Knowing how to write a good sex scene for your book is almost mandatory at this point. Every story, especially in the romance genre, needs steamy scenes in them. Even when you don’t intend on writing explicit sex scenes, you might have to create scenes where the sexual tension is high and readers can feel the heat off the characters.
And that, dear, is what this blog post is all about.
In this article, I will share my best tips on how to write a sex scene that makes your readers drool and wish they were the characters.
Popular Misconception about Writing Sex Scenes
Before I start with the tips, I just have to point out, that most the major misconception about sex scenes is that the more vulgar it sounds, the dirtier it is, or the more steamy it would seem, but sex, just like love is all about the chemistry, not just the action.
A scene between two characters kissing or just holding hands can be even more steamy than an actual sex scene if done right.
So, how do you write a sex scene right?
How to Write a Sex Scene that Readers Love to See
- Focus on Sensation
- Describe Thoughts and Emotions
- Add Only a Bit of Physical Details
- Hit the Climax
- And resolve
Focus on Sensation
When it comes to writing sex scenes, it’s most about the sensation. It’s about how the characters’ skin feel on each other. How the brush of a hand sends chills down the spine, or his hand around her waists makes her gasps.
You don’t want to focus much on what the characters are doing, instead you want to focus on how what they are doing makes the other character feel. Even when you’re writing in first person, you can describe the emotions, what each movement means to the other character and what they do in response.
Describe Thoughts and Emotions
“God! His lips taste like heaven. I close my eyes, letting the wave of lust take over me. My whole body crumbling under his arms, giving him control. Yes, he deserves it. He owns me and no other fucking person. I press my lips harder against his again, rough and unsavvy, a proof of ownership. He owns me and I own him. In this moment, it’s all that matters.”
This paragraph is simply two characters kissing passionately, and yet, very little detail indicates the actions, rather they focus on the thoughts, the emotions and the sensations of the scene. Yes, I did brush a few short sentences to create a visual image, but the rest is open to interpretation.
Add Only a Bit of Physical details
Notice in the earlier example how my scene had very minimal physical details? As I already mentioned it’s to create a visual image for my readers, provide them with just enough context that they know what is happening, and then, leave the rest to your characters.
I don’t go on to say his hand trails my body, his chest pressed against mine, yada yada. I could add that, yes, but if the entire scene is all about thoughtless, emotionless sex, then it would not be a sex scene, it’d be porn.
Even when writing erotica, you might have to add a little more physical details than in pure romance scenes, but you’d still need to include your character’s thoughts and emotions to make it even more interesting.
Hit the Climax
Just like books, we all climax–or we need to–during sex. So, your characters are no exceptions. Most times, in climax, you want to give your characters a tell that they are about to climax. A simple grunt, or saying “fuck” before describing the action can come in handy.
It adds a build of emotions, so when you write your next sex scene and the one after that, and that character makes that same sound, even when they are not climaxing, the readers can tell instantly that they are having pleasurable sex.
Resolve
Yes, we don’t walk around with a 5 minutes climax and just cumming as we go. So, there needs to be a resolution to it. A post nut clarity if you may.
This is where your characters either walkaway from their one night stand, or tell them this is the best sex I ever had, or a simple declaration of love. Either ways, there need to be an action, something that makes the sex scene not a waste of words but rather a scene to propel the story forward.
Imagine an enemies to lover romance with arranged marriage where they have a back and forth and finally have sex for the first time, and the ML who thought he could never love the FL in his life, ends the scene with “Fuck! I love you,” just as he orgasms.
Your readers would be screaming in their seats.
Because if we are being honest, writing a sex scene shouldn’t just be a way of keeping up with contemporary romance, it should advance your story in one way or another, and for that, the readers must see where it leads.
