Do you plan your sex scenes or let them develop organically?

Curious to see how people's processes differ.

 

I have a general idea of what I'm looking for when I start but as I write (and visualize it in my mind), it'll often evolve into something a bit different than I had planned. So I guess I'm in the mushy middle on this one.

 

Radical sexual centrism?

 

Well, I don't know about radical. Like most folks, I think I'm the normal one, everyone else is crazy

 

planned. I generally think sex first then work back and do the build up.

 

I usually have a few ideas for scenes I want to happen, and work toward that; but a lot of the actual writing happens organically, and can lead to little variations. After all, the whole trick with sex is trying to make this utterly mundane mechanical activity into something magical and erotic, to invest it with emotion and try to communicate something of what it is like to stimulate the imagination of the writer. The more elaborate the sex scene, the more likely I've planned it out ahead of time; shorter sex scenes are usually more organic.

 

I wouldn't call it a 'plan', but I tend to visualise the sex scene first. Sometimes is something elaborated, others just a detail, then I start to think about how it would make sense for the story to arrive organically to that point. Sometimes that takes just a chapter, others a few more, and new scenes may develop in between. Then I will stop writing completely until I come out with a next future sex scene that I deem good enough to build towards to. It's not a perfect system, but I personally think that the site's format fits better with organic storytelling instead of long-planed and tightly structured stories, because of the possibility of chapter to chapter feedback and the multiplicity of routes.

 

Took me a minute to find this, but I wrote a thread about writing sex scenes that might be worth invoking: https://forum.chyoa.com/threads/tips-for-writing-sex-scenes.1958/

 

I only plan sex scenes insofar as I plan my stories, until I actually reach the scene and decide exactly how it should go down. Usually, I will include some kind of central act or kink that makes the sex scene distinct; otherwise, everything I write will end up being the same. Then there's also the relevant descriptions, which can change depending on the circumstances and perspective, so I usually think about those beforehand as well. Personally, I prefer to write about the sense of touch as much as I can. Between descriptions, mechanics and plot notes I need to hit, I often find sex scenes end up writing themselves.

 

I'll have my plot parts all planned out a head. What the characters get up to in that chapters and leading forwards.

Sex scenes in my plot summary are usually something juvenile like "Boom-boom happens" lol. Particularly well planned ones might be something like Oral. Doggy. or Threesome or Anal.

 

I usually think I know how the sex scene is going to go down, starting with a kink or a character, but if something isn’t coming together in the editing, I’ll duplicate the page and do a savage rewrite to try to discover something better. It usually works.

Sometimes switching the framing of the scene helps, like jumping ahead in time and having the entire sex scene being recounted in dialog. Or changing the POV character for a chapter can make everything more interesting.

 

I just want to add that this can be a very useful and interesting way to show a sex scene, by having one of the participants describe it to someone else rather than to describe it directly is a shift in the voice of the narrative, but can be great when done well.

 

Planned though my characters sometimes go off the rails and decided to do their own thing once I start writing. Thankfully they haven't started a union yet.

 

I take my writing very personal, so when I approach a sex scene I do it if it feels natural, well paced, if the characters are developed, and if I am in the mood. Not sure if others write these way, but my method for writing a sex scene is to usually get into the mood for sex myself. I visualize myself in the image and add the details as the passion goes on. I would like to say my sex scenes have been improving over time, just like someone's actual skills in sex if they practice practice practice haha!

Though, this method is not without its faults or bad days. Sometimes I write a sex scene I am not too satisfied with, or in one example I believe the description, pacing, and detail was at its peak however I had broken my rule and involved a complete stranger in the sex scene instead. So, even though I think the writing in that section is top notch the delivery missed the mark because, at least for me, sex is truly lovemaking when it is with someone you know and love. Hence why I struggle with one night stands when it comes to writing sex.

 

Yeah I have a similar process.
I usually get inspired watching porn and like to dream up scenarios of how they ended up having sex.

I think up new scenes and situations as I'm writing it so the final version isn't exactly what I thought I'd write. I just follow whatever fantasy makes me hornier.

 

I always try to make each sex scene unique or at least special, when i have a really long story with lots of characters and plots i have a hard time filling it with fun sex scenes, the first few ones are very easy to right, they just come naturally but then i have to think that i probably have to write 100+ sex scenes in the future and they would probably become repetitive so i have to think from the start how to make each one unique.

I have this concept that i use a lot, which is the evolution of a relationship between characters, as the story progresses the relationships do too so i try to make the sex scenes fit that progress so for example, a couple of teens start as friends, the first sex scene might be an akward foreplay and mild stuff to reflect the beginning of their relationship, then aftee their relationship continues things get more wild and i can add more fun stuff to the point i can make 5 chapters long sex scenes with tons of stuff that i can explore because the relationship is so strong that it makes sense they can do that.

So basically i build them up as the story progresses and that way i can make them more fun each time and make them long, and when i run out of ideas for two characters i just implement another character to have another dynamic and make things different, that way i switch things out, give some variety to the story and a lot of space for me to explore and also produce more fun sex scenes.

So far i haven't reached that point where i run out of sex scenes ideas or they become boring but i know soon i will and i'm prepared for that, i don't really know if it makes that much sense but you could maybe see for yourself in my latest story (i think that one has the best example of my use of sex scenes and relationship progress)

 

Planned usually, I have a notepad with all the plot points, characters, and their arcs for growth throughout the story. Along the way I try and figure out who the MC would most naturally sleep with, what characters could possibly fill certain kinks people enjoy. Once I've figured out the WHO I try and understand the HOW, how will the MC end up sleeping with the character, what circumstances would lead to that, what sort of sexual personality best compliments their social personality.
Then the last step is usually trying to write it in a way that seems natural and organic to both the characters, and the plot, whilst also lacing it with at least some relevance to the characters development in some way (Either their relationship with the character, the personality growth of either MC or character, or in order to tie into a larger plot point/running tension).
I have only two very small stories so far, and I think it's pretty clear which one was planned and which one was winged (for want of a better word) and I'm much more satisfied with my second story than my first to the point of considering a total re-write of the first.

 

I don't know if this is planned. But I like to write sex scenes with personal experiences. But I do some changes to them to make them to match the story.

 

I was just about to say the same thing. I'll start with a general idea of what I want to have happen, but inspiration can strike mid-writing, and sometimes I'll end up doing something different than what I had planned.

 

I sometimes plan a sex scene around a particular idea, like the one in Party where Clara is shackled to a car steering wheel, but mostly it's organic. Two or more characters have their own wants and desires. See how it plays out.