What it says in the title: our advice and tips for writing that most essential and difficult aspect of adult stories, the sex scene. For many of us, writing sex scenes is just a part of the process of the story. We open up a chapter and start writing, and when we figure the scene is done we stop and post it. That's fine, nothing wrong with that. But sometimes folks have trouble getting into writing a sex scene, they don't know how to start or what to do or what constitutes a "good" sex scene so...some thoughts. What Is A Sex Scene? This is going to sound pretty basic, but it's worth thinking about. A lot of things constitute sex beyond penises-going-into-orifices, and human beings in particular are creative and sexual animals. Does a deep kiss count? Over-the-clothes fondling & masturbation? A woman giving her boyfriend a handjob under the table while they have dinner with grandma? A nurse giving a patient a warm-water enema? Depending on how you write them, these could all be sex scenes - and that's the point. A sex scene is a scene where the sexual interaction is paramount, and is written in such a way that the reader knows it. The point of the scene is that the characters are involved with each other in some way. This can be an orgy with many participants, or it can be a single person stealthily rubbing themselves in public, or even paraphilia-related behavior which is described in a provocative way. It can move the story forward, or it can be straight smut to help the reader get off. It can be funny, sick, disturbing, sexy, dark, lighthearted, sad, or anything else - but it should communicate sex to the reader. Before You Write A Sex Scene A lot of writers don't necessarily plot out a sex scene before it happens. They may have an idea that certain characters get together, and the story wends its way to bring those couplings on-screen. Or maybe plot suddenly demands that characters have sex, and even if the writer isn't in the mood, they feel they have to write the next chapter. Whatever the case, it sometimes help to take a minute and think about the scene before you write it. For some folks, the structure of an outline might be helpful, especially if the scene is not one they're really enthusiastic about or if they're not sure how to make it "sexy." For most people though, the five questions are good to think about and keep in mind: Who Is Involved? Where Is It Going To Happen? Why Are They Doing It? What Are They Doing? How Is It Going To Go? Who Is Involved? Knowing who your characters are is more than just having names for them. Take a moment to sketch out in your mind or in a blank word processor/draft email/whatever what you know about them - their bodies, their personality, their history with the person(s) they're going to be interacting with. What do they like during sex? What's their sexual history? What are the adjectives that come most readily to mind when describing them? It isn't necessary to go into a full biography or measure their cock length and maximum anal circumference to the nearest millimeter, but having a good idea of who your characters are helps to inform you about how they are going to act. Two lovers who are in love are going to approach sex differently than a pair of frenemies that are hate-fucking out of mutual excitement. Where Is It Going To Happen? Largely this is determined by the previous scenes, but the setting and environment can contribute a lot to not just what kinds of activity that your characters get up to, but the overall mood. A romantic moonlit beach is going to include cool, wet sand; the sound of lapping waves; the smell of salt. An airplane bathroom is going to be cramped, sound and space are both going to be vital issues; there may be the threat of interruptions (someone rattling the door, "This is the captain speaking," an accidental flushing of the toilet, etc.) and discovery. Again, this doesn't have to be a George R. R. Martin-style pages of elaborate description; what you want to fix in your own mind and hopefully to present to the readers, is not just who is having sex but where the action happens - and the setting can be as much of a character in deciding how sex works out than any of the major participants. Why Are They Doing It? This may derive in part from the characters themselves, but if there's one critical aspect of any CHYOA story it's that there's usually a choice or series of choices that drives characters into certain sexy circumstances. This might be as vague as a "What if?" scenario where all women are open for free use, or it might be as complicated as an aunt with a biological clock ticking wants a baby, hires a gigolo, and it turns out to be her nephew. There may be a plot demand ("the evil mastermind demands a blowjob from the helpless heroine to show off his power") or it may just be the author has been building up to a sexy scene ("the helpless heroine is sucking off a random criminal in an alley! How far she has fallen!") The thing is, even when sex is the point of a sex scene, it doesn't have to be the end in and of itself - and sex scenes are usually a lot better when they happen as a consequence of the events of the story, rather than as a sudden insert just because a lot of sexless plot has been happening. The individual scene may be sexy, but it is seldom standalone; it has to come from somewhere, and it has to go somewhere. Keeping this in mind helps out with the plotting, as it focuses not only on the circumstances which immediately brought the characters to this scene, but their motivations once they are in it. Are they eager? Recalcitrant? Confused? Unconscious? What Are They Doing? The simplest and often most basic aspect of a sex scene is "the action" - what does the sexual encounter consist of? Again, for plotting purposes, it can be useful to sketch this out very briefly before writing actual paragraphs of description. If a couple starts off with a woman spreading her legs so her partner can give her oral sex from behind, and is then going to move to straight fucking on a nearby bed until they both climax, that's fine. Not every sex scene has to involve twelve positions. But knowing ahead of time what the physical activity is going to be means that the writer can foreshadow, and smooth out any logistical hurdles - if there's a transition between cunnilingus and analingus, for example, then at some point the tongue has to get from point V to point A. How that happens is up to the reader, but knowing that it's coming up means they can plan it out - maybe they want to make a point of it, maybe they want to skip the details and make the sudden disappearance/re-appearance a surprise to the person getting licked. More than that, there is more to sex than just the physical humping-and-pumping. Sex involves a lot of communication, both verbal and nonverbal; in a sex scene, that communication has to be something that the reader partakes in. When characters talk during sex, it's for both their own benefit and that of the reader. How Is It Going To Go? At its most basic, sex scenes seem like nature's own self-contained three-act structure: insert, wiggle about for a bit, climax. And for many writers, that's a fine outline of how a sex scene can go down; orgasm (whether or not it's mutual) can be as fitting a conclusion for a scene as anything else. But of course, real life (and fiction!) often thrive on a bit more complexity and conflict than all that. A sex scene in a CHYOA story in particular needs to decide whether it ends at a climax or a choice. A climax is a bookend for a sex scene; the male refractory response means after ejaculation, they cannot ejaculate again immediately. Women who orgasm often calm down from their previous state of sexual excitement. It can be a natural point to transition to something else happening - a post-coital scene, a new plot development, etc. - although a sexual climax by itself doesn't have to be the end of a sex scene. In the fantasy of CHYOA, men, women, and that technicolor rainbow in between may not stop with a single orgasm, or may not have an orgasm at all - coitus may be interrupted, the scene may ramble on after the sex itself is finished, especially if the characters are interacting in other ways (talking, having sex surreptitiously while doing other activities, fighting, etc.) So while it is a natural stopping point, it does not have to be the stopping point. Try to figure out ahead of time what would feel like a natural and complete end to the idea that established the scene in the first place - the "Why Are They Doing It?" question. A choice is also a natural cliffhanger: for writers that want more reader-interaction, a sex scene may suddenly arrive at a decision point where the writer (or other writers) might choose to branch off in different directions. After a lot of heavy foreplay, maybe a couple are getting ready for actual penetrative sex and have to make that classic decision - pussy or ass? Even without penetration, characters (and thus readers) might face important options like whether or not to wear a condom, where to cum, to grab their dick/pussy/etc. or their own. Leading up to a choice is a bit different to a climax: the action doesn't stop, but it does pause. The chapter is necessarily somewhat incomplete, because it is demanding some input from the reader to continue. (This can make sex scenes strung out over multiple short chapters very frustrating to read!) More than that, a choice doesn't resolve the initial situation that brought the sex scene to the fore in the first place - it means that the writer has to continue the scene in the next chapter, not abandon it. Writing A Sex Scene Once you know the who, where, why, what, and how, you're down to the basics of writing a sex scene. There are no hard rules for this, but there are some tips that I find useful in my own writing, and which you might as well: Start With A Hook The first sentence helps to grab the reader and draw their attention. If you can hook them from the first sentence, it's more likely they'll read on, and that they'll accept the scenario you set up for them. They get invested in it. So if you can, think of a hook - something that catches the eye. It might be outrageous, it might be challenging; usually it's a statement of some kind. "Margaret had never had anal sex before." introduces a character (Margaret), foreshadows the action (anal sex), and sets up the scenario (anal virginity about to be lost). Alternately, you might try a vivid visual like: "Margaret clutched her virgin asshole tight as the cold lubricant touched it." Again, the trick is to try and communicate information that draws the reader in and wants them to read more - and hopefully, draws the writer in and makes them want to write more! Research Its the end of the 2010s as I write this, and there is more porn, sex advice, and medical data on the internet than available to anyone in human history. When in doubt, google something - if nothing else to get the basic anatomy and terminology right. There's a big difference between sticking your finger (or other things) in someone's vulva versus their urethra. Now, that doesn't mean that two-foot cocks which blow a gallon of semen into a womb that inflates like a basketball and results in instant pregnancy with triplets isn't fair game for a story! But in the real world, most cocks are 5-6 inches long erect, most pussies aren't much deeper than that, impregnation can happen hours or days later, stretch marks exist, and anuses aren't self-lubricating. You can set the rules for your own story - if you want the hero of your gay sex epic to be able to manfully take two twelve-inch cocks up their butt, that's a fine and fair choice - but it's important to be consistent with it, and to set the readers up for what to expect. If your world has giant genitals, it's a cartoon world, but even cartoon worlds have rules - figure out what they are and stick to them, keep it consistent (or at least provide some good excuse for the change, like a magical lubricant). More importantly, watching porn can be a good exercise for helping you to describe the physical action of sex, which is something a lot of people struggle with in a sex scene. Find a video with the activity you're trying to describe and look for not just how the actors are moving and what bits they're touching, but the looks on their faces, the way they're sitting/standing/laying down, which bits of their anatomy move when they move. Notice how they lean on certain furniture for support, what sounds their bits make when they're in contact with each other. Try to describe and extrapolate from there what the circumstance might be like - and put that down in your writing. Move Beyond the Mechanics For a lot of basic sexual action, the mechanics are a lot like plumbing: insert tab A into slot B, repeat until desired result is achieved. That is often essential, but it can quickly get boring. Sex has to be more than just a raw description of the physical characters, setting, and action. It's not just about a woman bouncing up and down on her partner's strap-on, or a guy rubbing his cock between his partner's thighs: it's about what that feels like to them - physically, emotionally, viscerally. A large part of this will be determined by the viewpoint of your story; a first-person viewpoint will focus on the narrator's own body as though the reader was experiencing it themselves - but that doesn't just include the externals of fucking and getting fucked, it's about what they see, hear, smell, taste - and what they can pick up from their partner. It's a different experience to see your loved one writhing beneath you, face flushed with exertion, chest heaving...and pounding away at a dead fuck, gaze vacant, unresponsive, a piece of meat that might barely be alive. And, more importantly, the question is: is this sexy? The characters have an investment in the act that they are taking place in, and whether the sex is good or not for them is an important aspect into whether the sex is good or not for the reader. If the viewpoint shows a character is frustrated or excited, the reader picks up on that, and they can empathize with the character. Usually, this is where writers are allowed a bit of license to delve into the character's psyches a little bit - are they worried about getting knocked up? Are they closing in on an orgasm? Does it hurt and they want to stop? Have they always wanted this, or is it a heat of the moment and sudden need takes them, suppressing their normal inhibitions? Do What You Do Best This is something that not enough writers get told: not everyone is equally good at all aspects of writing. If you're good at description, focus on that. If you're good at dialogue and dirty talk, focus the scene on that. Some people really get into going into microscopic detail about the state of the asshole as its getting pounded, others want to feel the love connecting their characters together as their oneness is bridged in a glorious physical union (or some other metaphorical appeal) - and that's all fine. The thing is, readers sense when you are getting bored or disinterested. If you can't write a scene that appeals to you and what you want to write, then maybe it's time to step back and brainstorm how you can make the scene interesting to you. Part of this is just knowing what you like and what you're good at - or at least, what you're comfortable doing. Focus on that first - the sexual action, the mechanics of it, need not be the ultimate driver for the scene if what you want to write about is the emotional connection that two people feel from coming together; the lovey-dovey stuff doesn't have to get in the way if what you're really interested in is the visual of a gaping anus being distended to its utmost point, rim pink and taut around the intruding member as it quivers at the very brink of snapping. What you want from the scene is important, and you need to write in such a way as to satisfy yourself as well the needs of the story and the audience. Drafts Not everybody likes doing multiple drafts. Sexy writing often relies on getting in and maintaining a certain mood throughout the piece; this can be hard to do if you get up and walk away from it. Many people if they don't finish a scene or a chapter in a single session just never end up finishing it. That being said, this is one of those times where outlining can be advantageous, especially if it's a chapter you're having trouble writing. Break the scene down into the individual actions. Decide how you want to approach things. Write out the parts that you really want to write first - the dialogue, a specific visual, etc. - and then you already have a roadmap for how to bring those different pieces of writing together. If you want a character to be gagging on a cock at the opening and same cock to be stuffed up a cunt at the end, write those two parts of the scene as the mood takes you - but then you can figure out how to bridge them together. It's often a lot easier to work those transitions once the important parts of a scene are written, and it's often easier to work on small chunks than it is to face a big blank page. If you know the cock has to get out of the mouth and into the pussy, then you already know that some form of withdrawal and insertion has to take place - and with all the details that involves. How is it done? What do the participants experience? Is it slow or fast? A transition might only be a sentence or it might be a couple paragraphs, but you can approach it like writing a sex scene in miniature. Threesomes, foursomes, and moresomes Character logistics are really difficult the more characters you have. Take a gander at any given orgy on Pornhub: the camera can't cover all the action at the same time, and neither can the participants. While multiple-partner sex scenes can be exciting, they also require a lot of logistics on the part of the writer to keep the different participants distinct and to present the action in a way that the reader can follow. Generally, it's a good idea to focus on some smaller section of the action, and then shift the focus from there - whether gradually or abruptly, according to your own style - give a sense of the larger action, but don't feel the need to bog the reader down in clinical detail of what every character is doing and feeling every moment. Give the sense of the multiple-partner sex, with all of its fun and heat and confusion. Pacing This is a heavily individual concept, but it's something to focus on if you really want a sex scene to shine: how fast is the action? Most sex doesn't start with the individuals involved plunging in full-throttle and climaxing within seconds. There's usually a lead-up, the pace quickens, they fall into a pattern, it speeds up again as they approach climax - and then after climax, it rapidly falls off. That's a typical pattern, but it need not be how you approach it in your own story. Sex can be slow, you can take your time, let the characters explore each other - or they can rip off their clothes and pound away like mad, lost in sudden lust. Most sex scenes should last at least a couple of paragraphs, some might go on for chapter after chapter. A sex scene that a reader has to scroll through is easier to do one-handed than one they have to click through (generally speaking). Shorter, simpler sentences are easier and faster to read than longer, more complicated sentences. A large part of pacing is as simple as keeping that kind of thing in mind as you write. Longer descriptive scenes slow the pace, but give the writer plenty of opportunity to elaborate on mood, inner life, feelings, and physical sensations. Shorter descriptive scenes the reader burns through faster, and more stuff happens in fewer words. Controlling the pacing of a story can be really tricky, and often it's a real accomplishment to build the reader up to a false peak, then take a little break, then build them up again.A scene that starts with a massage (slow) might proceed to a finger in a hole (speeding up), and then there's a mental break where the massagee reflects on the feeling of themselves wrapped around the intruding digit(s), and then the action picks up a notch as the person doing the fingering inserts something bigger and passages get shorter again. Keep transitions in mind with pacing as well! There's a world of difference between a scene where the lovers disengage so that they can go from missionary to doggy-style, to a scene where in one swift movement the person being pounded throws the person doing the pounding on their back to ride to victory (missionary to cowgirl). Language Sexy language is fun. Most of us have our own personal default vocabulary for what to call various bits and pieces of anatomy and associated sexual fluids, toys, etc. It doesn't matter if you call it a dick, cock, penis, peter, pecker, schlong, sausage, prick, raging manhood, or whatever...except when it does. Using the same words too often, especially with the same verbs and in close succession, can get repetitive and boring for the reader, especially in the raw mechanics of sexytimes. This is really a case where proofreading is helpful, along with a thesaurus, but in general it pays to just be aware not just what you are writing, but how you are writing it. A nice trick I sometimes use is the "escalating term" - start out with a fairly innocuous term (manhood, johnson) and as the action heats up, gradually work in dirtier and more explicit terminology (cock, dick); this words with adjectives too ("rising -> erect -> towering" for example), although too much adjectivitis is a sin...which I am occasionally guilty of. Stealing If you find a particular bit in a sex scene that works for you - in your own writing or that of another - take it and play with it. Figure out why it is exciting, what combination of character, scene, language, and action does it for you. Play around with reframing it in your own words, changing out one term for another, one character for another. Remember that it is totally cool and fair to use someone else's idea, it is the expression of that idea that you have to make your own to use it in your own writing. If there's a particular image you particularly like about Catwoman tracing Batman's crotch, wondering aloud how he opens it to relieve himself, seductively searching for the hidden zipper...take it. Use it. But make it your own. This is important both because plagiarism is bad, but because it forces you to be that little bit more creative - how do you draw that image out? How do you make it that one little bit nastier, more seductive, more in fitting with your image of the characters? There's a lot more to be said on the subject, but I think that might be a start. Please feel free to critique, jeer, contradict, add on to, or comment.
I'm sorry! I've been holding this since you posted this guide and i cannot do it anymore. It had to go free!
Why isn't this pinned or something? This is really also advice and the whole reason I started that thread was because I didn't know where was a previous one?
You'd have to ask someone like @Friedman to pin it - I don't have that capability - and I don't know if it comes up enough to warrant being pinned.
Here's another tip: Finish your sex scenes in one go! If you can't go from foreplay to nut in one session, it's probably too long anyway. I have been blocked for years now because all my stories are stuck midway through a sex scene that I can't finish properly.
That's part of it, but I mean more literally "get from foreplay to nut in one writing session". You can always go back and polish it up later, but you should aim to have a complete sexual act done and publishable in a single go. Pacing is pretty subjective, but when writing smut, you kind of have to ride a wave of excitement and it's hard to get into the zone midway through the act.
Question for the floor here: What do you think of the bolded? My personal preference is that a single session with a single person should be resolved in a single chapter. If the main character changes partners or otherwise takes the action somewhere else, then sure, but otherwise a choice point or a chapter break disrupts the flow for me. Triply so if the follow-up chapter isn't yet published and it dead ends there.
Personally, I prefer for the sex scene to be done in a single chapter. Having to click through kinda kills the mood for me.
One of my published sex scenes goes on for 9241 words, and two more in the same story last 8735 and 7947 words, respectively. Does that count as 1 chapter? (I know, I have a problem. Send help!)
Personal tastes and the needs of the story dictate pacing and length of a sex scene. The main reason to break a sex scene into multiple chapters is if there is a choice that needs to be made mid-scene...change of position, where to ejaculate, coitus interruptus, surprise challenger arrives, etc.
My favorite trick, is to use gifs. Even if I don't embed the gif in, if I don't know what I want for a sex scene, I'll look up gifs, then put them in order, then just describe what I see. Pretty helpful, really.
There is a risk in that, though: video is a visual medium (gasp!), and what looks good isn't necessarily the same as what reads well.
I agree with that, although the benefit of using a gif is that you at least know human beings can achieve that position lol
