attraction – Almost An Author

Writing Romance in the #MeToo Era

Once upon a time a romance novel plot included a heroine who wanted the hero to kiss her, but she had to pretend not to want that. She had to object. She had to act surprised. That was a reflection of the times. Women were expected to protest to protect both their virtue and their reputation. Women who wanted physical touch were wanton.

Those standards and mores faded in the late 20^th century when women could actually enjoy a toe-curling kiss in romance novels (and in real life), along with other physical expressions of love.

But now we’re in the 21^st century with sexual harassment, assault, rape, consent, dubious consent, and #MeToo stories in the news every week. Gone are the days when a hero can force a kiss—much less himself—on a heroine in a romance novel.

So how does the current day romance writer handle physical affection in our stories? If our hero has to stop and ask permission to kiss the heroine, it slows the story and action. Especially if then he asks if he can touch her “here?” “How about there?” And it’s not realistic for the female protagonist to instigate every caress, kiss, or cuddle either.

So what’s a romance writer to do?

Well, I have some suggestions.

First, get very good at writing visual signs of attraction.

Your hero needs to be able to tell the heroine is attracted to him. Study body language and non-verbal cues.

He can do things like move in for a kiss, then pause, raise his brows in a question. She smiles back as an invitation.

Movies and television are great tutors for this kind of thing, because they’re a visual medium. Watch your favorite rom com and take notes. How does she show her interest? How does he make his move without being creepy? Is it clear that she welcomes his move? How does she convey that to him?

In one of my favorite movies, Notting Hill, Anna and Will are clearly attracted to each other. They engage in flirty banter. They laugh together (she throws popcorn at him in a movie while he’s wearing his SCUBA goggles). She invites him “up,” after a movie date. Then in a classic plot twist, her boyfriend arrives on scene. Will exits, stage left, with the trash. The next time we see Anna and Will together, she’s single. (Thank goodness, or we wouldn’t like her at all.) In this instance, they both debate making the first move, but are unsure. It’s played out clearly onscreen. When Anna tiptoes downstairs, Will thinks it’s his idiot roommate and groans, then says, (more or less), “Bugger off. Go away.” When Anna replies, “Okay,” Will quickly recants. Anna perches on the edge of the couch where he planned on sleeping. You can imagine, as does the viewer, (most of) what happens next.

Even though Notting Hill is more than a few years old, it does a great job showing the dance of consent. Probably because Anna is a celebrity, but that doesn’t make it any less of a tutorial for the contemporary writer now. Maybe more so.

In Susan Mallery’s current release, Meant To Be Yours, when the hero, Jasper, moves to kiss Renee, he says, “I may be reading this all wrong …” as he puts his hands on her waist and pulls her close. This gives Renee time to back away, if she doesn’t want him to kiss her. We know she does, so this works great to show her consent.

Of course, historical romance writers have a bit more leeway, because of the conventions of the times. But still, they’re writing for contemporary readers with contemporary sensibilities and would be wise to keep all this in mind.

A rake can be a rake, but he should still be a gentleman.

A lesson for all the eras.

Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever after. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. Carrie and her Stud Muffin live in Central California with their cat and dog and within driving distance of their six grandchildren.

You can find her online at:

Twitter: CarriePadgett

Instagram: carpadwriter

Facebook: WriterCarriePadgett

Amazon Author Page: Carrie Padgett

Why Are They Attracted To Each Other?

In my last column, I wrote about the first meeting. Now that your characters have met, the first blush of attraction draws them toward each other.

Why?

Unfortunately, for the writer, it can’t be because we want them to be attracted to each other. That’s not enough. We have to develop an underlying reason for the attraction. In many romances, the first blush of attraction is their physical appearance. That first reaction may not be enough to sustain a story, let alone a relationship. What stands out about that person that holds their interest?

In Susan May Warren’s book How to Write a Brilliant Romance, she says, “It’s because they are at a place of Need in their life.”

They either may not know they have a need or are resisting it as a flaw. The hero or hero may not want to NEED anyone or anything because of past wounds. That they have met the person who tugs at the wall they’ve built around them makes them angry.

The writer must build in looks between the hero and heroine. What will they say to each other? Will they engage in banter to draw the other person to them? Or perhaps they’ll engage in sarcastic comments meant to drive the other person away. They could be professional, friendly, outgoing, or shy. Everything they do is based on the personality of the character you are creating.

What are they thinking? Their thoughts may be in direct conflict with what they are saying or doing. What they believe may be the opposite of what their hearts desire.

One thing neither can deny is that something is happening between them. That spark of attraction will continue to draw them together. Initially, they may blame it on having been thrown together by circumstances or another person. You are writing a romance, and even if their circumstances change, their attraction continues to tug them back together.

The attraction is the foundation from which you will build the tension that will carry them through the story. It will lead them toward having their wounds healed so they can give away their hearts.

On a personal note, here is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to the attraction scenes in some romances–the ones that make me want to throw the book across the room:

When the heroine is otherwise a strong woman but upon one look at the hero and she can no longer think, move, talk, but simply stands there staring starstruck at the hero. Or when the hero wears a smirk and struts around as though to say “She likes me. She likes me. I’m such a hunk she can’t help but like me.” These types of scenes make me want to slap the hero and heroine senseless and shake the writer for crafting such a shallow scene.

Do you have a favorite or least favorite attraction scene? Will an attraction scene make you stop reading a book? If so leave them in the comments below.

Rose Gardner’s writing journey has come in two phases. The first was focused on contemporary category romance. After a break, she returned to writing contemporary heartwarming stories about love, hope, healing and the power of forgiveness. During the first phase of her writing she was a finalist in thirteen contests and won her category in seven including a 2007 RWA Golden Heart finalist in the Long Contemporary Category, and 2nd runner up in the Harlequin Super Romance Conflict of Interest Contest in 2008. More recently she won 1^st place in the Blue Seal Award for General/ Contemporary/ Romance Novels at OHCWC 2017.