Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back.

The title of this post is just a thought running through my head at this particular moment. “Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back.” Plato actually said that and I’ll be damned if he wasn’t thinking of me when it popped right out of his mouth and someone jotted it down for later.

The thought is actually wrapped around a secret project I’ve kept myself busy with, and is probably meaningless to the majority of readers who pop by–ogle the Plato graphic, and wander off again.

For the rest of you, if you’ve been paying attention you’ll know that I’m working on an erotic scene, which is a genre I’ve never explored before in my writing. The scene itself has a lot of moving parts to it. It’s an exploration, a new experience, a last night together, and a goodbye. After a rocky  start, where I was in a panic that I wouldn’t be up to the challenge, things are beginning to flow better. A lot of that has to do with my genius collaborator–who shall remain nameless lest someone try to steal their heart away. (I don’t always play nice–fair warning!)

Thinking about the scene as it’s evolving, what have I learned as I yank the words from my uptight head? Well, rule number one–relax. If I’m not relaxed, everyone reading will be uncomfortable.

Is it really that simple, though? No, it’s not.

I can hear you head scratching and thinking, She’s nuts… Sex is fairly straightforward, right? Well, when you translate those emotions into writing, you might think of it in terms of making mad passionate love right smack in the middle of Times Square.

Any takers? Didn’t think so.

Of course, when you write a love scene, no one is getting arrested (I hope), but you have to open yourself up–becoming totally vulnerable in the process, and then invite people to watch.

It’s a process, and it’s one I’m finding has put me in touch with things I never knew about myself. I doubt my writing will ever be up to par with the big names, but it’s highly personal in a way I never expected. And for me, Times Square is looking more and more appealing…

 

Sometimes the person you really need is the one you didn’t think you wanted…

If you stick around here, you’ll pick up pretty fast that I write a character named Annie in an online role play. What you might not know is how completely that single character has changed my world.

She started as a writing experiment. Seems innocuous, right? A writer, looking to get in more practice at character development, churns out little more than a name and a skimpy background and away she goes. But then, as is typical in my particular life, something quite amazing happened…and his name was Kerry.

Before Kerry, I lived quite comfortably in the land of TAME Young Adult and Children’s genre. After Kerry…well, let’s just say TAME isn’t part of my vocabulary anymore.

Fast forward to July 22, 2011. In roleplay time, it was Monday evening. Annie found herself comforting Kerry in the hospital after a very traumatic day for both of them. Midway through our thread, Annie found herself in uncharted territories and as much as she (and when I say she, think I) REALLY wanted to go there, and did, I had to reign her in because the reality of the role play is that she’s only twelve, (for now).

In the end, what my grown-up self wanted to write lost to what twelve year old Annie could pull off. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t have a little fun letting my imagination run wild–call it a practice run for when Annie gets to be sixteen.

As far as character building, I think Annie’s been a home run. She’s become for me a way to explore not only development, but also genre, and emotion. Through her I can wade through the fun stuff like affection, sadness, passion, and of course–love.

I know you’re wondering I wrote that needed such a huge edit. I won’t leave you hanging. If you keep reading, you’ll find what I originally wrote…and what actually made it into the role play. I think you’ll notice the subtle differences.

Enjoy!

Annie’s Fantasy:

As she listened to his melodious voice in the darkness, the rhythm of his accent held her captive. She struggled to recall a time she’d ever been more contented than right at that moment. Annie rolled onto her side. The thin hospital pajamas slipped over her slender shoulder, revealing the subtle blush spreading down from her face.

Kerry’s warmth reached out to her and ensnared her very being. Her fingers traced a path from his jaw to his neck, methodically slipping lower until they reached the top button of his pajama shirt. She swiftly released it and smiled, allowing her fingers to roam lower still.

When his shirt was unbuttoned, Annie felt her way over his bare chest; his breathing was slow and relaxed as she pushed the fabric back, exposing the skin beneath.

“I’d go to the ends of the earth with you, Kerry,” she whispered into his ear. “But, this is the only place I want to be right now.”

She pressed herself closer to his body and brushed her lips over his neck, grazing her tongue over his skin….

Annie’s Reality:

Annie could never remember a time she’d ever been more comfortable than right at that moment. His warmth reached out to her and ensnared her very being. Listening to his melodious voice in the darkness, the rhythm of his accent held her captive.

“I’d go to the ends of the earth with you, Kerry,” she whispered into his ear. “But, this is the only place I want to be right now.”