the craft. interaction on the page.

I’ve been working on editing a short story for a forthcoming newsletter and some feedback I received was about having a bit more interaction between the main characters on the page. We’ve talked before about the mix in storytelling between narrative, dialogue, and description and it’s always a balance to get it right. I think I was doing a little more telling than showing, but the good news is that’s an easy fix!

But this got me to thinking about what actually makes good interaction between characters on the page? Whether you’re writing romance, a family drama, a book or script, there is an ease that needs to be present when your characters are interacting with one another. This definitely feeds into dialogue, but I also think there is so much unsaid when people interact with one another that it can be difficult to recreate on the page.

What helps to bring this to life is first and foremost having dynamic characters. When we have a detailed idea of who a character is, it makes interactions easier because we know how they would react in certain situations. So it’s all about writing scenes that put them there. In Good Morning, Love, it was interesting to write this intimate moment between Carli and Tau because I thought about the pressure that may be present when you’re about to have sex with a sex symbol.

Speaking of this, writing sex scenes is hard! For some of us. Lol. Writing a novel that was deemed a “romance” meant that there was probably going to be some sex. Honestly, I”m sure there are some avid romance readers who might be disappointed with the lack thereof in my debut, but hey, I was selling it as women’s fiction in my queries.

Either way, this particular interaction can be difficult to write. I’ve never been into super descriptive sex scenes as a reader. I like to leave something to the imagination. But I had to decide on what exactly my approach as a writer would be.

One of my favorite film director’s is Gina Prince-Bythewood. She did “Love & Basketball” and “Beyond the Lights.” I watched an interview clip where she talked about her approach to love scenes which stood out to me. I’m paraphrasing here, but essentially she talked about how often directors want to go all in with sex scenes. But, there can be so much more to a passionate scene than body parts. If you look at the two examples mentioned, they are such swoon worthy love scenes. From Q and Monica in her childhood bedroom to Kaz and Noni on the plane, the shots focus a lot on their facial expressions. In Beyond the Lights, it’s also their hands gripping and grabbing.

For me, I wanted to write scenes that would still be interesting, but that would zone in on other parts of the experience outside of solely the act. It’s all about deciding what may work best for you. Heck, Zane made a hell of a career out of laying it all out. But just know that there are a variety of ways to approach it.

Another major key in writing interactions for me has been watching people. It may sound a little creepy but to me, honing in on my observation skills has been as important as perfecting my writing craft. In order to write the nonverbal cues of interactions, you have to pay attention to them in real life. Does someone shift from one foot to the other while waiting? Do they raise their eyebrows with confusion? Do they bring their hands to their face to shield their eyes from the sun? Do they lean in when the other person speaks? Try watching a few people the next time you’re out at a coffee shop and writing down exactly what they’re doing with their body.

Physical positioning is also something that can be overlooked. Where are the people in the scene? It can seem trivial, but being able to set up where people are when writing fiction can tell you a lot about what’s happening. Makes everything a bit more three dimensional.

It’s also important to mine your own life here. How do you interact with other people? Whether it’s your friends, family, or romantic partner. What’s present? Do you become childlike around your parents? Are you flirty with the crush that you see at the bookstore every weekend? Do you show off when you’re around your friends? When people say write what you know, this is part of what that means. You have the tools! You just have to pay attention and learn how to translate that onto the page.

Dialogue is important when it comes to characters interacting, but you have to remember that subtlety is a big part of real life interactions between people. There is often a lot that’s left unsaid. Don’t be afraid to explore this in your own work. When should there be words and when should there just be long stares or pregnant pauses?

In my opinion, some of these can be used for creative non-fiction as well. But I’ll definitely be chatting more about that in later newsletters!

Storytelling is such a journey. And when we have a solid arc of not only our plot, but also our characters and their relationships, it will make their interactions with one another come so much easier.

Writing/Job Opportunities

Pitch Samantha Maxwell at samantha@pastemagazine.com if you want to write about food or drinks for Paste Magazine. Open to all your weird ideas but especially love a hot take, a list, or any culinary connections to crumbling American democracy.

Limelight Review is open to submissions until August 1.

Simon & Schuster’s second annual Books Like Us novel content is open to submissions starting July 12.

Buzzfeed is hiring a Shopping and Products Fellow

The Rumpus is open for submissions through July 31.

Chicago Reader is hiring an EIC and Culture Editor.

Astra House Publishing is hiring a Publicity/Marketing Intern.

STYLECASTER is hiring an Entertainment Editor.