Sex It Up!

I missed blogging yesterday, and I’ve been trying so hard to post every day. *sigh* Sadly, there will be missed days for various reasons from here on out. It’s life and can’t be helped. Anyhow, for today’s blog post, I’m cheating and reposting an older one. Back to new, original posts tomorrow. 

***********************

A question that keeps popping up during chats I attend or just idle conversation with fledgling authors is “How do you write a sex scene?” Good question, and one I had never really thought about until I was asked like twelve times or so. Just exactly how does one go about writing those juicy, fire in the blood, steam coming out your ears and curling your toes sex scenes? Imagination–and a whole lot of it. LOL

But seriously, there is so much more to writing a sex scene and making it work than just the mechanics. You can read position manuals and how to books until you’re blue in the face, but if the emotion isn’t there, you’re pretty much wasting your time. Remember to put all five senses into the scenes as well as those inner twinges and jolts, the random thoughts running through the characters’ heads and toss in some dialogue too, which is the part I have the most difficulty with. Talking during sex just ain’t easy, especially when you’re short on breath before you even started. *grin*

The five senses during sex:
1) What does the character FEEL? The touch of his skin against hers, the coarseness of his hair rubbing against her sensitive nipples, a rush of warm breath across her cheek. Those types of things.
2) What does the character SEE? The color of his eyes, the way that patch of hair low on his belly tapers down and leads her to the hidden treasures awaiting her beneath his slacks, the smile upon his face, and the lust reflecting in his eyes, just to name a few.
3) What does the character TASTE? A trace of salt upon his skin, a hint of mint upon his lips, that sweet yet tangy taste that is unique only to him.
4) What does the character HEAR? The rapid beat of her heart, the slid of fabric against fabric, the rasp of a zipper as it slides down.
And one of the most important and yet most often overlooked sense
5) What does the character SMELL? The scent of strawberries wafting up from the scented candle slowly burning on the bedside table. The faint aroma of powder feathered across her skin. The heady cologne clinging to his shirt collar, or even the smell of the soap he used in his shower earlier on.

If combined correctly, you’re certain to obtain that unforgettable, have the reader reaching for ice while fanning him/her self after reading type of sex scene. Yes, sex scenes are a collection of repetitive actions, but the true art is in how you string them together and weave in the senses and descriptions.

What prompted this post? I have sex scenes to write and as usual, I’m procrastinating. *big grin* Procrastination should have been my middle name–really.

Anyhow, I guess I’ve wasted enough time. Hopefully this post will help someone with their work.

Heather

What makes a writer?

I was gone all day to a friend’s baby shower and playing catch up on time lost between us, so I didn’t post this morning like I normally do. I’m tired now due to a very long day and being run down, so I’m going to pull out an oldie to post. Sorry it’s so late, but by my clock, it’s still Saturday, so I’m going by my time not the blog time.

* * * * * 

Do you write books? It doesn’t matter if they are published or not.

Do you write stories of any type? Again, it doesn’t matter if it’s published or not.

 Do you write poetry? Same rule as above.

If you answered YES to any of the questions above, I hereby declare you a writer. Yep, you heard me right. You are a writer. Plain and simple. There’s no wanna be about it. If you write, by definition you are a writer. Who’d have thought it could be so simple?

Now, published. To me being published is just that, being published. You sign a contract with a publisher, they edit, format, and put the book out for the masses and you get paid. Simple as that. The amount you make matters little. The format matters not. Print or ebook, published is published as far as I’m concerned.

Do I have a book in print? Yes.

Will I have more in print? I hope so.

Will I keep writing ebooks? You can bet your life on it.

Does writing ebooks make me less of a published author? Nope. There are those who would say that it does, but what do their opinions really matter anyway? The only opinion that matters where any of this is concerned is my own. If I didn’t like what I do, I wouldn’t keep doing it. It’s as simple as that.

If you write because you love it, the format in which the book reaches the readers won’t matter one bit. Do it for the joy, do it for the fun, do it because you want to. Each of us has to make decisions for ourselves…this includes the road we travel to publication. Make decisions based on what best suits your needs, not what best matches someone else’s view on how things should be done. In the end, you might get looked down upon by a select few, but if you are doing what makes you happy–to hell with them.

Heather