Any advice on writing smut? I never did it but I want to start.
Oooooooh anon. Alright, alright. Smut is my forte. This blog got âpopularâ for it. And itâs probably going to be my legacy. My MA tutor told me that Iâm one of the few peopleâs erotica heâs actually liked. <3
So - enough posturing and here we go. This will obvs get NSFW.
Writing Smut - Fenâs 101
First thing I tackle(snrk), is -
Is this going to start in the middle of the build up, ie, are they already kissing and naked? Or is there going to be build up?
Going straight into the thick of things works for certain smut pieces, and it can change the pace of a piece of writing/mix things up a little if you start the chapter or piece with them already there.Â
Obviously for these types, you donât have to worry about build up; about both partners essentially turning on - and in the case of m/m penetrative sex or m/f anal sex, you gotta put prep in there before A goes into B (but Iâll get there).
For build up pieces - Iâll reference my last fics âVoiceâ and âLanguageâ - the build up between Illidan and Maiev was their back and forth in their birth tongue. It stirred up memories, and was something that was just theirs. That, was their foreplay. Foreplay isnât just touching or oral. It can be the thrill of battle, the whisper of a forgotten promise; the way they made you laugh - itâs unique to each character. And I think the important think with writing smut - for me anyway - is to approach it as not just a piece of porn with characters filling in the blanks. But create it from your characters - let them tell you what they want and how they want it.
Which takes me to the most important thing for me when I write smut -
If itâs their first time or last; if itâs a 25 year married couple, midweek while the kids sleep; if itâs a one night stand with a faceless, nameless youâll never see again; if itâs at last - there will always be some emotion. Something - whether it be bad, or good, will be there.Â
I try and portray this in several different ways.Â
For an intense, passionate tryst that has happened without warning, with very little build up - I try and reflect that in the urgency of my writing too. Shorter sentences. Repetition to mirror the wild, frantic, desperation of the moment. Also, for times like this I tend to focus on very physical things; the way their hands move, scratching against skin; how close they are; the heat of breath; the fact that for them, nothing else exists outside that moment and their bodies. Word choices can also be important for writing smut. I tend to use more âharshâ words like âcockâ and âthrustâ for moments like this.
For times when the smut is more sensual - where there is so much love - I try and write (in short) as if the world is reflected on their partner; and their partner on the world. Now, this is a very generalised feeling for writing sensual/loving smut - and as I said before - always, always take into consideration the characterâs personality and their relationship with their partner(s) first and foremost. Examples though for this type of smut. Partner A notices hows the moonlight falls over their shoulder, their back, making the thin stretchmarks shimmer like glass; as she breathed, it was as if the earth breathed with her, the leaves an echo of her voice, the faint whisper of a moan falling, falling away with the wind.I try and use a much more languid flow of sentences and softer words for this type of smut. Long sentences, lots of commas (hi everyone who has ever edited my work ever haha) and what one of my tutors called âexpensive wordsâ. Words that you can only use once in a piece; powerful words - often treading the lines of dreaded purple prose - but when used right, can really make a paragraph, a line, or even the piece itself.Â
Other important things for emotion: taste and smell. What does their partner taste like to them? What do they smell? Each other? Their hair? The bed of flowers theyâve just rolled onto, the puff of pollen, coiling in the air?
What do they hear? Sound can be a powerful turn on for people - especially the sounds of their partner; moans, whispers, words, names.Â
Fen! Thereâs more than just heat of the moment and sensual smut! Youâre damn right there is and hereâs a few more pointers for things I do for other types of smut. But I wonât go into too much depth, or Iâll be here forever.
Emphasis on body; playful touches and laughter. Dialogue! Donât be afraid to put dialogue into your smut. People talk during sex - all types of sex.Â
Things can go wrong (and this isnât restricted to fun sex). And how they react to it is purely down to the characterâs personality and/or the relationship. But remember, happy couples can laugh together at this stuff.
Pronouns! This can get confusing if itâs say three girls together. The beauty with fanfic/fantasy stuff etc is we can say âThe Demon Hunterâ or âThe mageâ etc. and get away with it. In other fiction, a mixture of pronouns and their actual names. Try and stay away from âThe tall oneâ âThe red headed oneâ etc as much as possible.Â
Are they going to part straight away? Are they going to cuddle? Is the realisation of what they have just done, going to hit them?Â
Sex is a huge build up of emotion and a moment - and the release after can sometimes be a huge crash back to reality, that can hurt. Or that can be great. You donât have to draw it out to the post-sex moment. In some of my fics I have ended with them falling onto the table/bed/floor, and then a single line of thought from one of the characters - or a single line of action, that can speak just enough. Donât be afraid to let your reader figure it out themselves.
Vagina havers can have multiple orgasms (and often not from penetration, but from clitoral stimulation). Sometimes the ones after the first are better; sometimes theyâre not. Penis havers technically can, but not to the degree that the clit can give. And donât forget prostate stimulation.Â
Also - the orgasm for people can affect them as individually as they are. Tremors, twitches, going perfectly still, silent, loud, laughing - know what your character does. And have some fun. Try and show their orgasm through their body; or the way things start to sound - different, muffled; their breathing is hitched, ragged; the world blurs, it fades away until all she can see, is her.
Other useful things of note when writing any smut
For m/m penetrative or any anal sex - proper lubrication. And also preparation. Especially if this is someoneâs first time that way. They will need prepped with fingers/toy, lube and time. âItâs not sexy!â I hear you cry. Neither is a torn asshole which is what we all thinking.
Location. Is it a bed? A kitchen counter? A grimy toilet cubicle? Khadgarâs office? Make things show their union. A map on the table, tearing beneath them each time he thrusts; a book falling off a shelf when he collides against the wall; windows, fogging; the noise outside so loud, they can be loud.Â
Do your research when writing kinky stuff. I mean - it all depends on what Mood⢠youâre going for, but for BDSM, aftercare is pretty damn important. Consent and understanding is essential.
Some of the best piece of advice I ever got for writing dialogue and writing in general is - make it realistic, not real.Â
And above all, have fun.Â