Let's Write About Sex

    Hey all,

    How do you like your sex? Do you want all the slippery details or carefully worded suggestions of the action?  I like details but not everyone does. One only has to look at romance to see variation in our tastes. At one end of the spectrum the door closes and the book ends, the other, the book opens with a coffee table orgasm. What’s a writer to do?

    I say, write what you like to read. You’ll be more comfortable with it and you’ll know what to call the pieces and parts. That’s a big concern. Cock, shaft, member, manhood, himself, what do you call it? Female anatomy poses a similar problem. Your choice of names plays a big role in the tone of the scene. The nature of the scene dictates some of the choices. Hot monkey love calls for more vulgarity than the gentle bedding of a lover after a romantic candle lit dinner. Not that the scene can’t change as it progresses. Characters are only human and sometimes get carried away by the moment.

    That’s an important point. Characters ARE human. For the most part, your characters will be narrating the action. How would they describe it? Not how would they describe it to their mother? How would they describe it in their mind? What are their thoughts? How interesting would it be if your prim and proper heroine thought, “Yes, yes, shove it in, you big burly stud.” in the middle of it all. (Anyone wants to use that line, take it, it’s a gift. ;) )

    Now we’ve hit on the most important reason for writing sex; you can use it to give the reader important insight into your characters. The calculating become impetuous. The bold become timid. The reserved become wanton. Normally hidden character traits can be revealed and explored during sex. You can use those traits later to justify some unexpected action.

    You can also use sex as a motivation. Once a person has been intimate with another, their relationship changes. They can become dangerously jealous or overly protective. You can turn cowards into heroes with sex. You can pit friends and siblings against one another. You can incite murder and betrayal. You can inspire greatness, forge alliances, topple governments or conquer the universe with sex. Sex is powerful. But for it to be all that it can be, ya gotta write it.

    Long, long ago, in a coffee shop not so far away, I had a protagonist going along with a dangerous plan because he was attracted to a girl, maybe even falling in love with her. Her motivation was helping the creatures they had encountered, his was helping and protecting her. My critique partners weren’t buying it because he’d only known her a couple days. “He could die,” they said. Sex to the rescue. I wrote my first sex scene and his motivation was no longer in doubt. They’d had sex, he thought he was in love, he would go along to protect her.

    However, the scene, in the opinion of one partner, was purple, whatever that means. So I rewrote it. Made it more detail oriented and submitted it again. The critiques I got on it were very short, punctuated by pauses, and accompanied by pink faces. Exactly what I was going for. One more reason to write sex; the fun of it. I still have that scene, maybe I’ll post it in my stories tab.

Mike's rule of the day

Hey all you people out there in the blogosphere,

     Why did nobody warn me that a rule a day was a bad idea? Now I have to think up rules because I don't want to use the standard, show don't tell, ground your POV, use adverbs sparingly, etc. so, this is going to get harder as the days become weeks and weeks become months, etc. Who is supposed to be watching me? Sheesh.

     Okay here goes.

2.) Attribute dialog with an action, a thought or an observation.

     I know Stephen King and many others say to use 'he said/she said'. But why pass up an opportunity to show the reader something about the characters mood or motivation or even that he/she is lying. Now, this takes a little more work. But, what the hell, you got someplace to go? You're a writer and a strange gravitational constant keeps pulling you to your writing station. Even on the rare occasions when you reach escape velocity, you think about writing, talk about writing, talk about your WIP. You complain that life keeps intruding on your writing time. You are a writer.

     Okay, here's how it works. If you are in the speaking characters head, give us a thought. Or an action and a thought.

      Devin pursed his lips to keep from smiling. Damned if she wasn't the cutest thing in the universe when she pouted. "I really hate it when you do that. You think you can get me to cave with your sad doe eyes."

     If you are not in the speaking characters head, you're stuck with an observation or action.

     The slightest crinkle of a grin crept up Claudia's face to her eyes as she slumped and turned away. " Well, if you won't do it for my sad face," She glanced at him over her shoulder. " how about my fantastic behind?"

      So, not that difficult and you need not do such involved description. Probably the attribution should not be longer than the actual dialog most of the time.

     He kicked the door. "...
     Damn, her breath stunk. "...
     Vicki stroked the cat;s head. ".....
     Marne pulled the dog's tail. "....

     Still not convinced it can work? Click the 'Mike's Stories tab at the top of the page and read 'The Knights of Naclurita.' Not a 'he said' or 'she said' or anything like it in there.

     Give it a try for a page or two, you can always change it.

     Let me know how it works for you.

     And, Happy St. Patrick's Day, have a green beer for me.

Mike