Saturday Chit-Chat
Hi, all! Carly’s computer is in the shop, which means so are the questions ya’ll have sent for the Saturday Chit-Chat. So we made one up. Here it is!
What scenes are the hardest to write? Which ones are the easiest?
JEL: It depends from book to book, but mostly, the love scenes are the hardest. Clearly, it’s not because I’m comfortable with the subject matter
, but because it’s a challenge to merge the level of emotion with the level of sensuality I like in my love scenes. I struggle over ever word. The easiest scenes for me are usually scenes with lots of dialogue–confrontation or discussion scenes where I can blend in a little humor. I love those.
JD: Like Julie, I find the love scenes the most difficult to write, mainly for the same reasons. I find that writing a love scene can take me DAYS, because I want to get it just right. That, and after 40+ published books, I want to make the scene as different and unique as I can between these two characters. For me, I find that “layering” really helps. I start with the basic sex scene and position, and from there add dialogue, internal thoughts, and the emotional impact and intensity I’m looking for in that particular love scene. I also make sure that I’m using words that evoke lots of sexual tension and sensuality and go back and make sure those are woven in, too. The easiest scenes for me to write are ones with lots of action. Those take off and fly, and hopefully make up for all the time and angst I took over writing the love scenes!
JEL: It’s funny that Janelle mentions action scenes. I used to be able to write them really quickly until Marisela. Now, they are incredibly choreographed and since I’m not a martial arts expert, I do a lot of research before each action scene, particularly those with weaponry and hand-to-hand combat. Car chases are fun, though.
CP: Transitions are always difficult for me to write. How to get from point A to point B without being boring. Love scenes are always tough. Apparently putting them in the right place has also become a challenge for me, LOL. The first 3/4 of the book is a bitch. It’s so much easier on the downhill slide at the end! So what’s left that’s easiest for me? THE END. :mrgreen:
LK: I have the biggest problem right around chapter 3. I usually love jumping in and starting a book–the excitement and curiosity about discovering these new people and their story will usually carry me through to that point. Then I realize I have to have some kind of plot and it’s just been too dang long since I’ve had an in-person Plotmonkey fix, so I always sweat awhile while I get my head around where I’m going. Pressing through that “early-middle” part is always my biggest writing challenge. As for easiest–I love writing “first meet” scenes between the hero & heroine. I just love those scenes in every book and I always try to make mine unique and sassy, special and sexy. They set the tone for the book and the relationship and the characters…and believe it or not, they tell me a lot about where I’ll be going with these peopled.
I can see where writing a love/sex scene would be difficult. I mean, you all have written so many books, it must be very hard to try not to repeat one particular scene. It just doesn’t seem to me that it is something you could sit down and have completed in a short period of time.
Carly, I hope your computer gets out of the shop soon. I am lost without the laptop.
Comment by Kelly — August 12, 2006 @ 9:11 am
What all of you have said resonates with me. I find dialogue to be the easiest to write, so those scenes come easy — often my POS draft is straight dialogue. I also find transitions to be difficult — how to sum up and move into the scene quickly and give the reader any relevant info without boring them to tears isn’t easy. And love scenes are tough because if you don’t inject the right amount of emotion then everything the characters do either seems, flat, unbelieveable or just plain cheesy.
Also, the beginning does seem to be the easiest to write for me too! Because I know where the story starts and there’s a certain amount of excitement and corresponding adrenaline which gets me going. In my first book I did it seat of the pants, which made it really hard to come to the page each day because heck if I knew what was going to happen. Now I definitely have a roadmap, which makes it much easier. Plus writing every day makes it easier — because it’s easier to remember where you left off, you have momentum. During Nationals weeks I didn’t write at all. When I returned those first few days were really hard because everything that came out was clunky (going to need quite a lot of revision on those pages). But I just pushed through it, like Nora talks about in her most recent RWR interview. Now that I’m working on it everyday it’s coming more easily.
Hope your computer is operational again soon, Carly.
Comment by Kelly R — August 12, 2006 @ 10:19 am
Comment by katie — August 12, 2006 @ 10:24 am
Wow! Thanks for the insight. Since I’m a reader not a writer a question like this gives me a better appreciation to what I’m reading.
Thank you all for all the wonderful stories!
Comment by TRICIA — August 12, 2006 @ 11:37 am
Great answers ladies. I remember reading a book by Vicki Lewis Thompson called “Mr. Valentine”, about a man who wrote romance novels, and in one scene, he was a bit inspired by the heroine (described what she was wearing in one of his scenes) and she was rather upset that he would invade her privacy for his story. So in addition to making those scenes emotional and sensual, you have to be aware that you don’t bring a lot of your own personal life into your writing. I commend you for all the effort you put into writing the best possible story you can. Thank you for sharing.
Comment by Stacy ~ — August 12, 2006 @ 12:11 pm
As a reader, the question and answers that you have on Saturdays are so enlightening…….Thanks so much………..:thumbsup2:
Comment by Cryna — August 12, 2006 @ 4:17 pm
I love Saturday Chit-Chat! It makes me appreciate the your books all the more!
Comment by Susan — August 12, 2006 @ 4:28 pm
I have always wondered how you figure out how to write a book. I am an avid fan of romance books. I have had plenty of courses in college where I had to write reports but putting a book together sure sounds tough!
Also, trying to write a love scene, car chase, moving from point A to point B, etc. is a lot more complicated than I thought. I noticed how all authors have their own particular writing style. I have read stories by a lot of authors over the years and I have noticed how some stories flow so smoothly and others don’t. Is that a particular style of writing too when the flow is not smooth?
Gosh, my hats off to you ladies for your tremendous amount of hard work an effort you put into each and everyone of your books!
Comment by michele l. — August 12, 2006 @ 6:54 pm
You’d never know you struggle with your scenes by the time we see the finished product!
Janelle - thanks for sharing the “layering” tip. I’m going to have to try it!
Carly - hope you’re computer is up soon! Make good use of the time without it:cocktail:
Comment by Yolanda — August 12, 2006 @ 7:57 pm
Thanks for that information. The Saturday Q & A are giving me an insight into how much effort goes into each & every book the Plotmonkeys & other authors write. Thank heavens there are a lot of very talented writers out there! Keep you all the good work.
Carly I hope you get your computer back soon! I’m not a writer but I can’t imagine not having my computer!!
Comment by Donna M — August 12, 2006 @ 8:42 pm
Thanks to all of you. The answers to these questions are always illuminating & interesting.
Kelly, I was interested in reading your comments about how it’s easier for you to write the “first meet” scenes. My favorite “first meet of all time” is in your Naturally Naughty, which I loved because that scene surprised me by being located at the very beginning of the book where Kate runs out of The Tea Room in tears (after being insulted by the stuffy, snooty & nasty townspeople who remember her from her earlier “poor white trash” reputation) smack into Jack on the front porch of the Tea Room, who kisses her soundly. I thought this scene really set the tone for the story (i.e., their hunger & passion for each other), which quickly escalated into their first sexual encounter at the local, now-defunct theater. These two scenes quickly hooked me, & NN is one of my favorite books of all time.
Patricia A.
Comment by Patricia — August 12, 2006 @ 8:56 pm
If anyone is interested, I have an article on Layering up at my website. It’s http://www.julieleto.com/advice_for_writers.html#layering
Julie
Comment by Julie Leto — August 12, 2006 @ 8:58 pm
I realize what time and care you ladies put into your works.
I commend you for persevering.
I appreciate the fact that Janelle trys to make her love scenes different and special. I’m always up for pointers.:thumbsup2:
Probably lots of men folk out there benefit from the ideas you ladies give your readers.:love2:
Leslie has the 3 chapter thing right too. I believe the first 3 chapters or 100 pages in a (longer) book can make or break a story. I always give the book that long to grab me.
I can say that none of the plotmonkeys have ever failed the 3 chapter test.
You are all winners.
Comment by Gigi — August 12, 2006 @ 9:40 pm
good to know
Comment by kim h — August 13, 2006 @ 12:37 am
Leslie,
Re my post #11 above. I apologize for inadvertently typing your “last name”, rather than your “first”. Surely need to read these more carefully–LOL.
Patricia A.
Comment by Patricia — August 14, 2006 @ 5:48 pm