Sex Percentage

[SirAeghann]

For background, I write a long-form series in the BDSM category. It's a bit slice of life. A group of people learning about the lifestyle and their sexuality together.

One of the comments I've gotten recently has echoed some comments I've gotten previously: that there's too much sex in the story.

Surprising, given the site and... the site.

But here we are.

I do my best to balance the sex scenes with the story plot. I also do what I can to build anticipation toward the sex, etc. The plot is obviously slowed down by the sex scenes, even though they are often part of the plot itself. The character interactions during those scenes are important for their arcs, or at least that's what I do my best to write.

Sometimes, as the story progresses, there's a large group sex scene with a lot of moving parts. Pun intended. These take up a lot of space in the narrative, but mostly because there's so much happening, and again, it's part of the story but there are a lot of plot threads set aside during sex, obviously.

So, my question to you as readers and authors yourselves is: what is your ideal balance? When you look at a story, or a chapter in a story, how much of it are you expecting to be sex and how much of it are you expecting to be non-sexualized narrative? Is there a percentage or a range that you find to be the sweet spot?

 

[OverconfidentSarcasm]

Obviously, I can't speak for everyone, but personally? If I just wanted a quick wank, I'd just watch porn...

The reason I look for stories is because porn usually lacks one. So, for me, I appreciate a good, slow-moving tale. And if there's some interesting narrative connecting the sex scenes, all the better.

 

[RoperTrace]

For background, I write a long-form series in the BDSM category. It's a bit slice of life. A group of people learning about the lifestyle and their sexuality together.

One of the comments I've gotten recently has echoed some comments I've gotten previously: that there's too much sex in the story.

Surprising, given the site and... the site.

But here we are.

I do my best to balance the sex scenes with the story plot. I also do what I can to build anticipation toward the sex, etc. The plot is obviously slowed down by the sex scenes, even though they are often part of the plot itself. The character interactions during those scenes are important for their arcs, or at least that's what I do my best to write.

Sometimes, as the story progresses, there's a large group sex scene with a lot of moving parts. Pun intended. These take up a lot of space in the narrative, but mostly because there's so much happening, and again, it's part of the story but there are a lot of plot threads set aside during sex, obviously.

So, my question to you as readers and authors yourselves is: what is your ideal balance? When you look at a story, or a chapter in a story, how much of it are you expecting to be sex and how much of it are you expecting to be non-sexualized narrative? Is there a percentage or a range that you find to be the sweet spot?

You did say, "one of the comments," so it's probably an outlier. I've read some highly-rated stories, 3.80+ and the sex is rampant in the majority of them, not all, but a higher percentage. I say just write the story as you see it, let the sex happen whenever it fits your story-line. I don't know if there's a good balance or not, between story and sex scenes. In some it happens right out of the chute, and others, the story may meander until page three without some skin on skin action. I say go with your gut.

 

[StillStunned]

I'd say it's not about the proportion of sex, but how it's woven into the story. If you have a longer story with sex scenes, I prefer them to be intrinsic to the story, and flow naturally from the other events. If your story is mostly about the sex, it's still important to build up a plausible and engaging scenario, then flow from one event to the next, preferably building up in stages towards the climax.

 

[AlexBailey]

Write the stories that inspire you.

I love convoluted plots that work through emotional baggage because that’s what I relate to but it’s clear that many readers are here for an escape.

The fact that the commenter took the time to give their feedback shows that they connected with the characters and the sexual parts of your story and wanted to feel even more involved.

That criticism was a high compliment.