Do male readers get much from sex scenes in novels, or are they aimed at women? [Archive]

BrokenSword

09-12-2007, 12:16 PM

In reading the two recent 'sex scene' threads on this forum, I was discussing the theories of such with my gf and had a question I thought could use a bit of survey action;

For those that read novels which have sex/tease scenes in them, would it be fair to say that this is more the province of female readers? Understanding from my gf that about 90% of what she reads in that genre has some sort of sex/tease scene in it, I'm going to assume that the majority of readers exposed to sex/teases are women, yes? This would mean that the scenes are mainly catering toward what a woman sees as sexual. I would like to ask the male readers;

do the novels you read routinely carry such scenes and do they form part of the reason you enjoy the book or is such more the venue for imagery such as film and picutures. That is, my gf figures since most men are graphically oriented, such scenes in a novel are not going to affect male readership as much as they might female readership, meaning that the scenes I have in MY effort should be pointed toward women readers, not males.

I know that it is all about forwarding the storyline and after reading the couple of threads, agree to a point. I'm thinking on the various scenes contained within my attempt as I'm in edit mode and wondering how/if I need to pare/flesh out (no pun, please) such scenes and if there IS an audience that will be more enamored than than another.

I'd have to classify what I've written as fantasy historical romance, which makes it seem as if I've crossed a couple of genres, but that doesn't bother me much; I would hope I've created something which either/both genders can enjoy and only my beta readers are going to tell me this for sure. But I'm impatient and wanted to know from the readers here, how my thinking is perceived.

So, do most sex/tease scenes aim toward a predominantly female readership and affects male readers minimally?

I know if you're reading the piece for such scenes, it probably is a moot point, but I'm talking about those scenes which are not necessarily gratuitous and do enhance the story/read. Quite a bit of what I've read hasn't contained such scenes ( granted, it's mainly older novels) hence I don't have much feedback in this area, though the books my gf reads helps me in pondering this aspect.

Care to weigh in? I'm talking more substance and what readers want in a novel, relative to gender; in this case, sex/teaser scenes.

Michael

Bufty

09-12-2007, 03:09 PM

Sorry, but taking this in conjunction with the thread title question, and your desire from some 'survey action', I'm lost.

...Care to weigh in? I'm talking more substance and what readers want in a novel, relative to gender; in this case, sex/teaser scenes.
Michael

dclary

09-12-2007, 03:25 PM

Without getting too gross...

The first time I *recognized* that puberty had changed me was the first time I read the scene in the novelization of The Empire Strikes Back where Han and Leia have their quiet moment in the Millenium Falcon whilst making repairs in the space slug's belly and became aroused.

So, yeah, maybe guys do get something out of it. We like a little T-n-A as much as the chick reading about throbbing manhoods and flowering womanhoods in romance novels.

KTC

09-12-2007, 03:44 PM

You know what...I'm just looking for story, man. If it fits where you put it, I will feel appropriately. Reading is all about locking in your emotions with the story. I don't read to get aroused...that's just silly. I read to board a roller coaster and to feel. The novels I read are life unravelling. In life, there is sex...but, truly...it's at most glanced over. It's this ridiculous thing we do that feels great while we're doing it...but, come on. Put it where it belongs in the story...and don't think about it.

scarletpeaches

09-12-2007, 04:17 PM

I can't say I like/dislike sex scenes any more or less than other types of scene. If it's superfluous, then I skim. But I'll skim anything that's superfluous. In fact if I find myself skimming, I'll more than likely abandon the book.

I know men are said to be more visually stimulated than women, but I'm not so sure that's true. It might be for some or even most, but it's not universal. Maybe some of the men here need to read Kama Sutra: The Pop-up Edition. (Yes it does exist; I saw it in Borders).

But really, the largest erogenous zone in the human body for either sex is the brain.

ErylRavenwell

09-12-2007, 04:25 PM

If it fits the storyline, fine with me.

PeeDee

09-12-2007, 05:14 PM

All the sex scenes I've read are in the story to serve the story. So they don't get my motor runnin' any more than a scene of someone getting killed gets me upset. It's all part of a story, that's all.

I suppose if I start reading Zane (not Zane Gray) then I can give you a different answer. :)

DeleyanLee

09-12-2007, 05:23 PM

So, do most sex/tease scenes aim toward a predominantly female readership and affects male readers minimally?

In all honesty, I think it depends more on what genre they're in and how they're written who's going to get the most appeal out of them.

Sex scenes in Genre Romance are (usually) focused heavily on the emotions and (hopefully) the conflict being dealt with during the actions of sex. The actual plumbing working can be secondary. In Erotic Romance (can't speak for Erotica, I've never read it), the plumbing has more prominance in the scene, but the emotional focus still should be there because it's still first and foremost a Genre Romance novel. This is, obviously, very appealing to women, however the male readership of Genre Romance (at least, if I'm remembering the last report I saw from RWA correctly) is growing noticeably over the last several years of the survey.

Sex scenes in other genres where the focus of the book's conflict is more external than interpersonal, can be all of a sentence long and still be as graphic (meaning that the sex happens on the page without a doubt) but not as explicit (meaning that the details of the sex are spelled out on the page) as Genre Romance. I see this a lot in SF, Fantasy, Thrillers and Mystery.

While women still make up the majority of any genre's readers on average, some genres are seen as more male-oriented whereas Genre Romance is about the only one seen as female-oriented. Women who primarily read other genres aren't necessarily looking for the heavy concentration on emotion, etc, that those kinds of sex scenes demands. While there are writers who are moving more Romance-standard emotionally oriented sex scenes into the other genres, it's not an overwhelming trend that I've noticed being heard talked about. Even authors like Laurel K. Hamilton, who's noted for very explicit sex scenes doesn't have the level of emotional conflict for every scene demanded of the average Romance novel, so I really don't see her work as geared for the (perceived) "average woman reader" as, say, Nora Roberts or Laura Kinsale.

Can it work for either gender? Sure. Individuals vary. But in general, I think it really depends on how it's written and where it's shelved what is going to be the reader expectation of its contents and whether or not it's considered arousing.

Shadow_Ferret

09-12-2007, 05:26 PM

Don Allen

09-12-2007, 05:35 PM

I attend the church of "Sex is good all the time" and we believe you can't get enough. However, reading about it bores me because quite frankly, very few writers get it right. Sex for the first time, even with experianced pro's is usually at best awkward, and rarely "The most magnificent experiance" of a persons life as portrayed by zillions of authors. I like a passive mention, a little more if it relates to the plot, and then to move on...

JJ Cooper

09-12-2007, 05:38 PM

I tend to read Thrillers and I don't ofter come across too many sex scenes. There was one Ludlem novel that I stopped reading when he had a brother and sister getting intimate. I don't know what he was thinking there.

I find in this Genre you get a lot of - tension between the couple, action, tension, action, man saves woman, action, tension, throw in some suspense, action, little bit of conflict, action, man gets a bit toey, tension, woman falls in love, action, they kiss, end chapter. New chapter, tension, action etc etc. That's how I've written mine anyway.

As a reader I don't need the full version.

JJ

Max Ingram

09-12-2007, 05:46 PM

I think the majority of the time, if a man is looking for something a bit naughty, he turns to the old favorites; dirty magazines from the corner store, and the occasional whiz-bang video clip from the Internet. In my experience, women tend to be the main readers of novels falling into the category of "romantic."

It goes without saying that everyone is unique, but in terms of generality, men tend to gravitate toward the visual, while women will often steer toward the mental.

There are exceptions to this, however. I clearly remember being a boy of about 12 or 13 years of age, when I first ran across a science-fiction novel that alluded to a sexual encounter between the protagonist and his love interest. Having read mostly books written for Young Adults up to that point, I found the thinly-veiled description to be quite attention-catching.

Needless to say, I found myself skimming through the remainder of the book, searching for any other such enticing scenes. And the ones I found, I enjoyed reading quite thoroughly. In fact, discovering that book inspired me to begin searching the racks for any sort of fictional account that might contain similarly "interesting" events.

But of course, that represents the fascination of a young boy whom had yet to encounter anything as captivating as an actual pornographic magazine or film. If I were to read that same novel as an adult today, I'd likely barely notice it's presence.

Perks

09-12-2007, 05:46 PM

This is a really interesting thread and I hope more guys weigh in on this. What I read and write doesn't usually have a lot of explicit sex in it, but I think the OP has an interesting point.

So far, it's as I would have predicted - written sex scenes don't draw as strong a reaction from male readers and they do female readers. It's probably a handy thing to know when you're noodling out how graphic to get.

PeeDee

09-12-2007, 06:16 PM

I'm more or less in Shadow Ferret's category, in that depending on the book, I'll skim them. I said that I'd read them if they advance the story, which is true....but so often, they just don't.

You'll be reading a thriller and you get the Obligatory Sex Scene Payoff, and then the story goes on. You could cut the scene out and not be harmed by it one bit.

And outside of Genre Romance, all the sex scenes I encounter (the ones that don't help the story) are gushingly written to avoid actually getting down and dirty, as it were. Suddenly, in the middle of the clipped, boiled-down hard thriller novel, you get these gushing, flowing sentences about love and coming together like two passionate stars and meeting and....blech.

I like Neil Gaiman sex scenes. In Stardust, there's a sex scene...but unless you come to it with knowledge of sex, and sex scenes, that it's not there. (As in, if I gave the book to a kid who read it happily, they would not necessarily notice what that scene is).

Alternatively, in American Gods, a woman consumes a man during sex with her....erm....well, her lady parts, let's say.

That was a good scene.

Azraelsbane

09-12-2007, 06:19 PM

Personally, I don't want sex in my movies, television, or novels. Not as part of an overall story anyway. If I do run into it, I tend to skim it. It just doesn't interest me. I guess in a way I'm still like my kids. "Don't look. A kissing scene is coming up!"

You sound like my husband. LoL. That man is ridiculous when it comes to "sex stuff." When we first hooked up he used to lecture me on the amorality of the porn I was watching... Yeah, he got over that, but I still can't get him to watch anything. His friends are always making fun of him because if there's a scene with a topless girl in a movie we're watching he goes all red and looks like he's about to die of embarrassment. *smacks forehead*

Just the other day I was talking about a sex scene in the book and made a joke about the author calling the guy's manhood some crazy thing or other and his eyes got wide "They actually write sex scenes in books? I thought it was just, you know... 'and they laid down and had sex.'"

*sigh* So yeah, as far as my husband goes, I don't think he likes sex scenes. ;) I'm fine with them if they further the plot, or it's been building and building to a nice climax, but most sex scenes are superfluous and far too purple for me.

Shane Fitzsimmons

09-12-2007, 06:24 PM

Without really reading anything but the topic, I think it's worthwhile to note that studies have been done that women tend to take abstractions and words much more to heart than men do. Men prefer to keep things tangible. For instance, in love, women prefer men to show them love by saying "I love you," and giving them security and making them feel taken care of. Men prefer women to show them love by, well, having sex with them.

Sex scenes don't do anything for me in books. I can't really speak for the rest of men.

PeeDee

09-12-2007, 06:28 PM

*sigh* So yeah, as far as my husband goes, I don't think he likes sex scenes. ;) I'm fine with them if they further the plot, or it's been building and building to a nice climax, but most sex scenes are superfluous and far too purple for me.

Send your husband 'round these parts, we'll have a talk with him. ;)

When they start giving weird names to Male Members in books, then it just gets too, too weird. And if the word "turgid" appears anywhere...

You know, come to think of it, very few of the books on my shelf actually have sex scenes in them. THere's the two Gaiman ones I mentioned, there a few brief references in Stephen King novels -- never much -- and that really seems to be about it. How interesting.

NeuroFizz

09-12-2007, 06:33 PM

I agree this is an interesting thread. However, if any author is considering adjusting a sex scene to best appeal of a specific audience, I think the sex scene is being written for the wrong reason. Certainly, sex scenes shouldn't be written with a primary goal of titillation (except for erotica). If they achieve a proper literary goal of advancing the story and happen to arouse a reader, so much the better, but the former should be the author's goal, not the latter. This means the detail put into the sex scene should match the story's need or likely it will come off as gratuitous. In other words, pay attention to the story's need for the sex scene, not the reader's.

PeeDee

09-12-2007, 06:34 PM

Exactly. And even major authors (hi, Clive Cussler) fall too often into the gratuitous, obligatory sex scene trap.

She_wulf

09-12-2007, 06:41 PM

Azraelsbane

09-12-2007, 06:44 PM

That headline is a bit misleading.

Being (slightly) new here, where would you post a portion (of a sex scene) for crit. The portion is R rated, but not R+ to X. AND it's told from a male POV (which, being a woman...well...I'd like input)

Romance...?

Erotica...?

In the genre it's written for...?

I think it depends on how in depth it is. I put a sex scene in fantasy/sci-fi (because that was the actual genre), and I didn't get any complaints. I just put a warning at the top of the piece. Then again, the chapter was 6k long and the sex scene was only about 200-300 words. If it's really graphic, it needs to go in erotica, which has an extra password.

Spiny Norman

09-12-2007, 06:54 PM

Haha, a lot of this stuff is familiar and makes me laugh.

I'm still in the kinda utilitarian camp on this. I don't like to have it in there unless it does something, either plot-wise or character-wise. When there's some sex scene just stapled into a book for the obviously express purpose of getting your yah-yahs off, I hate it. And books do it all the time. I usually read it, half-interested, but don't think much of it and think less of the rest of the book after.

I don't consider the readership in that, I just consider the book.

maestrowork

09-12-2007, 06:58 PM

From my own perspective... I only care for the sex scene if I'm reading erotica specifically. Otherwise, I do tend to skip it if it's just sex -- however, if there's actually a plot going on outside of people getting it on, then I'll pay attention and take notice.

In general (yeah, I'm generalizing here), men are visual and "reading" about sex just doesn't quite cut it in a normal setting, and... at least for me, my eyes just gloss over. Also, it depends on how it's written, too. If it's all flowery and obtuse, then forget it. I'd prefer simple, straightforward language -- just get down to it, so to speak. But still, men read sex for a specific purpose, so if the sex is part of the story, it tends to lose its allure.

Now romantic scenes are different... that lingering, parting-is-thy-sorrow kissing scene always gets me.

Cranky

09-12-2007, 07:31 PM

Alas, I must confess that I am a prude that way. I used to absolutely gobble up sex scenes in romance novels, back when I was a teenager and had never had any. (Sex, that is) I got a thrill out of it, I guess, because it demystified the whole process for me.

Now, it either A) makes me yawn if done poorly or for no real reason or B)makes me squirm uncomfortably. I fast forward through those scenes in movies, too.

It's a weird thing, but there you are...and I'm a chick, so who knows? My mother still reads romance novels, and really enjoys them. I've never spoken to her about the sex scenes in them, but I suppose they might be part of the appeal. I don't know, and I'm not about to ask. :eek::roll:

For myself, I tend to write stuff that doesn't require them. Not on purpose, but because they don't do anything for the story. Profanity is a bigger problem for me...all my characters want to curse and smoke and drink too much, lol.

Azraelsbane

09-12-2007, 07:36 PM

Alas, I must confess that I am a prude that way. I used to absolutely gobble up sex scenes in romance novels, back when I was a teenager and had never had any. (Sex, that is) I got a thrill out of it, I guess, because it demystified the whole process for me.

Now, it either A) makes me yawn if done poorly or for no real reason or B)makes me squirm uncomfortably. I fast forward through those scenes in movies, too.

It's a weird thing, but there you are...and I'm a chick, so who knows?

For myself, I tend to write stuff that doesn't require them. Not on purpose, but because they don't do anything for the story. Profanity is a bigger problem for me...all my characters want to curse and smoke and drink too much, lol.

:eek: Cranky is a chick!

Anyway, I know how you feel about the cursing characters... Most of my characters are pretty formal, and then there's the middle of the road guy, and then there's Morghan... She makes every scene a train wreck. LoL.

Cranky

09-12-2007, 07:51 PM

:eek: Cranky is a chick!

Anyway, I know how you feel about the cursing characters... Most of my characters are pretty formal, and then there's the middle of the road guy, and then there's Morghan... She makes every scene a train wreck. LoL.

At least it's funny, though!

And whatever sex scenes there are in your stuff moves the story along...it has a point. *shrug*

For me, that's all that counts. If I were writing strictly for women, I might consider it, but again, only if there was a reason for it to be in there. :) Knowing me, I'd probably try to finagle things so it wasn't necessary, lol.

ClaudiaGray

09-12-2007, 08:32 PM

Men like cheap thrills as much as women do -- they just like them in a different style. See how many male-targeted thrillers about scary killers involve the stalking of some gorgeous woman, who, before bed and unaware that the scary guy watches, slowly undresses and examines her absolutely perfect body in the mirror. (Don't we ALL do that, girls?) And then she changes into some lacy, translucent gown -- EXACTLY what women sleep in when we're sleeping alone -- and falls asleep, usually with the sheet outlining her legs but not pulled up far enough to cover her breasts.

Sound familiar? Uh-huh.

Now, if you are talking about sex scenes that aren't cheap thrills -- those that are well-written and truly serve the characterizations and the story -- I think most readers, male and female, enjoy them pretty well.

amber_grosjean

09-12-2007, 09:20 PM

with what you said, I think I did understand it. I think a lot of books do target women but there isn't a rule that just women are allowed to read them. I wrote my book using the man's POV so there is more detail about the woman then there is about the man. I tried to describe the woman through the man's eyes. A couple of my guy friends read a portion of it and said men would love it just as much as any woman because of those scenes. Of course, one had to excuse himself after reading just one part (you can imagine why).

Amber

In reading the two recent 'sex scene' threads on this forum, I was discussing the theories of such with my gf and had a question I thought could use a bit of survey action;

For those that read novels which have sex/tease scenes in them, would it be fair to say that this is more the province of female readers? Understanding from my gf that about 90% of what she reads in that genre has some sort of sex/tease scene in it, I'm going to assume that the majority of readers exposed to sex/teases are women, yes? This would mean that the scenes are mainly catering toward what a woman sees as sexual. I would like to ask the male readers;

do the novels you read routinely carry such scenes and do they form part of the reason you enjoy the book or is such more the venue for imagery such as film and picutures. That is, my gf figures since most men are graphically oriented, such scenes in a novel are not going to affect male readership as much as they might female readership, meaning that the scenes I have in MY effort should be pointed toward women readers, not males.

I know that it is all about forwarding the storyline and after reading the couple of threads, agree to a point. I'm thinking on the various scenes contained within my attempt as I'm in edit mode and wondering how/if I need to pare/flesh out (no pun, please) such scenes and if there IS an audience that will be more enamored than than another.

I'd have to classify what I've written as fantasy historical romance, which makes it seem as if I've crossed a couple of genres, but that doesn't bother me much; I would hope I've created something which either/both genders can enjoy and only my beta readers are going to tell me this for sure. But I'm impatient and wanted to know from the readers here, how my thinking is perceived.

So, do most sex/tease scenes aim toward a predominantly female readership and affects male readers minimally?

I know if you're reading the piece for such scenes, it probably is a moot point, but I'm talking about those scenes which are not necessarily gratuitous and do enhance the story/read. Quite a bit of what I've read hasn't contained such scenes ( granted, it's mainly older novels) hence I don't have much feedback in this area, though the books my gf reads helps me in pondering this aspect.

Care to weigh in? I'm talking more substance and what readers want in a novel, relative to gender; in this case, sex/teaser scenes.

Michael

wee

09-13-2007, 12:36 AM

Hmm. I'm a girl, but I remember that in late elementary & early junior high when the girls had dog-eared & underlined the important passages in their mothers' stolen romance cast-offs, the boys were always trying to swipe them as they got passed around class. :ROFL:

Buuuuut, seriously. I don't really know. I only know that since you are a man, it will be very important for you to note the following: never use the word velvet or any variation on it as an adjective in your own sex scenes! For me this is laughable, and takes me out of the book, has me rolling my eyes and slapping the couch and saying out loud, "not again! Is this the only adjective men can come up with?" Also manhood is just out, period. Seriously.

wee

maestrowork

09-13-2007, 01:08 AM

never use the word velvet or any variation on it as an adjective in your own sex scenes!

Oooh... just took out 74 "velvet"s from my manuscript. Thanks.

;)

sunandshadow

09-13-2007, 01:35 AM

In all honesty, I think it depends more on what genre they're in and how they're written who's going to get the most appeal out of them.

Sex scenes in Genre Romance are (usually) focused heavily on the emotions and (hopefully) the conflict being dealt with during the actions of sex. The actual plumbing working can be secondary. In Erotic Romance (can't speak for Erotica, I've never read it), the plumbing has more prominance in the scene, but the emotional focus still should be there because it's still first and foremost a Genre Romance novel.

I totally agree with this and I'll expand on it a bit. :) Erotic romance, as it gets more toward the erotica end of things, begins to split into two quite different mindsets, courtly romance where at least one character adores each other, and rivalric romance where at least one character wants to defeat or even kill the other. In non-romantic erotica the emotions are usually replaced with somewhat more primitive urges: One character wants to worship or be worshipped by another; one wants to deceive the other into losing their virginity, getting pregnant, taking the submissive role, begging, or becoming vulnerable to having revenge inflicted upon them; one character longs to play some archetypal role (child, military commander, broodmare, sports hero, etc.) and is compulsively attracted when they encounter someone who would be good at filling the opposite role (parent, soldier, stallion, cheerleader, etc.).

sunandshadow

09-13-2007, 01:40 AM

Along the same note....
Does anyone here notice a difference between a sex scene written by a woman and one written by a man?
Well, to some extent it's possible to tell whether any scene was written by a man or a woman, so I assume you mean beyond that? Personally I have found the most striking differences between male-written and female-written sex scenes to be what motivates the characters, whether the characters talk during the sex, and whether the viewpoint character has introspective insight into his/her own emotions and thoughts during the sex.

davids

09-13-2007, 01:46 AM

Well I just write horny marginally pornographic sex scenes to connect my horny toad marginally if not completely pornographic sex scenes - works for me.

storygirl

09-13-2007, 01:56 AM

If it fits where you put it, I will feel apropriately.
:roll:
Am I the only who took this the wrong way? Oh, my twisted little mind. . .it entertains me.

Gary

09-13-2007, 01:59 AM

Like others have said, I tend to skim over those scenes, especially if they do nothing for the story.

My novel has a sex scene that I presented as I would have wanted to read it. My wife said it needed more steam to keep a woman's interest, so I rewrote it. She said it still wasn't hot enough, but I left it as written. I just couldn't get comfortable by further expanding the scene in what I wanted to be a PG rated story.

I have no problem with erotic literature, but I prefer not seeing so much overlap in mass-market books.

Spiny Norman

09-13-2007, 02:48 AM

Oooh... just took out 74 "velvet"s from my manuscript. Thanks.

;)

I went through mine and found tons of "rads" and "awesomes."

...maybe I'm not so good at erotica.

For reference, here is a few web comics (work safe, considering what we're talking about) about badly written and even ad lib erotica.

http://m.assetbar.com/achewood/uua9Hkz1S

http://achewood.com/index.php?date=01022007

http://achewood.com/index.php?date=04162007

The joke is that the chubby, obnoxious cat is not good at romance novels. He is, however, very enthusiastic.

amber_grosjean

09-13-2007, 03:52 AM

To me "velvet" is some type of cloth and describes as such so I don't think I ever would use it. Stolen Identity will be a thriller erotica but does have "love scenes" in it. The MC, Matthew falls in lust with the woman in the story after seeing her. As the story progresses, he really thinks he loves her and wants to make sure she doesn't learn his secret, the fact that he killed her hubby to take his place. Its not really porn but it does come close as the scenes are described exactly by what they do. There is barely any talking but there is some during those scenes. I don't know if you could tell a woman wrote it or not lol. I am working on a romance erotica right now and there is a little difference in the sex scenes. I think I felt a little more comfortable with the idea of it being erotica lol.

Amber

Azraelsbane

09-13-2007, 03:57 AM

never use the word velvet or any variation on it as an adjective in your own sex scenes!

wee

I think the only time the word velvet appears in my novel is when one of the MCs is running his hand across a deeply pitted tree. He finds a spot that's velvet smooth (or something like that), and promptly rips his fingernail off as he digs another mark in the trunk. Hmm... not a sex scene, but now you've got me wondering. ;)

KTC

09-13-2007, 04:10 AM

:roll:
Am I the only who took this the wrong way? Oh, my twisted little mind. . .it entertains me.

I insert these nuggets within all my posts. Signposts for the morally corrupt. Interesting that you should find it?

Jongfan

09-13-2007, 04:26 AM

Interesting question for which there is not a simple yes or no answer.
Not everyone likes the same things, of course that is what makes us unique.

I've thought over many of the books I've read, all genres.. it's hard to think of one that does not elude to sex in some manner or other. Slaughter House Five.. KV in his brilliance makes you laugh when he describes his fear of relating with his rather large wife.

Writers want readers to feel what their MC feels. If the MC is in a relationship or meets a person of interest, it is only natural that there will be some mention of sex. Sometimes it is eluded to, other times they bring you so far in you start to sweat.

As KTC said, if it is important to the story then write it..

Man or woman, if they like what they are reading and there is a sex scene written well, it will be enjoyed.

davids

09-13-2007, 04:36 AM

Jongfan

09-13-2007, 04:51 AM

davids

09-13-2007, 04:56 AM

Great sex......scenes you offer.. only if it is gratuitous with no story in it whatsoever..and no one will read it.. hehe

but

If you offer a great story filled with great sex then sure.. bring it on

A lady after me own cockleshells. Would you like me to write you some nice loving yet horn toad sex scenes my dear-heh heh?

Then again maybe I have a story filled with great sex and even a little in loveing-hmmm let me have a look see

Jongfan

09-13-2007, 05:07 AM

A lady after me own cockleshells. Would you like me to write you some nice loving yet horn toad sex scenes my dear-heh heh?

Then again maybe I have a story filled with great sex and even a little in loveing-hmmm let me have a look see

I can't imagine a gentleman such as yourself writing anything other than a tender story with tastefully placed situations..

KTC

09-13-2007, 05:09 AM

ffffffffffffffffffff.

davids

09-13-2007, 05:19 AM

I can't imagine a gentleman such as yourself writing anything other than a tender story with tastefully placed situations..

You know only to well young lady-only to well. Taste is of course my middle name as you know-as far as that KTC person I can only respond in an of course gentle fashion.

FFFFFTTTTTTPPPPPPPetc etc!!!!

scarletpeaches

09-13-2007, 05:21 AM

Tastefully placed bums more like!

Hahahahahahahahahaha etc!!!

davids

09-13-2007, 05:23 AM

Tastefully placed bums more like!

Hahahahahahahahahaha etc!!!

BUMS DID SOMEBODY SAY BUMS? Oh Miss Peaches I thought it was someone who was going to tastefully place their bum-I am easily disappointed you know-dear me I seem to be is a slight sweat!!!!

southernwriter

09-13-2007, 05:44 AM

Personally, I don't want sex in my movies, television, or novels. Not as part of an overall story anyway. If I do run into it, I tend to skim it. It just doesn't interest me. I guess in a way I'm still like my kids. "Don't look. A kissing scene is coming up!"

In your profile, you list Laurel K. Hamilton as one of your favorite authors. What's with that?

Jongfan

09-13-2007, 05:45 AM

BUMS DID SOMEBODY SAY BUMS? Oh Miss Peaches I thought it was someone who was going to tastefully place their bum-I am easily disappointed you know-dear me I seem to be is a slight sweat!!!!

Hmmm.. is this the story you speak of???? Bum Erotica

southernwriter

09-13-2007, 05:54 AM

Zoombie

09-13-2007, 06:25 AM

You know what the problem with reading threads about sex scenes is...are...is? Is it is or is it are?

Whatever! The problem being, I always start wondering..."Is my sex scene too purple? Will people just skim it? It is superfluous! Oh, now I'm nervous!"

And then I eat a big bowl of ice cream. But I do that whether I'm nervous or not.

davids

09-13-2007, 06:43 AM

Hmmm.. is this the story you speak of???? Bum Erotica

Well it sure beats the heck out of no erotica right?

BrokenSword

09-13-2007, 08:50 AM

I'd like to thank everyone for a lively discussion. Of course some of the comments were both witty as well as alarming (ah, I now have to do a search in Word to see if I used 'velvet' and 'manhood') ;)

My gf figured that men would be less inclined to be impressed by any sex/tease scenes (unless well written--there's the rub, hey? I guess I will have to deduce if what I've done is well written or not...beta readers, oh beta readers, ah, where are your reports??? So slow, yes, so slow...) and as some of you espoused; 'skip, skim, and "boring", have indeed got me wondering about what I've written. All in all, very interesting and I thank you for the input. Now, I need post yet another issue that my main beta posed...

Michael