Innocence
One of the challenges of writing historical romance is the fact that, in general, genteel ladies of the Regency era were pretty uninformed about sex.
Today, even someone who has not had sex can still be pretty well informed about the basics. But imagine living without TV or the internet or even books with any sort of detail. Add to that the taboo of discussing anything so personal, and you have the makings of a very innocent girl.
Why is this a challenge for me as a writer? It's one thing to write about a sexually experienced heroine who knows what she likes and how she likes it. It's quite another to write about a girl who isn't even sure what the parts of her body are called or are meant to do. What are these feelings and urges she's having? Are they the sinful feelings she's been warned against?
What's going to happen to her? Is it wrong for her to like it?
But...I think that readers (myself included) love going on that journey of discovery from innocence to a bit less innocent to fully aware.
What about you? Do you like heroines who are innocent and uninformed or do you prefer a more knowledgeable and experienced heroine?
I can imagine this being a challenge to write Celeste. I enjoy both, but I do love following the journey of the innocent heroine of discovery and self discovery.
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Roz
I do like the innocence. The discovery of it all heightened the experience.
ReplyDeleteMeant to say heightens the experience. Drat. I can't type.
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