So, About Those Sex Scenes...

[Guest szaugg]

Hi,

So, here I am, writing my first fanfic ever, which for me means writing my first limes and lemons, ever. (which makes this my first post here, ever)

It's turning out to be a lot more fun that I thought it would be! Hoo boy. Ever have someone walk in on you when you're writing one of those scenes? I swear, I almost felt like I was getting caught making out.

Sorry, back on topic: a few questions for the more experienced lemon writers out there.

1. Do you tend to write the sex scenes from one character's point of view most of the time? Or from the viewpoints of all the participants? Or from a third party, no internal dialogue view? Which seems to work for you the best?

2. If you do both characters(or more), with internal dialogue....what the heck do you use to help you figure out what the other sex actually feels? Ask friends? Look at sex scenes written by the opposite sex? I've only got experience on how sex feels from one side of the fence, you know what I mean? And I often find myself reading some sex scenes and wondering: does it really feel like that for them? Hmmmm.

3. Do you find it difficult to write sex scenes 'in character?' And if you do, what helps you get the characters more clearly in your head?

Actually, I guess that's about it. Like I said, I'm writing my first fanfic, and while I've written the lemons to the point that I'm pretty happy with them, I would love to make them something really, really good before I get to posting those chapters.

Oh, some info. in case it affects any answers:

for this first one, I just totally followed the canon: Inu/Kag and Mir/San. The challenge I've been running into is that after the first few chapters, it's pretty much equal time spent on both couples, including sex scenes later on, and I want to make the situations and scenes really distinct from one another and still good. And funny, as it's a comedy.

And if anyone has thoughts on yaoi sex scenes, please comment on those as well, because I really think I'm gonna have to do a yaoi story sometime, so I might as well get ideas now!!

Thanks very much for your time!

Oh, almost forgot. I guess if you wanted to see what the heck type of story I'm talking about, for those who are really, really nice and have some really, really detailed advice, I should say what it is, eh?

Title: This is Gonna Be Fun, by szaugglaughs, under Inuyasha/Kagome section

Szaugglaughs

[Iggy_lovechild]

Due to my writing style, I usually end up writing a narrow third-person POV (limited to one character's thoughts and feelings).

I get a lot of my concepts of sensations and how things feel from personal experience as well as asking questions, reading books, and other such things. Research, I guess.

I don't find it at all hard to keep a character IC during sex scenes. If I know that character well enough to write fanfiction about him/her, I know them well enough to write a sex scene for them (usually).

I do write yaoi, but I don't find it much different from writing het lemons. That is to say, I don't like playing the top and bottom games and femenization bullshit. Weepy ukes piss me off, as does OOC-ing a character to get such a stereotypical result.

[Guest SilverFox-chan]

I'm so glad someone asked this question and not me. ^^; I would have never been able to ask myself.

So basically, research out sex scenes from other works? And try what is best for you? Is that what you are saying Iggy? I wanted to do that and my husband thought that would be like copying or something.

[Iggy_lovechild]

Eh, something like that. Research is the name of the game whenever you're exploring something beyond your scope of exprience, this includes sex.

It might seem like such a small thing, but lack of research is why we have self-lubricating assholes, monster cocks, and candy-flavoured semen.

[Guest SilverFox-chan]

Ok

Anyways its not lack of experience with sex that keeps me from writing them. Hell, I'm married with a 7 month old. Its embarrassment that keeps me from writing them. Don't know why, can't explain it. Its just that way for me.

[Iggy_lovechild]

Sex scenes are very hard to write, simply because it's a balancing act of emotion and sexuality. Too much or either can seriously ruin a scene. The best advice I can give anyone when it comes to erotica and fanfiction is to know the characters before getting them in bed with each other. There's nothing worse than reading Sesshoumaru talking dirty in the middle of a lemon (something I really don't imagine him doing) or Kagome being a sexual acrobat on the night she loses her virginity. That kind of shit can ruin a scene faster than anything else when it comes to writing smut for your chosen fandom.

[Guest SilverFox-chan]

That's true. And I hate that as well...

[StoryJunkie]

I think that practicing writing helps. I mean, not just sex, but say, describing other things. Kind of like hm, being an artist that likes doing anime, but having to do realizm as well, and fruit.

so, one thread here was "describe a world from your own imagination", and so several people wrote out these fantastic scenes, and it was interesting to see all the different aspects they focused on.

So that, when it comes to sex as well, you are able to look at it from your own view and describe the sensations and the range of emotions and the smell of the blankets.

Its about feeling good, and its about conveying what you want your readers to know. Read it out loud, too,even if its in a whisper under the covers....Trust me, it really helps clean up the work, catching repetitious words and phrases. don't forget to add such things: metaphors, similies, "she felt like a cork set adrift at the whim of every wave" and stuff like that. It kind of helps things along.

[Guest SilverFox-chan]

Ok thanks!

[StoryJunkie]

well, after all that preaching I just did, I decided to scope out the Inuyasha fic, and boy, I don't think you need that advice. You're a pretty good writer (I'm at Ch3 at the moment, no sex scenes yet, but if the first two chaps are any indication, I'm just full of hot air!) (I've wanted to try out this emoticon for a while now...)

[SilverFox-chan]

I think that practicing writing helps. I mean, not just sex, but say, describing other things. Kind of like hm, being an artist that likes doing anime, but having to do realizm as well, and fruit.

so, one thread here was "describe a world from your own imagination", and so several people wrote out these fantastic scenes, and it was interesting to see all the different aspects they focused on.

So that, when it comes to sex as well, you are able to look at it from your own view and describe the sensations and the range of emotions and the smell of the blankets.

Its about feeling good, and its about conveying what you want your readers to know. Read it out loud, too,even if its in a whisper under the covers....Trust me, it really helps clean up the work, catching repetitious words and phrases. don't forget to add such things: metaphors, similies, "she felt like a cork set adrift at the whim of every wave" and stuff like that. It kind of helps things along.

Huh...I never thought of trying it like that. I think I will...I want to be able to write well when the time comes if it ever does... ^^;;;

And I'm back!

[Elvy]

1. Do you tend to write the sex scenes from one character's point of view most of the time? Or from the viewpoints of all the participants? Or from a third party, no internal dialogue view? Which seems to work for you the best?

It honestly depends on the type of scenario that's being written and how I wish to convey it to the reader. You can usually still sneak in a little internal dialogue here and there in the third person depending upon how you set it up.

2. If you do both characters(or more), with internal dialogue....what the heck do you use to help you figure out what the other sex actually feels? Ask friends? Look at sex scenes written by the opposite sex? I've only got experience on how sex feels from one side of the fence, you know what I mean? And I often find myself reading some sex scenes and wondering: does it really feel like that for them?

I've been estimating things by two methods: porn, and the real thing. For me, the porn helps give me ideas on some of the crazy-ass things that are done out there. The real thing helps keep my writing grounded in the pseudo-reality area. My first fic was a Full Metal Panic one with Sou / Kan and since they were both virgins I had the sex be clumsy, humorous, with a dash of first-time romantic on the side. A woman's physiology is usually more complex with more nerve endings down below. So if you happen to be a girl then you're already halfway to figuring out what might feel good to you (assuming to self experiment).

I don't have the type of friends that I can "talk shop" with for the sake of my writing. I have one female friend for that, but the most I glean from her are more ideas from the woman's perspective and not really the man's. So back when I was still a virgin, I had to do a lot of imaginative gender-swapping with myself. The whole "If I were a guy, what would feel good to me?" If you've got a firm grasp on anatomy, sometimes the scientific aspects of books and research can assist in giving you clues on some interesting things to write about.

3. Do you find it difficult to write sex scenes 'in character?' And if you do, what helps you get the characters more clearly in your head?

I find it difficult to write sex scenes: Period. Even when I go in saying to myself "Yes! I'm going to write this kick ass sex scene bubbling in my head!" it's always the LAST scene I write. I almost try to avoid it like the plague, it's pretty funny. I'm a writer that constructs scenes in my head by attaching them to songs. That's how I write the current novel I'm working on now. So when I hear a song I'll construct a scene, or if I get a scene in my head I'll hunt for a song to match it up with. The music helps me create a sort of 'music video' for me to play over and over again in my mind while I write. The song has to convey the feelings I'm building, so sometimes I'll listen to a song 20 - 30 times until I'm done writing up the scene. The sex scene is also something that I have to write out in one fell swoop. It's not something I can leave in the middle of and come back to the next day.

[SilverFox-chan]

I think has been one of the better replies to this topic.

In fact, I'm trying to work up the nerve to write a original PWP revolving around two OC's having at it. Its going to be unpublished as its for learning purposes only. In fact, I might have one to three other people read it and have them tell me what they think and how I can improve it.

I don't think I would have the nerve to put it up here at AFF.net I would be too embarrassed until I got it just right.

[Elvy]

It's a very good series of questions. I haven't been able to do a PWP yet because I'm all about the build-up and the purpose behind the characters bumping monkeys together. A lot of the fic-work I've been doing are all practice pieces to help me with different elements that I need to really work on and refine in my novel writing (minus the gratuitous sex). The other reason is to simply satiate the musings that go on in my head and to also give my brain a reprieve from any writer's blocks I obtain along the way.

I've been finding these fic-sites very good starting points in obtaining some general feedback on whether or not my writing technique communicates correctly to other readers utilizing material that they're familiar with. I have yet to try refining the first part of my book and posting it to an audience to see if my original material would hold any interest to my intended demographics.

But if you're looking for some solid feedback on your practice piece, I can offer to beta it for you if you'd like. Depending on when you give it to me will determine how quickly a review can be sent back in your direction. I'm heading up a conference at the end of September so things might be a bit hectic during that time.

[PoaTB]

I have never written a sex scene. The story I am at the moment writting won't have one for a long while. Errr... As a matter of fact, I'm not sure I should be writting one due to the type I think it is going to turn out to be... Eheh...

But if I do decide to write one, here is what I plan to do:

-Know who I am writing it on. If I plane to write a sex scene between... let's say between Sango and Kouga, I need to portay them how I think they would react. For example, in many stories I read I mostly see the submissive (or the uke as some goes by) go down without a fight or too willingly. Sango is not an easy person, and Kouga is not the type to loose so easily to his raging hormones (or his inner youkai as some dubbed it). Which leads me to my next point.

- Build a relationship. Unless I am writting a one night stand for these two characters then it is not neccissary. But I'm not, sooo... A relationship is needed for the my readers to know where this love bloomed, and why they lust for one another. Without knowing their relationship, it seems as though everything I am writting is coming out of my ass. Ha ha ha... So yea, that's importaint too.

-Use words the majority of world did not know exist. I don't know why, but readers like it when you use lengthy words. Which is why the thesaurus is my best friend. Who knew peregrinate means to travle too?

-Be unique. Although everything has been written and it seems close to impossible, I can always try to find new ways to express it as close as humanly, or demonly, possible. I mean... Pushing Sango on the wall or stratteling Kouga on the floor can be expressed in more then one way and can be progressed there in more then one way. All I need to do is turn my creativity cap on and find a way.

-Take time. There is no rush. Timing and looking at the story over and over again will help a whole lot.

-Reserch the material. I don't watch much pornogaphy (Kuja: LIAR!!!) I can always try reading what other author say. And I'll say, it's more discrpitive and better then pornography can provide! Seriously!!! But that is not all I reserch. I will look back at episodes and wiki (since I do not have the manga) to see what information I can use to create the plot which will progress to the sex sceen sooner or later.

Well, this is how I plane to write my sex scenes. A pain in the ass? Only to those who could not wait. Okay, my pointless rant is over. Toddles!

Oh yea! SilverFox-chan, if I may, would it be possible to read your unpublished story? I would like to read it.

(PS, I need an editor. )

[SilverFox-chan]

Unfortunately I think I have trashed that idea. >.< I just can't seem to get up the nerve to even if no one was going to see it. But I will let you know if I ever do write it.

As it is, a friend of mine is going to be helping me with any and probably all sex scenes. Thank god for friends is all I can say.

[SilverFox-chan]

I just want to say, I no longer have any trouble writing sex scenes.

w00t!