Sex Scenes

[Bebop3]

Hi,

I know that this is a hugely subjective question and that answers will vary widely but...

For you personally, what do you think is 'reasonable' amount of active, descriptive sexual encounters in a story?

I know that it will vary from one genre to another and from style to style (ie. stories in the Mature section may have less than those in the Group Sex section and short, wall to wall 'stroke' stories may have more than longer, 'romantic' stories).

Whatever your thoughts are, they'd be appreciated.

Thanks!

[NotWise]

Originally Posted by Bebop3

For you personally, what do you think is 'reasonable' amount of active, descriptive sexual encounters in a story?

I know that it will vary from one genre to another and from style to style (ie. stories in the Mature section may have less than those in the Group Sex section and short, wall to wall 'stroke' stories may have more than longer, 'romantic' stories).

I think you answered your own question.

[sr71plt]

Three and a half. Mine with that get the best reading reception on that great literary site, Literotica.

[jehoram]

One.

That's the story. If there is more than one sexual encounter, then it's more than one story.

And, yes, I know that I break that rule all the time.

[SimonDoom]

I don't think there's an answer to the question. It depends on the type of the story, and how long it is.

My stories generally follow a pattern of buildup and then sex. But several of them have multiple sexual incidents or encounters, usually of increasing intensity or length, so there's a sense of building to a "climax", as it were. And there are people who will say that it's good to begin with a sexual incident right off the bat, to get the readers hooked.

My personal approach to this issue -- maybe not for everybody -- is that I think about the ending and how I want to get there. If, once I've figured out the ending, I think it will take several sexual episodes to get to it, then that's what I write. But if not, then I don't.

Length is a big factor. If it's a 2 Lit page story then you don't have a lot of room for multiple sexual incidents without skimping on the buildup and other stuff between sex. But if it's a long story of several Lit pages or more you might tax the reader's patience by having no sex until the end, unless you have a really, really good buildup.

[Bramblethorn]

Some of my best-received stories here have had no explicit sex at all. It's possible for a scenario to be erotic without any graphic details, by virtue of the setup and context. I've had enough sex to be fairly familiar with how it works; I'm generally far more interested in the why.

But I hear it's also possible for a story to rate well even if it has a lot of sex in it ;-)

[jaF0]

Originally Posted by Bebop3

Hi,

I know that this is a hugely subjective question and that answers will vary widely but...

For you personally, what do you think is 'reasonable' amount of active, descriptive sexual encounters in a story?

Couple of paragraphs for each session in a story. I'm more into the lead up than the bumpin' uglies.

Originally Posted by sr71plt

Three and a half. Mine with that get the best reading reception on that great literary site, Literotica.

Speaking about "half", in another thread you mentioned that the Gay Male genre had "one and a half" categories... Which is the half?

[oggbashan]

As much sex as is necessary to tell the story.

The sex should be integral to the plot. If the sex can be deleted without wrecking the story, then the sex is a diversion. If you can write the story with [insert sex here] it probably isn't a good story for Literotica.

A Lit story can be erotic with the sex being obvious. A Lit story can be nothing but a series of sex scenes and be popular and highly rated. That doesn't make it a bad story. Literotica has audiences for in your face sex and for subtle teasing.

Whatever works is right.

[sr71plt]

Originally Posted by EquinoxRising

Speaking about "half", in another thread you mentioned that the Gay Male genre had "one and a half" categories... Which is the half?

Crossdresser and Transvestite. Straights do this; it isn't necessarily a gay thing. But stories about gays who do it are accepted by the readers of this category, so I give it half of a GM category in my own accounting.

[sr71plt]

Originally Posted by SimonDoom

My stories generally follow a pattern of buildup and then sex. But several of them have multiple sexual incidents or encounters, usually of increasing intensity or length, so there's a sense of building to a "climax", as it were.

Also, the climax of a story, even one with a lot of sex in it, doesn't necessarily have to come with a sexual climax. The story can resolve after all of the sex is over.

Originally Posted by sr71plt

Crossdresser and Transvestite. Straights do this; it isn't necessarily a gay thing. But stories about gays who do it are accepted by the readers of this category, so I give it half of a GM category in my own accounting.

Ah. Got'cha.

[bigmane]

Erm, strippers.

I'm not a very complex guy, just straightforward.

You know the old burlesque thing?

Well that, and some sex after.

[Bebop3]

Thank you, everyone.

I appreciate the input.

[SimonDoom]

Originally Posted by sr71plt

Also, the climax of a story, even one with a lot of sex in it, doesn't necessarily have to come with a sexual climax. The story can resolve after all of the sex is over.

That's true. In my stories, the "sex", broadly defined, usually is the driving force of the story, so it's intertwined with the climax. But it doesn't have to be that way.

[Hypoxia]

Originally Posted by oggbashan

As much sex as is necessary to tell the story.

The sex should be integral to the plot. If the sex can be deleted without wrecking the story, then the sex is a diversion. If you can write the story with [insert sex here] it probably isn't a good story for Literotica.

A Lit story can be erotic with the sex being obvious. A Lit story can be nothing but a series of sex scenes and be popular and highly rated. That doesn't make it a bad story. Literotica has audiences for in your face sex and for subtle teasing.

Whatever works is right.

Quite right. I'll toss in my triage:

Non-Erotica: Sex is not integral to the story.
Erotica: Sex is integral to the story.
Pr0n: Sex IS the story.

My best-received tale is a novella with exactly ONE brief explicit sex scene but much romantic buildup. My next-highest scorer is a fuckathon. No rule exists. Each story is (hopefully) different.

Sex in a mostly-non-erotic story can build pleasant texture or can distract from other action... but maybe you WANT that distraction, while you trick your readers. You could even include a distractive sex scene to every story as your authorial signature. Maybe find reason in every story to mention that Diogenes masturbated in public.