Should each chapter have sex in it?

[BumbleCat]

I am working on a story of several chapters and am at the point where the action is coming to a crescendo, but my rough draft has no sex for the next several chapters. Do you think this is a problem? Should I work in some gratuitous sex scenes?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Here's the latest chapter in the story:

https://www.literotica.com/s/twelve-realms-ch-12-13

 

[OneAuthor]

I don't think it's a problem, especially if the plot dictates it. I am (finally!) submitting my first story to the site. It has a rather slow buildup, and the first chapter has no sex at all. That stuff will happen in later installments, but for now it is more important to establish the characters and the setting.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I don't think it's a problem, especially if the plot dictates it. I am (finally!) submitting my first story to the site. It has a rather slow buildup, and the first chapter has no sex at all. That stuff will happen in later installments, but for now it is more important to establish the characters and the setting.

I agree. Unless it’s a pure stroker, taking a bit of time to develop things is just fine. Mind you, you might want to include a short warning to that effect up front.

 

[Sonatatre]

I would say that it depends on what you consider a chapter.

Personally I think that everything I post to the site should have sex in it. That the readers who only come across a freshly published part will be able to find satisfaction both in sexual content as well as actual story.

When publishing here, I think it is a complete "Chapter" when a part is at that point.

I know many others post several "chapters" at once in order to reach the same purpose.

Each posted part does not need to be a complete story, but I think this format on Literotica demands that they should be able to stand somewhat on their own.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I am working on a story of several chapters and am at the point where the action is coming to a crescendo, but my rough draft has no sex for the next several chapters. Do you think this is a problem? Should I work in some gratuitous sex scenes?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Here's the latest chapter in the story:

https://www.literotica.com/s/twelve-realms-ch-12-13

I think it's much preferable to maintain the integrity of the story than to jam in gratuitous sex scenes. I have tried to include at least some sex scenes in all my chapters, but in hindsight, I feel that several would have been better without them.

It does depend, somewhat, on the category you choose, thought. Readers in Romance or Novels and Novellas are likely to be much more patient with plot and character development than in some of the others.

 

[KeithD]

When I first started publishing with erotica publishers, they uniformly specified that each chapter of a work should have sex in it, yes. I don't know if they still specify that because I've been with my publishers long enough for them not to care if I don't have sex in every chapter. I will say that when I've serialized chapters on Literotica, the chapters that don't have graphic sex scenes in them rate lower than the others do.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I would say that it depends on what you consider a chapter.

Personally I think that everything I post to the site should have sex in it. That the readers who only come across a freshly published part will be able to find satisfaction both in sexual content as well as actual story.

When publishing here, I think it is a complete "Chapter" when a part is at that point.

I know many others post several "chapters" at once in order to reach the same purpose.

Each posted part does not need to be a complete story, but I think this format on Literotica demands that they should be able to stand somewhat on their own.

I don't agree. The needs of the overall narrative outweigh those of the individual chapters. The fact is, if you publish multiple part stories, after the first couple of chapters you won't pick up many new readers. Those who keep reading will be interested in the story as a whole, and do not need to be placated with a complete stand alone story in each chapter. Of course, each chapter needs to follow a story arc that makes sense, otherwise, why is it a complete chapter? But there is no particular element, sexual or otherwise, that I feel is required.

I am entering into the late stages of a very long (33 or 34 chapter) series, which aims to chronicle the entire life of a relationship. While many older people maintain active sex lives, it would be absurd to expect the later chapters to contain as much sexual content as the chapters about their courtship and the early years of their lives together. In fact, one of the more recent chapters was built around their difficulties in trying to have sex with a newborn baby in the house. After more than two dozen chapters, I think it's fair to think that the readers who are still following the story are more interested in the emotional lives of the characters than a description of their next tryst.

 

[SimonDoom]

When you publish a story in serial form, with separately published chapters, you can expect that some significant portion of your readers are going to expect and want whatever payoff comes with the category in which the story is published. If it's an exhibitionist series, they're going to want exhibitionism of some kind in every chapter. If it's an incest series, they're going to want some incest of some kind in every chapter. If you don't deliver, you should expect to lose some readers through attrition and possibly to have your score suffer a little.

This may not matter to you. You may feel that the integrity of the story is more important, and that's a completely legitimate way to feel.

You may get away with this better than most because your series is in sci fi and fantasy, and readers of that category are, I think, somewhat more flexible about the delivery of sex scenes. As long as every chapter delivers sci fi or fantasy, you are delivering what's promised.

 

[MelissaBaby]

When I first started publishing with erotica publishers, they uniformly specified that each chapter of a work should have sex in it, yes. I don't know if they still specify that because I've been with my publishers long enough for them not to care if I don't have sex in every chapter. I will say that when I've serialized chapters on Literotica, the chapters that don't have graphic sex scenes in them rate lower than the others do.

I find that I get my highest ratings for the chapters that carry the big emotional punches; a wedding, a death in the family, than those with the most graphic sex. But, I think I am much better at making my readers cry than making them come, so that may have something to do with it.

 

[KeithD]

I find that I get my highest ratings for the chapters that carry the big emotional punches; a wedding, a death in the family, than those with the most graphic sex. But, I think I am much better at making my readers cry than making them come, so that may have something to do with it.

I think that's been answered up the line. It's category controlled. Readers of Romance or Sci-Fi tend to read for a different content mix than readers of GM or a specific fetish do. Readers of GM, in general, expect more sexual heat than romantic emotion (although here there appears to be a divide between male readers of GM and female readers of GM).

I don't think there's a universal reader want to be had in this (or much of any other) satisfaction issue.

 

[BumbleCat]

Thanks for all the input everyone. You have basically presented both sides of the argument I've been weighing with myself!

I think because it's SciFi/Fantasy I am less constrained about making sure there's enough sex in each chapter, but I also think I'll still try to include some erotica components.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I think that's been answered up the line. It's category controlled. Readers of Romance or Sci-Fi tend to read for a different content mix than readers of GM or a specific fetish do. Readers of GM, in general, expect more sexual heat than romantic emotion (although here there appears to be a divide between male readers of GM and female readers of GM).

I don't think there's a universal reader want to be had in this (or much of any other) satisfaction issue.

I agree, and made that point myself. I was just giving another perspective based on my own scores.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Insert sexual action as required by the story, not by some assumed dictate of a theoretical audience. Who's the writer here, you, or the reader? Writing is an autocracy, not a democracy. If you want to feed your audience bread, do so; otherwise, let them eat cake .

 

[ruddygore]

It depends on the story. I prefer the ones that have plot development. I find it disconcerting when all of a sudden the author basically stops and goes, 'OK. It's been a while so I'm going to stick a sex scene in here even if I have to force it to fit.'

 

[Voboy]

Speaking as a longtime reader?

Lack of consistent sex scenes was always a prime reason for me to abandon a chaptered story. Which might not be fair, but it is what it is.

You can still be organic about your sex scenes, though, no matter what you’re doing. Just because you’re careful to give your readers a payoff doesn’t mean it needs to be “gratuitous.”

 

[NotWise]

Thanks for all the input everyone. You have basically presented both sides of the argument I've been weighing with myself!

SciFi/Fantasy makes you less-constrained about making sure there's enough sex in each chapter, but I also think I'll still try to include some erotica components.

I think SciFi&Fantasy gives you a lot of freedom. I have a standalone story in SF&F that's non-erotic and still rates fairly well. The comments are great. The downside may be that the readers might think, "Oh, he writes non-erotic. I'll skip that story."

If it's a good story well told, then you don't have to have sex all the time, and I think that's true across categories. My Nude Day story (in I/T) generated discussion between readers in the comments because the sibcest doesn't start until more than half-way through the story. There is sex before that, but it's not incestuous. So, some people thought it was too long (a complaint I never thought I'd hear) because they had to read 16K words to get to the sibcest, but others loved the story.

Oddly, no-one complained that there was no sex in the whole last chapter, which was a very intimate, emotional roller-coaster. There were comments about the chapter, but no complaints.

 

[PennameWombat]

It depends on the story. I prefer the ones that have plot development. I find it disconcerting when all of a sudden the author basically stops and goes, 'OK. It's been a while so I'm going to stick a sex scene in here even if I have to force it to fit.'

Indeed. The eroticism and sex should be organically developed. That said, this site is "Literotica" so I see erotic content, not necessarily graphic sex, as something to aim for. But yes, it and plot, character and other developments should entwine and support each other.

But I've been reading "chapter" two ways. I usually split my posted stories (which tend to be 10,000-20,000 words) into "chapters". Well, they have section titles instead of just '****' or similar splits. In this case I see ZERO need to have every "chapter" have a sex scene or even that much erotic content.

I also have running series, i.e., posted as "Chapters". My view of these is that they're partially stand-alone, each should be a story in itself, although moving along a broader and bigger story. Thus, in these I would almost never think to not have erotic content and sex in each "Chapter". Yup, it needs to contribute to the story but I feel it needs to be there (unless I'm posting in Non-Erotic.)

 

[Hypoxia]

All the above.

I've seen a top-rated series whose author warned that Ch.01 would lack sex, but stay tuned. I wrote an 8-LIT-page romance about real people with exactly one graphic sex scene, a brief blowjob. All my serials and arcs feature fucking everywhere because pr0n. But long buildups before sex? No problem.

Shall I analyze? I see various possibilities.

* Endless stroker series: Sex everywhen. Don't hold back.
* Limited stroker arc: Still lots of sex. Don't slow down.
* Any dramatic arc: Sex as needed. Appease your readers.
* Any romance: Sex when it's inevitable, unavoidable.
* SciFi; varied Fetishes: Whatever weird sex hits the spot.

You can even skip sex entirely for the Non-Erotic category's dozen readers.

 

[NotWise]

But I've been reading "chapter" two ways. I usually split my posted stories (which tend to be 10,000-20,000 words) into "chapters". Well, they have section titles instead of just '****' or similar splits. In this case I see ZERO need to have every "chapter" have a sex scene or even that much erotic content.

I also have running series, i.e., posted as "Chapters". My view of these is that they're partially stand-alone, each should be a story in itself, although moving along a broader and bigger story. Thus, in these I would almost never think to not have erotic content and sex in each "Chapter". Yup, it needs to contribute to the story but I feel it needs to be there (unless I'm posting in Non-Erotic.)

I've done both long stories broken internally into chapters, and serialized stories. I'll not do serialized stories again. When I did, later chapters in the serial could get by without sex, but there weren't a lot of readers. Earlier chapters without sex weren't very well-rated, but part of that was because they were short.

Learning what works for you and what works for your readers is a process. You need to learn from experience.

 

[ElectricBlue]

There have been many threads where readers comment they've skipped the sex scenes, eager to get back to the plot (especially in Sci-Fi and Fantasy). It's erotica, sure, but often gratuitous sex scenes grind a plot to a halt.

Foreplay is good, eight-play is better, and sometimes you use the whole table. Context matters .

 

[CoffeeWithMonkeys]

I was commenting yesterday how I'm surprised people have stuck by me with my chapters lately because there hasn't been any sex.

I agree that it depends on the category and maybe the length of the story too.

I'm on chapter 14 and so far the ratings are staying about the same, in the 4.7x, and there hasn't been any sex in the past few chapters.

 

[ChuckWolf]

Speaking as a longtime reader?

Lack of consistent sex scenes was always a prime reason for me to abandon a chaptered story. Which might not be fair, but it is what it is.

You can still be organic about your sex scenes, though, no matter what you’re doing. Just because you’re careful to give your readers a payoff doesn’t mean it needs to be “gratuitous.”

I agree 100%.

Also, maybe just write it as one big story and publish it that way instead of the multi-chaptered approach?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Also, maybe just write it as one big story and publish it that way instead of the multi-chaptered approach?

That requires discipline and commitment, and denies the writer the instant gratification of rolling feedback. There are pluses and minuses, both ways; but they are in fact quite different writing approaches.

"One big story" doesn't suit everyone, just as "chapters" ain't always right. All a writer can do is figure out what works for them, and try different approaches. This is one of those instances where the best advice might be, just keep writing.

 

[SamScribble]

A writer friend of mine used to reckon that erotica always works better with a big dollop of surprise. ‘I want to hear a big intake of breath, and then I want to see the reader smile,’ she used to say.

 

[Voboy]

A writer friend of mine used to reckon that erotica always works better with a big dollop of surprise. ‘I want to hear a big intake of breath, and then I want to see the reader smile,’ she used to say.

Well...

There’s a big dollop, that’s for sure. And smiles.