Mysteries and thrillers often have a romantic or sexy subplot. From James Bond’s many sexual liaisons to the happily married Nick and Nora Charles, fictional investigators tend to wind up in bed with someone. Even Agatha Christie often married off two murder suspects, even as Poirot remained romance-averse.
In a post on CrimeReads, Eliza Nellums talks about blending romance and mystery elements. Romantic subplots can give your readers some (heavy) breathing room or flesh out your protagonist (pun intended).
Many writers chastely cut to another scene when it’s time for their detective to investigate the bedroom, but what if you have a reason for describing the action? Some readers (we don’t know them) react negatively to overt sex scenes, but they might have more tolerance if you can show them the reason it’s there.
“Like any other plot point in my books, I try to have at least one secret I’ve been holding back just for that scene, which reveals itself during the action,” Nellums says. “It could be something subtle, like a macho character being actually kind of a sap – or something stark, like our heroine checks out during the main event. Are they thinking of past experiences? Is there someone else they wish they were with? Maybe our couple’s initial attempt doesn’t work out, with someone killing the mood – do they work through it, or give up? These are all ways to learn about the characters and their circumstances.”
Characters (and real life people) have sex for different reasons. They make mistakes. They choose poorly. Nellums advises avoiding “wish fulfillment” and focusing on the emotional background and realistic elements. Sex can be awkward, sad, and smelly. It’s ok to write that part in too.
Nellums recommends reading outside your genre to see how other writers handle sex scenes, including some explicit romance writers. While you might not want to hit the same spots, you can pick up some pointers. She also recommends keeping it simple. Stick to actions that move the plot or change the characters, and give out only the information the reader needs to know. We might be curious to find out whether Bond is an 007 or 008, but that information probably isn’t critical to the scene.
