The Art of the Slow Burn Romance - That S*** Ain't Easy to Write

Anyone not familiar with the concept of the slow burn romance? If not, this should help. If so, this is still entertaining.

So, I have been avoiding writing the next section in the story I'm currently working on because the series of scenes taking place require more care than most. This is where the romantic tension is turned up to the next level, but not so far as to actual start the full-on romance. This is just supposed to show the characters and the reader that there's more there than the characters want to admit or more than they want to deal with. It should be fun to write those scenes, right? I know I enjoy reading them, so they should be fun to write. Well, they're friggin' tricky! At least for me. Haha.

Quick bit of back story - the first story I ever attempted to write for myself beyond kid stories, school assignments, etc. was supposed to be a slow burn romance with a historical character I had loved in a book I had just read (but disliked the fictional female set as his love interest). I could do it better and I could make the tension ratchet up over the course of the book. It wouldn't be hard at all! I just knew it. So, I started writing and writing and before I knew it, my main character, a girl who was supposed to be sensible, respectful, traditional and virtuous had already succumbed to the guy and we weren't even in chapter four yet! I think my reaction was "OMG, I've made her a ho!" and then mortification followed along with a sadness that I had not done better by her. Haha. Needless to say, I stopped that version of the story, realized I needed an outline to help me pace thing a bit better, and no more close encounters in romantic places where it was just the two of them. At least not until I was ready for that element to really be introduced. It was also my first real lesson into the belief that characters really do take on minds of their own and it's up to you to do the best you can to get them to the ending you want. 

So, back to this story (after that walk down memory lane and my writing about hos without intending to). I've been avoiding this particular section of the story for about a month. Yes, I can admit it. But I have been slowly chipping away at it the last week or so and feel like I've successfully navigated the perils of hodom for the heroine and kept the hero from having to face some truths about himself quite so soon. I do think this bit of the story helps deepen the relationship that's been developing, but keeps it just out of reach because neither character is really ready for more just yet. 

All that said, I promise it's all building up to something. You're just going to have to come along for the ride and read the story through to the end to see it all play out. Granted it might not play out just as you think, but isn't that the fun of reading and diving into someone else's story?