Even for the bravest writer, some topics are hard to tackle. What happens when you're writing a story and you come to that part where you characters just have to, well, do it?
A good first step is reading The Joy Of Writing Sex: A Guide for Fiction Writers (Holt Paperbacks, Revised Edition 2002) by Elizabeth Benedict.
The book is full of useful advice about how to get started in writing a good sex scene. Benedict writes, “In the best fiction writing about sex, even if it is just a brief paragraph, we come to the end knowing not just 'what happened' but something about the characters, their sensibilities, circumstances or inner lives, [and] about the narrator...”
Writers Talk About Writing Sex
Benedict interviews prominent writers such as Dorothy Allison, Russell Banks, Carol Shields and John Updike about writing about sex. They talk about what censors them, how they overcome any discomfort with writing about sex, what they like in a good sex scene and what they don't.
Ten Basic Principles of a Good Sex Scene
In the second chapter, Benedict lays down her ten basic principles of writing a good sex scene. This chapter offers the most practical advice to be found in the book. A few of her basic principles are:
- A sex scene is not a sex manual
- A good sex scene does not have to be about good sex
- A good sex scene is always about sex and something else
- Who your characters are to each other is key
Each of these principles is accompanied by examples and further explanation.
A Range of Sexual Possibilities
In the latter half of the book, Benedict talks about issues in writing about specific types of sexual encounters. She discusses virginity, marriage, homosexual experiences, infidelity, recreational sex and masturbation. Each of these, Benedict says, presents its own set of “given circumstances” to which a writer must pay attention.
For example, a couple who have been married for twenty years will have a complex shared history and and there will usually be no inherent drama in the sexual act. But for adulterers, sex is preheated by the element of secrecy and high emotions. Whatever the circumstance, the writer must find a way to make the scene dramatic and relevant to the story.
Racy Examples
One of the great strengths of The Joy of Writing Sex is the wealth and variety of examples of well-written sex scenes. Each section includes excerpts from other writers along with an analysis of why the scene works. It is interesting to see so many sex scenes taken out of context and to see how different each one is.
Bookshelf Worthy
This book is not a how-to guide. It doesn't offer a list of adjectives for describing sexual activities or a formula for writing a great sex scene.
What it does offer is an honest and insightful exploration of how writers can use sex to develop their characters and move their plots forward. Any fiction writer would do well to refer to this book every now and then.
