January 18, 2016

Writing About: A Honeymoon



In a romance where you follow the relationship between your hero and heroine, and chronicle their wedding, you should detail their honeymoon as well. At least for a short chapter.



Here are 3 main points to consider if your characters go on a honeymoon.

1. Where does your couple go?

Have they discussed a dream vacation? If so, send them there. If not, where could you picture them going? A sun and beach loving couple could go to the Bahamas. An adventurous couple could go to Colorado. And a romantic, food loving couple can go to Italy. Where are your characters telling you they’d like to celebrate their love?

2. Romance x10

Now is the time to break out all the romantic quips you’ve been locking away. Let your characters ooze romance. Describe their tender kisses, warm caresses, and love making. But make it more than sex. Make this intimacy strengthen their bond and deepen their relationship.




3. Let them have fun!

Aside from fun in bed…your characters should get out and about. Send them on an adventure or to sight-see. This should be a light moment for your characters and readers before it’s time to get back to reality and to shake things up with the plot line waiting for them.


BOOK TIDBIT: In the 3rd book of my Disaster Crimes series, a disaster strikes during Beth’s and Donovan’s honeymoon. Any predictions?



QUESTIONS: Have any of your characters gone on a honeymoon?
If you’ve been on a honeymoon, where did you go?
If you haven't where would you want to go?


93 comments:

  1. And we are so glad you joined the team! You are rocking the newsletter right now.
    No honeymoons. Just writing about a kiss is tough enough for me.

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    1. Thank you, Alex!

      Writing about a kiss is tough until you write about a zillion of them. And then you struggle to write it different. Or at least I do.

      Delete
  2. Cool on the IWSG newsletter!

    My husband and I went on a short cruise for our honeymoon, but our favorite trip was one we took years later to Florence, Italy. :)

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    1. A cruise honeymoon would be a lot of fun. A trip to Italy sounds divine.

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  3. Congrats on joining the IWSG team! Can't wait to see the newsletters!
    Never written about a honeymoon. I may or may not be getting married in Vegas sometime this year so I'll kind of have a built-in honeymoon. Should be lots of fun.

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    1. Thanks, Sarah!

      A built-in honeymoon is a bonus. :)

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  4. We welcome you to the team!

    In five fiction books, I had four honeymoons, each one different to fit the characters. And their budgets - LOL.

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    1. Thanks, Diane!

      That's great! I've written about two honeymoons so far and they were very different for the character's personalities...and yes, budgets. lol

      Delete
  5. Congrats on joining the IWSG team. That's awesome news. I'm looking forward to the newsletters.

    I've never written about a honeymoon, and never actually gone on a honeymoon.

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    1. Thank you, M.J.!

      I've never gone on one either, but that's because I've never been married. ;)

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  6. How exciting you are joining the IWSG team; I know the newsletter will rock if you are doing it :)

    Great advice for writing about honeymoons :) We went to the Queen Mary and Disneyland and some other places in the Southern California area for our honeymoon :)

    betty

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    1. Aw. Thank you for the vote of confidence, Betty!

      Disneyland and a perfect place to go to for a honeymoon. So much fun to be had there. :)

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  7. Hi Chrys .. that's awesome you're on the IWSG team .. I follow along, but will get the newsletter. I couldn't for the life of me write about honeymoons and kisses! .. but I'd enjoy the destination ... cheers and have fun the other IWSG folk ... Hilary

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    1. Writing about the destination is the best part. ;)

      Thanks, Hilary!

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  8. No honeymoons for me, in writing or real life lol congrats on joining the team.

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  9. It's great that you're joining IWSG! I'm looking forward to the newsletter. And thanks for all the tips about honeymoons and romantic writing. I'll keep them in mind.

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  10. So thrilled to have you on the IWSG team.
    I was just thinking that my main couple in my current WIP haven't had time to have much fun.

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    1. Thank you, Susan!

      It's important we let our characters have a little fun, right? ;)

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  11. Good luck on the IWSG and congratulations on being asked to join such a well loved group. Great post.
    Yvonne.

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  12. I'll be looking forward to seeing what the IWSG newsletter has in store. Good luck with your admin duties!

    I haven't really written about many honeymoons, since my characters often don't have the luxury of taking an unnecessary vacation in the middle of a war, when they don't have enough money, or because they have far more important priorities. The honeymoons I have depicted tend to be the simple, humble type in line with my own working-class roots, like Cape Cod, the 1939 World's Fair in Queens, and the Mount Washington Inn in New Hampshire.

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    1. Thank you, Carrie-Anne!

      Simple and humble honeymoons are lovely, though. I wrote about one like that as well. :)

      Delete
  13. Congratulations on the promotion! You're perfect for it!
    I haven't done a honeymoon, but great advice!

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  14. My books and I want to honeymoon in Japan. Why not? Congrats Chrys the IWSG is lucky to have you. On the prediction I'll go with one of the houses/buildings getting bitch slapped by a palm tree. Was I right? :)

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    1. Japan would be a cool honeymoon. ;) Thank you so much, Sheena!

      Haha. Not quite. :P

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  15. Congrats on joining the team-they will only benefit from your fonts of wisdom. If I started writing something romantic I would have to act it out first...just saying:) As for a honeymoon....my ex and I decided to saty at our apartment for the first 2 nights but when my mom in law went into freak zone, depth charge 10 about all the food left behind(it was at in-laws backyard) we decided to hit the road early. 10 phone calls in 2 hours will make anyone want to run away. We went to Stratford, Ont known for their Shakespearean plays. 2 months later we went to Europe starting in Amsterdam then Paris, Prague and lastly, Munich. It was fun. Divorced now but memories are still great.

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    1. Thank you, Birgit! :)

      LOL! I bet your partner would enjoy that. ;)

      10 phone calls in 2 hours? I would've ran too.

      Those places would make great memories.

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  16. I'm looking forward to the newsletter.

    I haven't sent any characters on honeymoon - yet. My books have so far stopped either before the wedding, or during it. Maybe next time ...

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    1. One of my stories stopped after the wedding. It's only when I write a series when I actually get to write the honeymoon part.

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  17. At the end of the Breakthrough series Chase and Susan get married on a docked boat in Monte Carlo because that's as far as they get due to international travel severely restricted.

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  18. I've never written a honeymoon, but I've only written one adult novel so that might have something to do with it. ;)

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    1. That probably does have something to do with it. lol

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  19. Congrats on joining the team! I have my first adult romance I'll be working on this year from NaNoWriMo. The couple will not be honeymooning but if there is a second book, the honeymoon will happen then. More than likely, they'll go to the Caribbean. Either Aruba, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, etc. As for me, I haven't been on a honeymoon but if I had to choose, I want to go to Paris. It used to be Hawaii but then I got freaked out over this news coverage on how Hawaii was overrun by snakes. And a snake made its way to a baby's room and tried to swallow a baby's hand...shudder. Ever since, Hawaii has been crossed off my lists of desirable vacation spots.

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    1. Thanks! A Caribbean honeymoon would be nice.

      A snake tried to swallow a babies head? Jeez. What's funny is that I read yesterday that Hawaii doesn't have many snakes. Hmm...

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    2. That news of the snake was years ago. About a decade or so. But it's stayed with me ever since...

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  20. Nice work on joining the IWSG as an administrator, Chrys! How romantic, to write about a honeymoon. I love that idea. I think I would end up putting a twist on it though. It wouldn't be what the reader would expect a honeymoon to be. Hint: Maybe the in-laws show up...if it were a humorous story.

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    1. Thanks, Liaa! Ha! The in-laws showing up on a honeymoon would be hilarious.

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  21. Nice tips! I struggle to write romance stuff. Married couples I have written tend to have been married a long time so I've never written a honeymoon. Like you, I would probably have some sort of disaster happening! My own honeymoon was lovely though, a Caribbean cruise. That could form some inspiration.

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    1. How can you not have a disaster happen during a honeymoon, right? ;)

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  22. No honeymoons for me either. My romance is usually a bit younger and I prefer the odd couple kind of love scene with a dash of awkwardness and some embarrassment thrown in for good measure.

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  23. Good to hear you are joining the IWSG team. I look forward to reading the newsletter.

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  24. Congrats on your admin position. Way cool. Writing a honeymoon could be fun and challenging.

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  25. Disaster during a honeymoon.....intriguing.

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  26. Congrats on your new appointment! The IWSG picked the perfect person to run their newsletter. I look forward to receiving the first issue.

    I don't think any of my characters will be going on a honeymoon any time soon, but you never know. As for me, I have no idea where I'd go. There are so many places I still want to see, and so many I'd like to introduce to my SO.

    Who knows? Italy may be perfect - I'll find out in the spring!

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    1. Thank you!

      I wish I could just travel, not even for a honeymoon, but no money. *sigh*

      Are you going to Italy this spring?

      Delete
  27. Congratulations on your new job with the IWSG Newsletter. It's a great idea. Looking forward to reading them.
    I haven't written about a honeymoon, yet, since I write for children and teens. Who knows what the future holds?

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    1. Thank you, Beverly!

      Maybe an adult book is waiting to emerge. :)

      Delete
  28. Wooo! Congrats, Chrys.

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  29. Congrats on your new job! I'm already signed up for the newsletter. Great post. I can predict it will be intense any which way! *LOL* My husband and I combined our wedding and honeymoon by going to Vegas. Surely nothing is more romantic than staying in a giant pyramid! =P

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    1. Thank you! Sarah said she will be doing the same thing for her wedding and honeymoon. :)

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  30. Congrats on the IWSG newsletter. As for the disaster on the honeymoon, I think we have to know where they went. I'm guessing tsunami.

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    1. Thank you! I'm glad someone made a guess. That's a good one.

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  31. Great job with the newsletter, Chrys. I've only written about one brief honeymoon and the groom has to leave his new wife as duty calls. :( Have a great week Chrys!!

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  32. Congratulations on your IWSG appointment. When I need romance tips you can expect me to come knocking on your door.

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  33. Congrats on the new assignment! Thanks for the wedding tips.

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  34. First all, congrats on helping out the IWSG newsletter. I'll be looking for your input there.
    Honeymoon - None of my characters have progressed to that point yet, though in a very rough draft I was hinting toward an upcoming wedding for a few characters. As for myself personally, when I was first married we were both very poor. We didn't really go anywhere for a honeymoon but take a week off and spend the time together.
    However, I think a honeymoon scene would be a good opportunity for each character to discover one new thing about the other they didn't know before. Either mentally, physically, or emotionally.

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    1. Thank you! Taking a week off and spending it together is a great honeymoon!

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  35. Congratulations! Thank you so much for this great post. I'm currently stuck on writing a honeymoon scene. I can't decide on how much or little I should add. But I like what you said about making the relationship about more than just sex. You read my mind:).

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    1. Thanks! You're so welcome! I love it when someone is working on a scene like one I give tips for.

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  36. What a fun topic and definitely important when writing about a couple who gets married (so far all of my characters are mostly kids). :)
    ~Jess

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  37. I hope you know I'll be using your example as a template if I ever get up the nerve to do a newsletter. No pressure though. hehehe

    Anna from elements of emaginette

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  38. Yay,you! Way to go lady Chrys:-)
    Can't say as any of my young characters have even thought about weddings yet, though I did write about a marriage ending. You've offered really good tips for including important elements such as atmosphere and emotion. And now you've inspired revisions - ha!
    Thanks, Chrys:-)

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  39. So glad you have you join us, Chrys. Can't wait to see the first newsletter. Keep thinking: Look out world! Here we come!

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  40. Congrats on joining the IWSG team! I look forward to the newsletters! I have never really written about romance, I've had ideas about characters falling in love and have sort of touched on it in writing, but never made it to the point of the characters coming together in a relationship.

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    1. Thank you! Maybe one day you'll write a true romance. :)

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  41. Congratulations on becoming the administrator! That's pretty cool. And as far as honeymoons go, I'm not married, so I never went on one, of course. If I did go, though, I'd want to go to Europe, like maybe Paris or Venice. You know how some people spend a lot of money on a wedding? I'd rather spend less money on the wedding so I'd have more money to travel on the honeymoon. :)

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    1. Thank you! I'm not married either. I've always wanted to go to Venice.

      So would I. :)

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  42. Great post on writing about honeymoon...I needed this!

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  43. yay for Chrys! you'll do great with the newsletter!
    and i'm no good with romantic scenes, so my honeymoon would be full of crazy antics - uh oh. hold up. i just had an epiphany for the next Pop Travel novel (after Disposal) THANK YOU!!!

    happy new year!

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  44. I don't know what happened to my post here (and I"m a little fuzzy now), but I thought I'd recommend Carl Haaisen's book, Stormy Weather, that has a couple on a honeymoon during a hurricane in Florida. Any honeymoon scene I'd write would probably be a bit sarcastic--maybe a "cruise" on a river in the sub-Arctic of Canada...

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    1. You commented on my Kissing post. :)

      Oh, I need to read that book. You know me and hurricanes. ;)

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