Jacqueline C. Thomas - Romance Novelist

Writing

My Favorite Things to Eat When You’ve Can’t Stop Writing

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My favoirte days are the ones where I can sit down at my computer with a hot cup of coffee and know I have all day, or at least a good chunk of time to dive into my work. More often than not, I get so engrossed in my work I forget to eat! I look up from my computer several hours later, exhausted and hungry. So here are my top ten foods to eat while I am writing.

A Peanutbutter & Jelly Sandwich

Oh man, I am a sucker for a goodPB&J! The best thing about this snack or meal is that it isn’t too messy and the nut butter will keep me fueled to keep writing.

Hummus

Usually, food with dip is a no go when writing, my fingers are busy typing. The exception to the rule for me is hummus. It is filling! It is also a bonus that it is healthy. I like it with whole wheat pita or veggies.

Grapes & Berries

Any fruit that I can just pop into my mouth and it fills the craving for sweet is a win in my book!

Soup or Stew:

If I know I have a weekend of writing ahead or I am on a deadline, this is my go to. I will make a big pot of soup, stew or a casserole that easily reheated. Three minutes in the microwave, and I have hot food.

Cold Pizza

Leftover cold pizza is my weakness! The best part, aside from taste, is that is easy to eat! Hot pizza is messy, cold pizza isn’t.

Frozen Food

I love to keep some convenience meals in the freezer. Pre-made meals from the store are a lifesaver when I am really stuck into a project.

Cheese & Cracker Plate

Nutritionally this is a good option when you put some dried fruit on the plate, and maybe nuts too. I eat this even when I am not writing.

Anything Brought to My Desk

Living with a fellow writer has its perks, this is one of them. Recently my husband wrote his dream book, a non-fiction look at British culture. A good spouse to a writer feeds them when the writer is really on a roll! The deal is though, you eat what you are given or you stop and go make something yourself.

Who Rides the White Horse Now: Feminism and Romance

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I was driving to work recently and had an idea for another romance book. I was so struck by the idea that I actually used Siri on my iPhone to take a voice memo. Let’s face it, Siri is pretty but she’s stupid and rarely gets most things I ask her to do correctly. At 70mph per hour, on the toll road, this idea came screaming out of me. I recorded my words at a feverish pace, trying to convey the emotion and feeling along with the plot. Feeling accomplished, and knowing that Siri will have gotten so much of it wrong, I put my phone down and continued my drive. I will have to decode the jibberish that Siri actually recorded later.

The story idea still ran through my mind with less intensity now that I had documented it somewhere. It struck me that the idea was different because the “knight on the white horse” wasn’t a man, but a woman. She could rescue him! I really started to think about this idea of protectors and manly men who protect their women. Even that sentence sounds sexist to me, and it probably is, but I won’t lie, I love a good book where the love interest is an Alpha male. There is something so sexy about a man protecting the woman he loves… that sounds better. “Their woman”…ick!

The fact that I describe that sort of romance that way illustrates the issue perfectly. I like to think I am a feminist. I take women’s rights very seriously, as well as fighting for equality. I think a lot of women are in a similar space to me. I can only imagine being in a relationship with one of the Alpha males from the great romances I’ve read. No, get your head out of the gutter….. It would never work for me to be the wife of a man like that, we’d run into issues even with a quick romp. A man telling me what to do, even if it was in my best interest, I am just not wired like that. Discussion and mutual understanding are where I am at when it comes to the love interest in my life.

All of this set me to wondering, as a romance writer, where is the genre going when both the man and woman should be riding the white horse? Who rescues who? Is it still even appropriate to make the man the hero? Thinking this idea through I posed the question to my husband over lunch one afternoon. He suggested making the woman the heroine. His story idea went something like this: a man who is married to a terrible woman falls for another woman. The new love interest then has to rescue the man from a bad marriage and an abusive wife. My immediate response was no one would read that. Women make up the majority of romance readers, not many of them want to be thought of as a bad wife. Furthermore, I am going to venture a guess that none of them would sympathize with the husband and new love interest. What is weirder, is that if you turn it all around, and he rescues her from an abusive husband, you have struck romance gold…. weird huh?

I have to wonder if there is something about the way our genders are wired or if it is taught? I don’t want to get into the whole nature vs. nurture argument. I just wonder as a romance author how tastes will change over time. I am really interested to see where the genre goes. I mean is it anti-feminist to write an Alpha-male who throws a damsel (as smart, and capable as she may be) over his shoulder?

What do you think? Let me know in the comments because this is a conversation worth having…

Why Romance Needs Sex of All Kinds- Nicholas!

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Nicholas Sparks made headline earlier this week for pushing his conservative, religious agenda at a school he was involved with. The headlines read “Romance Author Nicholas Sparks…” NO! Nick, if I may call you that. You may call what you write romance, and I won’t lie there have been some great stories, but they aren’t true romance. Who am I to tell you, right? I mean I am an unpublished romance author and you have literally sold millions of books, what leg do I have to stand on?

Well, I am a big romance reader, I have read a lot of romance, good bad and truly ugly. More importantly, I write romance, real romance that is a reflection of real life.  I have even read some of your work but you know one thing is missing, the sex. Now I know that there is a huge market for this type of “wholesome” romance. For many conservatives, reading sex is the same as watching pornography. Nick, I know you will probably never read this and I am just another writer blogging out into the void, and on the very remote chance you do see it, you won’t agree with me.

Writing romance without sex in it is a lie, it is not how life works. Before you the army of purity ring enthusiast come charging out, calling for my head, I was one of you. I embraced the dogma and really lived it until I didn’t. My point here is that not putting sex in your books isn’t real life, nor is ignoring all of the types of sex, and being inclusive. Writing sex teaches readers how to love, on a whole other level. Love as you know is more than holding hands or dancing on a beach, wait was that a euphemism?

Sex is important in romance writing and I will fight for this topic until my dying breath. Sex scenes carry so much more to them than just smut as some would call it. I get that there are some romance authors who think that writing sex is a lazy way to convey emotion in the story. I would challenge that by asking them to write a sex scene, they’re difficult and take skill to write.

Recently, I saw a topic of discussion about intimacy in young adult fiction. There was a massive debate about the appropriateness of there being some light sexual activity included in these stories. I championed, yes! We read books to educate us in so many other things, why wouldn’t we read to learn how a relationship really works. Ignoring sex all together in writing romance really gives a distorted picture of a relationship. Being intimate in those special moments tell you so much about who you are, who the other person or people are, the power dynamic, inventiveness, compassion, sense of humour… I could keep going. Sex scenes are so important, for all genders, and preferences.

Ignoring the topic and leaving it out of romance, won’t make those who have different preferences not exist. They’ll be there, reading my books, and the books of other authors whose work reflects real life, real relationships. Writing sex of all types lets our readers know that as an author, I see you and accept you. More than accepting you, I will stand by you and your right to choose your own lifestyle.

Sex is not evil, at least it shouldn’t be if you are doing it correctly. Sex should not be ignored in romance writing. SEX IS IMPORTANT….

 

My Top Ten Tips for Writing Sex (Revised Post!)

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The first sex scene I ever wrote, read more like a PG13 movie then what the scene needed to convey. One of my first beta readers said it best, she said, “I want to know what the rug under her feels like.” The scene was where two characters were going at it on the bathroom floor. I knew she was right. I sat in front of my computer the cursor blinking at me, saying you can’t do this. Frustrated I walked away. I needed help. I am by no means prudish. I grew up in a house where sex was never a taboo subject. Why couldn’t I write it? I realized I needed to educate myself. Here are my top ten tips for writing sex scenes.

Read Sex:

I thought I had read a lot of sex in various works of fiction and that would be enough. My beta reader who made the comment about feeling the rug suggested reading some of Christine Feehan’s work. I read the first book in eight hours I couldn’t put it down. It was sexy but still told a story. This is how sex should be written. The sex scenes in Christine Feehan’s books and Maya Bank’s books help move the plot along. The scenes convey emotional growth and character development.

Watch Sex:

I know this is a controversial idea for some, and I respect that. I highly encourage watching sex, not just pornography, but favorite love scenes in movies. It isn’t about watching the act of sex, it is for the purpose of watching body movement. It is so important to get body movement correct when writing a sex scene. Pay extra close attention to where the participant’s hands are, this is so important. Watch the body movement. The best sex scenes are detailed, where the author has taken the time, to describe body placement and movement. Vague sex scenes don’t carry the same weight in my opinion.

Read online:

I have always read a lot of fiction, but in doing research to write sex scenes, I didn’t have the time to read an entire book to get to a steamy scene. There are great websites that have compiled all sorts of sex scenes. You can search for the type of sex scene you want to write about and read examples of it done really well. Seriously, Google is your friend here. If you are a little shy, open an incognito window and go for it.

Tone:

I love to read a good steamy love scene but as a reader, nothing is more jarring than when the scene doesn’t seem to fit the characters or the tone of the story. Set the mood for the scene and stick to it, is it passionate, lustful, tender, awkward? My point here is to know the mood literally in the room between the two (or more) characters engaging with each other. It would be jarring to read of a couple who need to make love to each other for character development, going at it against the bathroom wall in a club. I am not saying it can’t be done, but the tone is so important here! Here is an example:

Virginia is timid, quiet, reserved. Carl, her love interest is also meek. This is their first time together, neither with a lot of sexual experience. The scene is in her bedroom. They are young and nervous.

Tone Done Correctly:

Virginia couldn’t believe the moment had finally come. She had waited for so long to be with Carl. Her body shook, she wasn’t sure if it was the anticipation or nerves, either way, she wanted him. 

“I love you so much,” Carl said as he leant down and kissed her soft lips.

“Please make love to me Carl, I want to do this,” Virginia said, her voice cracking.

Tone Done Incorrectly:

We are going to use the same characters and the same setting.

Virginia stipped her clothes from her body, she couldn’t get them off fast enough. She needed Carl inside of her, she missed the feeling. (it is her first time! how would she know what he feels like?)

“I am going to wreck you, I won’t stop until you beg me for mercy,” Carl said as he grabbed the back of her head.

She wasn’t leaving that room until she belonged to him and only him. She would take all he had to give and then beg for more.

 

Does this illustrate the difference? Carl and Virginia are young, and it is their first time. The second example while steamy is out of place for two young, inexperienced partners. See, tone matters.

 

Message:

What are you trying to tell your reader in the scene? I think this is why I love writing romance so much. Romance is a time of great joy usually, that feeling of falling in love is magical. Sex, on the other hand, can hold a lot of different emotions. We are our most vulnerable when we are naked in front of another person. I think when sex is written correctly in a romance novel, there is so much more going on in the scene then just the body mechanics, there is massive character development. My favorite scenes are when characters really fall for each other in the moment of sex, or one partner is tender to another.

Pay attention:

This sounds so stupid to say but it is true. As a writer, you must pay attention to body movement. I follow a lot of fellow romance writers and readers, their number one complaint that the author did not pay attention to the scene. Let me give an example.

Carl swept Virginia up in his arms, he was carrying her to his bedroom. Tonight would be the night that they had both waited for, longed for, imagined. Carl looked down at Virginia’s long flowing locks.

“You are so beautiful,” he said.

He reached up and stroked her cheek.

Wait, what? Did he just drop Virginia or does Carl have a third arm? Nothing is more jarring to a reader than something like this. Pay attention to your characters!

 

Have fun:

Let go, have fun, write out your wildest fantasies. Writing sex is fun. When I first started writing sex, it wasn’t fun. It took me a while to learn the advice I am giving here to you today. I wish I would have come across this article as a resource. My suggestion is don’t get hung up on the technicalities the first time you write the scene. Go back and edit using the technicalities, tone, mechanics and message. Let your character’s really “feel” not just physically but emotionally too.

Read what you wrote:

You are the first reader of the story your characters are telling. Read the sex scene you just wrote. Does it make sense to you? Pay attention to the mechanics, did one of the characters grow another arm like in the example above? Doe the tone of the scene fit with the story you are trying to tell? I have written the steamiest scenes and then went back to re-read the scene and it just doesn’t fit. This is where a good note app does wonder. I have scrapped scenes for this reason, and archived it, for later use.

Vivid imagination helps:

I love to put myself in the scene, not necessarily as a participant but more like a fly on the wall. Before I write the scene and during, I like to imagine the setting, the characters, all of it. I think of it this way, if it were a movie would the audience want to watch it?

Don’t be embarrassed:

I am not a prude. I was raised in a house where the topic of sex was an open and ongoing conversation. I consider myself very blessed to come up in a house with such a liberal attitude towards sex, yet when it came to reading and writing sex for the first few times, I was nervous, even embarrassed. I didn’t realize this at first but after I did, I knew I was going to have to overcome it to really write the scenes my characters.

 

I really hope this article helps those of you who are looking for tips on how to write sex. I know these tips have helped me hone the craft of writing truly great sex scenes. If you have a tip that you have not seen here, please share it in the comments.

Top Ten Ways I Procrastinate When Writing….

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I am not a procrastinator by nature. I am a planner, but it seems the older I get the more laid back I become and then before I know it, I am up against a deadline.  I always make my deadline, whether it is for writing or other obligations in my life. As I was thinking about how I procrastinate to avoid writing from time to time, I thought it would be a funny list to share… because let’s be honest, we’ve all been there.

  1. Twitter– If I have actually got myself to sit down at my computer when I am procrastinating, I usually fall for the lie that I tell myself, “I’ll just pop onto Twitter for a second and see what is going on in the world..” Ha ha ha, silly me, a half hour later I am still scrolling through Twitter and NOT writing.
  2. Homework– I am working on my graduate degree in Public Relations- I will be done in the fall. This is a lame way to procrastinate but, since this post is about outing myself.. yeah sometimes I use homework as an excuse to not write. The bummer is, I actually have to do homework, and end up wishing I was writing instead.
  3. Housework- Yes you read that right, sometimes I would rather clean my house than write. I have been known to organize the closet in the kid’s playroom to avoid writing, this is a multi-day project.
  4. Work Out- I am giggling at myself at this point, writing is turning me into a runner for the first time in my life.
  5. Getting Trapped By TV.- At the end of the day, after a full day of work, dinner, kid’s homework, bath, and bed I am exhausted. My husband will be watching something on television and I will sit just for a second. Two hours later, I am still sitting there, wondering where the hell the past two hours went, but now I am too tired to actually write.
  6. Home Project- I seriously, kid you not. I tiled an entire kitchen backsplash to get out of writing a chapter one weekend. That is a lot of work not to write.
  7. I am Too Tired- Between my full-time job, owning a business with my husband, being a grad school student, raising two energetic children, being a wife to a wonderful man and caring for our zoo full of housepets I am exhausted. Man, I am tired just writing that.
  8. It Isn’t Very Good- I think this is the excuse I hate most of all. I think every writer has that period of self-doubt while working on a project. I sure know I have on just about every project I have completed. It is that little voice in the back of my head that says, “you don’t have to keep working on this project, it isn’t very good anyway.”  Well, that little voice can go to hell, because I don’t quit, but I do procrastinate.
  9. I Need to Run and Errand- “We need cinnamon for the french toast for brunch two weeks from now, I’d better go get it.” Yeah, the important errand that needs to run right away, but in reality can wait for a good ten days at least… that one is a gem.
  10. I Just Need A Break- If I am in the middle of a project and I am really working hard at it, this is a good excuse to pull out. However, it is a trick. I don’t fall for it much anymore because that is when the voice from number 8 comes out. Writing only gets better the more you do it. Plus, if you walk away, you stand a good chance of losing your momentum.

In the end, more often than not, I do end up making myself sit down and write. It is the best feeling when I do write and get those words down. When I block out the world around me and stop thinking about all of the obligations I have, and just immerse myself in the work I am creating..that is magic. How do you procrastinate, from one procrastinator to another? Let me know in the comments below.