PUT SOME STEAM IN YOUR STORIES

Steam can be a whiff of warmth or a blast of heat. Depending on the writer’s intent and purpose, it can range from undeniably explicit to something more gauzy to mildly suggestive. Nevertheless, they all fall somewhere on the steamy spectrum.

There is a key factor, however, that makes them different from other types of writing. Steamy scenes are intended to evoke strong emotional responses. They can provide expository or factual information, too, but emotion reigns supreme in steamy scenes!

All the sub-topics and concepts in this workshop intertwine and overlap with one another. Each is as important to effective adult-level romance writing as the next. So, remember – if you want to create a great steamy scene, you need to consider all the key elements, and then balance and blend them with each other.

Several stories are cited in the sections below. Links to them will appear at the end of the workshop.

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DETERMINING YOUR COMFORT LEVEL AND STORY RATING

There are a number of fanfic writers who may have toyed with the idea of adding a ‘sexual fulfillment’ scene in a story but haven’t because we all suffer from performance anxiety. We ask ourselves: Will fans laugh, or cringe, or wonder if the writer has lost their mind?! It has crossed the minds of everyone who has written adult subject matter, for sure!

Here’s a secret: You can write a sex scene that’s G-rated, PG-13, or R. It’s all in how you explore the scene. That comes down to your own comfort level. Don’t be fearful – just write it at a level of description that conforms to your own likes and writing ease. Pushing yourself to write at a rating level at which you feel uncomfortable will reflect that discomfort to the reader.

However, in writing BatB fanfic, writers should consider including such a scene in a story. Why? Because putting our characters in a place of intimacy gives a writer a wide field in which to explore their fears, their dreams, their insecurities – about their bodies, their experiences, their expectations…

Think of your own late-night conversations at sleepovers as a youngster, how inhibitions were lower, secrets were easier to reveal. You can use that feeling and translate it into a scene between two characters in the B&B universe in a different but similar setting.

Bottom line, though, is: If you aren’t comfortable writing any adult fanfic at all…then, don’t. It’s certainly okay to give a few hints as to what’s about to happen and then close the chamber curtain!

Flesh and Blood, a story by JoAnn/Jo Fredericks illustrates this point in the final line of the story’s Part 2. There is not a single word that could be deemed ‘explicit’, but the reader understands exactly what will happen.

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STRUCTURING YOUR PLOT

As writers, we need to know when it’s best to follow the rules and when we should think about breaking them. Not all guidelines for any type of story-writing – including creating steamy scenes – are set in stone. But a few come close.

SEQUENCING  (How not to write a recipe or a road map)

In the world of professional romance writing, many publishers have strict guidelines for producing formulaic writing that best suits their organization’s purposes and audiences. The plot must follow their specific rules: A happens, then B, next C, and D, and we end with E. Think Hallmark movie plots. If you want to get published by a particular house, then you need to follow their directions.

Not so much when you’re writing fanfic. You have the freedom to switch up traditional – often trite – sequencing and make your story much more engaging. For example, the couple does not absolutely have to kiss first, then take off their clothes, then share a few caresses – progressing in order from one body part to the next, usually starting at the top and moving lower – and then finally have penetrative sex of one kind or another.

In other words, a sexually intimate scene does not have to follow a road map or a recipe. No one wants to read a list when they’re expecting to read a love scene.

That doesn’t mean you have to invent new ways to have sex. Just take all those traditional, typical factors and rearrange them. Throw in a few sweet and/or spicy ingredients. Scramble the whole thing, and you might come up with something amazing that you’ll enjoy writing and your readers will enjoy reading.

Another way to put it is that writing a plot that includes love scenes is not the same as finishing a jigsaw puzzle. You as the writer have the autonomy to make choices, to move those plot pieces around until you – and your characters – are satisfied.

Maybe Catherine and Vincent can’t wait a second longer. Maybe they just want to skip all forms of foreplay, tear off whatever clothing is impeding their progress, and have at it.

Or maybe they want to spend a lot of time leisurely kissing and cuddling, enjoying a slow, seductive buildup. Maybe they start in one part of Catherine’s apartment or the tunnel world, then move elsewhere. Maybe they want to have sex but fall asleep in each other’s arms and awaken to make love later.

Maybe Vincent initiates the love scene. Maybe Catherine does. Maybe it’s a mutual impulse. Shake things up. You don’t always want to do certain activities the same way each time, right? Neither do they.

Another aspect to consider when framing your plot is the inclusion of unnecessary factual information. To paraphrase a friend and BatB fanfic writer, “Some writers create steamy scenes. Others write a biology text.” No criticism intended toward science book writers, but that’s not what we’re here for, is it?

In terms of anatomy, we all know who has what and what goes where. You as the writer do not have to literally spell it all out for us. If you do, it will almost certainly make for a boring story full of unneeded details. Please don’t do that to Vincent and Catherine – or to your readers! There are techniques for painting a picture without using a paint by number kit – think more Impressionism than billboard posters.

STAGE DIRECTIONS  (Just Be You, Not Bob Fosse)

You want your readers to be able to picture the scenes you’ve written, but you don’t want to construct your story with so much detail or direction that it lacks emotion and becomes mechanical. You do need to make it clear where and how the action is taking place. But a little description and the inclusion of a few well-placed, appropriate details is far better than drowning your reader in trivia no one really wants or needs to pursue.

Remember – we’re going for intensity of emotion, not how to decorate a room, present an anatomy lecture, or draw road maps on lovers’ bodies. Also, when choosing words for a steamy scene, less is almost always more.

Here are two examples Linda wrote. The first shows what not to do (ever!) and the second offers a preferable alternative. The scene is shown from Vincent’s point of view as Catherine and he are about to make love for the first time.

After extinguishing eight of the ten candles burning in scattered places on book shelves, tables, desk, and mantel, Vincent, using both his left and right arms, carried Catherine, who sighed and quivered and gasped, fourteen paces across his chamber, moving north by northwest on the carpet and stone floor in increments of approximately one foot per second. His pulse rate sped up to 84, then 87, back to 84, then right up to 92.

He sighed for 3.6 seconds and then carefully lowered her onto the red and green plaid quilt covering four other blankets of various pastel and primary colors, a queen-size flower print duvet Mouse had found in a dumpster outside Bloomingdale’s last Thursday, and his tattered, old, baby blue blankie he just couldn’t bear to part with.

Taking a deep breath for seven seconds, he exhaled for eight, then raised his right knee onto the bed, about halfway between the headboard and the footboard, to push himself up to lie on his left side five inches away from her. With body temperatures exceeding 101.4 degrees Fahrenheit, they felt quite warm, considering they were naked in an underground cavern. After twenty-seven seconds had passed, he raised his right hand and placed it two and a half inches (6.35 centimeters) above the top curve of her left breast, which appeared in his not especially expert estimation to be about a B cup. 

NO!!! Just no!!!

Were any of these details in this exaggeration – even the sensible ones – really necessary? We’ve seen Vincent’s chamber dozens of times and we know what it looks like. We know Catherine and he are passionate about one another. We also know Vincent is not that adventurous – yet – so they need to get to his bed if they’re finally going to make love.

But do we really need or care about the road map, interior decorating, and/or medical updates en route? Do we care which of his hands first touches which of her breasts – or do we just care that he feels safe and comfortable and trusting enough to initiate touching and caressing?

Here’s an alternate example. It conveys the same scene-setting information but in a far more appealing and appropriate way.

Soft sighs shimmered through his candlelit chamber. Pulsing heartbeats throbbed through their bond. He lowered her to the bed they’d longed to share, then joined her there, feeling heat and light engulf them. Trembling fingers began to caress the soft, silken body he’d dreamed of for so long.  

Do you see how the writer is making us feel what Vincent is experiencing as the scene begins, instead of giving the reader a big, unneeded info dump? Example One was boring and could have been about any two characters. Example Two gave us Vincent and Catherine as we know them.

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CHOOSING THE CORRECT WORDS

Here’s a question that illustrates the importance of word choice.

Do you want to write a sex scene between two people or a scene of physical romance between Vincent and Catherine?

There’s a difference, right?

A sex scene seems more impersonal, its occurrence not necessarily the culmination of an extraordinary relationship. A sex scene might focus on erotic pleasure and stimulation, but not involve the love that spurs the passion. It’s more a description of the mechanics of sex. There’s a detachment, almost something the reader is simply watching.

A scene of physical romance implies connection, assumes love between the participating parties – in our case, between Catherine and Vincent. In that type of scene the characters’ affections for each other are more important than the act, even as the act is occurring. The reader might find the scene exciting, but in the end, it’s the joy found in the characters’ emotional union that matters most.

So the words you choose to describe lovemaking between Vincent and Catherine – or any consenting characters, really – should create an experience, not an event. Choose words that stay true to the characters. Choose words that employ all the senses: sight, touch, scent, hearing, taste. Write a love-making scene that is more than just that.  Have those moments advance the plot of your story and the relationship of your characters.

Writing good steam is no small feat. Here are some key factors to consider.

BODY PARTS

What do I call _______?

This question likely comes to mind first when you’re writing a steamy scene. Finding the answer can be tough. The clinical words for body parts are not necessarily romantic sounding. They can distance the reader. And some slang words are just … wrong for BatB fic

Wondering what to do to solve this problem? There are solutions!

Carole wrote That Which We Call a Rose, a steamy but humorous story about Vincent trying to come up with another word to use for Catherine’s buttocks, which he could not bring himself to say, feeling it not as beautiful a word as her anatomy deserved. It shows how you as a writer can have fun with anatomy word choice and still convey exactly what you intend to do.

However, you don’t want your readers to laugh at your descriptions or roll their eyes. And you definitely don’t want them to be grossed out.

For example (borrowed from an online article):

His beauty struck my heart, then my loins. I could not tear my eyes from his manly acorns.

We might well imagine Catherine’s awed gasp at the first sight of those, umm, tree nuts. But really, acorns?

And there’s also the problem of the rather aggressive implications of the words struck and tear. It conjures a scene of Catherine being sent first flying backward, and then later, her eyes are actually glued to his testicles. Not a good look!

Here’s a rewrite that will illustrate this topic — same situation, different wording.

He was … beautiful. His chest soft with golden whorls, his abdomen velveted, ridged in muscle, a darkening thatch of fur converging in a trailing line down … and down …

As you’ve seen, sometimes, even often, you don’t have to actually name the more intimate body parts involved in the action if you choose words that engage the senses and emotions involved, words that create the larger moment.

You also want to avoid overly descriptive language, particularly metaphors. It’s better to call a breast a breast rather than a pillowy mound or an alabaster globe. It’s better to call an erection an erection than a throbbing sword or a love tool. You don’t want to make your readers laugh when it’s not supposed to be funny.

In a nutshell, the language of effective steamy scenes focuses on the sensory, emphasizes emotion and tension, and celebrates physical sensation rather than describes the mechanics of sex.

You’re building the tension, the passion. The before and after the act is more important than the physical climax. You’re sharing your characters’ Experience – with a capital E.

Here’s an example from Carole’s story Marriage Morning. The passionate parts are written in free form rather than sentences.

Side by side, face to face … he tucked her body to his. Against his chest, he found the velvet softness of her breasts, the taut nipples; under his hand, the rise of her hip. He tucked her closer, found her mouth, her tongue … so sweet, the taste … touched her flanks … free, free to love her … his skin aflame, desire wildfire between them … so soft … at last, at last …

So in the end, it’s not really about the body parts. Remember – you’re not writing a how-to manual. You’re writing a love story, a love-making story.

CREATING AMBIANCE

It’s also important to keep in mind you’re not writing these scenes to excite the reader. You’re writing FOR Catherine and Vincent. Bringing forth their emotions rather than describing the act is the difference between a gratuitous sex scene and one that resonates with the characters’ characters and moves their story forward.

FOCUS ON SENSATION OVER ANATOMY

A good love scene goes beyond the choreography to delve deeper into character development and show what Vincent or Catherine is like at their most vulnerable. You want to choose words for the “act” that keeps the sex meaningful. It needs to be more sensual – a scene you feel rather than one you watch.

KEEP THE DIALOGUE REALISTIC AND CONSISTENT WITH THE CHARACTER.

Vincent would not use street language with Catherine, nor would she with him. The same is true with your choice of descriptive words – lean into the poetic. Particularly in first-time stories, you want to remember Vincent’s hesitancy, his self-restraint, as well as his desire. He would go with courage, but he would go with care.

If you can get away with not saying something, do so. Let the reader fill in the rest.

WHO IS TELLING THE STORY?

Here’s a writer’s secret when it comes to word choice. It’s easier if you write from only one character’s point of view. Your story immediately becomes more intimate.

So … Close your eyes, become that character. Ask yourself: What do I see, hear, taste, smell, and feel physically and emotionally. What do I want? What do I have to give? What do I have to lose?

Then share it all.

To help illustrate the importance of word choice, here is an excerpt from a chapter of Carole’s novel Iron Behind the Velvet. It is a prelude to more physical scenes to come.

Hidden from view, she waited for the shuffle of his boots or the signaling flicker of torch light, some alert he swept the long corridor toward their guest chamber. At first, her hands behind her back, she leaned against the stone, her eyes closed in anticipation, but now she paced the small foyer, every second circuit peeking around the wall. How long has it been …

When she knew his approach, she scurried over the threshold into the room Liz had prepared. By the time he rounded the entry, she was innocently working the glossy wooden door back and forth, open and closed, open and closed. The heart-pine framing notched into solid stone, it swung easily over the smooth floor.

“If you ask me,” she said, “this is quite an invention.”

He stepped through and she backed to the wall. His lips parting, his chest a bellows, his warm sweet breath rushed the hair across her brow, at her cheek. At last. Alone. His eyes were a rough cobalt sea flashing with spilling silver. One hand was braced on the stone above her and the other …

Once, in nearly this same posture, he’d whispered his imaginings – touch he longed for, kisses he dared not take. She remembered the tenderness of his mouth turned down with raw ache, the charged distance between them, the emptiness of never. But now … Beneath her sweater, his hand … His lips closing on the lobe of her ear, drawing it in. His tongue-tip flickered, teased and fondled its captive, teased and promised. His knee pressed between her legs … pressed and rose. With his foot, he kicked the door shut behind them. The latch settled home with a decisive click.

All she’d planned to tell him, all she wanted to ask, swirled to indistinct colors, any single thought formless, irretrievable. His lips followed the line of her jaw an infinitesimal distance from her skin, one she begged him to close with the tilt of her head, the offer of her throat. One to the other electricity arced, the heated current thrilling her to vapor – a vapor he breathed in. He buried his nose in the lustful place behind her ear, caught her up when her knees gave way. She felt his stiffening against her, the silent quake that traveled up from some deep place to speed his heart. All want, nothing but want. Cloak, clothes – she needed done with them, and would be if she could but get her hands between their pressed bodies, if she could but work the thwarting buttons and laces.

Slowly he released her to firm ground. He cradled her face, the pads of both thumbs stroking her lips. “Catherine,” he managed, before his mouth met hers, his first kiss – always – intense, fragile, trembly with memory.

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CREATING ACCURATE CHARACTERIZATION

This may be one of the most important aspects of writing adult fanfic. We’re not writing about random individuals. We are writing about complex, well-defined characters our readers have gotten to know through repeated episode viewing. They have certain qualities every reader expects and recognizes.

If you are writing Catherine and Vincent, you should concentrate on keeping them in character, even though we’ve never seen them in this particular…position. For instance, fans expect Vincent to be slightly unsure of himself in an intimate situation, and to harbor concerns about hurting Catherine. Unless it’s a story involving Dark Vincent or some alternate universe, he’s not going to be acting like an experienced lover. And Catherine is not going to be pushy. She’s too careful of Vincent’s vulnerabilities and insecurities.

Speaking of vulnerability – it’s wonderful to explore. Vincent’s concerns about losing control of himself, Catherine not wanting her desires to overwhelm him…there is a lot about them that is character-specific vulnerability, and mentioning it helps you flesh out the scene. Write about their need, the ache they feel for each other, the overwhelming desire that has been building for so long. Sexual tension can build a scene, with the gratification finishing it.

Here’s an example from Linda’s story Counterpoint. It tells of Vincent’s reactions to Catherine laughing in the rain in that famous scene from Chamber Music.

But all his well-intentioned efforts were useless. He could not surrender the allure of that erotic vision to his ferocious self-control. The seduction of sound overtook him, and he was lost, drawn to her by the music of her laughter. It became a wild melody, undulating with the storm, filling him with temptation and torment, flooding over the barriers he’d designed to hold back powerful feelings that unnerved him. His heart began to race, drumming a frenzied beat within the straining muscles of his chest, sending a power pulsating the length and breadth of him until it centered low in his body in an overwhelming rush of heat and hardness.  

Let them reveal something they have been fearful or embarrassed to tell the other, allow their partner to calm fears or indicate understanding or acceptance. You have two vulnerable people in the scene – not just naked physically but also with their guards and inhibitions down. The scene can be used to reveal more than flesh, and resolve more than sexual tension.

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PORTRAYING VINCENT: IGNORANCE VS. INEXPERIENCE

This is really an easy one.

Vincent is 33+ years old, but he was also once a teenager who became aware of his

sexual nature just as any other teenager would.

He’s a reader.

He’s observant.

He has the soul of a doctor, Father said, so he knows how babies are made.

He’s not been kept in the dark about sex. In fact, Father has nagged him relentlessly over the years to deny his feelings, his sexual self.

But at heart, Vincent has not accepted this asceticism.

As evidenced by his dreams – Catherine always appears to him in filmy, silky gowns, not her big orange coat! – he feels physical desire. Surely he can well imagine the passionate fulfillment of said desire. It’s unlikely that his dreams, sleeping or waking, stopped short of … you know!

Yes, first time stories in our fandom are always popular – wonderful to read and to write! In these stories the goal should be to portray Vincent in character – self-aware, restrained – but comfortable enough finally to be willing. He certainly knows what to do in the big picture, so he’s not ignorant. He really wouldn’t lie there, perplexed, doing nothing, while Catherine gives him play by play instruction. For centuries, human creatures have figured it out, particularly once things get going! She won’t need to tell him he needs to move around.

Here’s a passage from Union by Crowmama, which illustrates this point.

{He} … began to feel her body beneath him.  The warmth of her, surrounding him, drawing him in again and again.  He felt the heat of her, the soft and amazing life beneath him, her body, her love all around him.  He felt her desire, her aching to be filled by him and only him, hot smooth skin under his hands, lips pressed into his own, into his neck, her teeth biting his shoulder so she wouldn’t cry out with the perfection of this. Instinct was all he had, but it was all they seemed to need.

Instinct.

Instinct separates him from ignorance. He is only inexperienced. And he is an eager scholar, willing to do his homework.

Here’s another excerpt that shows the difference between ignorance and inexperience, and how Vincent embraces his growing awareness and expertise. It’s from JoAnn’s story Breathing Nearer Heaven.

“I’ve tried…so hard. You deserve so much more than I can ever give you.  I never meant to….”  Before she could voice an objection, he silenced his own last, desperate rebuttal. “But I see now how futile it all has been.” Taking a deep breath, he continued, “I know your heart, feel every nuance of your love, every shade of it.  It’s astounding… staggering… overwhelming. That you could love me…want me…out of all the men in the world… But I know it’s true.”

Her eyes, fearful before at what he might say, had melted into a look of surprised relief.  Tears now pricked the corners of her eyes, and she blinked rapidly in a futile attempt to keep them from falling. She felt the pressure of his fingers as his hands left her shoulders to brush the tears from her cheeks.

“Don’t cry, Catherine. Or I will.” His voice was thick with the emotion he made no attempt to conceal. “I….”  He shook his head again, as if amazed at what he was about to say. “I love you…more than my life, more than my world, more than my next breath. I would give anything to make you happy.” He didn’t seem to notice the tears which now crept down his own high cheekbones, losing themselves in the soft stubble of his beard.

“I love you, Catherine.”

Slowly he lowered his head. He met her expectant lips with his own searching ones.

His first kiss was a pressure so light it felt as if angels’ wings fluttered against her mouth – a faint brush, no more. Catherine closed her eyes in ecstasy, her mouth opening as she sought to take in the air perfumed by his sweet breath – her first taste of heaven.  She could feel the heat of him, hovering so near, and she lifted her face closer instinctively, her mouth finding his and pressing her own moist adoration upon it.  She let the pressure of it linger, and was rewarded when he returned the pressure with more urgency, emboldened and hungry now for more of her delectable essence.

As if coming home, Vincent took a step toward Catherine, letting his own body mold to hers. The sudden sensation of her curves pressed against him drew a loud groan from him, which he quickly suppressed. She could sense his mortification, even before he pulled his mouth roughly from hers and began to turn away.

Throwing her arms around his waist, she stopped his retreat, urging him back to her until she once more could nestle into his warm embrace.  When she had him close again, Catherine murmured throatily against his ear, “That sound you made…it sent a thrill down my spine. To know I can affect you like that – the way you affect me – it’s wonderful.”

He lifted his head and gazed at her with a look that was so open, so vulnerable, so grateful, it made her heart break. She opened her mouth to speak again, but no words would come. She couldn’t concentrate on anything but him. So she used their Bond as she never had before, concentrating on sending her empathy and understanding to him in undulating turquoise waves. When Vincent’s gaze shifted in mute surprise and his eyes took on a dazed look, she knew she had gotten through to him. Her smile was meant to encourage, and he smiled slightly in return, nodding once to thank her.

One of her hands crept up to his face, still not completely sure he wouldn’t try to stop her caress.  But he stood still, just holding her, and when her fingers slid gently across his jawline, he tilted his head slightly to deepen the touch. Vincent felt her fingertips upon him and for the first time allowed himself to embrace the tenderness and love her touch communicated.  His very flesh seemed to vibrate in response, treasuring the caress she so tentatively offered.

When he could bear being still no more, he turned his face into her palm, nuzzling it, drinking in her scent. His tongue flicked out once – quickly, furtively – to taste her flesh, and he was astonished to hear a moan of ecstasy rise from her throat. He looked up in wonder to catch the sublime expression on her face, and understood that what he’d thought in himself to be a coarse reaction to her touch was in fact an involuntary response to an overwhelming stimulation. That sound resonated in his bones, electrifying him. He understood now what Catherine was trying to convey to him before.  His response had not been vulgar or off-putting, and it was not only acceptable, it was arousing to her.

Reassured, he lifted one hand to capture hers, holding it still, while he did what he had long desired to do: he pressed dozens of kisses upon her palm, her fingers, her wrist – moist, ardent kisses which expressed his devotion and awe that such a beautiful, exceptional creature as she would grace him with her love.

So, when we’re writing stories with physical romance between Vincent and Catherine, embrace the newness of the experience. Portray him as unsure, but not clueless. Their first-time and early-times stories should be an illustration of long-fermented desire, careful exploration, surprise, and inevitability.

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CREATING MOMENTUM – BUILD-UP, PACING, AND SETTING

Jumping right into a sexual situation in a story is not advisable. It might work at times, but mostly, you want to build to it. Have it be the hard-won pay-off in your story.

A story that illustrates this point is Linda’s Synchronicity, in which Catherine and Vincent are experiencing very challenging, parallel days that finally end in a way that makes all the struggle very worthwhile.

We know the course of true love never did run smooth…so you might try to introduce a little suspense to the action, maybe a close call or two to bring the reader’s expectations up, let them down, then ratchet things up again later.

Maybe Catherine forgot Jenny was dropping by to bring her a new book just as Vincent’s agreed to come inside by the fire. Does an ill-timed intrusion from Father ruin a lean-in for a first kiss?

It’s sometimes fun to have the lovers frustrated by events for a bit – it helps build anticipation.

Here’s an excerpt from JoAnn’s story Backward Glances that illustrates this point.

When he felt her mouth on his again, something hard and tight within him loosened. He groaned softly and returned the kiss, nuzzling Catherine’s lips, loving the taste of her, drinking in the sweet dew of her mouth.

Her fingers played in the golden mass of his hair, drawing him down to press closer still. He came willingly, savoring the feel of her so pliant in his arms. Their bodies clung close, and a surge of arousal flowed through him, electric in intensity, when he felt Catherine’s taut nipples pressed tight against his chest through the thin tee shirt she wore. Desire flooded their Bond, pulsating, volcanic. Boldly he tightened his embrace, pulling her even closer, feeling her mold herself to him.

The steel door behind them began to retract. They stepped apart only seconds before three young boys entered the tunnel and yanked on the lever to close the door once more. Geoffrey looked up in surprise to find Vincent and Catherine standing there. “Hi!”

Catherine recovered first. “Geoffrey, Zak. Hello, Kipper.”

And remember, even once they get into the bedroom, these characters present you with situations not always common in R-rated fiction. Over and above their experience differences is how their Bond interweaves in a sexual encounter, as well as the unknown aspects of Vincent’s persona. His physical difference can be explored, as well.

Is Catherine intrigued by that cleft in Vincent’s upper lip? Write about it! Is Vincent surprised at how Catherine reacts to a low growl of satisfaction he can’t help, which shows him he can be himself without fear? Tell the reader this.

Don’t ignore the setting. Bring the reader into the room as much as possible. Yes, being in Vincent’s chamber brings a visual to the reader’s mind, but embellish that. Can they hear a subway roll by high overhead? What is the silence like in the deep of the night? Are Vincent’s sheets flannel or cotton and how do they feel against bare skin? Are there lots of candles burning brightly, or one lone flickering light? How do these things impact the two people in the scene?

By creating layers like this, the scene expands beyond the bed, and the environment helps you to create the moment that the reader can place in their mind’s eye, just like watching a scene from an episode.

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WRITING STEAMY SCENES IN CONTEXT

Teri Peppe, a very talented and well-respected former fanfic writer known for her intricate plots and extremely steamy scenes, once decided to write a story that, as she put it, was “nothing but unapologetic 100% smut”. The plot was super minimal, but the story worked because, in addition to being well written, it never pretended to be anything other than what it was – an explicit Vincent and Catherine steamy – as in boiling – scene from first word to last.

There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but on the other hand, readers very often want some story with their sex. That brings us to the topic of writing steamy scenes in context. We’ve already talked about plot structure, word choice, build-up, pacing, and characterization – especially as the latter relates to Vincent.

Now let’s put it all together to create a complete, balanced story. You might wish to write a very steamy-centric story – and that’s fine – but it will be far more engaging for the reader if you incorporate the steam within an intriguing plot. Of course, the plot must be meaningful and the characters must be accurately portrayed. Your story shouldn’t simply be a vehicle for writing about sex, unless, of course, that’s your intention in the first place.

The love Vincent and Catherine share is highly sensual and passionate, but it’s also warm and loving. They are hyper-aware of each other. They respect and value each other; they care more about one another than they do about themselves. They are part of one another in a very intimate but not always erotic way.

Stories that focus almost entirely on sex can become voyeuristic, even uncomfortable for some readers. But stories that focus on the characters while including sexual scenes can lead us to better understand and appreciate the lovers as authentic people, to be happy for them, to sigh, and even dream a little.

Here is another excerpt from Linda’s story Counterpoint, which takes place in and around the rain scene in Chamber Music. The story’s focus is exploring what might have made Vincent finally decide to stop withholding the physical aspects of his love for Catherine. The author felt that when the time came, he would need to be the one to initiate the actual changes, to offer himself without reservation and fear – and far sooner than canon indicates.

This story offers two key steamy scenes. One is Vincent’s perspective during ‘the rain scene’, and the other is the one you’ll read below – Catherine remembering what happened after that very steamy but ultimately unfulfilled night.

However, there are many other scenes that shape the story and show how everything – all the doubts and denials – are resolved in a realistic, loving, in-character way. Those connecting scenes are just as important as the steamy ones. Both types of scenes work together to give much more depth, purpose, and meaning to the story than they would if presented in isolation.

The setting of the excerpt is Catherine savoring memories of the first time they made love. She is taking a shower, preparing to leave for an evening work commitment she does not want to attend.

She raised her head and felt her tears mix with the cascading water. The sensation on her skin recalled a recent night far different from this one. It had been two weeks after the evening filled with storm-swept music and passion in their hidden chamber…

She had run through the park, trying to outrace another sudden storm overtaking the early evening sky. But she could not escape heavy, pelting drops that quickly soaked through her clothing as she scrambled down the slippery grass slope. Nearly out of breath, she’d tumbled into Vincent’s arms at the tunnel threshold just as the first rumbles of thunder and jagged spears of lightning quaked the sky. With a gasp of playful laughter, she’d looked up at him, only to find not the quirk of a smile but a heavy-lidded gaze of sheer sensuality.

They’d held each other close, then closer still, reveling in the fusion of her softness to his hard-muscled strength, the paired pounding of their hearts, the rushing awareness of a force that might soon overtake them. The storm’s surging energy seemed to channel through their bond, hurtling them toward the moment its power could no longer be contained.

She’d trembled as he held and caressed her, stroking his hands along the length of her back as if the damp clothing she wore had vanished. He’d clasped her waist to hold her tighter, then moaned softly as he curved his hips closer. His breathing grew harsh, uneven, confessing without words his inability, his unwillingness to let her go.

Deep, pulsing flames suffused her entire body, and she rose up to press into his provocative heat. Mesmerized by every moment, still she’d feared he would soon bring it all to an end, leaving them again with unrealized wishes, unfulfilled desires, unending regret. She was uncertain if she’d whispered the words aloud – Not now! Not yet! – but he’d somehow heard them, and at last her prayers were answered.

As he’d lowered his eager mouth to hers, a furious roar of thunder startled them to awareness of their precarious place at the edge of a storm. Jolted apart, he’d grabbed her hand and, without a word, pulled her to shelter beyond the tunnel’s threshold. They paused only long enough to share the briefest look, an avowal that held no shadow of hesitant doubt, then he tightened his hold on her as they strode to the secret door which would open to a world both familiar and new.

The erotic energy that had enthralled them Above was undiminished as they journeyed through tunnels they’d wandered countless times before and others defining a path they’d never taken. Torch light became sparse, leaving shadows stretching between pools of light; pipe messages faded, then vanished. After swerving around curves in a narrow, stone-floored passageway, he slowed their frantic pace at a carved opening in the wall.

“Where are we?” Her voice seemed to float on a rippling of air coming from a hidden place ahead of them.

He released her hand and murmured, “Wait here,” before blending into the darkness. In the silence, she heard the hiss of sparked flames, watched the shadows recede, and then trembled at the sight of him returning to her. The sudden glow gilded his blond bronze hair like a halo, glinted in the cobalt of his eyes like hidden stars. Again, he reached for her hand, again he bade her follow. “Come with me.”

Firelight from a pair of wall torches glimmered on the surface of a lake and glistened on the sparkling crystalline sand at their feet. She gasped at the sight that seemed conjured from a fairytale. “It’s so beautiful! I’ve never seen anything like this anywhere.” She watched his mouth curve in the slow smile she loved so much.

“Few people ever find their way here, so it has become a special sanctuary for me. I had begun to think of it as somewhere dreams might come true.”

His voice deepened to a raspy murmur that left her breathless, each word fluttering her heart.

“I’ve wanted to share this place with you,” he told her, and she knew he’d intentionally echoed the words he’d said on that other storm-swept night. Then he whispered those she’d sensed he’d longed to say. “To make those dreams become real…to share everything with you…”’

She hoped he’d hear her reply in her trembling voice, see it in the smile she offered. “We’ve dreamed the same dreams.”

Their bond pulsed and sang. There was no further need for words or waiting.

He spun his cloak from his shoulders and spread it on the glimmering sand. Averting his gaze from her, he unlaced his vest and threw it aside, then swiftly untied his shirt, pulled it over his head, dropped it to the ground. He gasped when he heard the catch in her breath, sensed the racing of her heart, but he did not hesitate. He removed his boots, unbuttoned his faded jeans, roughly tugged them down over the tensed muscles of his legs.

He kicked the final garment aside and for the briefest of moments stood statue-still before sinking to his knees on the unfurled cloak. Only then did he raise his eyes and hold out his hands to her, hands she was certain no longer trembled in fear but with intensity born of control and conviction. The hands she’d called hers, the hands he at last was willing to offer as hers to keep.

So entranced by the image she had despaired of ever truly seeing, at first she could not move, could barely breathe. She had dreamed of this moment for so long, only to find its reality surpassed even her most sensual imaginings. He was perfect. He was everything.

She could almost feel her gaze touching him, caressing him. Planes of rock-hard muscles, lushness of soft, smooth hair, masculine beauty the most gifted sculptor could only dream of creating. How, she wondered, has he ever seen himself as anything less? How could he not know?

And, she continued with a grin, why am I wasting time standing here asking questions?!

Through her heightened awareness of their bond, sudden ripples disrupted her reverie, and she realized he had begun to misinterpret her silence. She reached for the hands he still held out to her. “You are so beautiful, Vincent, more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.” She watched relief and renewal soften the tension in his face and body. “I love you. I will always love you.”

He brought their clasped hands to his lips and murmured words and kisses. “As I love you, Catherine, now, forever.”

Part of her longed for them to stay as they were …and part of her didn’t. She gently pulled her hands away and peeled off her rain-damp jacket. She tossed it near the heap of his clothing, shrugged out of her dress to let it fall to her feet on the sand. In her fantasies, she’d often imagined a sweet, slow seduction, candlelight and roses, whispers and sighs, hands at once eager and shy reaching for her, undressing her at first hesitantly and then with growing abandon.

A soft, secret smile glowed as she toed off her shoes, discarded her lacy lingerie. There would be other times for those dreams to come true. All she wanted and needed now was the reality of him just as he was, waiting and ready for her, about to let them journey into a world they’d both longed for and had found at last in this secret cavern where he’d so often dreamt of her.

Banishing thought, she fell into his outstretched arms and gazed deep into his eyes, then tumbled onto her back, pulling him forward to cover her body with his hard yet gentle strength. Long-awaited sensations overwhelmed them, and for just a moment they had lain motionless but for the pounding of their hearts, until the intense desire of one soulmate for the other drove them forward. Savoring each caress, each kiss, each breathless word of love, they were set free to explore and discover, to taste and touch, to offer and take what they’d once denied themselves and each other.

They reveled in a world of discovery, delighted in the reveal of reality. Hands no longer trembled but stroked with delicious insistence. Silken ivory skin pressed to golden soft fur. His rough-textured palms matched, caress for caress, her smooth small hands. Mouths tasted, arms clasped, hips thrust. Deep moans, sharp gasps, heated breaths blended and became one seductive melody. Her softness welcomed him in, his hardness filled her. They moved together deeper, tighter, in a rhythm belonging to lovers throughout time, a destiny at last claimed as their own.

He vanished the faded memories of lovers she had known before, surpassed every fiery fantasy she’d had of him. She embodied all his long-denied dreams, transcended every hidden hope. Together they gloried in a soul-stirring melding of desire and devotion, an ecstatic joining of heart and body that both defined and surpassed all their dreams.

At last, they’d fallen asleep, wrapped in an inseparable embrace, soothed in the knowledge they were exactly where they were meant to be, safe in each other’s arms, finally free to love in all ways, now and forever. Later, they’d awakened to make love again and to float together in the warm, shimmering water of the underground lake, vowing to return to their special place as soon and as often as they could.

Memories of their wondrous first night together receded to a special place in her heart to be treasured forever, but the release of heat and passion they’d known continued to warm her. It had been so much more than an act of loving, sensual commitment. It had been the fulfillment of the promise and acknowledgement of the prophecy of all that was still to be theirs. In finally accepting the truth of their destiny, he had honored the commitment she’d long ago made to him and offered the same vow to her. They would have their happy life.

That scene ends here, and Catherine goes on to get ready for the event she’s supposed to attend – but doesn’t for all the best reasons. In the context of what comes before and after this scene within the entire plot, the steaminess becomes much more meaningful and essential to the story.

ARE YOU READY TO GIVE IT A TRY?

Vincent and Catherine are in love – deep, abiding, soulmate-creating love. Their story is many things, and their love shapes all of it. We as writers, readers, and viewers love these two characters and wish to see them happy and fulfilled in every way.

Remember how you felt during all those ‘almost’ moments in the episodes? We knew they should…but they never actually did. However, over the years, we, as writers and fans, have made the story our own, and we can also make this beloved couple’s dreams come true at last.

We hope these tips will help inspire and guide you in your steamy scene writing. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through CABB – New Chambers.

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LINKS TO STORIES CITED OR REFERENCED IN THIS WORKSHOP:

Flesh and Blood by JoAnn Baca
https://www.imaginethatbatb.com/project/callarose/

Marriage Morning by Carole W
https://www.imaginethatbatb.com/project/marriagemorn/

Iron Behind the Velvet by Carole W
https://www.imaginethatbatb.com/project/ironvelvet/

Counterpoint by Linda S Barth
https://batbcabb.com/project/counterpointlsbarth/

Union by Crowmama
https://everfixedmarkfanfiction.com/union/

Breathing Nearer Heaven by Jo Fredericks
https://batbland.com/steamtunnels/fictional/jofredbreathing.html

Synchronicity 
https://batbcabb.com/project/homecomingsept2022challenge/

Backward Glances by Jo Fredericks
https://batbland.com/steamtunnels/fictional/jofredglancesindex.html

That Which We Call A Rose by Carole W
https://www.imaginethatbatb.com/project/callarose/