How many of you stopped by just because of that title? Oh I
hope you did!! Because today on The Writer’s Alley we’re going to talk about
kissing.
(Just so you know, our very own Amy Leigh Simpson has some GREAT archived posts on kissing too....so if you like this one, you'll definitely want to check hers out ;-)
(Just so you know, our very own Amy Leigh Simpson has some GREAT archived posts on kissing too....so if you like this one, you'll definitely want to check hers out ;-)
I have notes from a few experts who converged on Nashville
two weeks ago to share their insight on kisses.
If you haven’t heard the first annual Christian Fiction Readers
Retreat happened on Nashville on August 24th. It was a full day
event of readers, bloggers, reviewers, and authors – learning, laughing,
eating, and hugging! Authors presented and there were several panel
discussions.
I was part of the Kissing Panel. Just so everyone knows, there was no kissing involved. Just talking about kissing :-)
Oh yes! And guess who I got to share that amazing panel
with???? Are you ready for this (dreamy sigh from my inner fangirl)
#pinchme
Anyway, the hostess of the panel (Carrie Schmidt) was kind
enough to provide hand fans for the discussion – but let me tell you, despite
popular belief the discussion didn’t get TOO spicy (except maybe when Julie
Lessman shared examples :-) (no surprise there)
Most of the time, we talked about the heart behind kissing
scenes and that goes much deeper than lips on lips.
There are some very important aspects to writing a good
kissing scene and they don’t necessarily focus on the physical contact! (WEIRD,
right?)
A great kissing scene eventually involves some healthy
smooching, but the reason why the smooching is memorable has less to do with
the pucker and more to do with the heart.
You know what I’m talking about?!
If you threw two people on a page together and immediately
had them smooching, for no reason whatsoever, that would either be gross,
weird, or totally animal-instinct sort of reaction. We would NOT call that
romance.
Ah! The key word!
Romance.
All the ladies on the kissing panel write ROMANTIC fiction –
and THAT’s what makes their kissing scenes different than the awkward example I
mentioned above.
Three keys unlock the door to a beautiful kissing scene.
1.
The Buildup
– the ‘story’ behind the kiss is what makes the kiss believable.
How did the story get to this point that a
kiss is an organic extension of the moment? Even surprise kisses happen with
some sort of ‘background’ to the. If there’s no buildup to the kiss, then the
kiss is less believable.
2.
The
Characters – the people involved in the kiss is what makes the kiss
meaningful.
Would these characters kiss? Is there
enough going on emotionally between them to make a kiss the next step to show
their affection. Kisses change things. The total dynamic of a relationship
changes when two people smooch.
3.
The
Description – the description of the kiss is what makes the kiss memorable.
This should be your last consideration on the quality of the kiss, because the first two form the basis for this third part of the kiss. The description. One of my heros will respond very differently in a kiss than another one of my heroes. (same for my heroines). The internal responses of the characters from the buildup of the story and their own personal characteristics changes how they’ll physically relate to one another. Will it be hot and heavy? Gentle? Desperate? Slow and easy?
This should be your last consideration on the quality of the kiss, because the first two form the basis for this third part of the kiss. The description. One of my heros will respond very differently in a kiss than another one of my heroes. (same for my heroines). The internal responses of the characters from the buildup of the story and their own personal characteristics changes how they’ll physically relate to one another. Will it be hot and heavy? Gentle? Desperate? Slow and easy?
I’m a medium physical descriptor. I give
some detail about the physical contact but then leave room for the imagination,
but there are plenty of authors who write in different ways. More or less – the
first two keys of the kiss have to be present regardless of the physical description level.
READY?????? First look right here!!!
(setup – August (the hero) told Jessica (the
heroine) she’d have to kiss him first because he knows she’s had a really bad
experience in the past from an unwanted kiss. He’s just been hit in the head
and rendered unconscious for a very short time)
She
sighed against his hair, a sudden relief washing over her as she tied the cloth
in place. David had been unconscious for a week. A minute or two presented a
much better prognosis. August pulled back from her and she placed her hands on
his shoulders to help him orient himself. Those periwinkle eyes stared back,
clearing with each blink.
“Jessica?”
Her name had never sounded so sweet.
“Nice to see those eyes, Mr. Reinhold.”
He squinted and winced, attempting
to straighten his back. “What happened?”
“The rafter beam fell and you pushed
me out of the way of it.”
His gaze rose to hers. “Are you
injured?”
She smiled, softening her hold on
his shoulders, and wondered how she ever mistook him for a villain. “Your
speedy reaction saved me from any harm, but you? You hit your head, I assume,
from coming down hard on the floor.” Her gaze dropped to his chest and her
makeshift bandaging skills. “And the beam grazed you with enough force to leave
a mark.”
He touched his forehead, grimacing
as his fingers inspected the impressive lump now turning a lovely shade of
green, and then he looked down and ran a hand over the cloth across his chest.
“You…you did this?”
“I am a nurse, you know.”
His smile wobbled into place, and
the spark returned to his eyes as he scanned her body. “I am grateful, I’m
sure.” He examined a loose piece of the cloth between his fingers. “And this?
This was from your petticoat?”
She crossed her arms, her face warm.
“Desperate times, Mr. Reinhold. Your life was much more important than the
welfare of my undergarment.”
His brow tipped in that attractive
way of his and she prepared for the impish aftermath. “I’ve been wrapped in your
petticoats? I believe a wedding is necessary now.”
Jess stood to hide her smile. “You,
August Reinhold, are an incorrigible flirt.”
He struggled to stand so she braced
his arms with her hands and assisted him the remainder of the way. His muscles
flexed beneath her touch, budding the awareness of his shirtless form with a
bit more potency. They stood close, much too close for a bare-chested man who
was unashamedly wearing pieces of her petticoat.
“Only with the right woman who is in
desperate need of an incorrigible flirt.”
She fought the urge to look away and
instead, stared back, drinking in the sight of him, whole and somewhat safe. In
fact, besides the knot swelling on his forehead in brilliant colors, his
appearance left a feverish wave running through her body. Or perhaps it
radiated from his skin, infecting hers with an intoxicating need to feel
encapsulated by his strength one more time.
“I think you’re going to be fine,”
she whispered, her gaze dropping to his lips.
“No, I still suffer from an ailment
only you can cure, Mause.”
“Do you?” She swallowed her fear and
edged a step closer into the foggy heat. “I’m afraid your malady requires
training for which I’m ill-equipped.”
“I suspect you are a quick study.”
The tenor in his voice reverberated low.
She touched his cheek. “Not as quick
about things of the heart, I’m afraid.”
“Then take your time. I’m a willing
patient.”
He didn’t hurry her, made no
movement to rush but merely stood there, waiting for her initiation, bending slightly
to give her more ready access to the items of her fascination—his lips. She drew close enough to feel his breath on
her mouth, and she hesitated, flipping her gaze from his lips to those eyes.
His brow rose in question, but otherwise, he didn’t move an inch, and she
smiled, finishing the distance.
His lips were soft and warm beneath
hers, sweet and inviting. She waited for the fear to overrun the curiosity, but
it didn’t. Instead, he gently stroked her lips with his own, ever so slightly.
She pulled back to take in a breath and check his status. Did his pulse pound
in his ears too? Was breathing becoming increasingly more difficult? He opened
his eyes and looked at her with such tenderness, such life, it welcomed her to
bridge the gap for another sampling. She cradled his face in both hands and
brought her lips to his again.
Okay, you’ll have to read the book to find out how all this
turned out ;-)
Any advice you want to add to the kissing panel? I’m all
ears and I’ll even blow you a kiss for your thoughts :-)
***************************************************************
Pepper Basham is an
award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She
currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom
of 5 great kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz,
and Jesus. Her debut historical novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in May 2015
and has garnered awards such as Reader's Favorites Award, finalist in the Grace
Awards, shortlisted for the Inspy Awards, and most recently a finalist in the
ACFW Carol Awards. Her second historical novel, The Thorn Keeper, released in
Feb 2016 and her first contemporary romance, A Twist of Faith, released in
April 2016 with a 4 star review from Romantic Times. The third book in the
Penned in Time series, The Thorn Healer, releases in November, and Pepper has
more books planned to arrive in 2017 – so stay tuned!!
