June 25, 2007
June 25
I’m working hard on the anthology that takes place in Hush, and I’m enjoying the shorter format. The hero is someone new to me, someone who surprises me on every page. The heroine, I understand her better. She’s more comfortable, but she’s surprised by the hero, too.
Yesterday I went to Justine Larbalestier’s blog (by way of Diana Peterfreund’s) to talk about what makes a romance sexy. It’s a great discussion you should all check it out. My response surprised me somewhat. Then again, my answer was completely true for me, and I think for a great many readers – it’s all about tension and delayed gratification.
And yet in several of the books I’ve written, the h/h end up in bed quite early in the book. Which means the tension and delayed gratification has to come in another way. It’s focused on emotions that are as revelatory and stunning as first sexual contact with a couple who have already fallen in love. This, I find, is not easy to do. (Duh)
So I did a little searching on my own today. I looked at the romances that have really moved me. That have given me visceral reactions and carried over long after the book or movie has been put away. I plotted the progress of the tension and the delayed gratification through several stories (I’m still working on it) and I’m really learning a lot.
I love it when this happens.
I love it when the conversation on line leads directly to awareness and an aha!
I love it that people are so willing to share. That so many see that it takes nothing away, only adds.
So is it the same for you? Delayed gratification and tension? Or is it something completely different?
RSS feed for comments on this post.
