scenes

Wow. I just finished rewriting forty pages that have been driving me crazy for days. I could not get this scene right, no matter what. I finally figures out two things--

1. It was in the wrong POV. I should have used the heroine's POV, not the hero's. My husband, the non-writer, knew that, and I was too dense to see it. That's why I make him read my stuff--he has a good objective, reader's perspective.

2. I was trying to force a love scene where one didn't need to be. I've always said that eroticism does not equal sex, and there I was, trying to use sex to make the scene sexy. Guess what, it didnt' work!

Once I figured out it could still be very erotic without consumation (the heroine and hero are discovering each other for the first time), then it just flowed. Also, the hero is the most unusual and interesting person in the scene, so I need to show him, not tell what he's feeling. (Showing not telling, the most basic rule in fiction writing, duh).

But, whew, I have the scene done, so I can move on. I know I'll have to go back and polish it, but that's fine. The nuts and bolts are there. Finally!!!

Writers, you ever have scenes that just won't work? Do you scrap them or work until you get it right?

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