Rima on Kissing
Writing - The Entity of Art
Rima Says:
I am sorry that this has taken so long, life happened and I wasn't able to devote the time I wanted to this. But I am back and have written some advice when it comes to writing kissing scenes. Now some of us have kissed and some of us haven't. I am a unicorn who has never even held hands with a man. Which poses the problem; if I've never kissed someone romantically how can I write a kissing scene?
The answer is really quite simple, fake it like you know what you are doing, but within reason.
I mean say the kiss progresses to intimate tongue touching. You don't want to say things like: Their tongues were like two fish rubbing up against each other ally. One, I'm not sure fish do that, and two, it is unappealing and will ruin the flow of the scene. Just because you've never done something doesn't mean it is impossible to use common sense. If anything else just avoid writing about things you are completely sure of.
Now when writing about kissing it's important to remember, to avoid the word kissing when describing how it feels. Lips can be warm, dry, soft, or cracked. And it can feel wonderful, too wet, sloppy, awkward, or pleasant. Kissing however doesn't feel like someone is kissing you, okay it does, but the detail of it isn't the action. So rather than say she kissed me say; her lips softly pressed against my own. Or: He was awkward in his excitement, pressing his slightly chapped lips a little too hard against mine.
The same thing applies to using one's tongue in a kiss. To say his tongue rubbed up against mine, is an unsatisfying description. Tongues are wet, warm, and have texture. A tongue is also very fluid muscle so incorporate that. Taking in all of that into consideration the sentence, his tongue rubbed up against mine can now be, his hot tongue slid slowly against my own creating a pleasurable friction. Or, gently her silky tongue undulated against mine.
But kissing isn't just about tongues lips and mouths. A kiss is compromised of many things believe it or not. Eyes and hands are a important part of the process as well. Are your characters eyes open in surprise? Closed tightly to avoid seeing the other person's face? Half lidded with pleasure? Is your character crying for some reason? And what are their hands doing. Laying still at their sides, getting tangled in the others hair? These small details are what rounds out a kissing scene. Stagnant characters aren't fun ones.
Last but not least there is the body itself. Body language makes up over half of our communication. And since a kiss is completely physical the way a characters body reacts is very important. Rather than have their body be unmoving the character should lean in if the kiss is enjoyable, or if they are anticipating it. The character would also take a step back or put their hands in front of them if they didn't want the kiss. For a kiss to realistic the body has to be involved whether it is someone denying a kiss by turning away or someone throwing their arms around the person kissing them.
Looking back on what I've written this is more like a guide to writing kisses for someone like me who has never actually kissed someone. I hope this has been informative and can help others develop better kissing scenes or at least have a better understanding of how I think a kiss should work. Along with all the things I've said I suggest just watching someone kiss. Not in public mind you, you will look like a creeper. Trust me on that. But say watch a drama or movie where there is a epic kiss or just a punch of sweet ones. Also, can't believe I almost forgot this. If a person's breath is bad the kiss will be. And no matter how pretty people may be it does not make them impervious to the occasional bout of bad breath. So don't forget take that into consideration.
I really hope this helps those who read it and will aim to do more of these more frequently.
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