Yes, I'm once again invading Morgan's forum, this time with some advice of my own:
What sex scenes have always stuck in your mind after watching a film? Which scenes kept replaying in your mind and making you shiver hours, days, even weeks after you saw the film? Which fell flat? Most importantly, what MADE them stick in your mind or fall flat?
A couple of years ago, a friend and I decided to take some time and figure out what set okay sex scenes apart from GREAT sex scenes. We'd watch them and ask ourselves/each other why a particular scene worked and why one didn't. Why did one fall flat while the other created visceral, physical reactions (aka, tinglies!)? What little details made our breath catch while others barely registered. You know what the biggest difference was? The little things. Breath on skin. His hand sliding from her waist to the small of her back. A fleeting moment of eye contact. We watched these scenes over and over to figure out how to translate those little things into our writing. (This was pure torture, I assure you. Spending hours on end on YouTube watching our favorite sex scenes. Absolutely hellish.)
Remember, as writers, we can be much more explicit than most films. However, the very fact that they CAN'T show all the plumbing and the banging means they have to find other ways to convey what's happening, how people are responding, etc. Just because we can show all the action, right down to the penetration shots, doesn't mean we should skip over the rest of it. And this applies to any kind of erotica, whether it's meant to be more emotional or just some wank fodder...you want to really get your readers hot and bothered? Tease all their senses. Don't just show them a cock in a pussy, let them hear the creaking bed frame. Don't stop at moans and groans, make the reader feel the goose bumps on her skin when he exhales against the back of her neck. Don't just show us a powerful orgasm, show us the sheets bunching in her hands. Don't rely so heavily on how much semen the guy gets all over his abs, her face, the blinds, or whatever else...show us the cords standing out from his neck, his knuckles turning white from gripping a headboard for dear life, and the bead of sweat on his temple.
Show everything, not just the dirty bits.
So. With all of that said, I highly recommend watching the following scenes (obviously adult content, NSFW, etc) and REALLY looking at them.
From "The English Patient". Note their faces. The looks they exchange. Notice how the camera zooms in on their hands. What he's doing with her clothes.
From "Atonement" This is easily one of my favorites. There's something heart-stoppingly sexy about a kiss or a touch that says "I need you NOW". To me, that's what makes this scene so sexy...all the tension and buildup, then a "can't wait another second" release. Especially take note of her skirt going up her leg, the strap from her dress between his fingers, things like that. Also, there's no music, just the sounds of breathing, moving, etc. (The fact that James McAvoy is hot doesn't hurt anything either...)
From "On Becoming Jane" This isn't a sex scene, but is a great example of romantic and sexual tension. Watch the whole thing...it's slow to start, and the part I'm thinking of is at 2:08, but the rest of the clip builds up to it. It's really little more than a look shared between two people, but it speaks volumes. Note the difference in her demeanor, in the entire atmosphere of the scene, after that moment, even though the dance is continuing exactly like it has through the entire scene. (And once again, the fact that James McAvoy is hot doesn't hurt, but I digress...)
From "The Matrix: Reloaded" Obviously something like this is going to translate better to film than to the written word, but it's a good example of using the environment/surroundings to emphasize the feelings of a scene. There's an incredible, primal rhythm to that scene, and while the movie itself was mostly made of fail, that scene was spectacular.
From "Meet Joe Black": Watch his face. You know what's happening by how his body is moving, but you know what he FEELS by his face.
From "The Recruit": Parking garage kiss, lovely example of tension (which builds quickly) followed by a "must have you RIGHT NOW" kiss. Consider how much less effective the scene would have been if they'd had more time...being rushed added to the tension. (pardon me while I go think dirty thoughts about Colin Farrell for a few minutes...)
Other: (YouTube isn't cooperating with me tonight)
City of Angels - Sex scene. Much like the one from Meet Joe Black, watch his face.
True Lies - Striptease scene. Pay attention not to what she's doing, but how he's looking at her. Even though you can barely see his face, the looks are there...and so is the tension.
Titanic - The hand on the fogged up rear window. The viewer may not know if Jack is fucking Rose, eating her pussy, or fingering her at that precise moment, but that hand left nothing to the imagination about how Rose FELT.
Remember: The tension does not begin or end in the bedroom. Putting aside my undying hatred of the movie Alexander, and my insane crushes on both Jared Leto and Colin Farrell, there is one thing that makes that movie worthwhile: The sexual tension between their characters. They never do anything onscreen (Oliver Stone, for this I hate you), and their dialogue is horrible (hey, at least it was consistent with the rest of the film)...BUT the looks they exchange. Good God. If anyone can put on a look of sexual longing, it's Hephaestion when he's watching Alexander marry someone else. They both nailed the chemistry and sexual tension. (The movie still sucks hairy donkey balls, though)
Figure out what makes those scenes sexy, what gives them tension, and translate that onto the page. Observe them, analyze them, and adapt it to your writing...I can almost guarantee an added sizzle in your sex scenes. "Is it really that effective?" you wonder quietly to yourself. It was for me. This analysis was one of the defining moments in my career, and what gave me the key to writing sex scenes that resonated with my readers.
Go forth and watch some sex scenes. You won't regret it.
Advanced Wordsmith
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Lori
L. A. Witt (gay male erotic romance)
Lauren Gallagher (heterosexual erotic romance)
Twitter: GallagherWitt
My Website * My Blog * Marginally Unhinged (my webcomic)
"Service with a Smirk, that's you." - Morgan Hawke
L. A. Witt (gay male erotic romance)
Lauren Gallagher (heterosexual erotic romance)
Twitter: GallagherWitt
My Website * My Blog * Marginally Unhinged (my webcomic)
"Service with a Smirk, that's you." - Morgan Hawke
