How much sex???

7luckyclovers

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Well, shoot, cuts the heart right out of "Romeo Does Juliet", that.

;)

Ha, ha. I probably would've had more fun reading that in high school :D

Thanks everyone! I don't know if my book would be a cozy anymore. My MC is an ex-drinker, and the towns folks are "swingers," although there are no details and they come across as bumbling, bad swingers who are mostly absurd.

My other mystery is much more gritty, but still - she's not the sleep-around type. A kiss for the first time in 4 years threw her off balance.

Nancy

Personally, I would write whatever and however you want and then when it comes time to submit you can figure out which genre it goes in. That way you're not limited to hard and fast rules and can concentrate on just writing the story.

PS...swingers rule!
 
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sportourer1

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I find the "leave it at the bedroom door" mentality somewhat baffling in thrillers. One minute the writing is all grown up then the next its shush, don't say a word. Odd.
 

lizmonster

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I find the "leave it at the bedroom door" mentality somewhat baffling in thrillers. One minute the writing is all grown up then the next its shush, don't say a word. Odd.

Well, to be fair, writers are human, too. :)

I would also say (as someone who doesn't write thrillers, but who isn't shy about writing sex) that it's all about tone and pacing. Explicit sex done well is not (I would argue) three short paragraphs and a cigarette. There has to be a reason for including it in the narrative, or you're just slowing things down for the sake of titillation. In a thriller, violence has a much more obvious narrative purpose.

I had a lot more explicit sex in my original draft. It's down to one scene, and I would argue to anyone that it belongs there, and the story would suffer if I removed it.

But I am also sure there are plenty of people who would say I left out too much detail, and others who would be put off by how much is included. Sex - more than explicit violence, I think - is really a matter of personal taste, including the author's.
 

Straka

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Hello fellow cozy writer! I finally found one!

I have to disagree with the "no rules" thing. When it comes to regular mystery books, that's probably the case. But there are definitely rules when it comes to cozy mysteries. I've been reading them all my life, I'm involved with cozy mystery groups online, I've met some cozy mystery authors and I'm friends with three well known cozy mystery authors.

What makes a cozy a cozy at all is the fact that they're light-hearted, not overly serious, lots of fun, and where justice is always served. A few authors have snuck some "minor" cuss words into their novels but, in general, cozy fans don't want it. Personally, if I run across more than one "d*mn," the book is done. If I see even one "b*tch," that author is done. Cozies don't cuss.

When it comes to violence, the murder never happens "live." Always off-screen. Cozy readers don't want to read/see the gruesome details.

And sex? Not in a cozy mystery. There are many romances and some of them might imply that a couple slept together but that's the limit. I can't think of any off-hand that even imply it but there could be. Sex is not romance. A cozy romance is about looking at each other, holding hands, sitting next to each other, heads on shoulders, hugs and a gentle kiss.

The three basic rules of a cozy are no sex, no violence, no cussing. That's what makes them cozy. They're books you can read to your grandma.

If you have a way to read books electronically, I recommend going to iTunes and getting Nancy J. Cohen's book called Writing the Cozy Mystery. It's only 42 pages (no fluff) and is only $.99. ($6.99 cover price.) You can read it in an hour at most. It's very helpful and informative.

I agree with the above. In general, write what you want to write is perfectly fine way to go about things.

But if you want to write a COZY, then there are requirements to what makes it a cozy. Like paranormal genre requires paranormal elements, teenager loving vampires for example, cozy's have their own set of conventions, tropes and elements.

I don't write cozys myself, but my mother belongs to a writer's group, Sister's in Crime. As I recall sex is a big no-no. If bodily fluids are exchanged it pushes into another genre. No violence. I often think of Nancy Drew as a cozy.

http://www.sistersincrime.org/
 

lexxi

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My characters are not shy about making sexual innuendos in their dialogue. And in general not shy about doing it.

But it's written in first person, so the only sex scenes that could be included would be any involving the narrator/protagonist. Also the story takes place over a fairly tight time period (3 days) during which there is not much opportunity to stop and bang the boyfriend.

I may or may not find an opportunity for a sexual interlude. But unless they're actually talking about topics relevant to the case or to their relationship while indulging, I don't see the need to show the details. Or unless the physical details themselves show a step forward in the relationship.
 

briannasealock

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Hi all,
I am working on two works at once. One is a cozy mystery with a teacher MC, and a crazy sidekick. She is married, but hubby is in the background. The other one has a female detective MC, she is single but damaged a bit by what she has seen on the job. Ex-drinker, she is not comfortable in social situations and dating without alcohol. She's very conscientious and caring.

I need a subplot, so I decided on a surgeon friend - and they will cross paths after his aunt tries to set them up. This is a different genre than the cozy, and to be honest, I just read and now write, so I don't pay attention to all the sub- genres. So how much sex is expected in a mystery that does go into character quite a bit?

I am a teacher and principal in training, and I planned to write the cozy series under my own name, but i have to be careful here. Anything over PG ( and I am not comfortable with explicit, "he did this and she did that" anyway) I would write under another name. I wouldn't be ok writing Janet Evanovich scenes in my real name.

Knowing that, what do you think readers generally expect in this slightly less cheery genre?

Thanks,
Nancy
I know every reader is different, I'm just trying to pick your brains for opinions.

Well, it may be jarring to suddenly jump into a very explicit sex scene if the book isn't Erotica. In the end you have to do what you feel is right for the story.

Me, I'd probably do a fashionable fade to black.
 

lindz

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My WIP will definitely have a sex scene because it is needed for the story. Because it is YA and mystery, it will be light on the descriptive stuff. It will be really big emotionally for my MC so I'll likely focus on that aspect.

I think the sex just needs to fit with the writing style and the story. Cozies are harder for sex to flow naturally I think. It seems like it would feel forced and out of place. A thriller on the other hand, where everything is higher intensity and you might have more 'in-your-face' leading character, it seems like getting down and dirty would fit better.
 

Stanton

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I'm writing an espionage thriller and facing the same dilemma. My protagonist is single, heterosexual and an attractive man in his mid20s. Yet gratuitous sex doesn't fit anywhere. Likewise some favorites in my genre - Le Carre, Silva, DeMille - don't seem to need it to make their plots real.
 

tko

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none?

From your summary, this is a subplot in a mystery or suspense novel. Sex in the context of a subplot is pretty boring. Even violence for violence's sake is more interesting. In a thriller, violence at least keeps you in the moment, but sex takes the drive and momentum away, and makes my brain switch gears. I'd even prefer an eating scene than a sex one.

I've nothing against sex, will read erotica, but in a mystery or thriller, would just skip over any sex scenes unless they involve tension, mystery, or advance the plot in some way.