Assignment 1

Part One:

Pick two characters you are going to become intimate with for the next six weeks. Name them and give them some background information. Write a mini character profile [2 paragraphs] for each character, from their own point of view. Things to think about in regards to your characters: How do they know one another? What attracts them to each other? Is it an instant attraction? Do they have a love/hate relationship with sexual undertones? Remember this is self-discovery, not how one sees the other, but how they each see themselves. What makes them tick? Label one character "A", the other "B".

Character A

My name is Luke Matthews. I am an eighteen-year-old college student with brown hair and brown eyes. I am originally from London, but my father moved the family to the States just before I started high school. My accent makes me appealing to women, but I did not find one that suits my fancy in high school.

I am a freshman at Penn State University, majoring in English. I have been distracted during my first semester by a beauty named Jillian Peters. As fate would have it we attend the same classes. We assist each other with papers in our English composition class and she tutors me in our Introduction to Psychology class. I look forward to getting to know her better in a social setting.


Character B

My name is Jillian Peters. I am an eighteen-year-old college freshman at the Penn State University, majoring in Psychology. I am small for my age with long red hair, hazil eyes, and pale skin. I am a Pennsylvania native and have spent most of my life here. I wish to move somewhere warm once I graduate from college.

During the first few weeks of my freshman year I have spent a lot of time with a young man name Luke Matthews. He is very sweet and helpful. His accent makes me feel like melting every time he speaks. He has been my saving grace for my composition class. I would like to get to know him better, but we never seem to get a chance to socialize outside of school.

Part Two

Describe your interpretation of Romance, including what your expectations are when you read a romance novel. Do the same for Erotic fiction. Tell me how you think the two genres can be brought together, what elements need to be focused on. This need not be extensive, just enough information for us to work with over the next six weeks.

My interpretation of romance is a combination of physical and emotional interaction. A couple should be able to communicate well on both wave lengths, and each person should be up front regarding their expectations in the relationship. I do find men pulling out chairs, and opening doors to be romantic, but it is not expected. I don’t find men insisting on paying for everything romantic at all. I actually find that a bit domineering. When a couple goes out for the first time I think they should each agree ahead of time to go Dutch-treat; the individuals pay their own bill. If one insists on paying for the other then the one who did not pay should leave the tip. As for kissing and other things physical; I think it is a pleasant surprise for him to ask, but I don’t expect it. I prefer physical encounters to be spontaneous. If he feels it’s ok to kiss me then he should go for it. Most likely it is what I’m wanting as well.

When I read a romance novel I like to see playfulness, and a bit of comedic cat and mouse. I don’t mind a persistent male, but he still needs to be able to respect her boundaries. The female shouldn’t send mixed signals. If she says no to something she should stick with it. This doesn’t mean she can’t change her mind during a later encounter, but she shouldn’t waffle. I like strong decisive females who know what they want, and are not willing to let fear prevent them from getting it. I don’t consider shyness fear, I consider it a conservative attitude that keeps us from making fools of ourselves. It is ok for the characters to be shy, but at some point they both need to say to hell with it and just go for it.

Most of the erotic fiction I read has an element of paranormal in it.


Part Three:

Write a 1000 word scene. Put them in a public environment: coffee shop, school, work, church, anywhere they can interact, but are not alone. They will arrive separately at their destination, and are familiar with each other. Explore that meeting. Who starts the conversation? What happens as they converse? Do they try to hide off in the corner for privacy? Let the dialog flow, concentrate on setting the scene, and describing how they interact with each other. Only use the point of view of character "A". If sparks are flying, show that.

Luke stood in the dark smoky living room of his friend, Tom’s home. Loud music pulsated through the floor and the walls as young women gyrated and writhed against male bodies. Both were dressed in various costumes that only covered the essentials. Luke observed from the side sipping a cheap beer from a red Solo cup. He was not a fan of this sort of party, but he hoped to improve his writing by observing people. He scanned the room searching for someone to converse with.

He spotted a small redhead dressed in a corset which lifted her breasts so they were parallel to the floor, and a long black skirt she held up as she walked. Her unusual stature made him hope against hope she was Jillian Peters. Luke watched as she accepted a cup from their host, and settled herself on a couch in the far corner of the room. She smiled and laughed as the other man tugged playfully at her arm, trying to pull her to the group of erogenous dancing. When she continued to refuse the host shook his head and left in search of another partner. Luke made his way over to where she sat. He offered her a bow when she looked up at him quizzically.

“My lady?’ He straightened and motioned to the empty seat beside her. “May I join you?”

“You may,” she gathered her skirt closer to her so he would not sit on it. He loved how she seemed to want to play the part she was dressed for. “Might I know your name sir?”

He paused for a moment to decide whether to give her his true name or the name of his costume, and decided honesty was best. “Luke Matthews.”

“Wow, Luke, I thought it was you,” she smiled up at him.

“Can’t get anything by you, Jillian,” Luke smiled back. He did his best to keep his eyes on her face, but they kept wondering down to the creamy white skin of her shoulders and breasts. She’d never exposed this much when they were in class or when they studied together. Luke ran his tongue over his lips, imagining running it over her smooth skin, and deep into the crevasse of her cleavage.

“Hey!” She reached out and tickled him under his chin to make him look up. “See something you like?”

“My apologies,” Luke smiled shyly. “I’ve just never seen you so, um, exposed.”

“I only dress this way on certain occassions,” Jill smiled coyly. “You didn’t say whether or not you like it.”

“I do like it,” Luke admitted. “I like you, Jillian.”

“Please, Luke,” she scooted closer. “Call me Jill.”

“Oh, but Jillian is so beautiful,” Luke slid an arm across the back of the couch, and let it slide slowly to her shoulders. “But if you prefer Jill…”

“I do,” Jill nodded. “Though I do like the way you say Jillian.”

“I like the way it sounds,” Luke scooted closer, and touched his knee to hers. “It almost sounds like Juliet.”

“And are you Romeo tonight?” Jill inquired. Her eyes took in his poet shirt, gold embroidered vest, and the brown pants tucked into a pair of polished brown leather boots.

“No dear lady,” Luke chuckled. “I am William Shakespeare.”

“Oh, sorry, my mistake,” Jill offered an apologetic smile. “I love your work Master Shakespeare.”

“Which is your favorite?” Luke’s cheeks warmed. He knew his work was decent but it was nowhere near Shakespeare’s quality.

“A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream,” Jill answered. “I love faery tales.”

“The school’s theatre group is performing that particular play next weekend,” Luke informed her. “Would you like to go with me?”

“I would like that,” Jill smiled.

“Perhaps we could have dinner first?” Luke suggested. His confidence was bolstered by her agreeing to attend the play with him. “The play starts at seven. Could I pick you up at four-thirty? We could go to this nice little restaurant I found a few weeks ago for dinner?”

“That sounds great,” Jill agreed.

Luke loved to see her smile. He wanted to kiss her, but he did not want to wait until next weekend. He set his drink on the coffee table in front of them, and rested his free hand over hers. Using his arm around her shoulders he pulled her close, tilted his head, and lowered his mouth to hers. Their lips brushed lightly before Jill turned her head away.

“I’m sorry,” Luke pulled back. “I’ve wanted to do that since… I should have asked first.”

“It’s ok,” Jill assured him. “You just caught me off guard.”

“Well, now that you know I want to,” Luke began hopefully. “May I?”

“Alright,” Jill agreed.

Luke took her face in his hands, and brushed his soft lips over hers. Her lips parted under his, and he took it as an invitation to go further. He slipped his tongue past her lips, and tasted chocolate and alcohol. He moaned softly as Jill’s fingers slid into his hair, and her nails scraped his scalp.

“Luke, don’t,” she gasped as he trailed kisses down her jaw to her neck. “Someone could see.”

Luke pulled back to catch his breath. The scent of her sweet perfume intoxicated him more than the alcohol he drank. Jill shifted away from him, and stood.

“I should go,” she stated.

Luke stood and took her hand to keep her from leaving. “Wait, why?”

“I’m not really into parties,” Jill admitted. “Besides, I want to get back to my dorm before the bars let out.”

“May I walk you home?” Luke asked. “You shouldn’t go alone.”

“I would appreciate the company,” Jill agreed.

They attempted to say good night to their host, but he was too preoccupied with the woman in his lap. Luke held Jill’s hand as they walked back to the campus. They were forced to part when they reached the freshman dormitory. Luke gave her a soft kiss good night, and wished her pleasant dreams.