August 31, 2007
It’s Near The Bottom, In Small Print…
Erotic romance is ‘the thing’ at the moment, with all of its variety and sub-genres. Everything from bondage to butt-plugs to vampires to male/male to navy seals to navel rings…if it’s hot, it’s “in”.
But while watching a favorite old movie last weekend, I had to pause and ask myself a question.
The movie was “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”. (And even if you’re not a fan of the old black-and-whites, it’s worth watching. It may be one of the most beautiful love stories ever filmed, and if it doesn’t move you it’s time for a cardio-check.)
The thing that grabbed me during this particular viewing was that there was a complete lack of physical contact, yet throughout the film their feeling and passion for each other was palpable. No sex, no kissing, not even so much as a touching of hands.
And I began to wonder…
Could I possibly write a romance, a truly heart-felt thing with all the emotion, doubt, chills, and anguish of love without some physical expression of those feelings—and actually keep a reader captive for the length of a book?
(BTW…I’m not talking about simply ‘closing the door’, or publisher-restricted actions, such as “they can order a bucket of chicken, but you can’t mention the word ‘thigh’)”.
I’m talking about the feeling of romance. Strictly romance.
Of course, I’m not sure I’d want to. I enjoy writing about all possible aspects of a relationship, when possible.
But I must confess—it is a challenging idea. Quite a stretch of the writing muscles, going from one extreme to the other.
I may have to try it one day. 
Why didn’t anyone ever tell me that masochism was a requirement for this job?! 
OoOo. I love old movies. They are terribly romantic. Did you ever see “Random Harvest” with Greer Garson? Truly wonderful movie. He has amnesia and she’s pining away for him as his secretary/wife (when, in their other life, she was already his wife!). But I digres…
I think that’d be hard to write something like that. I don’t think I could write something without the H/H at least kissing. That’d be so hard! But what a challenge indeed!
I have never seen that movie
I need to. My mother invokes it every time we talk about romance.
It’s a good question though. One of my favrotie romances I’ve read had naught but one single kiss and it was still sexy and passionate. Wide Open Spaces
By Roz Denny Fox
Yanno, I’ve been wondering lately about erotic over-kill.
Definitely consider it.
“Random Harvest”–yes, yes, definitely an old favorite sigh-maker!
If you liked that, you’ll LURVE The Ghost And Mrs. Muir”.
And yes, it would be challenging (which is probably why it appeals to me. Isn’t that perverse??
Dennie, your mom’s right…YOU NEED TO SEE THAT MOVIE.
The pendulum does swing, Bernita.
I like the challenge of the idea.
And not to make it TOO fanciful, like ‘they don’t have sex because he can only get it up once every 200 years’ or something like that…
I know where you’re coming from. I watched Singing In The Rain about a month ago and I was just swept away with the lovely sheer romantic moments in that movie. Just magical.
Exactly, Vanessa. Capturing that feeling, that magic…yes.
Erotic overkill is a whole nother blog topic….but I do think the big rush/glut is over. I think publishers learned their lesson with chick lit and they’re going ot be more careful this time. At least it seems that way.
PS I LOVE old movies.