What's your thoughts on sex scenes in novels?

[littlelilylee5683]

Scroll up and take a look at what @joannekwan wrote. Joanne is a moderator for Tapas. I have never seen any issues with graphic sex scenes in novels and know for sure there are many already on Tapas that are quite popular. You would just use the new "sexual content/nudity" mature tag to mark it for readers.

[jkb4753]

If you arent trying to get views, then there's no reason to have smut every third chapter. Oh yeah, for sure, don't live like me unless you have to. This life isn't for everybody!

[rmdooley]

Depends on the genre. If it is an adult romance, I have no problem with there being detail provided so long as it fits the genre- romantic, not graphic.

If it's a military sci-fi that out of left field a sex scene pops up (pun not intended) that goes into as much detail as the military strategy and worldbuilding received, then it's going to throw me off. It's like finding a chocolate covered strawberry in the middle of a chicken pot pie, both those things are great, I just don't want to find one in the other.

[AnimeKitty]

@littlelilylee5683 Thanks for the rant! Seriously though, you bring up a lot of good points. It's possible that I've just read a lot of terrible smut, but I never considered how those sex scenes could be used to show such in-depth emotions. Like in your story. It's important for their characterization and definitely wouldn't have had the same impact with a simple fade to black scene. The details, from what I read here, really showed the connection between your two characters.

That's also a really good point, how storytellers easily write their other first moments, yet some of us hesitate on the sex. Either ignoring it completely or just gently inferring it happened. Which is also fine to do, especially if that's what's most fitting for the story. Sex in novels does get a bad rep, but I feel like some of that is because there's some not-so-good ones out there. You really make me reconsider deleting my own scenes. I'm considering keeping one now, and using it to explore the emotions between my two characters. Any readers can skip over it if they wish too, as I'll make sure to keep it marked mature. I understand how not everyone wants to read that content, which is fine. It's not like I'm writing for young children. If I can write brutal murder sxene, then a sex scene shouldn't be too much. Thanks so much again for sharing! You really got me changing my mind on this. I feel like sex scenes can be useful now, and not just some random porn tossed in. And as long as the mature tag is used, it shouldn't be too shocking for readers to stumble across.

[ratscout]

I mean... erotica just seems to do very well in webnovels. XD I think it's because a lot of these platforms have way more of a female audience than a male audience, and women seem to prefer to consume their erotica in a written format. XD I see a lot of novels do really, really, well on here by just embracing the smut and putting it up there. You'll probably never get a premium deal with Tapas if you do that, but not want that anyway. XD Besides, you might get an audience if you do put it in, which is more important.

Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of the more steamy scenes in novels. I prefer the old fade to black, but I do, at times, write initiations, just not follow throughs, LOL. It won't prevent me from reading a novel if it's really good, though.

[jkb4753]

YES. Most of the "horndogs" on my novel are women. I like that. I stan them. Yes, we can be horny on main together.

[joannekwan]

Under 'Mature Content' of Tapas' Content Guidelines

[littlelilylee5683]

I'm glad my rant could be helpful. LOL. I was just feeling frustrated.

Quality of writing always impacts how you view a scene, definitely, and I do think that it is often thrown in for appeal and not purpose. Which is great for that particular audience, and a turn off for others. But we reveal a lot about ourselves when we're naked and vulnerable. Obviously it has to be done appropriately, but I would say that about anything we write.

If your story is about mystery and you think details of MCs having sex doesn't add or interrupts the flow, then certainly don't put it in or just infer it happened. I do that with other novels, and leave the emotions and reactions for before and after. But if it is a step in the relationship and is used to further character understanding and development, I think it's natural to include it. Go for it! It's also challenging to write as an author, giving you another layer to storytelling.

And sex doesn't equal porn. Porn equals porn. Why all sexual content gets lumped together into smut once it hits the media is beyond me. And even "smut" can be done really well and further characters and story. The definition of smut is really just based on someone's comfort level.

Ah, I need to step out. I'm feeling surprisingly passionate in defending sex in novels.

[djourner]

Thank you guys for clearing it up... Looks like I've been needlessly prude.
I'll be sure to fix that ^^

[jkb4753]

Put it all back in! Go crazy!

[AnimeKitty]

Oh yeah, I'm sure it gets thrown in for appeal all the time. But I'm seeing how it can work well in series too and actually help develop the emotion and romance between two characters. You really helped me realize that. And I can always add the necessary mature tag so readers can skip if they'd like to.

The story is mystery, but the main couple is important too. I already show other crucial details of their lives, including addiction, so I might as well keep their sex scene too. I'll just be sure to work on it and have it portray the necessary emotions. Thanks again for your help!

[LunarScyphozoa]

As long as the characters are legally old enough and it has a reason to be in the writing, go nuts. Write about nuts.

[NinaWrites]

I love sex scenes. God, it's sexy, can be witty, and emotional.

As a pre-teen I wouldn't go near it, but now, my God- give me all the smut.

That being said, sex scenes can be very very dull, there are only so many variation one can say about one's reproductive organs before it just ridiculous.

I love sex scenes that actually has a purpose - whether it be emotional closure, or progress the plot, or character development. Sex for the sake of sex is just boring, dull, and colorless to me.

[djourner]

Ah yes... 90% of my time editing sex scenes is looking for alternate words to say dick so the text isn't repetitive xD
You can make some interesting poses and use magic and scifi stuff to make it more varied, but at the end of the the day, sex needs a real emotinal conection to feel interesting.

[Kura]

I just skip 'em most of the time.

Most of the time I just don't want to read sex scenes, I'm ace, it's just, not my thing. Sometimes I force myself to read through them because "I'm a grown adult, I should be reading these" but they're just very hard for me to care about or enjoy. I just want them to be over with so everyone can get back to the plot or none sexual flirting/romance kind of stuff.

Sometimes it's just written with too many metaphors or flowery words to explain things that just turn the scene either really creepy, or just... into a joke. VERY fast.

Some times the sex is just... physically impossibly wrong. As in, 'he plunged his throbbing manhood deep into her clitoris' or 'his ass was wet with anticipation' wrong. It's just... no... basic sex ed is important... stop...

[NinaWrites]

Hahahahaha, I laughed too hard at this. I totally get what you mean about how some people skip the sex scenes because you can't feel any connection.

Though I love sex scenes, if I feel nothing for the characters, I just scroll past it. I suppose I prefer the foreplay more so then the act of doing it, since it's just literally penetration until one or both comes and finishes.

Do NOT get me started on the flowery language of sex. I absolutely hate reading those type because I'm too busy imagining all these metaphors and then my immersion sort of breaks. Ofc some people loves those purple prose, and no hate to them, but I was never a fan of purple prose to begin with haha.

[Ranty-cat]

Personally, I dislike such contents.

[Maps]

To add to this, I’ve noticed any time I put an “M” on a chapter in my novel, those chapters have double the views than a non-mature chapter. It’s like people will read those first to see if it’s worth reading the whole thing in general (like reassuring themselves they’ll get steamy scenes).

[NinaWrites]

Insert Lenny face

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[djourner]

You know, all this talk always makes me wonder If i'm doing right by my fellow demi and ace.
I am demi myself and surefire way to make me not care about sex is to have it be underdeveloped, the lead up to the sexual encounter and the circunstances that create the mood have to be done well, and the feelings have to be well estabilished for me to care.

I did many chapters in preparation to set forth scene on 'ep8 chapt 4' of the story, where it's effectivelly 'the first time' with all of my characters together. And on pretty much every NSFW chapter so far, there is some sort of 'setting the mood' I don't like just putting the characters imediatelly at it.

I guess I just worry too much about everything ^^

@Maps
I was so suprised when I realized that... Like... I was thinking about deleting NSFW chapters the other day, but when I looked at stats, they have an average viewership that is much higher than other chapters (some almost twice as much)
Kind of makes me a bit wierded out cause I don't mature just sex scenes, and now I fell like I should xD