There are many ways to describe a kiss.If you want to create an effective and well-written kiss, it's important to set the scene and create a build up, as well as a strong description of the kiss itself, to ensure it has emotional resonance to your reader or listener.
Step 1: Who is going to kiss who?
Maybe you have two characters that have been circling each other for a long period of time and then suddenly realize their feelings for one another.The point of view of the story should be shifted to the two characters who are going to pucker up.It is possible to have multiple characters kissing each other or one person kissing themselves in the mirror.It's a good idea to identify the characters in the kissing scene.
Step 2: Determine where the kiss is going to take place.
The setting for the kiss is very important.Mood is a literary element that evokes feelings in your audience through words and descriptions.Think of it as the atmosphere where your characters are kissing.A lot of implied meaning can be created by figuring out the setting of the kiss.You can show your audience a certain mood, as opposed to telling them, because of the setting.A kiss in a dark parking lot has a completely different mood than a kiss at a party.A more intimate mood is implied by one setting and a more open mood by the other.
Step 3: The kiss is going to take place.
Are your characters going to be surrounded or alone?Is one character more eager for a kiss than the other?Will both characters be surprised by the kiss?This is a good time to think about how your characters will be positioned in the scene.Someone is going to be standing in a room with someone else.Either way, both characters are going to be sitting side by side.Think about how your characters are going to move around in a kissing scene.
Step 4: The kiss is taking place.
This is a good time for you to think about why your characters would end up kissing each other.This may not be believable for the reader if they hate each other and end up kissing.The characters are in a kissing scene and you have reached this point in the story.Did you establish their relationship in the early stages of the story, so that a kiss between them makes sense?If you are going for the element of surprise, be sure to ask yourself if you created enough character details so that the kiss will not ruin the story.
Step 5: There are conflicts between the characters.
While it may be tempting to just throw two characters together into a locked room and kiss, a more effective technique is to use past conflicts or ongoing conflicts between the characters to create a convincing build up to the kiss.This could be a past love that reappears in a character's life, or a previous scene where one character sees another character do something that they find attractive or compelling.Remember, a kiss is usually an indication of desire, so make sure your characters desire each other, if only for a moment, to make the kiss seem believable.You have put in a lot of hard work to build up your characters.Use characterization to your advantage and build off of previous conflicts to create build up.
Step 6: Put the characters in close proximity of each other.
It is important to place both characters within a distance from each other.It is possible to have two characters accidentally bumping into each other, or have one character plan to run into the other.The point is to get your characters close to each other, but there are many ways you can move them so they are in a setting and mood that feels appropriate for a kiss.The body movements of your characters are important.A quick, fast move towards each other will likely show intense longing or desire, while a slower, more labored move will show a more uncertain passion between the characters.
Step 7: One character should notice something new about another character.
Small details on the person's face or neck can be seen by your characters if they are within kissing distance.Your characters are seeing each other in a new, intimate way, so reflect this by including physical descriptions of something not seen before.A freckle on the nose of the other character, a small birthmark on their neck, and a speck of green in their eyes can all be seen by your character.
Step 8: The five senses are used.
Instead of throwing out a bunch of words to describe the kiss, focus on how it affects your character's sense of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste.This will make the descriptions more specific to your character's point of view and ensure you are hitting all the aspects of the kiss.One of the easiest senses to describe is sight.Sound could be like music at a party or a character's heartbeats.Depending on the duration of the kiss, you could include soft moans or other noises of pleasure, as appropriate to your character.It's possible that your character smells in the air or on the other person as they kiss them, such as perfume, cologne or a natural scent.It's important to describe a kiss with touch.The character's skin and lips should be focused on.When describing a kiss, taste can be broad or specific.It's important to remember that describing a kiss as sweet implies it was enjoyable and that it may not have been enjoyable at all.
Step 9: Use body language.
Think about how your characters move as they kiss.Body language can show how the characters are reacting to the kiss.Pull or push away from the kiss will imply different emotions than a physical reaction like falling or relenting.One of the easiest ways to use body language in a kissing scene is to focus on how the character feels against another character's lips.In a kissing scene, the amount of tongue can indicate aggressive desire or unsure, gentle desire.Think about what type of kiss you are trying to convey and whether or not you include tongue descriptions.People tilt their heads when they kiss.It is beneficial to have a moment of bumping foreheads if you are going for a more awkward kiss.Are your characters eyes open or closed?Open eyes can indicate a reaction that is detached or surprised.Think about the emotions of your characters and make a decision.Though your characters may tilt their heads when they kiss, their noses will still brush against each other or against the side of their faces.During a kiss, a character's hands could be up in the air or wrapped around his body to indicate an enjoyable kiss.They were able to rub their lower back, hold the back of their head, and run their fingers through a character's hair.
Step 10: Discuss how the kiss ends.
Your characters are not able to lock lips forever.One character or both characters have to pull away from each other or be interrupted.If the kiss happens early in the story, you will need another conflict to create tension and keep your audience interested.If the kiss happens at the end of the story, it's a good idea to think about how your characters will react to it.