A Quickie about Sex Scenes in writing
Writing sex scenes can be incredibly awkward. How many arms and legs are involved, do they stick out from the right places, or has someone grown extra limbs from his back or stomach? There’s a lot of logistics involved. You have to keep the wildest beasts of all in check: your character’s battling tongues. Your smut can go from glorious to cringeworthy to hilarious with the use of one single euphemism.
After some time of writing a lot of sex, it can feel like all you’re doing is reciting mechanical procedures. It’s always the same, and there’s only a limited number of ways to do the deed. If you work on your smut following schemata, it shows. As readers, we pick up on it when we’re being presented with a tried and trusted choreography. When characters in the story before us follow a rigid program, doing gymnastics from checkpoint to checkpoint, we notice.
The best sex scene comes from character. At least, that’s what I feel after reading and writing a lot of smut. The best (dirtiest, filthiest, smuttiest) smut can feel empty when it’s just cardboard characters performing a choreography. The simplest sex act can take my breath away and give me tingles when it rings true because it originates within the character.
But that’s me. I love to convey emotions through physical expressions. I love to show my character’s insides. Not just the red and wet stuff, but their soul. Their feelings. Their vulnerable inner places. Love it.
The juicy stuff doesn’t have to pause a story. It shouldn’t be a gimmick. It should be relevant, to the characters and the story. But that’s not all. Writing sex is not just about mechanics or emotions, characters or story.
There’s more to it, for me. Writing and reading something just for the pleasure of it is hugely liberating. It’s deciding for myself and taking charge of my desires. My pleasure.
What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
