to each other. It can’t simply be because your character’s horny. We’ve all
been there. We’ve all been lonely too. However, the vast majority of us
wouldn’t go to a bar, proposition a complete stranger (no matter how
good-looking he is), and do crazy things with him in the bar’s bathroom. That’s
something you see in triple X-rated films, not as a common occurrence in
everyday life. If it does happen with a character in a book, the only way it
would appear logical and satisfying is if there’s a compelling motivation for
it. Something introduced about the character’s personality and past that would
drive her or him to that point.
How do you keep a romance
real? How do you make your people behave like ordinary folk before they get
lusty?
Let me give you an
example. In one of my erotic romances Sensual
Stranger, Toni, my heroine, is desperately in need of work. She’s flat
broke, has no home, no family, and is in a strange town. As a motorcycle
performance artist, she can fix motors, so she goes to Zach’s garage to ask him
for a job. Their first glance is very telling. The world seems to stop. The
surroundings fade. Everything goes quiet. It’s as if they’re the last two
people on earth. It’s not that Toni’s a beauty. She isn’t. However, something
about her hits Zach in a way he never expected. He’s intrigued and aroused. She
takes his breath away.
As a healthy young male,
he’s certainly having all kinds of smutty thoughts about what he’d like to
enjoy with her, but he certainly doesn’t act on them. That would be ridiculous,
and IMO, it would break the magic between them.
Because Sensual Stranger is a romance first, and
erotic second, Toni and Zach act as normal people would. Getting to know each
other. Testing the other out. As they work side-by-side, the sexual tension
builds between them. Although they don’t touch, they certainly look at each
other and talk. In an early scene, Zach buys Toni breakfast. He figures she’s
hungry. She’s already told him she’s broke. As he watches her eat, he can see
her pleasure in having a real meal for the first time in days. Her situation
touches his soul. It opens his heart to her. He wants to know how she came to
this terrible place in life without anyone to count on. She won’t tell. At
least, not yet. His interest rises…along with the readers’.
It’s these quiet moments
and intimate times that allow for emotional involvement to build in both your
characters and your audience. When your hero and heroine do finally melt in
each other’s arms, it makes your readers squeal, “Oh yeah!”
Sex is a goal. It’s not
the entire journey. That’s what I call ‘heat with heart’.
In each of my novels,
I’ve always worked the hardest on the scenes with emotional intimacy—those
instances where the characters reveal their dreams, hopes, and fears to each
other. Believe me, once you get past that, the sex scenes are incredibly easy
to pen. They’re a natural outpouring of two people (three in a ménage) who were
meant for each other.
In my latest romance Intimate Details, I’ve
done the very same with my characters, while adding a lot of obstacles to their
HEA. Shana, a world-class computer hacker, is a young woman seemingly without a
past. Mike and Cody, the guys she works for, aren’t only intrigued by Shana,
they want to get to know her, to help her with whatever she’s running from.
Their journey to friendship and love is the most important aspect of the story that’s
ultimately enhanced by the sex.
I agree, Tina! The build-up to the rest is the best part sometimes. Thank you for visiting us today. :)
Guest Blogger Bio
Tina Donahue is an award-winning,
bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance
for Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Siren Publishing, and Kensington. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites
have praised her work. Three of her erotic romances (Adored, Lush Velvet Nights, and Deep,
Dark, Delicious) were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition. The
French review site, Blue Moon reviews, chose her erotic romance Sensual Stranger as their Book of the
Year 2010 (erotic category). The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was
created specifically for Lush Velvet
Nights, and two of her titles (The
Yearning and Deep, Dark, Delicious) received
an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition (2011 and 2012). Take Me Away and Adored both won second place in the NEC RWA contest (different
years). Tina is featured in the 2012 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market.
She was the editor of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story
Direction for a Hollywood production company.
Author Links:
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Amazon
author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/tinadonahue
Samhain Author Page: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/Tina-Donahue-pa-1630.html
Tina's Books:
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Thanks for hosting my post today! :)
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure!
DeleteThanks for posting. As a romantic suspense writer myself, I totally agree with everything you say, Tina.
ReplyDeleteVery good points, and ones that will help me in the scene I'm not fighting with.. I think I got there too abruptly....thanks, Tiba
ReplyDelete