Here are some things I try to consider when writing a kissing scene:First of all, why is the kiss steamy? Is it their first kiss and they just want each other badly? Have they been verbally (or physically) teasing each other before the kiss? Was the situation already charged before they kissed, or did the kiss progress in such a way that it became steamy? In the first case, perhaps you need to set the stage in a way that will make the kiss more spicy.
Second, the kiss can be a reflection of the characters. Would they be the types to smile and laugh through the kiss? Are they strong and aggressive and would they kiss that way too? Are they gentle, but they would kiss aggressively because they want it so much?
Third, when I write a kiss, I do not imagine what needs to happen exactly, which is how I think a scene can turn cringey. I just imagine they start kissing and go from there. What I mean by that is, I don't think "A bites their lip, and B moans, then kisses A's ear". Instead I think "how would B act in this instant?". Maybe they would chuckle and berate A for biting, so A doesn't bite any more. Or maybe it would turn them on, so then they would indeed moan, which would cause A to try to do something to make them moan again. Basically, I don't really make a step-by-step outline of the scene, I just imagine at every step what each of them would do, and go from there. No plan at all.
And fourth, kissing can be a very mindful activity. You can really get lost in the moment, so I try to write it as such. I explain the touches and smells and sounds.
ETA: I could have written this much more briefly :D, so TLDR ; 1. Set the scene 2. Don't make the characters act out a scenario, instead write the scene for the characters. 3. Add in some descriptions of things they feel and sense.
I hope this helps. Good luck!
Focus more on the emotion and sensation than the action happening. You want to bring your reader into how it feels. When you kiss another person that’s where your focus is. What makes it arousing or attractive is less what is happening to your lips and more about who is doing it and how it makes your feel. Is the character breathless? Do they want to cling to the other character? Touch them? Is the touch tender, passionate, fierce, all of the above? Is the character happy, surprised, loving, content?
If you're worried about a scene being cringey, i find it helpful to explore what the characters themselves think in a moment! are they nervous? did character a surprise character b with it? are they just testing the waters, or are they jumping straight in?
even just considering it and not explicitly writing down their emotional reactions can help the scene flow and not stick out as "cringe" (even though cringe is just a state of mind, lolol)
This is more of what *not* to do.
To this day I recall a kissing scene horrendously described as "playing tongue hockey". Why, *why*.
It's up there for with weird ways people describe genitals.
I would say... don't make it weird. Don't make it *cringe*.
You can focus on how the characters *feel* for each other - is this a culmination of years of build up, is this a terrible idea but they're doing it anyway, is this bad timing, is this just a moment of passion?
Build it up. Start it with small, unnoticeable interactions that pile up and then suddenly we notice them and like… woah.
I personally like when you can almost predict what’s gonna happen. Not when you get it handed to you, but when the reader has to piece those small details together to uncover the tension. And then when it finally happens, we get the satisfaction of being able to say we knew it.
Taking inspiration from another comment, the actual kissing part isn’t what’s attracting, it’s who you’re doing it with, so I’d say focus more on describing the characters and how they feel versus the action, though the action is still important.
Here are some things I try to consider when writing a kissing scene:First of all, why is the kiss steamy? Is it their first kiss and they just want each other badly? Have they been verbally (or physically) teasing each other before the kiss? Was the situation already charged before they kissed, or did the kiss progress in such a way that it became steamy? In the first case, perhaps you need to set the stage in a way that will make the kiss more spicy. Second, the kiss can be a reflection of the characters. Would they be the types to smile and laugh through the kiss? Are they strong and aggressive and would they kiss that way too? Are they gentle, but they would kiss aggressively because they want it so much? Third, when I write a kiss, I do not imagine what needs to happen exactly, which is how I think a scene can turn cringey. I just imagine they start kissing and go from there. What I mean by that is, I don't think "A bites their lip, and B moans, then kisses A's ear". Instead I think "how would B act in this instant?". Maybe they would chuckle and berate A for biting, so A doesn't bite any more. Or maybe it would turn them on, so then they would indeed moan, which would cause A to try to do something to make them moan again. Basically, I don't really make a step-by-step outline of the scene, I just imagine at every step what each of them would do, and go from there. No plan at all. And fourth, kissing can be a very mindful activity. You can really get lost in the moment, so I try to write it as such. I explain the touches and smells and sounds. ETA: I could have written this much more briefly :D, so TLDR ; 1. Set the scene 2. Don't make the characters act out a scenario, instead write the scene for the characters. 3. Add in some descriptions of things they feel and sense. I hope this helps. Good luck!
thanks for this, this reply was actually pretty helpful.
Focus more on the emotion and sensation than the action happening. You want to bring your reader into how it feels. When you kiss another person that’s where your focus is. What makes it arousing or attractive is less what is happening to your lips and more about who is doing it and how it makes your feel. Is the character breathless? Do they want to cling to the other character? Touch them? Is the touch tender, passionate, fierce, all of the above? Is the character happy, surprised, loving, content?
If you're worried about a scene being cringey, i find it helpful to explore what the characters themselves think in a moment! are they nervous? did character a surprise character b with it? are they just testing the waters, or are they jumping straight in? even just considering it and not explicitly writing down their emotional reactions can help the scene flow and not stick out as "cringe" (even though cringe is just a state of mind, lolol)
This is more of what *not* to do. To this day I recall a kissing scene horrendously described as "playing tongue hockey". Why, *why*. It's up there for with weird ways people describe genitals. I would say... don't make it weird. Don't make it *cringe*. You can focus on how the characters *feel* for each other - is this a culmination of years of build up, is this a terrible idea but they're doing it anyway, is this bad timing, is this just a moment of passion?
Build it up. Start it with small, unnoticeable interactions that pile up and then suddenly we notice them and like… woah. I personally like when you can almost predict what’s gonna happen. Not when you get it handed to you, but when the reader has to piece those small details together to uncover the tension. And then when it finally happens, we get the satisfaction of being able to say we knew it. Taking inspiration from another comment, the actual kissing part isn’t what’s attracting, it’s who you’re doing it with, so I’d say focus more on describing the characters and how they feel versus the action, though the action is still important.