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Using 'Fade to Black' in Erotica?

Thread starter Kfior02
Start date Apr 30, 2014

Kfior02

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Apr 30, 2014

#1

I'm wondering if 'fading to black' instead of actually writing out a sex scene is frowned upon in erotica?

On one hand, erotica readers want and expect plenty of sex in a story. So it might be disappointing and frustrating to read a scene that ends right before the juicy stuff begins.

On the other hand, even sex scenes are supposed to advance the story/develop characters in some way. If it's just sex for the sake of sex, it doesn't really have a place in the story.

To be specific, I'm working on a scene where the woman uses sex as a band-aid when her partner is upset with her (a habit of hers). As written, the scene ends just as it's implied that they're about to have some fun. I think this works because it's not the details of the act that matter, but the fact that she continually uses sex as a tool. But I don't want to frustrate readers by not giving up the goods...what do you think?

Zoe X. Rider

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Apr 30, 2014

#2

I'd rather see a fade to black on a sex scene that doesn't develop the character or story than have to skim through it. It's not the sex that makes it erotica, but the development that happens through sex (and sexual desire and all of that), and if none of that's going to go on in that particular scene, don't waste words on it. (Some may disagree; some people like smut for smut's sake, but for me if it doesn't further the development of the story, relationship, or the character--or if there's nothing at stake--it's like being forced to sit through a chapter of someone eating lunch simply because at that time of day, that's what people do.) Just give me the good bits, and leave the unimportant ones out.

veinglory

volitare nequeo

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Apr 30, 2014

#3

Fade to black is often a jarring choice in a work marketed as erotica. If there was a point to having the foreplay to the moment sex was imminent, where did that point suddenly go?

p.s. I have no trouble putting in sex scene that just reflect the characters current status, are hot, or whatever. I do not subscribe to idea of every sex scene having to be crucial to advancing the plot. Sometimes in my stories the sex is just there to celebrate the sexiness of sex and the fun that can be had reading it.

Last edited: Apr 30, 2014

Ann_Mayburn

Smutty McTitters

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May 1, 2014

#4

I'd be miffed at a fade to black, as a reader. When I read erotica I expect the development of the relationship to be shown through sex, among other things, so a fade to black is so...meh. If it isn't necessary then don't even mention them having sex.

DancingMaenid

New kid...seven years ago!

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May 1, 2014

#5

I think fading to black would be jarring in erotica if it happened frequently, or at the conclusion of a scene that had been building up to sex. Erotica readers expect to see sex.

I think fading to black occasionally is okay in the case of minor scenes that don't do much to progress the story. For example, if a couple has sex frequently, I think it's okay to show the hotter/more important scenes and leave other instances to the imagination. But for an important scene that reveals plot or character information, I would be disinclined to fade to black.

Wildecat

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May 2, 2014

#6

DancingMaenid said:
I think fading to black occasionally is okay in the case of minor scenes that don't do much to progress the story. For example, if a couple has sex frequently, I think it's okay to show the hotter/more important scenes and leave other instances to the imagination. But for an important scene that reveals plot or character information, I would be disinclined to fade to black.

I agree with that. There is nothing wrong with having the occasional "and then he took my hand and pulled me back into bed, where we proceeded to do everything but sleep until the morning sun illuminated our spent forms." Even in erotica, not every single time the characters have sex needs to be spelled out explicitly. But there better be plenty of situations in which you do have graphic sex scenes that are part of the story.

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

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May 2, 2014

#7

Wildecat said:
I agree with that. There is nothing wrong with having the occasional "and then he took my hand and pulled me back into bed, where we proceeded to do everything but sleep until the morning sun illuminated our spent forms." Even in erotica, not every single time the characters have sex needs to be spelled out explicitly. But there better be plenty of situations in which you do have graphic sex scenes that are part of the story.

This, otherwise it's not erotica in my view. But just like in any genre, however you write a scene should serve a purpose, either plot-wise or to entertain the reader. Getting explicit just because you think you have to is the wrong reason, I think.

veinglory

volitare nequeo

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May 2, 2014

#8

I would argue that getting to the bedroom to with two people intending to have sex is also not something your text has to get to if you do not want to write the sex.

It can happen in the continuity in passing, but why detail the foreplay if the plot has no place for the sex?

SentaHolland

'Out of the Shadows' HarperCollins

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May 4, 2014

#9

or you could use the sex scene to explore the characters and their relationship - every act is an act of communication!

Satori1977

Listening to the Voices In My Head

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May 4, 2014

#10

I think occasional Fade to Black can be fine. But if you don't show any sex scenes, then it's not Erotica.

CharleeBeck

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May 6, 2014

#11

I think "fade to black" glosses over the whole point.

Maryn

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May 7, 2014

#12

I cannot agree, Charlee. Erotica is no different than any other genre. If a scene does not illuminate character or propel plot, it's fluff and shouldn't be there.

Maryn, old and set in her ways

Mikilao

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May 7, 2014

#13

I think the fade to black is not going to help you. I've seen authors rush a scene with a few erotic details but a indicating they definitely had sex. and that might be better for you if the scene means nothing to the plot.
Now, I've used fade to black in my own stories but it was the antagonist and the reader didn't know if he was going to kill her or not. I eventually went back and showed what happened (sex) but I'm sure the reader was mad at first.

veinglory

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May 7, 2014

#14

I still just don't see how getting to yes (foreplay) could've crucial to plot, but the sex utterly non-illuminating and so dull you should skip it

Zoe X. Rider

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May 7, 2014

#15

I suppose it depends on what the "foreplay" consists of. All Kfior02 said was, "As written, the scene ends just as it's implied that they're about to have some fun." That could be a lot of things—full-on foreplay, a little manipulative flirting, a "Hey, wanna fuck?", a flash of meaningful eye contact.

I agree that if there's hot and heavy foreplay, then shutting the door on the act would be hard to justify in erotica, but if the characters have had sex three times in the last 30 pages, and in this scene they joke around a bit, kiss, and then we're on to the next scene, I would have no problem with it. I mean, at that point, I have a pretty good handle on how they have sex...I don't need to see them go through the motions again until it's going to have something (meaningfully) new for me.

Kfior02

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May 7, 2014

#16

Thanks everyone for the answers. It's really interesting to see the different viewpoints on the subject, and of course makes it harder for me to decide what to do with the scene in question

It is nice to know there's no hard and clear rule, though. I was mostly afraid fade to black might be something that all publishers frowned upon.

Zoe X. Rider said:
I suppose it depends on what the "foreplay" consists of. All Kfior02 said was, "As written, the scene ends just as it's implied that they're about to have some fun." That could be a lot of things—full-on foreplay, a little manipulative flirting, a "Hey, wanna fuck?", a flash of meaningful eye contact.

I agree that if there's hot and heavy foreplay, then shutting the door on the act would be hard to justify in erotica, but if the characters have had sex three times in the last 30 pages, and in this scene they joke around a bit, kiss, and then we're on to the next scene, I would have no problem with it. I mean, at that point, I have a pretty good handle on how they have sex...I don't need to see them go through the motions again until it's going to have something (meaningfully) new for me.

The scene I'm talking about doesn't include any heavy foreplay. There's a meaningful glance exchanged and a kiss. But the story is written in first person so my protagonist makes it pretty clear that sex follows. There's nothing really tantalizing about the action or the language used, so I don't think it comes across as a tease to readers. But I guess that depends on the individual reader.

A.P.M.

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May 7, 2014

#17

Zoe X. Rider said:
I agree that if there's hot and heavy foreplay, then shutting the door on the act would be hard to justify in erotica, but if the characters have had sex three times in the last 30 pages, and in this scene they joke around a bit, kiss, and then we're on to the next scene, I would have no problem with it. I mean, at that point, I have a pretty good handle on how they have sex...I don't need to see them go through the motions again until it's going to have something (meaningfully) new for me.

I agree with this. I've done this in the past, where the characters are having a lot of sex in a short time. I don't feel its necessary to have two sex scenes in twenty pages, for example. Sometimes it's just too much, and as a reader I don't like having that many sex scenes in so short a space.

Of course, it depends on your story and your audience. It you've established it as hot and heavy, readers might feel gipped if they don't see all the sex.

Rechan

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May 8, 2014

#18

Is it a short story? There's more leeway there. Erotica doesn't necessarily mean sex, it can be just something sexy/sensual. There are quite a bit of erotica stories that are all about the leadup, the foreplay, the promise of sex - but end just before it.

However. Fade to black is apparently a bad idea for Romance, where many fans feel "cheated" they don't get to see the characters have sex. So, you tread carefully.

Wildecat

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May 8, 2014

#19

Zoe X. Rider said:
I agree that if there's hot and heavy foreplay, then shutting the door on the act would be hard to justify in erotica, but if the characters have had sex three times in the last 30 pages, and in this scene they joke around a bit, kiss, and then we're on to the next scene, I would have no problem with it. I mean, at that point, I have a pretty good handle on how they have sex...I don't need to see them go through the motions again until it's going to have something (meaningfully) new for me.

Agreed. If you are going to fade to black then don't build up to it in the same way, but sprinkling in indications that nookie keeps happening between the major sexy times without going into detail is preferable to reading scene after scene of the same.

wordsmithy

M/M Erotica Writer

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Jan 12, 2015

#20

My knee-jerk reaction would be that fading to black is a missed opportunity, because as a general rule I prefer more sex in my stories. BUT this sounds like it would be highly situation-specific. If there's already lots of sex elsewhere in the book, then there doesn't necessarily have to be another scene in a place where you're really not feeling it.

Sometimes I really, really like it when an author describes a sex scene very briefly. Just a few good, evocative words can get my imagination running the scene on it's own. X)

Maybe that would be a good compromise?

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

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Jan 12, 2015

#21

SentaHolland said:
or you could use the sex scene to explore the characters and their relationship - every act is an act of communication!

That's what I try and do!

Thus far, the only fade to black I've used has been the bad guy being evil because I think that explicitly describing murder would have been a BIT of a mood killer...

Reformed Gypsy

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Jan 14, 2015

#22

I've read novels where the sex scenes were so relentlessly frequent that I would have welcomed a fade to black. BUT, I think that works best after the reader has already been given some goodies.

Just my humble opinion.

veinglory

volitare nequeo

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Jan 14, 2015

#23

I struggle to remember a FTB scene that my editor did not later firmly suggest I write out the sex scene for.

StoryofWoe

Sick and pale with grief.

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Jan 21, 2015

#24

Reformed Gypsy said:
I've read novels where the sex scenes were so relentlessly frequent that I would have welcomed a fade to black. BUT, I think that works best after the reader has already been given some goodies.

I agree with this. If the first scene fades to black, I'm going to be a bit miffed. If the rest of the story is detailed and exciting and there's no real point in showing another oral sex scene, then fading to black wouldn't bother me.

thethinker42

Abnormal Romance Author

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Jan 24, 2015

#25

My erotica and erotic romances tend to have a few FTB scenes. Usually only if the sex scene would be quite similar to one or more of the other sex scenes, so the FTB keeps it from being repetitive. And depending on how it's done, FTB can be titillating in its own way (the reader is left to imagine what happens, etc.).

I certainly wouldn't do it for all or even most scenes in an erotic novel, but it can definitely work.

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