To me, it depends upon the story. If it's straight up romance, a PG sex scene ( or even none at all ) feels appropriate. Humor can often get away with limited details in the sex. Even those two examples are too broad, though.
For the most part, people are here to read sex. You're always going to get a better reception with explicit scenes. That doesn't mean you have to if you don't feel it's appropriate for the story, but you should be prepared for a likely lackluster response.
As to cliffhangers, they're a great tool to keep readers excited, so long as you don't dilly-dally with posting the next segment. Wait too long and you'll begin to see excitement turn to irritation.
Well that's a good question. The most erotic stories on Lush are the ones that are erotic with a good build up rather than graphically explicit. I do like the hard ones(no pun intended) but prefer the well written erotic stories
Writing about sex is like living the experience to me.
Sometimes I have enjoyed a very erotic and explicit sexual experience with wild and wonderful words and feelings between us. Both describing the sensational and erotic feelings we are enjoying with various parts of our bodies as we do it together. Hard, fast and very vocal - and ultimately satisfying.
During other experiences - even with the same partner - we have enjoyed the sensual soft, gentle. purring kind of union, where we dont necessarily 'concentrate' on the physical connection, but just let it happen and enjoy just being together in one way or another. Words are not needed. Our minds and bodies are working together in unison and eventually the climax is reached. A long slow climb to the top - so to speak.
Writing can be the same - sometimes explicit and erotic descriptions provide the satisfaction we seek. Other times just letting the words gently let the imagination provide the sensual pleasures we can in our own minds enjoy is enough.
I enjoy both in life and story.
When authors draw an outline of their story, they must decide upon certain aspects and I think these are; first message to convey or the moral of the story; second selection of genre and finally type of readers targeted. After having done that, the authors should be able to finalize the tone and type of language and nature of explicitly required. Sex scenes would therefore come out consequently. Sex scenes, I think, must be relevant to the situation. And the authors will do it as per respective ability and style....
Variety is the spice of life. Some stories on Lush can get by without the sex being explicit and work very well, but I think from looking at what stories tend to be most popular, that explicit sex is the main reason readers do come to Lush for stories.
No matter whether the sex is explicit or not, I enjoy the well written stories with an interesting storyline the most. Explicit sex written very well, realistic and believable, is going to set readers pants on fire. The more raunchy and dripping, that much better.
I think explicit yes, but gratuitous no. The main thing, is that it is an integral part of the story.
Danielle x
I actually don't think sex scenes need to be explicit. I think the erotica genre is very closely related to the horror genre and more specifically, the torture horror sub genre. They can both be formulaic and they both must have 'payoff' scenes. Some of the most effective torture scenes have most of the mechanics or action implied or off camera. They will show a pair of pliers about to grip someone's nail then cut to the victims face with some gruesome sound effects and contorted facial expressions. What that does is leave the mechanics of the nail being removed from the finger to the viewer's imagination. The imagination will always be, grosser, scarier and more gruesome than a special effect. You add another shot of a whole bloodied nail on the floor and the viewer just had a pretty visceral experience without ever actually viewing the act. You never actually see a nail removed but your mind thinks it did.
Sex scenes in erotica are like this to me. Everyone has had sex, everyone knows that a dick goes into a pussy. Going on about the mechanics of it is boring, in my opinion. Connecting with the reader on a deeper level is hard. Making them remember the last time they felt that through something other than the explicit description of it can be many times more memorable. It's writing of course so explaining things through looks and such is impossible but if you're creative enough, you don't have to be explicit. Even when writing the most hardcore scenes.
NO!....i watched a movie on lifetime a few weeks ago about babysitters sleeping with the husbands of families they were babysitting for....there was a sex scene in it that was as hot/erotic as anything on tv and it didn't show anything!
Although I think you can be hot hinting around certain things (I think I know exactly what Jules4Fun is talking about here) - I think it's probably a lot of effort to hint at the right things. Consider when you see something hot on network TV. They don't show the explicit act, but they are very clear about what they are implying.
To that end, I think I might enjoy a story that contains some implicit sex, but not ambiguous sex. I'm not a fan of stories or movies that end with an unclear outcome (some probably see that as a personal fault), but if I wanted to decide an ending myself I would just come up with my own story. When I read a story I want to see what stories others have come up with.
Not always. Sometimes, I want to be finished when the story ends. Other times, I get a nice build up and finish on my own.
We don't want cookie cutter stories. Great writing can sell the erotica without being very explicit, but great writing can also make explicit sex deliciously amazing. Its all up to you as a writer to develop and push your skills to be able to pull it off either way or somewhere in between. Remember 'Variety is the spice of life'.
Explicit sex or not, plots, action, character development, etc. do not get stale and follow the same old formula. Be creative and try different things.
First of all though, develop your basics and use good grammar.
I agree with the linebacker
Well for me emotions are very important. The story needs to have a good buildup. Sex does not have to be too explicit but it shouldn't be implicit.
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Here on Lush they do! Maybe not in romantic literature in general. Lush readers are looking for a bigger payoff in an erotic story than average readers do. Unfortunately, I haven't mastered the art of the big-payoff yet.
i don't believe so. most of us don't need for you to literally paint a picture. i for one like to use my imagination to fill in the details.
I personally love an explicit sex scene, I think that is the major difference between the romantic and erotic genres. So, lets get down with some naughty fucking, ok. ;)
There are no infallible parameters that constitute good writing or anything else that is essentially artistic expression. Whether as a reader or a writer, everyone has their own tastes and preferences, so "the empty space in between" isn't for everyone, but if nothing else, it can be a nice change of pace for anyone who may be jaded with too much gratuitous detail.
For me, it depends on the story.
If it's a longer story, and/or, more about the dance between characters, explicit description of their sex isn't necessary. But if it's a quickie story about physical attraction, give me those details!! So I guess it relies on the intent and direction of the story ultimately.
Unfortunately, its preferred on some sites.
Unfortunately, its preferred on some sites.
I've read some extremely vivid sex scenes that made me wet. Others I felt like rewriting it in the middle of the scene because it's so poorly written. A skilled author can do a lot with a little. If it starts sounding like the same re-treaded stuff it loses me.
Most erotica is all "over do's."
Absolutely....it provides the setting of the scene as well as the outcome.
