Build up vrs. Sex Scene

[Kantarii]

I myself enjoy that pass time of writing. The stories I write tend to focus more on the overall story and don’t jump to the sex right away. At least, nothing I’ve written in the last two years. Anyway, other than that, it’s the build up and mood I put into my stories I enjoy the most about writing. To me, it makes the sex scenes that much better when they happen.

Am I the only one that appreciates the “build up” to the sex?Kant

 

[TarnishedPenny]

By and large, I agree. Mood is very important.

 

[PuckIt]

Heh. According to some, I do so much build up the sex is anti-climactic.

Still trying to decide if my prowess in the bedroom has been insulted.

But, yeah. Whether I'm writing or reading, I prefer to know more than a bit about the two (or more) people who are going to be "bumping uglies." To me, it makes it a little better to know that when the sex arrives, it's a bit more than two (or more!) people using each other's bodies for a toy in what is little more than a masturbatory session. That there is some emotional and psychological investment behind it as well.

And, thanks, Kantarii. Was starting to wonder if I was even stranger than we all already know I am.

 

[Handley_Page]

By and large, I agree. Mood is very important.

Amen to that

 

[SimonDoom]

In erotica, context and buildup are everything. Or, if not quite everything, a big chunk of what makes a story erotic. My stories vary in the time they take to get to the sex. I have had a few readers tell me they thought I hurried through the sex a little too quickly after taking a leisurely time getting to it.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I have described my work as having possibly the lowest wanks per word ratio on Lit, so you can surmise where I stand on the issue.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Build up is great. I love reading it. Some of my favorite stories have great buildup.

However, I have read a lot of stories where it is 99% buildup for pages and pages and then the sex itself is condensed into one or two paragraphs. That's going a bit two far in the other direction.

I try to write buildup sometimes but it never seems to work the way I want it to. Either way I try to begin with a sex scene though. Sex, buildup, more sex, more story, more sex. Too many people think there only needs to be one climax when the second or third can be so much better.

 

[Areala-chan]

Just had an anon a couple days ago grouse about having to skip five pages to get to the sex scene in one of my stories.

Build up, it seems, is not everyone's cup of tea, but it was the first comment I've received complaining about it. Anon was also nice enough to leave a 1-bomb to let me know just how upset he was that the story was not written for him. I laughed.

 

[My I]

I've gone both ways. After Midnight pretty much goes right into it. Saturday's Child goes 15 Word pages before it gets around to it. the rest fall somewhere in between.

 

[Gentleman_G]

I`m all for the build-up. If I read a story - either sex-related or non-sex-related - I like to get to know the characters. Only then I can understand why they do something, or refrain from doing. I don`t mind not having any sex in 15 pages, as long as it`s worth getting there

 

[yukonnights]

I like to explore the inner emotions much more than describe the physical acts. I'm currently at about 12,000 words on the April Fool story and they've only done a bit of heavy petting. This is a third person omniscient style though, and that lends well to this type of digging into hearts and minds.

But, there are some types of stories that can be done well with more physical descriptions I think. My Valentine submission was only 1-1/2 pages and it felt finished to me...but it was an attempt at satire.

But in general, to hold my interest usually requires a real story. Like life, ther's more than sex.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Build up. I have a running joke with my beta readers as to how many buttons need to be undone, how many moments need to pass, before an ankle is revealed.

This caused consternation in my collaborative piece, because my co-writer is keen on the 140 character scene. We compromised... I halved the buttons, he wrote himself into the bathroom for a week...

 

[JasonClearwater]

Build up. I have a running joke with my beta readers as to how many buttons need to be undone, how many moments need to pass, before an ankle is revealed.

This caused consternation in my collaborative piece, because my co-writer is keen on the 140 character scene. We compromised... I halved the buttons, he wrote himself into the bathroom for a week...

'He wrote himself into the bathroom for a week'.

No. He wrote himself into the bathroom. You LEFT him there for a week.

 

[Kantarii]

Well, just a thought, but why read about two people having sex if there is no reason other than they’re horny? In my opinion, the mood and things that led up to sex have some bearing on the positions two people would try or engage in. Maybe, I’m ass backwards on that thought?

 

[KindofHere]

...............

 

[8letters]

I write incest stories and in most of them, the brother and sister slowly fall in love during the course of the story. People love it. When they finally have sex, it's much more meaningful for the reader.

Typical comment:
Seductive
The build up is wonderful. I could tell where it was going, but the excitement took a slow, slow pace which made it all the better when they finally connected. Great story

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I've written them both ways. Starting with sex right from the get go and writing about why there is sex later in the story.

Neither way seems to shorten the story, there is always that pesky character development you need. And usually you have to do it via flashbacks if you have sex happening right there in the first paragraph.

 

[Blind_Justice]

As a reader, I prefer good build-up over acrobatics. There are only so many variations on "Tab A in slot B", but participants' chemistry, location and circumstances can elevate a simple fuck on a desk to something outstanding.

As a writer, I couldn't write a quick stroker to save my life. The closest I've gotten is in "Tears Desire" and even then half of the story is world-building. And then there's the little issue that my sex scenes tend not to be that good, at least according to my wife.

 

[Voboy]

Build-up rules.

I’ve written stories that are around 90/10 setup/payoff, but I’d say most of mine are more like 65/35. A good sex scene goes 5k words in a 20k word story, then there are those heightened bits of foreplay sprinkled throughout...

 

[Kantarii]

As a reader, I prefer good build-up over acrobatics. There are only so many variations on "Tab A in slot B", but participants' chemistry, location and circumstances can elevate a simple fuck on a desk to something outstanding.

As a writer, I couldn't write a quick stroker to save my life. The closest I've gotten is in "Tears Desire" and even then half of the story is world-building. And then there's the little issue that my sex scenes tend not to be that good, at least according to my wife.

You and I are a lot alike. I couldn’t write a stroker story to save my life either. I like developing the characters, painting the right mood, building up the circumstances that trigger the sexual relations so the readers can relate to the characters

 

[NotWise]

You and I are a lot alike. I couldn’t write a stroker story to save my life either. I like developing the characters, painting the right mood, building up the circumstances that trigger the sexual relations so the readers can relate to the characters

I've said before that I don't think that sex is inherently erotic. We make it erotic with the relationships we build.

You've gotten a pretty strong agreement from AH authors. There is at least a contingent of readers who would agree, otherwise it would be impossible to publish romantic stories anywhere but in romance, but romantic stories seem to be successful in most categories.

I think if you could ask the same question of Lit authors at large, and certainly of the Lit readers, then the answers may not be so one-sided. Strokers are popular, and authors who write them are popular, too.

 

[SamScribble]

I guess it comes down to the old question: what is sex? If you are talking about the moment that Tab A goes into Slot B, that's one thing. But if you are talking about two (or more) people exploring the erotic experience without even taking off their hats, that's something altogether different. It has been said that I write 'gentle' 'witty' stories that leave the reader with a smile. I'm not unhappy with that.

 

[YouDidWhut]

If she doesn’t walk away from the second encounter wondering why she walked away without getting laid; you’re writing it wrong.

The end.

The only caveat (yes I used the word caveat in AH post) to this is: if she doesn’t walks away bow-legged in any LW or EC story after 125 words or less, you’re writing it wrong.

 

[SolarRay]

I've said before that I don't think that sex is inherently erotic. We make it erotic with the relationships we build.

Hear! Hear!

For me, this is the essence of good erotica. After all, your brain is the most powerful sex organ. I don't even write any big sex scenes until I've gone through my build-up enough that I'm in a suitable frenzy myself and have a sense of what kind of pay-off makes sense for it.

 

[member9458]

Last week I posted a story that was 10 Lit pages long and didn't bring the two leads together for at least eight Lit pages—or, in Google Docs, page 69 (nice) of 87. In that case, there was a lot of plot to get through before my leads could hook up, but I think it works, and it's doing well in the ratings, so, eh.

In general, though, that's not my preference—that was a story I felt like I needed to tell where sex was a little more of a byproduct than the point. Don't get me wrong, I like my buildup too; NotWise, SamScribble, and SolarRay said it better than I could, but buildup is the difference between sex and erotica. However, we're all here looking for a release, and I try to write accordingly.