INTERVIEW: Darcy McGuire Says Writing a Love Scene is Easier Than Describing Setting

Welcome to the Tuesday Author Interview with Christina Boyd for the Who, What, When, Where, and Why.

CHRISTINA: I was thrilled to meet author Darcy McGuire this past September at the Pacific Northwest Writers Association conference in Seattle. She presented two fantastic sessions on the nuances of tension in romance and writing dialogue. If you ever have the opportunity to take one of her workshops, do it! And she is as lovely in person as I had hoped. I was thrilled when she later agreed to this interview.

What do you wish you had known before you started writing a book?

DARCY: When I attempted my first manuscript, I had audacious confidence and total insecurity. I felt that all I needed to do was complete a story, and it would be a bestseller. Simultaneously, I felt I had no idea what I was doing, and everything I wrote was complete crap. I wish I knew that feeling never dissipates. I still feel it every time I open a new document and stare at that blank page.

I asked two of my closest friends to read the stinking pile of horror that I constructed in that first attempt at writing an actual story, and they were gracious and kind with their critiques, but we all knew it wasn’t great. But the thrill of completing a story from beginning to end, and the magic moments where the story took over and my fingers flew, when I became a conduit for the characters and wrote words that were not my own, but theirs, was addiction in its purest form. I wish I knew that feeling would never fade. It happens with each new story, and I should never live in fear of losing that magic.

I wish I knew how many revisions it really takes to make something beautiful. Each first draft is both a treasure and complete trash. Without countless revisions, the seeds of greatness will never germinate into the lush garden that awaits. And nothing I’ve written is that precious. Some of it needs to be cut. Because the pruning of green, growing, beautiful leaves allows the plant to thrive in ways it never would if you put down the shears. Editing gorgeously constructed words allows the true story to emerge, striking, strong, and clear.

That time I met author Darcy McGuire at the PNWA conference. September 2025, Seattle.

CHRISTINA: I appreciate how honestly you capture that mix of confidence, doubt. Your reminder that first drafts are both treasure and trash, and that revision is where the real beauty emerges, is incredibly grounding and inspiring.

What’s more difficult to write? A love scene or a love letter or something else?

DARCY: Writing a love scene is far easier for me than describing a room or street or building. I hate trying to create spaces because I find them far less interesting than people.

I don’t care what the ballroom looks like. I care about the girl on the edges of the crowd, her pulse thundering as sweat gathers in the small of her back. I care that her shoes pinch her toes, but I don’t really worry about whether they are kitten heels or slippers. I care that the weight of her skirt makes her feel like she’s drowning in air thick with perfume and candlewax, but I don’t care if her dress is silk or taffeta or cotton. I care that she can barely breathe until that one, resonant moment when she sees a stranger across the crowded room and suddenly time stops, but I don’t care if the room has chandeliers or a parquet floor, or endless windows overlooking a midnight garden.

But it is important to ground your readers in a location, which requires at least a few details. So, I do my best. But I would rather write about what happens when that stranger catches her gaze, when he traps her in his vision, a hunter narrowing his sights on his prey, only to discover she is the apex predator in this ballroom, and he is beyond salvation.

CHRISTINA: I completely relate to that—your focus on sensory emotion over set dressing makes the scene feel alive. A few grounded details are enough when the real magic is in the characters’ tension and the moment that changes everything.

What comes first: plot or characters?

DARCY: Characters always come first for me, and my work is very character-driven.

Because I write romance, I always have two protagonists. I also like to write about crimes or mysteries, so I usually have at least one antagonist per book, but sometimes two. With each of my main characters, I need to know what has hurt them in their past. Damon Suede calls this the character’s void, because, like a black hole, it sucks everything into it, and the main character will do anything to avoid being pulled back into that dark place. Which creates their MOTIVATION.

I also want to know what they want. Their GOAL, the thing they think will put a big fat band aid on their void. Of course, we all know their goal is bananas and will never work to heal them, but the story comes when my protagonists start their journey of discovery looking to find their GOALs and realizing instead their actual NEEDs.

The better I know my main characters, the easier it is for me to write the story. Often, for me, the plot comes from the characters. Once I know their voids, their motivations, their goals, and what each character really needs, the plot rises to create a world that gives them exactly that. Of course, it helps to know some key elements, the opening scene, inciting incident, dark night of the soul, and climax. But if I know too much about the plot, I don’t want to write the story. Oddly, the more I know about the characters, the more excited I am to see what journey unfolds for them. It’s like I get to go on an adventure with these new friends and see what happens to them.

A Lady Most Wayward: The brand new enemies to lovers historical romance with a spy thriller twist from Darcy McGuire for 2025 (The Queen's Deadly Damsels Book 5)

CHRISTINA: I love how character-driven your process is. Once you understand a character’s wounds, motivations, and needs, the plot naturally unfolds around them—and that sense of discovery as you write really comes through in the story

What is your current project or latest release?

DARCY: I just completed a five-book historical romance series published by Boldwood Books – The Queen’s Deadly Damsels. This was my debut series and the first time I have been published in any format. It was so exciting to get a traditionally published deal, and I loved completing the series with A Lady Most Wayward. The main character – the Duchess – was in all five books, and it was a dream to write her love story with her lady-love.

The five women who comprised the main characters for each of The Queen’s Deadly Damsels books continually surprised me with their grit, determination, and strength. It was such an honor to write about powerful ladies in a time when most women were considered little more than chattel. Something felt inevitably right about giving these women the kind of power we all deserve, but so few of our sex are afforded, even now. While I love a dashing hero, I’ve never been a fan of the damsel in distress. It was incredibly fun to write about damsels who saved their heroes and created severe distress for their enemies.

I also really enjoyed delving into the Victorian era. Boldwood has signed me on for six more books, and I’m excited to stay in the Victorian world, though now I get to write about witches! Something wicked this way comes, and I’m so here for it.

CHRISTINA: Congratulations! That's super exciting about the new series, too.

Best advice for new writers:

DARCY: The best advice I can give new writers is to keep writing. And keep reading. The more you write, the better you will write. The more you read, the better you will write. I also think it’s so important to embed yourself in your local writing community. Join a writing group to get feedback on your work. It can sometimes feel like we are sitting in darkness, tip-tapping on our keyboards, screaming into the void. Joining with other writers who understand the specific torture and unique ecstasy of carving out a story from white pages and black type is helpful. It also sharpens our craft to receive thoughtful, sometimes harsh, always meaningful feedback from other writers who don’t love you too much.

CHRISTINA: I really agree with that. Consistent writing and wide reading are the foundation of growth, and having a community around you keeps you grounded and motivated. Getting honest feedback—from people who care about the work more than sparing your feelings—can be uncomfortable, but it’s invaluable. It’s what pushes you from writing alone in the dark to actually leveling up your craft.

If you could tell your 21-year-old self anything, what would you share?

DARCY: Stay hopeful and stay hydrated. It’s a long road ahead, but man, the view is amazing.

CHRISTINA: Perfect! If only our 21-year-old selves would be open to hearing that! Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your craft. Again, congratulations on the series. Well done! Looking forward to meeting you again in person.

Darcy McGuire, author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darcy McGuire grew up in the wilds of New Zealand and eventually settled in the paradise of the Pacific Northwest.

When she’s not working as a high school counselor, she loves writing about fierce female protagonists who can dodge daggers and bullets but never seem to escape Cupid’s arrow. You can connect with Darcy via her website and on social media.