Marketing for Romance Writers 52 Week Blog Challenge Blog Hop
Week 34 Open Doors or Closed Doors?
This topic has a couple meanings to me. First, I think of doors that have been opened in my life to let in good things. Bad things sneak in open doors, too. It’s the same with closed doors. Good or bad things get trapped, and you have to wait for the door to open again. Do you take advantage of the open door and all the possibilities? I have. I’ve also had doors slammed, and they stayed closed for years.
But…
Since I write sensual romance, I see open and closed doors as meaning something else. LOVE scenes in a book. Are the scenes open for the reader to see what is going on, or does the couple (author) close the door to the world?
Since Marketing for ROMANCE writers came up with this topic, I’m going with what it means as this romance writer. I’m curious to see what the other authors have come up with for this topic.
My doors are open. (Not in real life.) Sometimes the figurative doors are open in a pickup, barn, tent, HOT TUB, but yes, open. Do you think writing open door love scenes is easy? If you can’t picture it in your head, then you’ll probably have a difficult time writing them. With my tenth sensual romance coming out soon, I’ve become accustomed to leaving the door open and, yes, I see it as a movie going on in my head. I’m there. I hear the music, see the sway of candlelight and shadows on the walls, the warmth of the sheets and heated bodies. I’m not embarrassed to visualize this anymore.
In my writing, I prefer to have “open door” love scenes, though some of them do happen off the page–closed doors. I like writing and sharing what my couple feels sensually. I don’t use descriptive body part language because I like my scenes to be more sensual. I’m not saying writing descriptive body part words isn’t sensual, because I read erotic romance and it CAN BE sensual, sexy, and crazy hot, but I choose for my couples not to use them. I don’t publish or write erotic romance. However, in saying that, I have written two erotic romance novels, but they will never see the light of day because it would go against my branding now.
Plain and simply, I just don’t want to write erotic romance, but you can. 🙂
However, I’ve considered writing without open door scenes and maybe one day I will begin a new series where the doors close at the last minute. This decision is yet to be determined. I have a feeling it would be difficult to write a total closed door scene since sensuality will have to happen before the fact. Well, heck, what am I saying? Sensuality HAS to come before the fact in open door scenes too. ❤
How about you, authors? How did you interpret today’s topic? Am I wrong by choosing to discuss open/ closed door sex scenes?
Readers? What do you prefer?
Remember, this is a Blog Hop. Please visit the other blog hopping authors at Marketing for Romance Writers.
Enjoy your weekend.
I’m sorry if these images offended anyone, but I chose them to fit my topic today.
Images above from Pixabay and Marketing for Romance Writers.
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel ~ Contemporary Romance 
23 thoughts on “Open and Closed Doors to the Future or Bedroom? #MFRWauthor”
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Cathy Brockman
It’s a hard choice for me and I think it depends on the character and stories. I’m still not good at the detailed stuff though. Great post
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RobinMichaela
I also read the topic as referring to sex scenes. I write my books with open doors and that’s the type I prefer to read. When I write them, like you, I see the “movie” running through my head (which means my hubby loves it when I write them because he gets the benefit, lol).
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I love the movie part, Robin. 😉 I remember when someone in my life got to reap the rewards. ❤
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Meka James
I’m the same way. When I go into writing a love scene I have to sit back and let it play out in my head. Watch the ‘movie’ and then translate it into words. I’m a slow writer as it is, but when it gets to these scenes, I move even slower trying to make sure I capture the emotion behind the act just as much as I capture the act itself. I’m attempting my first erotic type novel based on ‘peer pressure’ from two of my betas. I’m still adding in the emotion and such. I don’t know if I can do just quick and dirty. LOL
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I surprised myself, Meka, when I wrote the two erotic romance stories and one has light BDSM. (Very light.) I think it might have been easier in a way because now without using certain words in my writing, I have to be even more creative to come up with the right words. When I go back and look at those stories now, I am shocked that I was able to write that way. This is why they will never be read by anyone but me UNLESS I make a LOT of revisions and remove what I don’t write now. I say if you aren’t comfortable writing it, then don’t force it, but on the other hand, maybe you will surprise yourself and gain new readers.
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Ed Hoornaert
I’ve written both open and closed doors, but I prefer a sensuous build up to whet readers’ appetites, but then I usually close the door because nothing I write can be as hot as what readers imagine for themselves.
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I love that you do that, Ed. What you said about allowing the reader to use their own imagination is a good reason to consider closing doors. I do let a scene go off the page at least once or twice in most books so the reader knows a scene continued…or happened again. Thanks for reading.
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Helen Henderson
Had a person refuse to stock my books because they were romance. won’t go into what they think the genre is. If you couldn’t stand up in front of the church and read it aloud, then they wouldn’t stock it. Not just open door, but even sensual was a no-no. I;ve had questions about how explicit were the love scenes in the book, but never one that went that far.
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
Wow, Helen, I suppose the readers who come in the store expected a zero heat level, or they didn’t read romance? This reminds me of advice from my best friend who wouldn’t read my books. Before she passed away she told her husband to tell me that the Christian book market was growing. He relayed the message to me at her memorial. I removed curse words and love scenes from book one in a series for her, but I couldn’t do that will all my books.
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storimom2
LOL….I’ve been prayed over at book signings when I’ve told potential customers that yes, there is language and explicit bedroom scenes. One customer bought my debut book, but later sent me a letter telling how ‘appalled’ she was. The one who prayed over me told the Lord to ‘help me clean up my vocabulary so it might become pleasing to You’.
If she only knew…..it got worse, especially when one of my characters informed me she preferred her lovers two at a time. Now THAT was a stretch of my comfort zone!
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
Molly/Kenzie, you cracked me up with your character telling you she preferred two lovers at a time. Don’t ya love when our characters surprise us like that? My best friend wanted me to clean up my act so she could read my books. Honestly, my books aren’t that explicit, but my bull rider isn’t going to say “gosh darn it” when he hits the dust, so there is cursing. I love my best friend, but I have to write what calls me. (My best friend passed away in April 😦 )
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alinakfield
I write open door scenes also, but I’m debating starting a new series in a different genre where the door will be closed. Decisions, decisions!
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
Yes, there are all kinds of decisions, Alina. I’ll need to decide what will happen in the future as my young characters grow with each book in a series. I won’t know how the door stands until they become adults and heroes and heroines of their own stories…way, way down the road. This will be a new challenge. Have a nice weekend.
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D. Wallace Peach
I think writers should write open or closed based on their preference – because there are both kinds of readers. That said, it seems that romance readers might be quite content with the open door, where my reader might not. Do what you enjoy, Mary – it’s working 🙂
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I agree, Diana. There have been readers who don’t like some of the scenes, some love them, and some are meh and pass over them, while others think they aren’t spicy enough. I only write what I’m comfortable with writing, and this is what I do. The most important is the story the characters live in. 🙂
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Ellie Mack
Great post! I am an open door sexy scene writer as well. Ironically, my mind didn’t even go there when I read the prompt.
NOw I want to redo my whole post.
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I’m sure it’s okay to redo your post, Ellie. I almost did with a few of the topics, too. In fact, maybe I added to one before. Thanks for stopping by today. My first thought was the other kind of open doors too.
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Linda McLaughlin
I won’t be publishing erotic romance in future either because it doesn’t fit with the new branding so I know what you mean. I’d like to try a closed door scene one of these day, just to see what they are like to write.
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I have a book coming up in the future, Linda, where I will have closed door for one of the main characters. She told me she prefers it since she’s in the age group where, well, she wouldn’t want the door open. LOL I suppose it could change by time I get around to that one.
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Teagan Geneviene
Pardon me… I have to fan myself for a minute. 😉
Keep having fun, Mary. Hugs.
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
❤ I will certainly do that, Teagan. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. Happy Friday!
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