Writing Sexy When You Don’t Feel Sexy
Not sure others who write romance have the same issues as I do, but when I don’t feel well, it’s damn hard to write sexy romance. I can’t count the times I’ve been “under the weather” and had to try to get my daily word count in anyway. Usually anything I write during these times is crap and I wind up giving it a pitch once I’m better and reread what I wrote.
Knowing this, I try to use the time to write in my blog or future articles for the MMC, something––anything, but the story I am working on.
Edits are one of the ways I cope. I can sit and endlessly edit my work and still find things to improve on.
Reading other writers is another way. I am happy to say that I’ve managed to pare down a once formidable TBR pile. I always read the book for enjoyment first and foremost. Then I go back and reread for structure, for analysis and see where my own writing differs from, say Angela Knight or Maggie Shayne.
Tone is also something I look at. The problem is tone is not always consistent and certainly mine is not. My tone differs depending on the story. I Put A Spell On You is light-hearted fun–an earthy sort of paranormal comedic romp. While The Midnight Effect is darker, closer to the label urban fantasy, but even there I managed to thread in a line or two of humor.
These past few months, I’ve learned so much just from reading everyone else. I’ve come away from the experience with a sharper eye for detail and an even greater appreciation for the written word.
Better yet, reading some of these wonderful, sexy romances has got me feeling kinda sexy again. Sure, I’m still sick, still look like something from a Frankenstein movie, but hey–I actually feel like I can write sexy again!
