Do you favour sex scenes or sensual buildup ?

[Bubo_bubo]

One last warning about content. Even though sex is central in this series, there’s plot and scene setting and character development. It’s for people who, like me, might find settings and situations more arousing than the actual mechanics of the deed. Who watch only the first ten minutes and the last two or three minutes of a 50-minute video on Pornhub in full, and hippity-skip through the rest of it.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Write your sex as you'd want your sex.

But… but… we don’t get paid for writing Lit stories!

OK, my bad. I just couldn’t resist.

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

For me, it’s always about story first as a reader and a writer. I’m drawn to erotica because I love to read about love, lust, infatuation, and sex in the broader context of the human condition, how they all fit in alongside the other messy parts of us.

I think that’s probably a minority opinion amongst the readers here. Most people seem to want straightforward fantasy-fulfillment stroke material.

That being said, there can be an art form to writing a pure sex story that reveals character and conflict in amongst the action. Which leads me to your second question…

Wow, thanks for all the answers. This is helpful as I learn and try to improve.

I have another spin on my original question.

How in-depth would you recommend the sex scenes to be? I have mixed feelings when my writing describes the actual sex scenes as a sequence of events.

First, she sucks the massive cock, then he spins her around and does her doggy; she cums, he cums. Woohoo. It all feels so mechanical and repetitive, even when I try to add thoughts, emotions, apprehensions, and anticipations.

As a (very) amateur writer, this has proven to be my biggest struggle.

To me, the best sex scenes are the ones that manage to continue to tell the story and reveal the characters. There are only so many variations on descriptions of sexual acts. What makes a scene both unique and memorable is the interaction between characters beyond what they’re doing with their body parts. What are they saying to each other? Who is taking the lead and how/when/why does it shift? What do we learn about their personalities, emotional states, or investment in the encounter/their partner through how they engage and react? Too many writers stop the story completely when a sex scene starts, only to pick it up again after the orgasms.

Learning how to continue to tell the story through sex is one of the most important things a smut writer can work on.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

For me, it’s always about story first as a reader and a writer. I’m drawn to erotica because I love to read about love, lust, infatuation, and sex in the broader context of the human condition, how they all fit in alongside the other messy parts of us.

I think that’s probably a minority opinion amongst the readers here. Most people seem to want straightforward fantasy-fulfillment stroke material.

That being said, there can be an art form to writing a pure sex story that reveals character and conflict in amongst the action. Which leads me to your second question…



To me, the best sex scenes are the ones that manage to continue to tell the story and reveal the characters. There are only so many variations on descriptions of sexual acts. What makes a scene both unique and memorable is the interaction between characters beyond what they’re doing with their body parts. What are they saying to each other? Who is taking the lead and how/when/why does it shift? What do we learn about their personalities, emotional states, or investment in the encounter/their partner through how they engage and react? Too many writers stop the story completely when a sex scene starts, only to pick it up again after the orgasms.

Learning how to continue to tell the story through sex is one of the most important things a smut writer can work on.

Something you touch on here…is how to touch on things that are emotional as well as touching on things that are physical.

Every act, be it sexy or not always comes with a point of view. Some sex writing can also have emotional stakes in that doing something can jeopardise a relationship, create a new one, be a source of conflict or drive a character forward.

It’s not all OOH’s and AAH’s on the physical side of things, it’s how we as authors can make someone feel conflicted or worried as well as we can make them horny.

A scene I am writing at the minute of a married man taking part in group sex contains that conflict as well as his enjoyment of the moment.

Write the emotion as well as the motion, maybe.

Or don’t.

The choice is yours.

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

Something you touch on here…is how to touch on things that are emotional as well as touching on things that are physical.

Every act, be it sexy or not always comes with a point of view. Some sex writing can also have emotional stakes in that doing something can jeopardise a relationship, create a new one, be a source of conflict or drive a character forward.

It’s not all OOH’s and AAH’s on the physical side of things, it’s how we as authors can make someone feel conflicted or worried as well as we can make them horny.

A scene I am writing at the minute of a married man taking part in group sex contains that conflict as well as his enjoyment of the moment.

Write the emotion as well as the motion, maybe.

Or don’t.

The choice is yours.

My most recent story has a very difficult sex scene where a character’s inner conflicts and quite possibly traumas come out and make the whole thing as unsettling as it is intense. It was tough to write, but worthwhile, for me at least.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Both have their place. I've written both and happy to read either. My characters do tend to either start mid-sex or risk taking 5000 words to get it together.

What disappoints me though is when a long work introduces interesting characters, they get it on with a hot sex scene, plot happens - but there's more sex scenes which are simply a repeat of the first, no real reason to tell me about them, no character or plot revealed in them. I've read a few series recently where I start skimming over the sex scenes because they've become boring, but the story is worth a read.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

My most recent story has a very difficult sex scene where a character’s inner conflicts and quite possibly traumas come out and make the whole thing as unsettling as it is intense. It was tough to write, but worthwhile, for me at least.

Yeah, that’s where the story-telling comes in. In “All the Devils are here” part 2 I had to write a non-consent scene that was pretty nasty and I had to come back at it over several days as it turned my stomach when writing it (it was even tougher to edit) because I liked the characters that much, but without it, there was no story.

I guess that’s how viewpoint can change something from just being physical description to being emotionally connecting.

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

Both have their place. I've written both and happy to read either. My characters do tend to either start mid-sex or risk taking 5000 words to get it together.

What disappoints me though is when a long work introduces interesting characters, they get it on with a hot sex scene, plot happens - but there's more sex scenes which are simply a repeat of the first, no real reason to tell me about them, no character or plot revealed in them. I've read a few series recently where I start skimming over the sex scenes because they've become boring, but the story is worth a read.

Your work, especially Educating Laura, is a fantastic example of how to bring personalities into sex. Your characters bring their quirks and needs and insecurities and wit into the bedroom, which makes it fun and unique to read. Whatever physical activities they’re getting up to, it never seems rote.

 

[ElectricBlue]

But… but… we don’t get paid for writing Lit stories!

OK, my bad. I just couldn’t resist.

EB looked at TP closely. He'd read her post several times to ascertain her meaning, but to be honest, he still wasn't sure. Nevertheless, he searched in his pocket and found a dollar...

Moving right along - the notion that well developed characters usually end up with robust and interesting sex is wholehearted supported.

And as usual, someone else always says it better:

So good
by yarnspinnerr on 03/22/2020
Your writing is so detailed. You draw the reader into the story, the moods and emotions of the characters. I could almost smell the sex ;->

 

[stickygirl]

To me sex in a story is better later. But then I try and drop a bit of nudity, a flash or something earlier on to at least let people know I am not writing as a prude?

But then I don't write stroke fiction.

Some will like the double D's bouncing as the equally large buttocks wobble and bounce as they rhythmically glide up and down on a humungous glistening shaft in the second paragraph. Otherwise, the readers move on.

I am lucky if my protagonist has opened the front door by paragraph two. I am too busy describing the granite chippings on gravel driveway.

Does your reader want to know the characters or just their sexual exploits?

Different things float different boats. My latest story had no sex or nudity at all. Plenty of build-up mind you. Might explain why its tanking in the Halloween challenge!

I have always been told. Write for yourself on the hope that someone else enjoys? We are doing this for free?

B

God, I love hearing about granite chippings. In my latest she 'shuffles the wet autumn leaves to find the gravel beneath' because texture and smell are erotic too. Have you ever put a granite chip in your mouth - it's erotic.
Gonna check out your stories Baz

 

[stickygirl]

Done properly, the buildup can be as erotic as the mattress-straining sex. I flatter myself in thinking that I manage that once in a while.

Had to read that twice when I saw 'mattress-staining sex'. Not something you'd normally brag about

 

[Bubo_bubo]

Had to read that twice when I saw 'mattress-staining sex'. Not something you'd normally brag about

Preparation is important!
https://cf.girlsaskguys.com/q3562335/b85ca14c-b636-4be1-9b79-3820d0f20445-m-thumb.jpg

 

[Emilymcplugger]

Had to read that twice when I saw 'mattress-staining sex'. Not something you'd normally brag about

One of best stories I ever read features sex sounds from two rooms whilst two frustrated people are in the living room so mattress-straining sex is a pretty neat description.

 

[Bazzle]

God, I love hearing about granite chippings. In my latest she 'shuffles the wet autumn leaves to find the gravel beneath' because texture and smell are erotic too. Have you ever put a granite chip in your mouth - it's erotic.
Gonna check out your stories Baz

Here is a random fact about eating rocks.
To tell the difference between sandstone, mudstone and siltstone...if you lick them, you can feel the size of the particle on your tongue and work out which one it is!

 

[PennameWombat]

I'm certain this has been asked before, but I can't quite find the answer in older threads.

Do you prefer stories that focus on the buildup dynamics that lead to the sex scene or on the explicit sex scenes? Perhaps both? I'd like answers from different points of view :

POV 1: As an author.
POV 2: As a reader.
POV 3: In your experience, what seems to be the general preference of the lit community

I've got a few unfinished stories drafted, any help would be great. I always wonder how detailed I should be in the sex scenes themselves.

Many of my most popular stories don’t end with a sex scene. Quite a few of them don’t even have explicit sex in the latter parts of stories. But this depends on the story. One of my most popular stories has essentially no explicit sex in it, two scenes that I think of as ‘R’ rated (US movie ratings.) It’s a long story at 35,000 words, so it’s not the sex that keeps people reading.

I have some where sex is the culmination of a growing relationship of some sort. Others, have sex quite steady through the stories.

As to preference of the ‘community,’ there is none. I had one comment that said “this is litEROTICA,” because they felt I’d taken too long to get to the sex. But others liked plenty of build-up.

It’s simple. Write the stories you want to write, don’t try to chase or anticipate exactly what the audience wants. Not everyone will like every one of your stories.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Your work, especially Educating Laura, is a fantastic example of how to bring personalities into sex. Your characters bring their quirks and needs and insecurities and wit into the bedroom, which makes it fun and unique to read. Whatever physical activities they’re getting up to, it never seems rote.

Flattery is always appreciated but won't make the outstanding chapters come along any faster, I'm afraid! (Anyone want to pay my mortgage off for me? Anyone? Bueller?)

 

[alohadave]

Wow, thanks for all the answers. This is helpful as I learn and try to improve.

I have another spin on my original question.

How in-depth would you recommend the sex scenes to be? I have mixed feelings when my writing describes the actual sex scenes as a sequence of events.

First, she sucks the massive cock, then he spins her around and does her doggy; she cums, he cums. Woohoo. It all feels so mechanical and repetitive, even when I try to add thoughts, emotions, apprehensions, and anticipations.

As a (very) amateur writer, this has proven to be my biggest struggle.

I'm writing my first story now, and the scenes are feeling mechanical to me as well. I'm trying to flesh them out with descriptions and thoughts rather than a just a list of actions that happens.

I'm sure I'll be revisiting them more than once to work on them.

 

[AWhoopsieDaisy]

I'm an oddball, it takes quite a lot to convince me two characters have good enough chemistry that they'd even consider fucking. So the characters have to have a lot more going on both as individuals but also as a dynamic for me to give a shit about what they're doing in bed.

Sensual buildup = boring
Sex = boring
Plot and character motive = interesting

 

[Bramblethorn]

I'm certain this has been asked before, but I can't quite find the answer in older threads.

Do you prefer stories that focus on the buildup dynamics that lead to the sex scene or on the explicit sex scenes? Perhaps both? I'd like answers from different points of view :

POV 1: As an author.
POV 2: As a reader.
POV 3: In your experience, what seems to be the general preference of the lit community

I've got a few unfinished stories drafted, any help would be great. I always wonder how detailed I should be in the sex scenes themselves.

I'm interested in the interplay between characters. In a lot of stories, that interplay pretty much ends at the point where the "buildup" ends and the "sex scene" begins, but it doesn't have to.

 

[sixfoot4]

build up is good, but not if it means speed reading through way too much 'scene setting' just to get to the arousing bit. i mean, this is Literotica, clue's in the name.

 

[TheRedChamber]

build up is good, but not if it means speed reading through way too much 'scene setting' just to get to the arousing bit. i mean, this is Literotica, clue's in the name.

I mean, on occasion I've found myself speed reading through the sex just to get back to the plot.

I might just be Literoticing wrong though.

 

[sixfoot4]

I mean, on occasion I've found myself speed reading through the sex just to get back to the plot.

I might just be Literoticing wrong though.

Whatever floats your boat!

 

[Amy_66]

Do you favor ​

A) sex scenes or ​

B) sensual buildup or​

C) Falling into a pit and trying to figure out how you got there?​

I just like having an idea where the story is going before I invest my time in reading it.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I think it's important for you as a writer to write the story in a way that turns you on. It gives you a personal link to the characters and the story. Do this and your work will find its audience. I feel the work is naturally better this way because as a writer I want to be entertained by it too and I put more effort into it. I will never write something that I'm not turned on by.

To answer your question. Both, sorta. I prefer a build-up that leads to multiple sex scenes. I establish the characters and the setting, then begin with the attraction, the eye contact, the flirting, the first kiss, the first touch, etc. Then after they have consummated the relationship, the intensity of the sex ramps up, over multiple couplings, and the final sex scene is epic. Well, I try for epic anyway. The jury is still out.

I think sex scenes should be explicit but not necessarily overly descriptive. If a character says another character has a beautiful cock, I think that's plenty as we all have a different idea of what that is, and my brain can copy and paste that into the scene without difficulty. However, how that strapping fellow is using said cock, should be descriptive.

As a reader, I feel the same way. As for the lit community, I can't say. I'm pretty new here too.

 

[KeithD]

Why would I have to choose just one?