Comments on: Let’s Talk About Sex

By: Lauren

Lauren — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 01:34:36 +0000

May, I’m with you on both of your points. It is hard to write a good sex scene and IMO, it should titilate.

By: May

May — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 15:35:31 +0000

I’m a writer who’s new to writing sex scenes.

I believe that if your sex scene doesn’t arouse the reader, it should be scrapped. I mean, it should serve a dual purpose, ie it might develop the h/h relationship further, but it absolutely should titillate the reader.

Now, that’s a lot easier said than done.

By: laurendane

laurendane — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 21:52:23 +0000

I think the perceived and real pressures of the marketplace are a hard thing for authors to deal with. In the end though it gets back to writing what’s meant to be written. If your story has a high level of sensuality, that’s great but I do think there’s room in the market for not so hot as well.

I suppose right now it’s a matter of equilibrium in the market, finding a natural level and then the next “new/hot/now” thing will come along.

By: Jorrie Spencer

Jorrie Spencer — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 21:39:17 +0000

I’ve been enjoying these discussions.

I’ve run into problems reading sex scenes in romance that is not deemed erotic romance, too. Here it’s not usually that there’s sex every eight pages, or even that the sex doesn’t mean anything. It’s that I’ve read that scene in other books, and the author doesn’t add anything new.

The scene just isn’t individual enough and I begin to skim. Maybe it’s because the author doesn’t naturally write as hot as she thinks she’s supposed to in today’s market. Dunno.

I do notice that sometimes in romance (and probably in other genres) a certain type of description begins to appear everywhere. For a while there, a couple of years ago, every single hero seemed to have broad shoulders and narrow hips. Nothing wrong with broad shoulders and narrow hips! But it does get generic as the main intro description of the hero. (And then the whole size thing came on the market and let’s just say that not every author can describe a guy’s apparatus in a way that is sexy. But they seemed to think it necessary.)

Anyway! Off-topic as usual. I think I had a point here besides effective sex scenes are hard work. It takes talent to write erotic romance.

By: laurendane

laurendane — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 21:27:41 +0000

I’m honored, Jordan because I love yours too and I admire your style and ability to write a story that’s interesting as well as sexy.

I think your point is spot on and I’m glad you made it.

By: Jordan Summers

Jordan Summers — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 21:21:16 +0000

Lauren, I love your work. And that was the point I was trying to make over at RTB. I’m so sick of reading a string of sex scenes that mean NOTHING. I hate that I’ve started skimming. There’s no reason for that to happen, if the author has done their job correctly.