January 2002 - Issue 5

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Kissing and love scenes are integral to a romance novel. You can have your couple in the most passionate kiss imaginable. That’s good. But it can be even better if the lead-up contains some romantic intensity.

This can be achieved by either or both the heroine and hero having romantic thoughts about the other one. This also teases the reader and gives a heightened sense of reading enjoyment.

Having the female character imagine how it would feel to be held and kissed by the man she's involves with gives the writer the perfect opportunity to provide an intense build-up to the moment when the guy actually takes the woman in his arms and kisses her.

It also follows that the main love scene should be more than a robotic coupling. Set the scene with romantic inter-play. Intimate words spoken by the hero lift the situation from what could be a “sleazy session in bed” to a “romantic interlude”.

To avoid having story that is action heavy and emotionally flat, you need to inject romantic intensity into it. I firmly believe the best way to do this is to write your story in the dual, interactive viewpoint recommended by Livewire (see the article in our last newsletter issue). Character thoughts are the most powerful tool you can utilise.

•  Make a list of romantic situations that could be included in your story line. Read your manuscript to find the places where these situations can be slotted in.
• Compile a list of romantic words and make sure you use them in your text. Conversely, if you've use the word “passion” 58 times in the first six chapters, that’s overdoing it . You need to use a variety of romantic words and phrases throughout your manuscript.

Adding romantic intensity to your romance novel once it's completed can be as simple as doing a separate editing pass (on paper) to highlight the number of romantic words and situations that appear in your text. You'll soon be able to ascertain if your book is top heavy with action and lacking in the vital ingredient - romantic intensity.

Make a sign and pin it up on the wall where your write - “Romantic Intensity” - and it will remind you to include this element in your novel. You’ll be surprised at the other things this element will spark in your writing.

Remember - a romance novel won't be romantic without this vital ingredient.

© 2002 Robyn Lidstone
This article is the intellectual property of Robyn Lidstone and Livewire Publishing and may not be reproduced in any format without the written consent of the author.