As someone who writes a lot of sex scenes, and regularly hears that they are very good, I want to say that this video gets a lot right. I'd almost consider it required watching when learning how to write them. As you note, it's SO important to consider the context. Who are the people in this scene? Why are they doing this? Communication is also important. This is one of the ways to prevent 'hat' syndrome (Characters only differ by their 'hat', i.e. their name, during a scene) as communication is such a great way to show personality. However, the greatest mistake I see authors make is to forget who the people are and how to take advantage of who they are. Very often the story builds up to a sex scene, but once things get going the characters don't feel the same. Often, you'll see that the scene gets so much stronger if you can manage to express the character's personalities within the scene. Use that to lift it all higher. The character is usually so very confident, but now they're uncertain if they're doing it right, for example. I feel that this last thing is something that you mention, but not in an obvious way which makes it easy to miss. P.S. Sex scenes are hard to get right. A passable scene is easy enough, but if you want to write one that really gets the reader flushed, it's pretty hard. On the other hand, that goes for most interaction heavy content, including fight scenes, so I suppose that's also a point you were making.
Your last bit of advice is something I’ve been doing instinctually for ages but have never really thought about in concrete terms. Sex scenes are a chance to see the characters in a new situation, often one that is very vulnerable. It’s a waste not to use it to its fullest potential!
Dude, that was a great made-up example! Love your videos man, you are like a virtual mentor for me. Thou I don’t write stories as elaborate as you these tips have helped my pulp writing immensely.
This was another great video. Loved the content being a writer of romance. I mastered this a long time ago but I still enjoyed the video. You gave a point of view I never thought of.
I feel like you missed one crucial tip: Ask yourself, why the sex scene is there and if it has to be described in detail. This is of course very genre-specific. In a romance novel you would expect such scenes, while in an action novel it can really throw the reader out (I do hate this stuff in movies, when they try to build emotional tension with sex scenes with no impact on the plot). If the scene itself is necessary, look which parts of it are necessary and leave the rest out - as with almost all other scenes. The actual action mostly can be left out (again, genre-specific!). And my favourite example of a sex scene actually comes from a fantasy novel by Peter Beagle: The Inkeeper's Song. It's written in a very good way and it is absolutly necessary to move the story forward, as it shows a major reveal - but at the same time, the action of the scene hides this reveal a bit, which is absolutly fantastic, because it brings you really close to the doubts of the POV in that scene.
This is absolutely perfect, thank you so much for this. I've been stumped for quite some time trying to write my romantic love sex scene and this just checked off every box to help me out. Thank you sir.
I was just scrolling down watching flash videos now this is slowly turning into the STUFF if u know wut I mean hehehe the HUB if u catch my trick and if u don’t the i ain’t explaining u clicked on this vid
As someone who writes a lot of sex scenes, and regularly hears that they are very good, I want to say that this video gets a lot right. I'd almost consider it required watching when learning how to write them.
As you note, it's SO important to consider the context. Who are the people in this scene? Why are they doing this?
Communication is also important. This is one of the ways to prevent 'hat' syndrome (Characters only differ by their 'hat', i.e. their name, during a scene) as communication is such a great way to show personality.
However, the greatest mistake I see authors make is to forget who the people are and how to take advantage of who they are. Very often the story builds up to a sex scene, but once things get going the characters don't feel the same. Often, you'll see that the scene gets so much stronger if you can manage to express the character's personalities within the scene. Use that to lift it all higher. The character is usually so very confident, but now they're uncertain if they're doing it right, for example.
I feel that this last thing is something that you mention, but not in an obvious way which makes it easy to miss.
P.S. Sex scenes are hard to get right. A passable scene is easy enough, but if you want to write one that really gets the reader flushed, it's pretty hard. On the other hand, that goes for most interaction heavy content, including fight scenes, so I suppose that's also a point you were making.
Such a great comment, thank you. Your point about characters being in different head spaces is a really good one.
Your last bit of advice is something I’ve been doing instinctually for ages but have never really thought about in concrete terms. Sex scenes are a chance to see the characters in a new situation, often one that is very vulnerable. It’s a waste not to use it to its fullest potential!
Dude, that was a great made-up example! Love your videos man, you are like a virtual mentor for me. Thou I don’t write stories as elaborate as you these tips have helped my pulp writing immensely.
I appreciate that!
This was another great video. Loved the content being a writer of romance. I mastered this a long time ago but I still enjoyed the video. You gave a point of view I never thought of.
A good sex scene is a conflict, that rises to a climax
I feel like you missed one crucial tip: Ask yourself, why the sex scene is there and if it has to be described in detail. This is of course very genre-specific. In a romance novel you would expect such scenes, while in an action novel it can really throw the reader out (I do hate this stuff in movies, when they try to build emotional tension with sex scenes with no impact on the plot). If the scene itself is necessary, look which parts of it are necessary and leave the rest out - as with almost all other scenes. The actual action mostly can be left out (again, genre-specific!).
And my favourite example of a sex scene actually comes from a fantasy novel by Peter Beagle: The Inkeeper's Song. It's written in a very good way and it is absolutly necessary to move the story forward, as it shows a major reveal - but at the same time, the action of the scene hides this reveal a bit, which is absolutly fantastic, because it brings you really close to the doubts of the POV in that scene.
This video intro kicks ass. 😂
Excellent deconstruction, classily done (as usual)! Thanks Michael!
Thank you, Sir! Just learned something new❤️
This was brilliant. I screenshot multiple times!
This is absolutely perfect, thank you so much for this. I've been stumped for quite some time trying to write my romantic love sex scene and this just checked off every box to help me out. Thank you sir.
dude that intro😂🤘
Great video. Funny intro. 👍 I've seen your past videos about writing software. Have you tried Speare? If so, do you mind sharing your thoughts?
I was just scrolling down watching flash videos now this is slowly turning into the STUFF if u know wut I mean hehehe the HUB if u catch my trick and if u don’t the i ain’t explaining u clicked on this vid
0:11 so true, so epic (best way to start a video)
Open is awesome!
Thank You!
Haha! Loving this.
What if I want to write a sex scene to make the reader uncomfortable af? XD
That’s not going to be easy when it comes to sex scene
I find it very hard to believe that women write sex scenes better than men, if your basing it on being realistic