Kathleen E. Woodiwiss has for a long time been one of the foreunners of sensual writing. What I remember being called, "bodice rippers" if memory serves(and it is poor these days, I admit.) Still, a distant friend and I got into this discussion the other day and I would like to present it as food for thought--do torrid love scenes portray romance realistically?
Or are the more genteel forms of love-making scenes (perhaps even so far as closing the bedroom door) a more "realistic" picture of what romance is?
To each his/her own, I say. But to categorize either as more "realistic" is a disservice I feel to writers and readers. Still, I suspect for some, the prejudices go back to a time when women were not supposed to think of or enjoy sex, perhaps even think of themselves as sensual creatures, capable of emotionally and physically embracing that sensuality.
Can we attribute this change to the womens movement? Or at least to parts of it that we are most comfortable with?
It is an interesting question for writers who face the reality of what is selling and what publishers/editors are looking for. But greater is the challenge to look deeper than the surface and see that we are all human beings--sensual , emotional creatures at heart--and embrace that wonderous gift.
So what do you think? Do torrid love scenes do it for you? Are you just as happy to give the characters their privacy and shut the door?
Post your answers and this month, we'll pick the best answer from the bunch and offer a special prize from the Lust in Time ladies!!
