There are as many ways to describe a kiss as there is salt in the ocean. However, if you want to write an effective and perfect kiss, you have to set the mood and create a process, as well as a strong description of the kiss, to make sure the kiss evokes an emotional effect on the reader or listener.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Setting the Mood
Step 1. Choose who will kiss whom
Maybe you're writing about two characters who have been flirting with each other for a while, or two characters who suddenly realize their feelings for each other. Either way, you need to put these two characters apart so you can focus the reader's attention on them.
Remember that kissing scenes don't always involve two people as you can also have several people kiss each other or one person kissing himself in the mirror. However, you should always identify the characters involved in the kissing scene
Step 2. Determine where the kiss takes place
The setting of the kiss is very important because it will affect the kiss itself. In writing, the atmosphere is an element that creates certain feelings or vibrations in the reader through words and descriptions. Think of the setting as the atmosphere in which the characters move or kiss.
- By knowing the setting, you can create a lot of meaning. Setting will help you define a certain mood or atmosphere, and you can show, rather than tell, that atmosphere to the reader.
- For example, a kiss in a dark and empty parking lot has a very different atmosphere from a kiss at a party. The first setting implies a more intimate atmosphere while the second setting implies a more exposed or open atmosphere.
Step 3. Think about what the kiss would look like
Is your character alone or around other people? Is one character more aggressive or eager to kiss? Did the two characters know that a kiss was about to happen, or were they surprised?
- This is a good moment to think about how the characters are positioned in the scene. Maybe they were standing side by side in the same room. Or, maybe the two of them sat side by side.
- Think about the physical appearance of the characters and the way they move during the kissing scene.
Step 4. Consider why the kiss happened
Here, you have to think about the motivations of the characters and why they end up kissing. If they hate each other throughout the story, but suddenly engage in a deep and sensual kiss, readers may not believe it.
Re-evaluate how and why you got to the point where the characters are in the kissing scene. Have you built their relationship well at the beginning of the story so that the kiss between them makes sense? Then, if you want the element of surprise, think about whether you've created enough detail that the kiss between the two characters will surprise the reader, but still be believable
Part 2 of 3: Creating the Process
Step 1. Create conflict between characters
While it's tempting to place both characters in a locked door or a dark cave where they can kiss, a more effective technique is to use past conflicts or ongoing conflicts between the two characters to create a convincing process that ends in a kiss.
- Maybe you could use a past love that resurfaces in one character's life, or an earlier scene where one character saw another character do something he found very interesting or seductive. Remember, a kiss is usually an indication of passion. So make sure both characters want each other, even if only for a moment, to make the kiss feel reassuring.
- Don't overlook the effort you put into creating your character. Instead, use characterizations and previous conflicts or scenes to create the process.
Step 2. Bring the two figures closer together
Once you've determined how past conflicts have led both characters to think about kissing, you'll need to put them within kissing distance.
- You can bring them closer together by having them collide, or have one character plan to cross paths with a second character. There are many ways to physically bring two characters closer together so that they are in the right setting and setting for a kiss, but the point is to put them close together.
- Focus on the character's body movements. Quick gestures towards each other indicate intense longing or passion, while slow, hesitant movements indicate that there is an unstable and uncertain passion between the two characters.
Step 3. Get one character to notice something new or interesting about another character
Now that these two figures are within kissing distance, they have the opportunity to notice the small details on each other's faces or necks. They looked at each other in a new and intimate way. So, demonstrate this by including a physical description that was previously overlooked.
For example, one character may notice that another character has green spots on his eyes, freckles on his nose, or a small birthmark on his neck
Part 3 of 3: Describing a Kiss
Step 1. Use all five senses
Instead of describing the kiss with multiple adjectives, focus on how the kiss affects the two characters' senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. This will make the description feel more specific from the point of view of both characters and touch on all the sensual aspects of the kiss.
- Sight is perhaps the easiest sense to describe. Just write down what the character sees when kissing.
- Hearing can mean background noises such as party music or a character's heart beating vigorously. You can also include a low moan or sound of pleasure (or disgust) according to the character or duration of the kiss.
- The sense of smell can be described by the scent a character smells in the air or the scent of the body of the person he smells, such as perfume, cologne, or natural scents.
- The sense of touch is the most important aspect to describe a kiss. Focus on tactile details like the feel of the character's skin and lips.
- Flavors can be used broadly or specifically when describing a kiss. Remember that the use of the word sweet implies that the kiss is pleasant, while the use of the word sour or bitter implies a kiss that is not pleasant at all.
Step 2. Use body language
Think about how your character moves when they kiss. Body language also shows the reader that the character is responding emotionally to the kiss. Physical reactions such as pushing or pulling imply different emotions from physical reactions such as surrendering or giving in to a kiss. The easiest way to use body language in a kiss scene is to focus on the movement of a specific body part:
- Lips: perhaps the most important physical detail in a kissing scene, focus on the texture of your character's lips or how they feel when they touch the second character's lips.
- Tongue: another very important physical detail in a kissing scene that can indicate aggressive arousal (lots of tongue use) or soft, uncertain arousal (no tongue). Think about the type of kiss you're trying to describe and include a tongue-in-cheek or inappropriate description.
- Head: most people tilt their head when kissing. If you want to describe an awkward kiss, it doesn't hurt to include a forehead crash.
- Eyes: are the character's eyes open or closed? Open eyes usually indicate a reaction of surprise or displeasure. Consider the character's emotions and decide from there.
- Nose: remember that even if both characters tilt their heads when kissing, their noses may still touch or press against the sides of each other's faces.
- Hands and arms: when kissing, the character's hands can be raised (usually indicating an unexpected kiss) or embracing each other (usually an indication of a pleasant kiss). Hands can also stroke hair, hold the back of the head, rub the back, etc.
Step 3. Decide how the kiss ends
Story characters can't kiss forever. Somehow, one or both characters will either withdraw, or be distracted and forced to stay away.
- If the kiss occurs early in the story, you may need another conflict to complicate the kiss and create enough tension to keep the reader's interest.
- If the kiss occurs towards the end of the story, think about how both characters might feel after the kiss ends and how the kiss affected their emotions for each other.
Tips
- One of the best ways to improve your kiss description is to find kiss scenes from other writers that seem effective to you as a reader. Imitate or model the settings, processes, and descriptions used to practice creating a good kiss scene.
- Depending on the type of reader you are targeting, you may not need to include a detailed description of the passionate kiss because that would be inappropriate for younger readers. Describe how the characters feel, not exactly what they do.
