Two love scenes...

[ZannaPerry]

I've read several romances where they have several love scenes, but only because it worked with the storyline. But to throw in an additional love scene just for the hell of it, is that okay?

I know, I know...this is my story, I can do whatever I want with it...but I just gotta ask. I don't want to overkill the romance, or the sex. But I am finding I want to add another love scene in. Not even twenty-four hours after the initial one. Too fast?

[mirrorkisses]

hmmm, do you mean love scene or sex scene? Because they aren't the same thing. Frankly, I think that too much sex in any novel (albeit erotica, duh!) is a little annoying. Here's the secret: have your hero and heroine do everything but... Like kissing, making out, comments, whatever. It's all a matter of building up tension. So if you have several tension-filled scenes, that can work. Don't make them actually have sex until the end.

[mirrorkisses]

Think of it as foreplay with your reader.

[Sunkissed27f]

*Sigh*

A quickie love seen can happen once a Chapter. LOL

A drawn out emotional love seen can happen several times also.

I think you are going to get mixed answers on this.

I personally love a good 3 or 4 loves scenes in a 300+ page book.

Now, sex scenes can be as many as you like.

Your fans are going to read your stuff because of what YOU write.
If you love several long sprawling love scenes....GO FOR IT!!

[Stacia Kane]

Every scene in a book should advance either plot or character. If it doesnt advance the story, it's dead weight and shouldn't be there.

[MargueriteMing]

Every scene in a book should advance either plot or character. If it doesnt advance the story, it's dead weight and shouldn't be there.

More and more I'm discovering that I don't like hard and fast rules where an art form is concerned. I would certainly modify this "rule" to say that if a scene has some purpose then it should be fine, as long as it doesn't interfere with story or plot. Many scenes in Lord of the Rings could be removed and not detract from the overall plot. They do add a lot to the flavor of the world and the background against which the story takes place, though. That may be part of the difference between literature and genre fiction. Genre fiction tends to be all about plot, avoiding a lot of depth because it "slows things down".

[ZannaPerry]

I've always called them love scenes, not sex scenes. Yes, what I am talking about is the erotica part of my story where my two main characters have physical contact, but there's nothing meaningless about them having sex at all. It's building love they both can't deny. It's about all the emotion that's going on around them. I've read plenty of stories, mainly in suspense romance, where hero and heroine just want to forget about what murder situation they got themselves into. Mine are kind of like that. The first one, anyway. The second one, and why I asked this question.....is the moment my hero finds out he's going to be arrested for the murder of his wife (which he didn't do, and the heroine knows this) and they make love just one last time before he's taken away in handcuffs, and from that point on my story doesn't stop with the suspense until the end of the book.

So.....is that a little too dramatic? Could they just simply kiss instead of taking off all the clothes?

[Drasheny]

Actually, from that description, it sounds like the second love scene is more integral than the first.

At the very least, I would make sure that the emphasis of each love/sex scene is different to show how their relationship is changing. Don't make the second one simply a replay of the first. Use different language, pacing, etc, to underline the urgency of the second scene as opposed to the more leisurely build up of the first.

[ZannaPerry]

the sex scene after he finds out he's going to jail does make more sense and much more powerful, but it would happen too late in the story. After he goes to jail, the ending of the story is going to come really fast. I would have to build their chemistry through most of the story until they can't take it anymore, and he'll be leaving her soon.

I've already written my ideal sex scene, and it's worked for a long time but now I am not so sure because of this sudden idea to have them make love because he is being taken away from her. She's without her help, her bodyguard now. It would be extremely emotional for them to just breakdown right then, but I like the love scene I've already written....... Oh, no.....


A little update::::

The second love scene won't work. I got my main character telling me last night to stop what I was thinking, and just continue the damn story. Just to make the first long and everlasting. What a lucky dawg she is, too!

[Lady Cat]

I think it depends on the characters. I have one WIP where the characters had several close encounters leading up to one big sex scene. The sequel to that WIP was about two characters who had more sex because that's just the way they were.

[Jeff Colburn]

Anything that doesn't move the story along should be left out.

Have Fun,
Jeff

[gingerwoman]

It also depends on who you're targeting re-publication.