Creating Sensual Tension

By Connie Flynn

The secret to sexual tension is not hot sex scenes, but building a believable attraction between your protagonists, then creating believable obstacles to their pursuing that attraction. The better you do this the more your novel will sizzle. For examples, I'll use the movie ROMANCING THE STONE, which is a good model for a romantic adventure,

1. Create a strong external conflict.

In ROMANCING THE STONE, Jack seeks the very same gem that Joan needs to save her sister's life.

2. Create a strong internal conflict that is made worse by the external one.

Joan is an idealist; Jack is an opportunist. Her reason for seeking the stone is based on love for her sister, while his is based on personal gain.

3. Give them reasons to love each other by developing shadow traits..

Jack has a strong yearning for stability which the boat represents; Joan yearns for the adventure she writes about.

4. Put characters in situations that require they spend lots of time together.

Joan needs Jack to get out of the jungle.

5. Put characters in situations that make them get unnaturally close.

They're forced to share cramped spaces--the downed plane, the hotel room in the small town.

By developing your characters fully, you can use the push-pull of their personalities to create the tension needed to sustain the romance. Do this by using the characterization diamond.

THE CHARACTERIZATION DIAMOND

Primary

Strength

Supporting Trait " Fatal Flaw

Shadow

Primary Strength--In a protagonist this is an admiral trait that forms the backbone of who they are, such as warm and caring, reserved and logical, outgoing leader, etc. .

Supporting Trait--This is generally an attitude or value such as optimistic, pessimistic, eager, pragmatic, loyal, etc.

Fatal Flaw--In protagonists, this trait is a virtue carried to extremes, best illustrated by the movie the ODD COUPLE. Felix is organized and tidy to the point of being nit-picky, while Oscar's laid-back habits are carried to slobbishness. Traits that have this potential include nurturing (smother-love), leadership (controlling), compassion (excessive sentimentality), independence (inability to cooperate), but there are many more.

Shadow--A secret yearning. This is a trait the protagonist either actively suppresses and is unaware he has, or believes he lacks an aptitude for. It is NOT an evil trait as is commonly supposed.

The supporting trait and fatal flaw must be in harmony with the primary strength, while the shadow is in contradiction. The fatal flaw is what the character must overcome in order to make a commitment to the other protagonist. The shadow trait is what allows this to occur.

Example: Based on the characters from Romancing the Stone

Joan Jack

Creative Courageous

& Inventive & Resourceful

Idealist " Timid & Shy Pragmatic " Cunning

Yearns for Yearns for

Adventure Stability

The characters fatal flaws are brought out by the events in the story. In this case it is their supporting traits that create the greatest internal conflict, but it could just as easily be their primary strengths, and those too create conflict, because his courage and resourcefulness brings her up against her timidity. If not for their shadow traits, these people could not fall in love. We know they have these traits because they are demonstrated through behavior. Joan writes stories about adventure, which allows her to avoid living it. Jacks wants the boat because it represents security to him--a way to experience his love for adventure while having a home base, however mobile. In this story, Joan exhibits the greatest character growth, but for Jack, getting the boat is his way to claim the prize--Joan--who represents the ultimate in stability.

By creating this diversity of characterization, you create outside forces that make contemporary romances every bit as fascinating as historical romances, which have automatic, built-in societal conflicts such as social standing, the premium of virginity, and reputation. But the use of the diamond can also heighten tension in historical romances by making the conflict internal as well as external.

Copyright Connie Flynn, 1997

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