Ooh that's a fun question!! I hope you don't mind, but I threw some thoughts together. I could definitely send you some resources if you'd like, there are other people who have written about this with way more finesse. But these are some of my tips for smut writing. Sorry this isn't well organized, this is just what came to mind! Some of this is big picture scene structure, some of this is little details.
1) Type out the sounds! Moans, grunts, groans, etc. Type 'em out. Type out the sputtering breath of a name that trails off into a moan, the "O-Ohhh!" or whatever it is. Feels weird! But it works. I think it makes the scene more immersive.
2) Euphemisms are okay sparingly, but it's usually better to just say the words you mean. Ie: Cock instead of throbbing member, that kind of thing. (I learned this particular smut writing tip from my mom. Fun fact: my mom has the distinct honor of being the first ever author to use the word 'cock' in a Harlequin romance novel. She fought hard for the right to use that word. Say 'cock' and my mom will be proud of you.) The Lewd Vocabulary In Erotic Fiction survey is a great resource for some good words that people like to read.
3) Use all five senses. Use the whole body. Sex happens in the body, so let your writing get really into the body. Every so often, do a sensory check: have I described the sounds they're making? What are the colors that stand out here? If they're in that position for a while, where are they going to feel tension or muscle strain? That kind of stuff. Keep coming back to sensory descriptions.
4) Verbs. A lot of verbs. Good, strong, interesting verbs. It's an action scene, after all, so choose good action words. Make sure your verb choices are strong enough to carry the action forward.
5) Don't lose sight of your characters. Sex scenes can be intimidating, but this is just a scene like any other. It's an opportunity to show how this specific character is going to act and feel in this scenario. Use dialogue, use their personality, use whatever baggage, or assumptions, or fears, or humor, or desires, or voice, or quirks, or strengths, or whatever they have in the rest of their day to day life. Let them carry all of that into the scene. What would make This Person In Particular feel really vulnerable? What would make them feel the most satisfied? What do they need? How do these two (or more) characters communicate? How do they match each other? Keep them in character. Specificity is sexy.
6) Tension and pacing. Tension is: why does this scene have to happen right now? Narratively, why does this have to happen right this second? Has this been building for a while and now there's a big emotional outpouring? Is one of them leaving in the morning and this is their only chance? Do they need this intimacy for their relationship to move forward? Whatever it is, the tension drives the action. The tension is the need. Why do they NEED this? And then pacing. By pacing, I mean the pace of the writing, not the pace of the sex act--although that can be related! My tip for pacing a sex scene is don't keep it all one note. Don't rush through it, let it build, then pull it back, have action and then a lull for some emotional connection, etc. Layer in dialogue to push things forward or to slow them down. Keep it moving, keep things happening, but not all in a breakneck straight line towards an orgasm.
7) Decide how much you want to describe and how explicit you want to go. You can have hard kink that is written subtly with description that is evocative to hint at what is happening. You can have vanilla missionary sex that is graphic about every drop of fluid and bit of friction. No wrong answers!
8) Re-read your favorite smut scenes and think about why they work, what the author does well, what it is about them that you like. Make a list of what stands out to you.
9) My biggest tip for writing smut is... never apologize for it. You should write any level of explicit or heat that you want, whatever you are comfortable with. But don't hold your writing back or censor yourself because you're embarrassed to be horny on main. It's devil's sacrament principle, we're all here writing and reading it with you.
Anyone else want to chime in? (If you do, I will also be taking notes, I want to hear everyone's favorite smut writing strategies!!)
areudirty
izzy806
ellievsbear
pixelskylines
titsay
andulkaphoto
stormborns
theartofmadeline
sugurugetos
