The Kissy-Kissy Scenes
I just reached a point in my manuscript revisions where my CP Jess informed me on her first read that she was "campaigning for a kiss." So, being the obliging writer that I am, and because, IMHO, she's "Queen of Kissing Scenes" (and totally right, as usual), I edited the beginning of that particular chapter, hit the part where the kissy-ness goes and-- totally blanked.
Unfortunately, I do this a lot.
I love romance subplots. (Or, hell, whole-plots.) But writing kissy-kissy sexytimes scenes is not one of my strong suits. At least, not on the first draft. Give me a few tries and I can get it down, but first drafts? Oh, man. Not good.
Today I decided the best way to figure out how to write the scenes I love & can't seem to manage is to read the same kinds of passages by authors I love. (Yes, I have technically known of this whole 'studying other authors' thing for quite a while-- I just don't usually do it mid-revision.) So I pulled out Sarah Rees Brennan and Cassandra Clare (who is getting married today, yay!), Kristin Cashore and Meg Cabot and started reading. Then I stopped reading, reminded myself I'm supposed to be studying, not falling in love with Nick/Jace/Po/Michael and started over again. And I found something very interesting.
They all say basically the same thing.
Not that they aren't saying it well or saying it in their specific characters' voices or all the other things that make one person's writing markedly different from another. BUT... apparently we all kinda kiss the same:
Lips smash.
Breath disappears.
Thinking oft disappears.
Clothing sometimes disappears, but more often is simply pushed aside.
Part of my hesitation on kissing scenes comes from the fact that every time I start one, I feel like I'm just parroting someone, that I'm not being creative enough with my verbiage, that I'm just not good enough.
After reading these fantastic authors all describing kisses in such similar terms, I'm not so afraid of that anymore. The similarity is what makes it relate-able. Whose heart hasn't pounded the moment they realize "OMG, he's really going to kiss me?" or the second lips touch? Whose breath hasn't been taken away by a fantastic kiss, whose brain hasn't turned to total mush, all reasoning gone in that one perfect second?
Now, with fake-kissing fears aside, I've got some revising to attend to...
Though, I have to admit, the scenes I read today weren't quite what I was looking for contextually. They were all super-hot, but my MC and her boyfriend have been together a while; they've certainly done this whole kissing thing before. Most of the scenes I read today (except Mia's), were new "relationships" (yes, quotes necessary). But what about the not-so-new? Is there such a thing in YA? Or, once they've been together a while, do most of those scenes just get skimmed, the author giving a nod to what happened but not going into detail?
What are some of your favorite kissy-kissy scenes?
(In case anyone wants to know, I read both Nick/Mae scenes in the Demon books, the Manor scene in City of Glass, the carriage ride in Forever Princess and where Po and Katsa get together in Graceling)
Unfortunately, I do this a lot.
I love romance subplots. (Or, hell, whole-plots.) But writing kissy-kissy sexytimes scenes is not one of my strong suits. At least, not on the first draft. Give me a few tries and I can get it down, but first drafts? Oh, man. Not good.
Today I decided the best way to figure out how to write the scenes I love & can't seem to manage is to read the same kinds of passages by authors I love. (Yes, I have technically known of this whole 'studying other authors' thing for quite a while-- I just don't usually do it mid-revision.) So I pulled out Sarah Rees Brennan and Cassandra Clare (who is getting married today, yay!), Kristin Cashore and Meg Cabot and started reading. Then I stopped reading, reminded myself I'm supposed to be studying, not falling in love with Nick/Jace/Po/Michael and started over again. And I found something very interesting.
They all say basically the same thing.
Not that they aren't saying it well or saying it in their specific characters' voices or all the other things that make one person's writing markedly different from another. BUT... apparently we all kinda kiss the same:
Lips smash.
Breath disappears.
Thinking oft disappears.
Clothing sometimes disappears, but more often is simply pushed aside.
Part of my hesitation on kissing scenes comes from the fact that every time I start one, I feel like I'm just parroting someone, that I'm not being creative enough with my verbiage, that I'm just not good enough.
After reading these fantastic authors all describing kisses in such similar terms, I'm not so afraid of that anymore. The similarity is what makes it relate-able. Whose heart hasn't pounded the moment they realize "OMG, he's really going to kiss me?" or the second lips touch? Whose breath hasn't been taken away by a fantastic kiss, whose brain hasn't turned to total mush, all reasoning gone in that one perfect second?
Now, with fake-kissing fears aside, I've got some revising to attend to...
Though, I have to admit, the scenes I read today weren't quite what I was looking for contextually. They were all super-hot, but my MC and her boyfriend have been together a while; they've certainly done this whole kissing thing before. Most of the scenes I read today (except Mia's), were new "relationships" (yes, quotes necessary). But what about the not-so-new? Is there such a thing in YA? Or, once they've been together a while, do most of those scenes just get skimmed, the author giving a nod to what happened but not going into detail?
What are some of your favorite kissy-kissy scenes?
(In case anyone wants to know, I read both Nick/Mae scenes in the Demon books, the Manor scene in City of Glass, the carriage ride in Forever Princess and where Po and Katsa get together in Graceling)