Minimum smut?

[bitebus]

I set out to write some fantasy erotica, but thus far I'm 40k words in and have only two 1k word erotic scenes. In other words, my fantasy erotica is 95% fantasy and 5% erotica.

This feels like a poor ratio. Like people looking for smut won't want to trudge through the fantasy adventure, while people looking for fantasy won't want to read an R18 erotica story.

What is the minimum "ratio" of smut to non-smut in erotic genre fiction? Should I just be cutting the sex scenes entirely at this point?

 

[ThatNewGuy]

In my opinion, stories with interesting characters and an engaging plot can do just fine with little to no smut. This varies by category. Romance and SF&F are two categories that I think would be pretty forgiving when it comes to a low smut ratio. I have one story with nothing more than a fade-to-black sex scene, and it was still pretty well received. I'd focus on telling the story you want to tell. If you feel adding explicit sex strengthens the story, keep it in. If it doesn't, go ahead and cut it. Good luck!

 

[RejectReality]

If the story is good, the folks in Sci-Fi&Fantasy are fine with it. Sex is more or less expected, because it's an erotica site, but it doesn't need to be wall to wall.

"I skim the sex to get back to the story" is a far from uncommon comment in the category.

 

[IARainman]

I’m not really sure how you measure the percentage of smut…

In order to be erotic fiction, it needs to be erotic. If you merely have suggestive or sensual content, it might be a good story but it won’t be erotic. You certainly could write fantasy with sensual elements. Maybe just write the story you want and let others decide what label to put on it.

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

I will defer to others who know the fantasy genre here better than I do, but my personal rule of thumb, which I try to keep to whenever I’m writing in any genre, is to keep a one to one ratio of scenes with sex and scenes without sex. For example, the chapter in my latest series is 22k words, with six scenes (each POV change I consider a scene). First scene has no sex, second scene does, third doesn’t. fourth does. fifth doesn’t and sixth is almost all sex.

It can be hard keeping this going, but there are ways to get sexy even in plot heavy areas. Even if it’s just a solo session for a character, I don’t think it can hurt.

Take this advice with a grain of salt - plenty of folks do very well writing long stuff with only minimal sex. I tend to want to give the audience what they want, and if they’re here. they probably want something they can get turned on by.

 

[PennyThompson]

In my opinion, teasing and desire and stimulating situations can go quite a long way before The Act, if written well!

It's why TV shows with will-they-won't-they characters tend to be more interesting before the characters become a couple than after

 

[BobbyBrandt]

In order to be erotic fiction, it needs to be erotic. If you merely have suggestive or sensual content, it might be a good story but it won’t be erotic.

I couldn't disagree more.

Erotica is typically defined as that which stimulates sexual, sensual, or romantic feelings in a person. There are hundreds of stories on this site that meet that definition without containing descriptive sexual acts. In other words, they are erotic minus the "smut".

The same principle applies to various types of art, music, and even advertising.

 

[IARainman]

I couldn't disagree more.

Erotica is typically defined as that which stimulates sexual, sensual, or romantic feelings in a person. There are hundreds of stories on this site that meet that definition without containing descriptive sexual acts. In other words, they are erotic minus the "smut".

The same principle applies to various types of art, music, and even advertising.

I don’t think we’re disagreeing as much as you seem to think. The OP was talking about the “quantity” of erotic content, as it it cities be measured in word count.

My point was, in order to be erotic fiction, it must contain significant erotic content. The subtlety of graphic nature of that content is a different matter. There certainly can be moving erotic fiction without overt graphic depiction but significant sensual content must be present in order to have it viewed as erotic. You can’t describe a sexy person in the first paragraph and never mention anything more sexual in the remainder of the work and have it viewed as erotic.

I think we agree that quality, or qualities, over quantity are the measure of how a work will be categorized or the context it will be viewed within.

 

[crookedletter]

I haven't spent much time in the Sci-fi/fantasy section of this site, but my personal impulse is to consider a story erotic -- and thus something I might post here -- if eroticism is a main driver of the story.

I've read exactly one so-called 'romantasy' novel, Fourth Wing. It has, I believe, one (1) sex scene. But I don't think it's misleading to call the novel erotic, because the growing sexual attraction between the characters is a central focus of the arc of the story. A Song of Ice and Fire has more sex. A Song of Ice and Fire is not erotic fiction: the characters mostly scheme and kill each other, but occasionally, incidentally to the plot, people get off too.

I can't speak for other readers here, but that would guide my expectations: if I was seeking just some interesting fiction that may or may not contain some incidental sex, I'd go elsewhere. If I pick a story to read here, whatever the percentage of actual descriptions of sex, I would expect sex to at least be a central theme/focus.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

In my opinion, stories with interesting characters and an engaging plot can do just fine with little to no smut. This varies by category. Romance and SF&F are two categories that I think would be pretty forgiving when it comes to a low smut ratio. I have one story with nothing more than a fade-to-black sex scene, and it was still pretty well received. I'd focus on telling the story you want to tell. If you feel adding explicit sex strengthens the story, keep it in. If it doesn't, go ahead and cut it. Good luck!

Completely agree. My stories are all over the place as far as erotic content and there doesn't seem to be much difference in how they're accepted. i will say the the ones with more developed characters and higher levels of romance seem to do better than the wankers(strokers). I haven't done any detailed analysis. i just seem get a lot of comments about making people cry.

 

[WittyUserName]

I set out to write some fantasy erotica, but thus far I'm 40k words in and have only two 1k word erotic scenes. In other words, my fantasy erotica is 95% fantasy and 5% erotica.

This feels like a poor ratio. Like people looking for smut won't want to trudge through the fantasy adventure, while people looking for fantasy won't want to read an R18 erotica story.

What is the minimum "ratio" of smut to non-smut in erotic genre fiction? Should I just be cutting the sex scenes entirely at this point?

You should be fine. There are definitely people just looking for stroke stories, but many more keep coming back for the plot. In my opinion, the build up can make the sex even better. Also, if I care about the characters as people, that really helps. There's no minimum ratio or anything, just tell the story you want to tell.

 

[iwatchus]

I agree that smut is not strongly correlated to ratings. My highest rated story so far (The Realm) I expected to be poorly received. The main scene in it is two couples having a fancy dinner with the two women's boss. There is sex around that, but it is probably the lowest sex content of any story in the series.

 

[AG31]

I set out to write some fantasy erotica, but thus far I'm 40k words in and have only two 1k word erotic scenes. In other words, my fantasy erotica is 95% fantasy and 5% erotica.

This feels like a poor ratio. Like people looking for smut won't want to trudge through the fantasy adventure, while people looking for fantasy won't want to read an R18 erotica story.

What is the minimum "ratio" of smut to non-smut in erotic genre fiction? Should I just be cutting the sex scenes entirely at this point?

I'll be interested to see the replies here. I came to Literotica for pure erotica. I go elsewhere for regular fiction. But I discovered that Lit is loaded with people who take great delight in the non-erotic aspects of their stories, especially in AH (no surprise). Anyway, for me, personally, the answer is, optimally, 100% dedicated to sex in some form, even if it's just buildup and landing.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I'll be interested to see the replies here. I came to Literotica for pure erotica. I go elsewhere for regular fiction. But I discovered that Lit is loaded with people who take great delight in the non-erotic aspects of their stories, especially in AH (no surprise). Anyway, for me, personally, the answer is, optimally, 100% dedicated to sex in some form, even if it's just buildup and landing.

What's that saying? "Different 'Strokes' for different folks."

 

[MelissaBaby]

I’m not really sure how you measure the percentage of smut…

In order to be erotic fiction, it needs to be erotic. If you merely have suggestive or sensual content, it might be a good story but it won’t be erotic. You certainly could write fantasy with sensual elements. Maybe just write the story you want and let others decide what label to put on it.

Nope.

And not just regular nope. As nope as nope can get.

If you don't believe that a loving conversation between lovers can be as, or more, erotic than "insert tab A into slot B" than all I can say is "Nope."

 

[Lathanar1]

My highest rated chapters have no sex. I have very little of what I'd call gratuitous sex in my stories, what's there is important to either the plot or character development.

 

[bitebus]

A lot of people are talking about the sensual buildup but I must confess that in the particular story I'm writing it's mostly fantasy adventure and intrigue. There's some sexual content in the 95% but it's in a small minority.

 

[Medhaa]

I enjoy reading all the complexities and drama that unfold—and how the characters still stay crazy enough to keep engaging in their fantasies or kinks in secret. It’s so much fun. Taboos are fun too.

 

[SawyerElle]

A lot of people are talking about the sensual buildup but I must confess that in the particular story I'm writing it's mostly fantasy adventure and intrigue. There's some sexual content in the 95% but it's in a small minority.

Honestly, you're probably writing something great, from the heart! You're following your muse and going where the story takes you! Trust your own imagination: your ratio is going to be the perfect ratio for somebody.

 

[Djmac1031]

I have a series of interconnected fantasy stories with varying degrees of sex. The first one started pretty sex heavy but other parts hardly have any sex at all.

Now I'll fully admit the ones with less sex have less views. But I honestly dont care. They also have great ratings which means the people who did read them enjoyed them.

To me that's what counts.

Write as much sex as the story calls for. Don't add it just because you think that's what readers want.

 

[Comshaw]

I set out to write some fantasy erotica, but thus far I'm 40k words in and have only two 1k word erotic scenes. In other words, my fantasy erotica is 95% fantasy and 5% erotica.

This feels like a poor ratio. Like people looking for smut won't want to trudge through the fantasy adventure, while people looking for fantasy won't want to read an R18 erotica story.

What is the minimum "ratio" of smut to non-smut in erotic genre fiction? Should I just be cutting the sex scenes entirely at this point?

I don't think you can break this down to a ratio. For my part it depends on if I'm writing the story for the sex or the sex is a smaller part of the story. I have written both kinds. Some of mine are all sex, from first word to last. This is a porn site after all. Others have sex in them as a part of but not the main thrust of the story. For me it's whatever I'm trying to convey at the moment. Sex isn't all one way, or one thing or one kind.

Example: I'm working on a story about a game show which will be broadcast on a sex channel. Two disparate (one very conservative and traditional, the other very open and progressive) couples exchange partners for a week. The story is all about the sex. That doesn't mean there isn't a lot of other emotional interactions included, just that 75% of it is about the sex.

I also have another I'm working on about a Viet Vet who is trying to get past the war. He is sent on a vision quest by the grandfather of his best friend, who was killed in the war. In the process of that quest, he has sex with what he thinks is a hallucination, but later finds out was a real person and realizes it was an experience that set him on the path to healing. That sex was a small part of the story, more about the characters and their search for something rather than the sex.

So it really all depends on what you're writing for and why. Let the muse guide you and you can't go wrong, leastwise that's my way of doing it.


Comshaw is 10-10 and on the side

 

[Areala-chan]

I have more fun writing and reading stories where the story would still function even if you edited out most or all of the sex. There's nothing wrong with sex scenes just for the sake of sex scenes (we're all here for something to entice and excite us, after all), but the best sex scenes, just like the best fight scenes, are never solely about the physical aspects.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I set out to write some fantasy erotica, but thus far I'm 40k words in and have only two 1k word erotic scenes. In other words, my fantasy erotica is 95% fantasy and 5% erotica.

This feels like a poor ratio. Like people looking for smut won't want to trudge through the fantasy adventure, while people looking for fantasy won't want to read an R18 erotica story.

What is the minimum "ratio" of smut to non-smut in erotic genre fiction? Should I just be cutting the sex scenes entirely at this point?

My one and only story in SFF is about 17k words with one sex scene, right near the end, of about 1k words, so about the same as yours - though I'll grant a lot of the story before that is courtship between those characters. Readers there have been pretty kind to it.

 

[ronde]

I set out to write some fantasy erotica, but thus far I'm 40k words in and have only two 1k word erotic scenes. In other words, my fantasy erotica is 95% fantasy and 5% erotica.

This feels like a poor ratio. Like people looking for smut won't want to trudge through the fantasy adventure, while people looking for fantasy won't want to read an R18 erotica story.

What is the minimum "ratio" of smut to non-smut in erotic genre fiction? Should I just be cutting the sex scenes entirely at this point?

There is no minimum ratio for sex vs. story because they have to complement each other. Writing mostly about sex with a small amount of plot is a vignette, not erotica. There are some readers who are satisfied by such a work, but erotica should at least have some detail about how the characters meet, what causes them to have sex, and hopefully, what happens after they do. There's nothing wrong with either a short or long sex scene or multiple sex scenes in a story, but erotica will give the reader a reason to keep reading because the characters and plot draw the reader in.

 

[YDB95]

My greatest hit to date, Grand Island, has only one rather vanilla sex scene. If it's a compelling story with even just a touch of spice, you'll be fine.