On writing pornographic fan fiction:
First I want to be prefectly clear that everything I say in this post is 100% subjective. If you disagree with any of it, youāre right. Iām right too, but only as far as my own perspective is concerned. Thereās no objective way to determine whether or not porn is āgoodā-it either works for you or it doesnāt. And what works for one person will leave another person flat, and both reactions are valid.
That said, Iām still going to give my opinion on how to write what I personally think is an effective sex scene. š Take it with a shaker of salt if you like.
For the sake of propriety and my own peace of mind, I politely request that if youāre under 18 you scroll on by.
A lot of people are intimidated by writing sex scenes. The thing is, theyāre just scenes, no different than a scene in which characters are eating or fighting or doing anything else. I think they work best when approached this way.
What makes a good scene, then? Ideally, a scene should a) reveal characterisation b) provide information and c) move the plot forward. If you can give it a narrative arc including conflict, then even better.
If you can cut the scene without impacting the story at all, youāre missing an opportunity. If you could substitute any random characters with the oneās youāre writing, same. If you could cut and paste the scene into a different story with different charactersā¦ You get it. Sex scenes should be intentional and specific.
I personally get frustrated (in several ways) when reading porn that might be very detailed as far as mechanics are concerned but which neglects emotion, characterisation and story. Iām a huge UST junkie, I crave it, but only when itās properly paid off. Iāve read too many fics that create gorgeous sexual tension between the characters, beautifully written fics suffused with emotion that winds you up to the point where youād sell a child (yours or someone elseās) just to finally see the characters get it on, only to see all that lovely suspense disintegrate into a mechanical description of various body parts doing various things and eventually spurting various substances. š¤Ø And then I want to punch a wall.
The emotion and psychology is so, so much more important than the explicitness or the mechanics. Especially as thereās only so much variation possible in the mechanics and once youāve read your first 300 explicit fics it all starts getting old and boring and not hot. Additionally, itās the emotion and psychology that draws us into the charactersā heads, getting us to feel what theyāre feeling, and thus producing hotness.
Iāll give some examples of sexy scenes that I think work particularly well and then explain why.
The first scene from The Light More Beautiful by @firethesound is a good example.
(Warning for gentle dub-con: Harry accidentally creates lust potion and antics ensue.)
Thereās some pretty amazing description of the mechanics, but also running commentary of what Draco is experiencing emotionally and psychologically, and itās very specific to who he is as a character and whatās going on in his life at that moment. The scene has a beginning, middle and end and once itās over things have changed for both characters and the story has progressed. So: šššÆš„š„
Iām certain that many people will passionately disagree with my next point, and thatās totally cool, but I honest to god think you can write a great sex scene without going into the details of body parts and what theyāre doing at all.
Hereās a bit from Such Great Heights by softlyforgotten: (Iām noticing that out of context the scene might not look entirely consensual, but I promise you, it very much is.)
Itās not explicit at all. The word ācockā never appears. And yet Itās one of the most memorable and effective sex scenes Iāve read, because Iām deeply in Harryās PoV and carried alway with what heās feeling enough that I can feel and picture it clearly. I donāt need the specific details.
I think that sometimes too much detailed description of cocks and assholes and balls and fluids can make a sex scene boring and generic, especially when itās not laced through with plot, psychology and emotion. Iām not saying donāt include them! Iām saying, balance is a good thing and sometimes less is more. And that while describing cocks, arseholes, balls and fluids is all well and good, seeing those bits through the specific perspective of a character is better.
Like: āHarryās huge cock hardened and began to leak at the tipā vs āFingers trembling, Harry unzipped his fly and pulled himself out. Draco dug his fingernails into his palms, going a bit dizzy. Potter was huge. And heād gone pink-faced as Draco stared at him, deliciously bashful.ā
I welcome feedback, additions and challenges to this post. š
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