Writing Romantic and Intimate Scenes

 

When I wrote the intimate scenes for the novellas in the Once Upon A Princess Trio, I wanted to be sure they were a fit for the stories.

Each novella features a different couple, and each scene is a fit for their relationship. In Heart of Stone, the hero is a gargoyle shifter who is actually under a magical spell. The scenes are more based on fantasy than reality since they occur in his enchanted palace. The hero has been in love with the heroine from afar, and he's desperate to show her his love. If she falls in love with him, it can be the key to breaking his curse.

For Beauty and the Faun, I didn't introduce intimate scenes right away. In fact, the couple are friends and not lovers for most of the story. The heroine hasn't been intimate with anyone before. I emphasized that she was having her first experience. The hero is playful and a bit of a "bad boy" but he's patient enough to wait until the heroine is ready. And once she is, they both find that they're matched as lovers.

In Land of Dreams, the hero has a more complicated origin story (I won't say more so that I don't reveal any spoilers). He's not expecting to fall in love with the heroine. He plans to help her learn magic and nothing more. The hero is a world-weary type who is nursing a broken heart. Since the story is in his POV the scenes are more sensual and have less "insert tab A into slot B" kinds of descriptions.

Writing intimate scenes can be a big challenge. Should there be a lot of detail? How soon should the first love scene happen? It all depends on knowing your characters and understanding the purpose of the scenes. I think it's important that the actions and emotions feel natural. Romantic scenes should enhance the story and not feel out of place.