Story or sex?

[Zenith77]

Hey,

Assuming a typical-ish 10k word story, how many of those 10k words would typically be a sex scene?

What balance of 'story' vs 'blouse popping, breeches ripping, gettin' it on' do you feel is best received on Lit.?

I guess this may be based on the category in which you write - and obviously is a bit of a how-long-is-a-piece-of-string question, but curious as to what folks' experiences are in terms of how well their stories are received.

Thanks,
Z

 

[ElectricBlue]

As many words as you want.

There is no "typical" answer to this - every writer, every story, is different. I wouldn't have a clue what percentage of my stories is a sex scene, and it would never occur to me to ask. I don't think it's got anything to do with how well a story is received.

 

[oggbashan]

10,000 words that is just a single sex scene with NO story can do very well.

For Literotica, the sex should be integral and essential to the story. That is one thing I'm very bad at. Either the sex ias optional, detachable without affecting the story, or it is almost non-existent.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

What counts as 'sex'? If the characters are thinking about sex or talking about it, does that count?

My stories tend to include a lot of that. Most seem to end up about 12k words, with maybe a couple k of definite sex scene, usually more than one. The people who like my writing really like them, lots of compliments about hot caring sex and the dialogue - but lots of people want something else.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Hey,

Assuming a typical-ish 10k word story, how many of those 10k words would typically be a sex scene?

What balance of 'story' vs 'blouse popping, breeches ripping, gettin' it on' do you feel is best received on Lit.?

I guess this may be based on the category in which you write - and obviously is a bit of a how-long-is-a-piece-of-string question, but curious as to what folks' experiences are in terms of how well their stories are received.

Thanks,
Z

I don't write many 10K word stories, but I do have several 75K and longer stories without any sex scenes in them which do quite well on Literotica.

Yes, erotica is at the heart of what this site promotes, but don't get too hung up on all the readers coming here strictly for the chance to whack off to one story or another. Tell the tale that you want, the way that you want.

 

[Voboy]

The other posters have it covered, but as a frame of reference, my usual fuckscene runs, oh, about 2,500-4,000 words. It's HIGHLY dependent on which characters are doing things, and what it is they're doing.

 

[PastMaster]

If you have a story to tell, tell it. Forcing a sex scene in because you think that you need one every so many chapters or thousands of words isn't imho a recipe for a good story. Strangely if you have a good plot - i've found that the sex just gets in the way. but tell your story your way and people will like it, and other people will hate it. And if you have an ounce of sense you won't care in either direction - because you will have told your story.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Category definitely matters. Most of my stories have been in Romance, Novels and Novellas or Lesbian. I’d estimate that none contains more than about 10% explicitly sexual content. My average score is 4.80, so that has not been an impediment to reader appreciation.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

I'll try to help you with my own experience. I started with stories/chapters of about 10-12k words. I'd say that about 35-40% of that amount was sex or direct prelude to sex (with maybe some things that weren't exactly sex, but were intertwined in it)
After some time I started reducing the sex percentage, and focusing more on the plot and drama/character/world building.

 

[SimonDoom]

There's no magic formula, but based on a total story length of 10,000 words I'd say my climactic sex scene would probably be around a third of that. Maybe a bit less.

I agree with people who say there's no ideal way, but on the other hand I have received negative feedback from readers who felt the final sex scene was too short and didn't quite do justice to a story they otherwise liked. I think it's important to go out "with a bang" so to speak. So don't give your sex scene short shrift.

 

[tnhardon]

Hey,

Assuming a typical-ish 10k word story, how many of those 10k words would typically be a sex scene?

What balance of 'story' vs 'blouse popping, breeches ripping, gettin' it on' do you feel is best received on Lit.?

I guess this may be based on the category in which you write - and obviously is a bit of a how-long-is-a-piece-of-string question, but curious as to what folks' experiences are in terms of how well their stories are received.

Thanks,
Z

A lot of it depends on the genre and what type of story you are trying to build. For me, most of my “stories” are chapters of a larger story. I’ve had a few chapters that were mostly sex, but have made up for that in chapters that were mostly story.

The way I view it, the story is mental foreplay for the reader. Why should they be invested? Why are they going to get aroused? Why are they going to want to keep reading on?

In a non-visual medium, the story is honestly more important than the sex. In porn, you can make up for no/little story by having a really hot sex scene or very attractive person. In erotica, you have to build out the reasons for the sexual energy with your words.

I’d say there isn’t a perfect ratio, but I’d lean more heavily on story.

 

[SimonDoom]

One more thing: the division in an erotic story between sex and non-sex often is not clear cut. I write sex stories, as opposed to stories with sex. That means that the sexual encounter is the main point of the story, and everything that happens before it is leading up to it. Sometimes the buildup is the steamiest and most fun part of the story to write, and, for some readers, to read. For instance, in one story of mine about mom and son under the blanket, I had a reader tell me in a comment that "You had me cumming the moment his finger went over his panties!" I felt like I must have done something right when I read that.

Depending on the category or kink, almost anything in an erotic story can be the "sex": a massage, a footrub, wandering naked down a street, rope play, masturbation. If it makes somebody come, it's sex, is my motto. I think of an erotic story as a continuous process of erotic buildup, followed by release, as opposed to non-sex + sex.

 

[Rob_Royale]

That means that the sexual encounter is the main point of the story and everything that happens before it, is leading up to it. Sometimes the buildup is the steamiest and most fun part of the story to write, and, for some readers, to read.

Yep, what he said. This is how my stories are as well. Readers seem to like it.

 

[KeithD]

Assuming a typical-ish 10k word story, how many of those 10k words would typically be a sex scene?

Ideal formula-seeking like this is not how fiction works--when it's working well. Are you wishing to be a successful fiction writer or a statistician? If fiction writer, you'll need to loosen up and expand your horizons.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Written properly (perfectly, which is light-years ahead of my ability), it is all erotic, every last word adds to the sizzle. Standing in the sleet at a bus stop, properly written, leads the reader down an irresistible path to ecstasy.

A writer may dream…

 

[EmilyMiller]

Hey,

Assuming a typical-ish 10k word story, how many of those 10k words would typically be a sex scene?

What balance of 'story' vs 'blouse popping, breeches ripping, gettin' it on' do you feel is best received on Lit.?

I guess this may be based on the category in which you write - and obviously is a bit of a how-long-is-a-piece-of-string question, but curious as to what folks' experiences are in terms of how well their stories are received.

Thanks,
Z

I’ve written 10k+ pieces where 10k+ (or at least 9k+) of them are sex scenes. Then I’ve written a few that had less sex, or led up to one main sex scene. There is no right and wrong.

Em

 

[gunhilltrain]

10,000 words that is just a single sex scene with NO story can do very well.

For Literotica, the sex should be integral and essential to the story. That is one thing I'm very bad at. Either the sex ias optional, detachable without affecting the story, or it is almost non-existent.

I've never seen one of those yet (the no story idea), although I don't do a vast amount of reading on here. I don't think I've written a stand-alone story of more than 9.000 words, and most are quite a bit less than that.

No, a story on a Lit doesn't have to be anything, integral or essential. What you are publishing now is absolutely fine. Likely it's better than the single sex scene story you mentioned above. Yet if somebody else wants to do that, it's fine too.

 

[TadOverdon]

If I'm five hundred words in and sex hasn't come up, I'm in trouble.

 

[gunhilltrain]

If I'm five hundred words in and sex hasn't come up, I'm in trouble.

As I implied above, no, you're not in trouble. You could be at 1,000 words in and it still wouldn't matter. Although maybe you were being tongue-in-cheek and I didn't catch it.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Written properly (perfectly, which is light-years ahead of my ability), it is all erotic, every last word adds to the sizzle. Standing in the sleet at a bus stop, properly written, leads the reader down an irresistible path to ecstasy.

A writer may dream…

This.

I've done my bus stop scene, in rain not sleet, with one erotic sentence. Kept readers going to chapter six!

 

[Emilymcplugger]

Hey,

Assuming a typical-ish 10k word story, how many of those 10k words would typically be a sex scene?

What balance of 'story' vs 'blouse popping, breeches ripping, gettin' it on' do you feel is best received on Lit.?

I guess this may be based on the category in which you write - and obviously is a bit of a how-long-is-a-piece-of-string question, but curious as to what folks' experiences are in terms of how well their stories are received.

Thanks,
Z

I’ve just read a story SABLE ISLAND and that had build up that lasted about 6-7 pages, another story THE PLAY had a build up with the main characters to 7-8 and POLY AT THE POLY had build up in about half the story.

It also depends on the story, currently as I am working on a sex version of HOT FUZZ (imaginatively called HOT AND FUZZY) there’s a lot more story in this one that there was in ALL THE DEVILS WERE HERE which is about 70% sex.

There’s no right answers but if there’s no sex there needs to be story, character and build-up, as long as you have these your readers will stay with you.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

My latest longer stories have all been slow burns. The comments I'm getting tells me that a lot of readers love the build up. I have written quite a few quicky 'wham bams.' But it seems a lot of readers enjoy the flirting and anticipation of what's to come, before their clothes finally come off.

 

[gunhilltrain]

This.

I've done my bus stop scene, in rain not sleet, with one erotic sentence. Kept readers going to chapter six!

Hard to say. There has to be a build-up and there should be an "aftermath" too. Every last word adds to the sizzle? Maybe, maybe not. Ecstasy? Sometimes, as in real life, one or both people think in the aftermath, "What the hell have I just done?" Usually, in a stand-alone story, they've resolved that issue by the end (or appear to be resolving it). In one story I had, it's a complete disaster for one of the characters. Often, in a series, everything is going fine until there is a sudden break-up at the end. That's like real life too in any time after about 1965 or so.

 

[Bramblethorn]

The average US family has about 1.9 children, but that doesn't make it a number anybody should aim for. If you get my drift.

 

[Comshaw]

Hey,

Assuming a typical-ish 10k word story, how many of those 10k words would typically be a sex scene?

What balance of 'story' vs 'blouse popping, breeches ripping, gettin' it on' do you feel is best received on Lit.?

I guess this may be based on the category in which you write - and obviously is a bit of a how-long-is-a-piece-of-string question, but curious as to what folks' experiences are in terms of how well their stories are received.

Thanks,
Z

It depends. I have stories that have sex in them from beginning to end, a continuous fuck fest if you will. I also have some that have one or maybe two sex scenes that are there only to enhance the storyline. It all depends on two things: what my deviant little brain comes up with and where the characters in the story want to take it. I don't write too a formula. I never was one to follow the rules or color inside the lines.

Comshaw