"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" That’s what my teenage daughter and I chant when we’re watching a scene on television or a DVD where the build up of romantic tension between a guy and a gal becomes too much for us. We sigh when they kiss, moan when they miss. (At the moment we’re loving Downton Abbey and getting great enjoyment from both the Lady Mary & Matthew, and Bates & Anna relationships. Come on Bates and Anna—kiss!)
That first kiss is so vital in a romance—once they kiss everything changes for ever between them. Be it in a book or a movie, I adore a good first kiss scene. So why do I find them so darn difficult to write?
I can be heard muttering away at my computer that I hate writing kissing scenes! Yet I’m told I write them well. The thing is, a memorable first kiss isn’t just about the meeting of lips and tongues, the placing of hands and bodies. It’s about how my hero and heroine feel about the kiss—it’s about love and fear and joy and worry as well as physical sensations. It can be sexy, sweet, passionate, funny , awkward or deeply romantic. And, like all kisses it’s about the people doing the kissi
ng—the unique characters I have created for my story who bring their own personalities to the kiss. Every kiss I write is different—because my characters are different.Do you remember your first kiss? My first kiss with a boy was when I was six years old and came with a proposal! The first “proper kiss” was when I was fourteen at a school dance, it was sweet and tender and utterly thrilling. I was so excited I told my mother all about it when I got home—and so earned the unrelenting mockery of my friends! Funny thing is, though, when my daughter got her first kiss she came home and told me all about it and it was a very sweet moment.
I’d love to hear about your first kiss—or a screen kiss you found memorable. Please leave a comment for a chance to win a signed trade paperback copy of either HOME IS WHERE THE BARK IS or LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD and include your email address and which book you
would prefer if you want to be in the draw.http://www.kandyshepherd.com
