It there such a thing as too much sex in a story?

[HappySpouse]

I'm writing a story where basically a wife's anniversary gift to her husband is to try and fit as many different sexual experiences as they can into the day of their anniversary.

There are two short sex scenes involved with setting up the premise, but now that I've started in on the day itself it's getting to be a lot of sex. Currently the day has about 3500 words of sexual experiences and they just finished brunch with a long way to go.

So my question is, should I montage the middle part of the day?

My first instinct was to make every experience matter, because I think that's how it would be for my characters. However, there is also the reading experience to consider. I just read through what I have and it's already a bit exhausting. So, now I'm thinking I could shift some of the major events around so they all happen in the evening and I breeze through several others without describing how they went. Then I waffle again because I don't want to cheapen anything.

 

[yibala2]

So my question is, should I montage the middle part of the day?

My first instinct was to make every experience matter, because I think that's how it would be for my characters. However, there is also the reading experience to consider.

IMO, that's just it. The sex has to matter to the reader. Each experience should involve some new discovery for the characters, and should fit into the overall development of their characters at the end of the story. That makes it matter to the reader.

In effect each experience is a scene, with conflict, climax and growth, and you weave that growth together at the end of the story. If you do that, you can't have too much sex.

I think if you montage, you're cuing the reader that the experiences don't matter, except in the aggregate.

-Yib

 

[NotWise]

I don't know about the readers, but for this writer a story can most definitely have too much sex. I lose interest, and the telling feels repetitive. My usual solution is to delete and rearrange sex scenes and fill in more story.

Does a sex montage in the middle tell a story you want to tell? I think if you're concerned about reader acceptance, then a montage might work, but it would need to give readers a continuous experience instead of a set of disjoint scenes.

 

[MColton84]

I don't know about the readers, but for this writer a story can most definitely have too much sex. I lose interest, and the telling feels repetitive. My usual solution is to delete and rearrange sex scenes and fill in more story.

Does a sex montage in the middle tell a story you want to tell? I think if you're concerned about reader acceptance, then a montage might work, but it would need to give readers a continuous experience instead of a set of disjoint scenes.

I agree 100%. There is a point in weaving an erotic story where it feels like you are just writing the same thing over and over. I personally prefer erotic literature to other mediums, because of the build up before the action. Honestly, I'd leave the sex out of some of my stories if I thought anyone would still read them. I'd rather keep them interested and keep them excited, then simply throwing as many cocks and tits at them as I could.

 

[KeithD]

Most issues of "too much" boil down to "not well enough written," I think. If it's well written, it's good to go. (Well-written would include well plotted.)

 

[8letters]

I'm writing a story where basically a wife's anniversary gift to her husband is to try and fit as many different sexual experiences as they can into the day of their anniversary.

There are two short sex scenes involved with setting up the premise, but now that I've started in on the day itself it's getting to be a lot of sex. Currently the day has about 3500 words of sexual experiences and they just finished brunch with a long way to go.

So my question is, should I montage the middle part of the day?

My first instinct was to make every experience matter, because I think that's how it would be for my characters. However, there is also the reading experience to consider. I just read through what I have and it's already a bit exhausting. So, now I'm thinking I could shift some of the major events around so they all happen in the evening and I breeze through several others without describing how they went. Then I waffle again because I don't want to cheapen anything.

Can sex scenes run too long? From my personal experience, yes. I once read a story where the couple fucked on the bed, then they went another round on the bed, then they took a shower together and fucked there, and then they returned to the bed and fucked once more. It got boring. I just skimmed the final two fucks.

To me, every sex scene except the last should advance the plot. The last can also advance the plot or it can be the couple celebrating them being together. And I think there should be something in between the sex scenes. You should build up the sexual tension before the sex scene, the sex scene relieves that tension, and then you start building up the sexual tension for the next sex scene. I have a story ("My European Summer Vacation" in my sig) that has five sex scenes with the same couple. What I've laid out is what I used in that story to give each sex scene punch.

 

[MColton84]

Most issues of "too much" boil down to "not well enough written," I think. If it's well written, it's good to go. (Well-written would include well plotted.)

I can see that, but you don't feel that too much content can take away from the experience?

 

[Paul_Chance]

No.

As long as it moves the story forward and doesn't become repetitive, especially in the descriptions of the acts, you'll be good.

(I've read to many stories where the author is using the same descriptive language over and over and over.)

 

[MColton84]

I can see that, but you don't feel that too much content can take away from the experience?

Fair enough, good to know.

 

[jaF0]

Think of adult films that jump into the stuff without any buildup, or jump from scene to scene with nothing in between.

'They did it on the kitchen table then moved to the pool room for another go.'

You can elaborate some, but how many ways can you describe the Funky Monkey Dance without repeating yourself?

 

[AvroAnson]

Most issues of "too much" boil down to "not well enough written," I think. If it's well written, it's good to go. (Well-written would include well plotted.)

Unless paramedics are involved, I tend to agree with this.

There is a point in weaving an erotic story where it feels like you are just writing the same thing over and over.

I agree, but the monotony of repetition is at issue here.
I agree, but the monotony of repetition is at issue here.
I agree, but the monotony of repetition is at issue here.

I personally prefer erotic literature to other mediums ...

I do as well because the sex gets edited out of everything else, and sex is an important part of life which won't be included in the story if told elsewhere.

The sex has to matter to the reader.

I'm just going to change this statement a tiny bit.

Everything in the story has to matter to the reader -- contribute to the story.

Each experience should involve some new discovery for the characters, and should fit into the overall development of their characters at the end of the story. That makes it matter to the reader.

In effect each experience is a scene, with conflict, climax and growth, and you weave that growth together at the end of the story. If you do that, you can't have too much sex.

 

[jaF0]

And remember, real people get worn out and have to take breaks, gets snacks, etc. Phones ring, people stop by. All sorts of potential interruptions could further the notion that your characters have lives.

 

[SimonDoom]

No.

It all depends on the story and the quality of the writing.

I can imagine a great story about a couple who spend the entire day in bed having sex. Whether it works or not all depends on the story and the characters.

I don't get the montage concept -- if you need to do a montage, it means you're not fully on board with what's happening. Why do that?

 

[KeithD]

- - - -

Oh, never mind.

 

[MColton84]

- - - -

Oh, never mind.

What?

 

[jaF0]

Not my site, so approval is not up to me. I don't write or read it however. I never watched watch those TV shows or movies either. My 'sci-fi' and monster movies were limited to Godzilla, Mothra, some of the other 50s B movies and TV shows like the Invaders and The outer Limits, Star Trek, Babylon 5, etc. Clean, non violent, non grotesque or graphic horror. And I gave up watching even that type of product over 10 years ago.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Sure can be - I read a very good series a while back, which after 10 chapters had me and many other readers engrossed in the characters, but the sex was the same each time, or rather, described the same way.
A sequel series had me and all the commenters saying they loved the story but the sex was getting tedious.

Sometimes a one-line description of the sex is plenty.
I'm rather fond of "it's my usual lunch, easy and filling. Dan's cock is easy and filling, too, after."

If it's not part of the storyline or being a storyline in itself, then it's not worth writing. If you're writing multiple sex scenes, what makes them different from each other in plot and emotional terms? What bits go into what other bits is fine up to a point, but eventually readers will go 'that's all lovely but why are you telling me?"

 

[gunhilltrain]

You probably don't approve of NonHuman, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, and most of the Erotic Horror either?

Why, don't demons and other such entities have business to attend to as well? It might make for an interesting Erotic Horror/Comedy. It's not really my thing, but maybe somebody else will be inspired to give it a try.

 

[jaF0]

Why, don't demons and other such entities have business to attend to as well? It might make for an interesting Erotic Horror/Comedy..

Sure, 'Once Bitten' with Lauren Hutton is just one example.

 

[Paul_Chance]

Why, don't demons and other such entities have business to attend to as well? It might make for an interesting Erotic Horror/Comedy. It's not really my thing, but maybe somebody else will be inspired to give it a try.

That's funny and a good idea. Just imaging the hot tentacle sex going on and suddenly the alien cries out (through his universal translator) "Cramp! Cramp! Cramp!" and goes flopping around the room trying to stretch it out.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm writing a story where basically a wife's anniversary gift to her husband is to try and fit as many different sexual experiences as they can into the day of their anniversary.

There are two short sex scenes involved with setting up the premise, but now that I've started in on the day itself it's getting to be a lot of sex. Currently the day has about 3500 words of sexual experiences and they just finished brunch with a long way to go.

So my question is, should I montage the middle part of the day?

My first instinct was to make every experience matter, because I think that's how it would be for my characters. However, there is also the reading experience to consider. I just read through what I have and it's already a bit exhausting. So, now I'm thinking I could shift some of the major events around so they all happen in the evening and I breeze through several others without describing how they went. Then I waffle again because I don't want to cheapen anything.

Do it as chapters with each chapter featuring a different experience that way there's sex in every chapter, but not too much as there would be cramming it all into one story.

 

[SimonDoom]

Do it as chapters with each chapter featuring a different experience that way there's sex in every chapter, but not too much as there would be cramming it all into one story.

This makes sense to me. Make each experience a separate story, with an introduction, some mystery, a story/character arc, and a crescendo.

Maybe the husband and wife have talked about sexual fantasies before, and on this day she fulfills them, in ways he doesn't expect. Start with the more modest fantasy and work your way up to the most outrageous.

The story probably will work best if there is an overarching erotic them -- like BDSM or Exhibitionism or Anal or something like that. But that's not the only way to do it. You could write a story where each chapter focuses on a different erotic theme. There's really no limit

 

[NotWise]

This makes sense to me. Make each experience a separate story, with an introduction, some mystery, a story/character arc, and a crescendo.

Maybe the husband and wife have talked about sexual fantasies before, and on this day she fulfills them, in ways he doesn't expect. Start with the more modest fantasy and work your way up to the most outrageous.

The story probably will work best if there is an overarching erotic them -- like BDSM or Exhibitionism or Anal or something like that. But that's not the only way to do it. You could write a story where each chapter focuses on a different erotic theme. There's really no limit

I wonder if that might be a bigger project than the OP anticipated. Either way, with a range of experiences between two people, I'd aim the story for EC.

 

[lovecraft68]

This makes sense to me. Make each experience a separate story, with an introduction, some mystery, a story/character arc, and a crescendo.

Maybe the husband and wife have talked about sexual fantasies before, and on this day she fulfills them, in ways he doesn't expect. Start with the more modest fantasy and work your way up to the most outrageous.

The story probably will work best if there is an overarching erotic them -- like BDSM or Exhibitionism or Anal or something like that. But that's not the only way to do it. You could write a story where each chapter focuses on a different erotic theme. There's really no limit

But I believe he said her goal was to show him as many different experiences as possible so I don't think it would be able to be categorized so I think Notwise post just now is right, EC would be the way to go

 

[HappySpouse]

I am really thankful for all of the input. It's great for the thinking process.

There were a lot of repeat suggestions, so I won't bother with quotes.

I completely agree with the people suggesting that anything can work if it's well written. My issue is, I hit a roadblock on how best to write it, but this thread is being very helpful in that regard. Again thank you.

As far as realistic pacing (although it is a fun spinoff conversation about not needing that) the couple in the story takes breaks for showers, travel time, and even a nap. However, I don't think that helps the reader very much. The couple have about 16 hours and the breaks are about as long as the sexual activities. The reader will probably get that in less than an hour and I'm not going to write out 1500 words of married parental conversation for each meal.

Repetitiveness and redundancy or doing the same thing over and over and more than once isn't much of an issue in this story. My working title is "Every Way I Can Get You" because the point is to do as many different things as possible. So far she woke him up by sitting on his face, gave him an "ass job" in the shower, sent him a previously recorded video of her masturbating, gave him road head, and wore a remote control vibrator at a restaurant. There's a long way to go, but the only thing that should happen more than once is orgasms. To help avoid repetition there, I had the wife institute a limit of one orgasm per activity (a rule which will be broken during at least two activities)

Right now I'm thinking I'll combine both of my directions and a few of your suggestions. Instead of throwing out the whole middle of the day in one montage, I will periodically reduce some lighter activities to a single line transition to the events that have full set ups and aftermaths. Also I will let some go. I was reluctant to do that, given the premise, but I'm not interested in them and I think that would come across. Besides it's not every way possible, it's every way one particular wife is willing to give herself to her husband.

I would love any continued thoughts.