Rebloged and abridged from Olga Godim writing

I just looked at my blog stats and realized I’ve already published over 100 blog posts. I should’ve celebrated the #100, but sadly, it’s passed unnoticed. I still want to do a special post for the occasion. When I started the blog, I wasn’t even sure I have it in me to put my thoughts out there, but I do. Who would’ve guessed?

For this centennial post, I want to talk about the new story I’m writing. It is a new genre and a new length for me – a departure on all counts. I’m writing a Regency romance in a novella format, taking place at Christmas. I have never written anything like it before.

Although I don’t know yet how the heroes would handle their predicament that prevents their happily-ever-after, I do know I will find out soon. I have another problem with the story though. I don’t know how to write smut. Should I? Could it be a clean romance without lust or intercourse?

It seems that nowadays, any story in the romance genre requires a certain percentage of pages dedicated to dirty scenes. I’ve never written such scenes before and although as a reader, I enjoy a good romance, I always skim steamy sex in my reading. For me, those scenes are boring. They stop the action, while the author (any author) concentrates on silky thighs, buds of feminine ecstasy, and explosive climaxes. I suppose I could fake the thing but should I? Maybe instead I should look for a collaborator to write a spicy bonking act for my characters? Short and salacious, anyone? Your name would be in the byline, of course, alongside mine.  

I also have another quandary: I can’t come up with a good name for my female protagonist. I’ve tried several placeholders, but so far, no name really fits my heroine. She is twenty-four. She has brown hair and hazel eyes. She is average in build and pretty but not beautiful. No dowry and no rich relatives to take care of her, while she cares for her two younger sisters. There is also an entailed estate involved and a dashing officer, resigned from the army after being severely wounded. All the requisites of a solid Regency spin, plus some surprising twist to make it original (I hope).

Perhaps someone would suggest a good Regency name.

Images:

100    - by me, 21st century

Cupid - by Ignaz Sebastian Klauber, 18th century