Discussion: Non-Cheesy Love Scenes (Writer's Corner - Continuation)

[Tonks]

I would like to continue the thread "Writer's Corner" on my forums. Here is the link. Because, although I haven't posted in that thread, I enjoy reading it and I've learned a bit from it.


Admins/Mods: Please tell me if this is wrong, and I'll go ahead and delete this thread

 

[SilverHawk]

Go for it! Far be it from us to stop you from doing things in another forum.

However, at the same time, I would encourage you to continue it in other threads here as well. The reason that thread was closed was because it was a mess, so it's being kept for reference only. Feel free to continue its discussion in other threads in the forum.

 

[Tonks]

Go for it! Far be it from us to stop you from doing things in another forum.

However, at the same time, I would encourage you to continue it in other threads here as well. The reason that thread was closed was because it was a mess, so it's being kept for reference only. Feel free to continue its discussion in other threads in the forum.

Oh! Okay, from other people's posts, I was under the impression that book discussion was being discouraged.

 

[Ninva]

Good to see the thread back up. Lets try to not to make this just a place to mindlessly post.

Iv always wondered how to add like a love scene to a book and not make it to cheesy.

Halahan gave you great advice but maybe you should have different personalities bash together. And with an odd twist of fate they fall in love. Depending on the reader any kind of love story can be sappy. Try to get the reader to understand the difference, and the awkward relationship the characters have. Honestly, have you ever been, or seen a relationship that was totally perfect?

 

[DM Cross]

Put yourself in one of the character's shoes. Imagine it until you'd swear it were real. Feel your heartbeat speed up and everything! Then you'll know exactly what the character would do, cause you'd do it, yourself!

Of course, this works best when you're "in character".

 

[SilverHawk]

One thing that I think helps is to base it off of a real experience. This will make it more realistic, because, like Ninva said, relationships aren't perfect.

By the way guys, this isn't quite what I meant about the thread. Instead of just making this "Writer's Corner Continuation Thread", which will eventually become just like the old thread, make a new thread for each topic. For example, this one can be a discussion about what Ninva said - non-cheesy love scenes. But then, if you want to drastically change the subject, make a new thread. Hopefully that should clarify.

 

[Tonks]

Well, yea. You would need personal experience to write intensively about any situation.
You can't make a love scene too melodramatic, but you can't make it just sudden and undescriptive, if the rest of the book is detailed and laid out.

 

[Ninva]

Personal experiences really depend on what kind of story you are writing. If you're writing a book from imagination I would say you can base many things off from personal, and observed experiences in your life. The correct usage of adverbs, adjectives, and mood can create the imagin in the reader's mind.

Many writers I have talked to would say that personal experiences would not be required to write about a subject, but it's always a good source to rely on.

 

[SilverHawk]

Another thing to think about - some people enjoy cheesy love scenes. What's good to one might not be to others.

 

[Halahan]

Thx Ninva. But actually in, "The Elite," I have started with a little romance that is going to twist the book. Dont have the plot twist the romance, have the romance twist the plot. Gives it much more story. AND its based off a real life experience except in the end I actually never got/get the girl, but I think hes going to I like the "put yourself in there shoes," but especially do that if your not/dont very good with women/have a wife or such lol, because then you know more the harships of relationships and a perfect relationship doesnt make that great of a story. ALthough even then you should know some of them. I'm not supposed to be on right now so I might have to suddenly post this. Sorry.

And about cheesy love scenes, some people injoy them... true, except then they dont really focus on the actual book at all and it would be VERY hard to fit a cheesy love scene into a good novel.

Also sometimes with romance you can play from the "damsel in destress" kind of thing where the evil guy captures the girl and such, but give it a twist or just leave it but have it weird some other way. Like, "Lucas, I am your FATHER!" You all know what I'm talking about!

Sorry if this is too long.
Also try not to post to many small things into knew threads, because then we'll have like 1000 threads and that would be horrible. I still have not found out how to delete threads.

 

[Ninva]

Damsels in destress are over-rated. Make the guy and the girl come closer by overcoming a conflict.

 

[Halahan]

I know they are, but if you downplay it majorly it can work well.

 

[SilverHawk]

It works well in FFVIII - granted, that's a game, but it still has a plot, and I think it worked well there. In general, I would say that it depends on the situation.

 

[Halahan]

lol the situation is the entire decider if its cheesy or not. Thats what this discussion is about, how to do non cheesy love scenes in general. (i assume you also meant romance too)

 

[Krys A Night]

If you don't want it to be cheesy, then avoid all of the usual cliches that happen in romance novels. "His eyes are like twin pools of color that I can loose myself in," classic cliche there. Time doesn't stand still, nor does it speed up.

Also, depending on the age is what you have to take into factor as well. If it's teenagers, they'll be faster to fall in love, but it might not be the true love that they are looking for. Adults normally take longer, and are a bit slower. Another factor you can put in, to draw out tension is if they have had their hearts broken before, and isn't looking for another relationship at the moment.

Essentially, it comes down to what you want to do. And if you think you can handle it, read some of the romance novels that are out there (and there are a lot of them), to see what they do. If you like something in them, then try and mimick that in your own way, if you don't like it, then don't do that in your writing.

 

[Halahan]

I think the main thing that makes it nOT cheesy is if there is a huge amount of history together, not necessarily romance history though. Also, have the women or man (depends what sex main character is) play an actual part in the book other THAN romance, makes it a lot less cheesy. (I've said this before but Wheel Of Time has a good example of this)