And now for something completely different...

Go Sox!

And, inevitably, love...

The last post spoke of the difficulty of writing the love scene, the intimate bodice ripper. As I stated then, it is a somewhat daunting task to write a carnal scene, but the reality of the situation is that a writer can avoid the whole sex scene thing if they really feel uncomfortable. There are many first rate novelists out there who simply don't dip into the physical world. So I guess you don't have to be a Phillip Roth or John Updike to convey the sense that your characters are amorously physical, as long as you don't bend to cliche and utilize all of the old, tired, rusty idioms like, say, bodice ripper.

The much harder proposition is to write realistically about the intricacies of love. To sustain over the course of a novel, or a short story for that matter, the chemical and psychological workings of two people, can be tricky. The best advice I ever received on this subject came from my college fiction professor, who was maniacally wedded to the detail; her advice was to focus on the small details- and not the longing stares across the room. A shared water bottle, a shared activity like making dinner, a shortened name (Bri instead of Brian, for example), all can be pieces of evidence that are used to build and sustain the idea over time. The idea is to incorporate detail from the characters' daily life as a means of conveying the unusual or exceptional. Rather this than the hackneyed Theirs eyes met across the crowded room, or a shot of electric ran through her when their hands brushed, or whatever trite colloquialisms come to mind.

It all comes back to the old writing teacher mantra Show Don't Tell. Following this simple rule will save you a whole bunch of frustration, as your characters, even those head over heels in love (ha...it's hard to avoid), will appear to be at least real. Viva the verisimilitude!

Bodice Rippers

I suppose at some point every writer has to wrestle with the love scene. And I do mean wrestle, because they can be tricky. Go too light, it becomes flowery and Harlequin-like, go too heavy and it's pornography. I've been stuck on these scenes for a while now; I suppose I've subconsciously made my characters somewhat eunuch-like (oh, they have longings, but those longings are unfulfilled or just talked about). It's just easier that way, no fuss no muss, as it were.

But like the obsequious swearing issue that permeates my high school creative writing class, the concept of the love scene in all of its, ahem, glory is one that won't go away- for adolescents or adults- probably because we are sexual creatures. It's a part of life- natural and exciting-one that often shapes our perceptions and gives meaning to our existence (I know, I know...sounds like an addict's line..."Hi, my name is Brian, and I'm a...). We have to embrace that our characters, if real, will at some point be in this situation, and may or not enjoy it.

So go there and be strong. Don't rip any bodices, and don't get too graphic. Life will move on, and your characters will probably be a whole lot happier. The writer probably will be, too.