What's your thoughts on sex scenes in novels?

[sevenstarsofeightIam]

I just today added my sex scene episodes from my Faerie Dusters novel. I was careful to mark it mature. However, my descriptions were more poetic than graphic. I think the non-graphic approach best conveyed the emotion involved. I wanted to express the emotional aspect rather than the physical aspect. Censorship has its place, I'm sure, but I think the way Tapas handles the matter (with a 'mature' tag) works for all.

[littlelilylee5683]

I agree with @jkb4753 that this is true, and I think most of us are aware whether we want to accept it or not. ^^ I originally was marking episodes for mature language and had a reader comment on the second episode that they didn't know why it was mature, thinking there would be sex or abuse or something. I think part of it is the genre you're in, of course. I went through and removed all mature tags unless the material was truly mature (heavy profanity or worthy of a trigger/content warning) to remedy this. I want people to know what they're getting. Or not getting.

I have no issue with readers wanting smut. Or people writing smut. And I don't think it should be removed or censored just because it's steamy. I just don't do it and if someone drops my novel because the first sex scene isn't until episode 35 and it's sweet and has no penetration, I'm cool with that.

Sex sells. Can't deny that. So definitely if you're in the right genre and looking to increase your novel's appeal, sex will help you. It's just a matter of what you're writing and who you're writing it for, and that's individual to every author. And I don't think novels will ever be able to truly compete with comics on a site like Tapas. Tapas was made for comics and then made room for novels. But it also offers a different kind of experience for novelists vs. other solely webnovel sites. In the end, it's all a matter of personal choice, and then you take the benefits or consequences that come with that.

[jkb4753]

It's just a matter of what you're writing and who you're writing it for, and that's individual to every author.

This is very true. I think some authors get upset when they've written an intensely personal piece and the readers want more smut. Lol. I've met those authors. That sucks, I'm sorry.

I'm definitely standing in front of a chalkboard full of mathematical equations, like, "If i posted something steamy two chapters ago, and I post three chapters a week, the next steamy scene isn't for four chapters, would it make sense to post four updates next week instead of three?"

[littlelilylee5683]

Versus me who is thinking "Has this relationship dynamic changed in anyway? No? Start scene with after sex talk instead." ^^

I feel like, if I'm writing something intensely personal, that means I'm writing it for me. If other people appreciate it, that's great, but no reader will ever view what I write the way I do or interpret it exactly the way I want.

I started a new novel a while back where the two main characters have only superficial, f-buddy or one-night-stand relationships because they're closed off emotionally or whatever, and I think the majority of the first episodes I've written have sexual content... But as they develop a relationship, they actually substitute a purely sexual relationship for a more personal/friendship/intimate one. They obviously still have sex, but it isn't important to the plot in any way.

But then I stopped working on it because I was thinking... I'm going to have all of these readers think "yay, sex every other episode" and then the further they read, the drier it'll get. I'll probably still write it someday, for me, but I don't think I'll publish it.

[therosesword]

Sex scenes are pretty subjective.

In the volume I'm working on with my series Bright Morn he and his fiancé are in the bathtub. She has a bad cold and it's a eucalyptus infused bath to help with the cold. They don't do anything but talk, she leans back against him and he's very gentle with her encouraging her to take deep breaths. Yet my beta reader said it was "muy caliente" and ... get this... it was because there was an absence of anything overt or even suggestive except for the fact they were both naked but... they're in the tub???

Sometimes overt sexual scenes are fast page turners... in other word, flipping through 'til you get to the real story.

It's up to the reader, what one person finds sexy another finds meh or disgusting. I'm not in favor of censorship.

Do I write it? I imply more than anything because those scenes aren't integral to the rest of my story. They have some meaning but not as much as other scenes.

[Ordinaryaverageguy]

Sometimes overt sexual scenes are fast page turners... in other word, flipping through 'til you get to the real story.

Kinda, yeah. Mostly, I feel like if a writer told me the characters made love, I can imagine details if I want, but they've told me probably the most important thing about it: they have a physical attraction & relationship.
Unless somehow it matters a great deal to the character development, etc., to know who was on top?

[therosesword]

For me, having family in the medical field and of a scientific nature (and friends too) the whole reading of a "sexy" scene gets destroyed by knowledge of knowing scientifically why something is happening... lol

[Ordinaryaverageguy]

That's kinda funny and sad at the same time.

[therosesword]

I think that's one of the reasons I liked the TV show "Bones" when she'd start explaining, scientifically, things of a personal nature.

[joannekwan]

Sex scenes you say?
I go ham with them.
Novels aren't restricted by objective visuals and rely on the reader to paint the picture, thus the app stores (and therefore Tapas) don't really care to censor them. So I go all out with my sex scenes and get pretty graphic.

I don't care if sex scenes are censored, muted, or not, so long as it feels appropriate to the rest of the story.

[jkb4753]

I know, that is a mistake I've made before. You alienate the "Slow burn" readers who arent looking for sex. The horndogs start reading but get trained to expect the action. It ends by disappointing everybody.

I've also toned down how graphic my sex scenes are. I wrote "Assassin's Captive" two years ago and it's the most graphic thing I've ever written. The internet LOVES it, apparently.

[AnimeKitty]

Thanks everyone for your responses!

@Freemints30 You make a very good point about how gore isn't being censored as much. I guess people worry more about the sexual content in comics? I don't know much about Maapa ratings board though. What kind of double standards do they have? If you don't mind sharing. I'm just curious and wanting to learn more about what others think about sex content guidelines and what's considered too much in stories. I'm probably going to remove mine regardless because the story can be told without them.

@MeLovesTacos You also make a very good point about how 16 year olds will find that kind of content anyway. I suppose it can be safer depending on the story itself. Like, I've seen a fic before where a character used hand sanitizer to substitute lube. Which is not something we need young people taking note of. But I see your point on why it's a safer outlet for them. I was raised more conservative-ish and sex is something we don't really talk about. Now, as a teen I had no shame writing or reading that kind of content. It was everywhere on these writing platforms. Still is. But now, as an adult, I wonder if there should be more guidelines on sexual content and what's allowed.

@Kaydreamer Interesting input, hearing from someone who enjoys sex scenes in stories. I always feel like most people probably skip them or even skim really fast like I sometimes do. Having them show emotion and add onto character development can make them feel more needed to the story too, now that you bring that up. Even though my story has characters above 21, I still wonder if sexual content in my series would be too much. I suppose I can see why they don't want to have lots of detailing of teens having sex, as I've personally never read a YA novel with a good sex scene in it. Heck, even I find my own to be cringy. But it's cool seeing how everyone has different views on it. I don't mind if anyone writes sex scenes, but those that are very detailed, I'm more likely to skim. And I worry readers would do the same thing. Or even skip it.

[N1ghtm4r3]

i only care whether the sex is story driven or is it just for attention, if i remember back when mass effect had a "sex" scene and it showed nothing at all but still people lost their shit

[rajillustration]

The thing about novels is that you can easily skip it, vs a comic where you can't not see that. In a book if you don't want to read it, it's like "ah, here's the sexy parts, I'll skip a few paragraphs" and you're fine (unless the whole book is sexy). Self censoring is so easy, I don't think the app should have to do really anything to censor it for anyone else other than that mature warning which is mostly up to the author's discretion of they want to do or not. (especially if you're writing for the bodice ripping romance genre--do you really have to mark mature on every episode? Or can you just do it once in the beginning and be done with it?)

[Freemints30]

For more info on the rating bored this vid cn help

But basically.

Is it a gay kiss or gay... anything?... Teen and above period

Female sexual stuff getting higher ratings compared to man sexual stuff. Even when they have the exact same thing.

and on and on.

Apparently, the MPAA was and may still be is composed of mostly conservative white people with adult kids. They aren't required to give any explanations as to why they think something should be rated a certain way. goes to how legit it is. sarcarism

IE the board of Karens are rating American movies.

For more the documentry "This Movie Is Not Yet Rated" is a good start

[nostalgicroxas]

I should really invest in tags more. But even without them, I can see that any "M" rated upload of my novels automatically gets 2x or 4x or 8x more views and attention than anything else. It just tells me that while there are genuine readers on this site, there are the same that sit on other websites: they filter through a story looking for the M icon, and jump straight to that. So they read it without any context. In my own little "war" against these types, I've started to put the icon on uploads that just have lots of cussing, or dark emotions. evil laughter I will trap your fast scrolling skimming eyes into looking for the perviness no matter what.

I also argue that the comic plot is not faster on this site. Maybe I'm just picking the wrong comics, but I could be well over a year into reading a comic, and I feel like I'd be WAY farther into the actual substance of the plot if it were a novel months ago.

[jkb4753]

I think its good business sense to make your novel appeal to readers. Yes, put an "M" filter on it. You're right, it will get you readers! Put some good shit in the tags. You said you're doing it for the lolz, but why not do it for the views? My readers are trained to expect some m content at least once a week. I retain my subscribers and my chapters have consistent reads. Its not a bad strategy.

I think what you're saying about plot is correct, because it takes longer to makes comics. However, once the content is done, a reader can read through the released content much faster. I have 26 chapters of a novel and theyre all 1000-2000 words, thats a long time. You can read 26 pages of a comic much faster.

[RyzaCobalion]

Personally i don't mind it but if i were to write a sex scene it would have to between lovers and when the moment hits them both in the story that they want each other. Not so much if it happens every chapter where they just have an opportunity to just do it.

[Mallory]

I dislike them for two reasons:

Either it's like a really weird and honestly unwanted look into the sexual fantasy of the author (If I'm not banging you, I don't really want to know what your sexual fantasy is), or, if it doesn't immediately set off the "unwanted sexual voyerism" vibes, if it's not stuff that tickles my fancy it's just... boring? Like, no, I promise, I REALLY didn't need to read three pages of vanilla missionary sex just so you can "show me the connection between the two characters".

I honestly have probably maybe read ONE sex scene in a novel that wasn't erotica where there was an actual point to said sex scene. (And there was one novel I will FOREVER HOLD A GRUDGE AGAINST because it decided to fit a literal book-changing plot element into a boring sex scene, which I of course skipped, and then the book LITERALLY CHANGED and I had no idea why. If you're gonna write boring sex, please don't put a world-shattering plot element into it? Please?)

I'm sure there's valid reasons for putting sex scenes into stories. But like I said, it's really rare that as a reader I actually want to read them.

[jkb4753]

Yes, yes I agree with everything! I don't mind reading author's personal fetishes as long as I know that's what I signed up for.

The only part I disagree with is the time/place argument. I think on a site like tapas, a lot of readers really expect erotic content. I can't speak to novels, but a lot of people on the internet, especially this site, seek that work out

I think it just comes down to knowing what you're getting into. If I wasn't expecting erotic content I would be disappointed.