gonna do bullet-points of things i tend to live by when it comes to smut (this is just my opinion):
don't switch styles: the way you write the smut has to be consistent with the way you write the rest of the story, so if your story is more comedic or romcom-y in nature, the way you write the smut should have those stylings. i personally find it very jarring when authors decide to break the format for the smut, almost like the story has to stop for the sex intermission; if you're writing a horror story, the smut must be informed and influenced by that genre, and if you are breaking genre for the smut portion, tell us why you're suddenly switching gears (it has to be an aesthetic choice you're making on purpose). likewise, if your style in that story is more lyrical, the smut has to be somewhat lyrical too, or if your story is more cormac mccarthy-esque-cut-and-dry, the smut can't suddenly involve an effluvia of purple, sappy prose. integrating the smut in the story and treating it like any other part of the story is key to me. too often i've seen ppl switch to this anonymous pornified style when they get to the smut
which brings me to specificity. i'll talk about het sex, since that's what i tend to write most: not all men are going to be fingering or eating pussy the same way, not all dicks are big and they shouldn't be, not all women immediately get excited by fingering, not everyone moans the same way or makes the same sounds. you're writing about particular characters so it has to be particular to them. i know this is very old advice, but i think it bears repeating
there isn't an exact formula or sequence you have to follow, there aren't precise steps, you don't have to go "well, first he has to kiss down her neck, then reach the boob area, then play with the nipples, then put the nipple in his mouth, then slowly go down on her, then prepare her for entering her etc. etc. etc." this can get boring and repetitive and you start thinking of your characters as these mechanical dolls who have to fuck for your audience. and that can be a vibe too, if you do it on purpose. but sometimes you can get stuck in a porn routine (and ofc, having only the guy show initiative can also get boring)
in order to break that, insert some character moments. what are the characters thinking during this? sometimes they might be thinking of something completely unrelated on the surface, but which has a thematic relevance that can make the scene hotter. likewise, maybe they're doing smth that seems unsexy on the surface, but which, within the context of the story might be really hot. sex doesn't just involve, well, sex, but so much weirdness and humanity and creativity. two bodies (usually) are trying to do this really awkward thing together and they might have a lot of baggage and history to inform it. there's a lot you can do with that.
don't make it glossy and clean, where everyone smells of strawberry shampoo and there is never anything out of sync. the most boring smut tends to be the kind where no one makes any mistakes and everything is super efficient. i imagine it feels like using an industrial pump to milk various farm animals.
and you know what? you can make that hot too. you CAN write a kind of robotic efficient smut and make it really interesting based on the context. let's say you're writing a 1984 AU fic where ppl are forced into intimacy only to procreate and their sex drive is diminished. you can play with that premise and lean into the dehumanizing industrialization of sex, but you have to mean it, aka your narratorial voice must be conscious of these factors.
if you're writing dubcon, make the dubious part present, make sure you draw out the ambivalence and ambiguity. if you're writing noncon, the character whose consent is being violated has to be transformed by this in some way. it can be forced pleasure, for instance, but not only. it has to be a journey for them too, some kind of spiritual pit, or a form of access to terrible knowledge. i know this is a personal thing, but noncon doesn't work for me if the character being noncon'd is just sort of *there*, suffering passively. i think that sort of dead passivity can be done very well too, but the narratorial voice has to persuade me.
that being said, don't be afraid of fear in consensual sex. terror and vulnerability are a part of consensual sex too, imo, and again, depending on the story and the characters, there's a lot you can explore there
i personally find it really hot when the narratorial voice starts discussing some of the ideas that the story wants to convey during the smut. so like, you can characterize person A and outline their worldview and their plans while they're ramming person B, and the thinking & fucking are thus entwined. idk, i dig that
speaking of which, smut can convey world-building details and social/philosophical ideas, not just emotions and character beats
not all smut has to end with mutual orgasm or even one-sided orgasm, it depends what you want to do or where you want to go. again, you don't have to follow a sequence. plus, it's fun (and hot) to write about frustration and failure too.
if you want to mix up the descriptions, resort to the story & characters. you'll find it's easier to describe someone fondling a boob in a new or at least interesting way if you're thinking about that particular character in that particular story, and not just Man X from planet porn (sorry to be snarky, but mainstream erotica is soooo guilty of this)
screaming & really intense reactions are cool but they have to match the characters and the situations
sometimes, it's hotter if an effect is mild or negated, if the usual outcome doesn't happen; mix up the order of events, toy with the usual reactions. it's not about being original, it's about finding out what works for your characters. writing about sex is, in a way, a performance of it, an attempt to go through the sexual motions, to find out what works and doesn't, to engage with the erotics of text (roland barthes entered the chat)
if you are bored by your own smut, that's a problem. i know we all talk about how hard we find writing smut, and IT IS hard, and sometimes it's not enjoyable, because writing itself is often not enjoyable, but even when it's painful and annoying, it gives you that little intellectual kick like "huh, i'm creating this and making these people do this, and ohh look, i can maybe put this unnamable thing into words". but if you become bored, that's a sign you have to look at the language & characters and figure out what's not working for you
last thing i'll underline: pay attention to your narratorial voice. in this ordeal, you are the seducer. not the characters. you have to seduce us with words and context. your voice matters the most. you can persuade us of anything. but you have to be confident in your weirdness and particularity. this is your bedroom (so to speak), so invite us in.
Wait omg i wanna write smut but could you give me tips?
hi !! i can definitely give u some tips (๑•᎑<๑)
when u can’t get dialogue right, i suggest watching mosty amature porn or listen to nsfw audios,, i know it sounds weird but it really helps with accuracy !
i try to tailor my dirty talk / dialogue to how the members speak!
people dont tend to use use clinical anatomy terms during actual sex. i prefer using things like cunt, pussy, cock, heat, length, member, entrance, etc.
prioritize sensory details over clinical anatomy. “he pushed his heavy length deep inside you slowly, dragging along the slick heat of your walls.” goes harder than “he put his penis in your vagina.”
describe reactions more than mechanics!! trembling thighs, hitched breathing, flushed skin, the taste of sweat, the sound of skin on skin.
i try to avoid repeating the same words too often (thrust, moan, wet). if you are lost, googling any of those words with synonym next to it is a life saver. this also goes for any aspect of writing! ah also don’t overdo fancy synonyms.
write the scene straight through without judging yourself. you can always edit it for better flow later. i edit my works at least 3 times before posting.
this sounds strange but look up sex positions if you dont know which to put your characters in or if you are confused where things go. when i write threesomes or have more complex positions in mind, i simply draw them out (messy doodle, not like jo style artistry for my smut lol), it helps me get an idea of where things go (hands, dick, mouth, etc)
try to vary the sentence length: short, punchy for intensity (“he slammed in. again. harder .”); longer for building sensation. (“his cock dragged through your walls at rapid speed, beating against the spot that made you see stars.)
sound design is a savior when you are struggling through dialogue! not just moans. describe the creak of a bed, the wet click when he pulls out, ragged breathing syncing like a filthy rhythm~
on your second read through: try to cut down on the uses of “very,” “just,” and any repetitive body part words. on your third pass: read it aloud. if you stumble or cringe, rewrite or edit.
i keep things for inspiration whether that be fanfiction, porn, audios, my own fantasies, or even tweets!
this also goes for kink related content! if you do not have experience with certain kinks, research. see how others write it, how it looks when these kinks take place, hear how it makes people feel, read people involved in those kinks fantasies.
READ!!! whenever im struggling, i take a break and read something. seeing how others write smut can help you develop your own writing skills, style and ideas!
track what turns you on and lean into it! when i write about something im into, i tend to write it better because theres heat behind it! (if u dont get a lil horny when writing ur own stuff, u might need to change things up..)
tumblr is your playground. use it well. theres nsfw work everywhere. lurk in anime nsfw spaces if you have to.
overall tips: don’t compare your skills or style to anyone else, everyone is different. whether that be in how they flesh out build up or how they write sex scenes. if you need to, write it messy first. you can fix it in edits. i go over my writings atleast 5 times before posting. the draft and full fic are totally different. pacing is personal, trust your instinct on what feels right in your fics! dont rush yourself, give you some time between scenes, fics or wips. i only write when im inspired which is why i dont do every single request i get!
i hope these will help you !! ☆٩(｡•ω<｡)و happy writing baby!
okay after the kissing post i've wanted to try to write something about actual sexual scenes. it's taken me a while to figure out what approach to take for such a broad subject because this is such a subjective form of writing and everyone has very strong opinions and varying proclivities. the truth is you are not going to please everyone and there will be a chunk of people who will always dislike your choice of words. and so even in writing a post to help others, there's going to be people who strongly disagree or find what i prefer to be cringe or unerotic.
the portrayal of sexual intimacy and the approaches taken are as varied as the sexual preferences, appetites, turn ons and turn offs of every day real people. this can either make you freeze up when writing, or free you to realize there is no 100% right way to approach erotic art and anyone who tells you otherwise is a smartass or trying to sell you something. so with no further ado, this post will be exactly what it sounds like so proceed at your own risk.
i'm going to focus less on style itself and more on approach. the first thing is that you don't need to divorce 'fluffy' non explicit intimacy from sexual writing. the exact same style and techniques you use for non sexual intimacy can often be applied to the sexual scenes too. kissing scenes, the chaste restrained touches filled with deeper desire, the linger looks from across the room, the build up to the first moments of vulnerability, the first few kisses, the first 'almosts' are connected to the sexual scenes themselves. it is all the same emotions and tensions. they're only heightened. and for sex scenes that are produced from these build ups are a simple escalation. you only need to expound upon what you've already built. don't view it as starting new and having to figure out how to write a different topic/moment. it's a continuation and all you need to do is use the tools you've already given yourself.
my second tip is to spend time shaping your character's tastes, kinks, turn ons and icks, their secret fantasies, their red lines they won't cross, their pleasure zones, the places they find attractive on others that they like to focus on and stimulate. if you want your sex scenes to feel real and not like it's just a emulation of generic smut or porn, you have to do what you do for literally anything else to make it not feel bland or contrived: character development.
where does your muse like to be kissed? what parts of their body make them feel stimulated, what parts are the most sensitive? not everything is about genitals. a lot of people like their foreplay to start with groping in varying erogenous zones. some are unconventional, some like their ears licked, they want their wrists kissed and sucked, they just want their partner to hold them close etc. the more you practice and explore what feels right for your character, the easier building on that foundation of tension will become.
if you feel awkward you can write the characters feeling awkward too because it often is. sex isn't always erotic or super steamy. it can be funny and awkward or just a natural physical thing happening between two people. focus less on if it sounds good in the first draft and focus more on if it makes sense for the characters, focus on how this moment makes them feel, where they feel their arousal and excitement in their body, how they respond to each other, what this means to them or what it doesn't mean etc. after you have gotten that down, then you edit it. add the prose, use the language that either make sit feel less crude to you or more erotic or more poetic etc.
lets take eliza and grabriella from last time so we can expound upon their previous interaction
it wasn't like she had never seen gabriella before. the first time they had seen each other outside of a dorm room or stuffy lecture hall was at dance club which was too crowded and too loud and was less 'dance' and more 'stand around and bob heads and take up too much space on the dance floor.' but she did remember what gabriella wore. she remembered her cropped blouse with ruffled sleeves and how she hadn't worn a bra beneath it. she remembered that she did dance. she remembered how effortless it looked. and the shorts which hugged her thighs and formed that little indentation that first made her wish she could tuck her fingers beneath the hemline and tug her close.
she had denied those instincts then, those unrealized desires. but she wasn't denying it now. because now gabriella was on her mattress, sitting on her knees in only her bra and lacy underwear which evoked that same feeling. eliza imagined hooking a finger just at the waistline and tugging. butterflies swirled in her stomach and static radiated through her at the mere thought because this time she could do it.
"you okay?" gabriella murmured. she was smiling. that smile made her feel all the warmth of the brightest stars which whispered she was meant to be here, with her.
"yeah," eliza breathed out. she leaned closer and feathered her lips along the other woman's. even with a trembling hand she reached forth and brushed her fingertips at the edges of gabriella's panties. "i'm okay," she promised. she allowed herself to smile and in doing so realized she was already grinning. "more than okay."
"good," gabriella kissed her back, one of her hands sliding into eliza's hair as the other tenderly began to caress her bare thigh. "have you ever...?"
"no," she admitted. heat gathered in her cheeks which were turning pinker by the second. her ears must have looked sunburnt and she had to resist the urge to cover her face. "not really...not like this." a pause. she bit at the inside of her lower lip and glanced up at gabriella's soft features. when their eyes met, she simultaneously felt all her muscles relax again. but those damn butterflies kept fluttering within her. "have you?"
"once," gabriella nodded. then she smiled, a shyness in her expression which only made her features glow all the more. she reached down and gently grasped eliza's hand. she rubbed her thumb over her knuckles. "just follow my lead," she murmured. "we'll make up our own steps." she slowly guided eliza's fingers beneath the lacy waistband. and then further. until she felt the damp warmth between her thighs.
eliza's breath hitched and she almost forgot how to control her lungs. "i think i can figure it out," she replied with a small smirk before she tenderly rubbed the pad of her thumb against gabriella's mound. when the other woman breathed in deep, almost moaning, she knew this was a dance she would happily memorize.
i put the rest below the cut to help the post from being too lengthy. but essentially here we see a continuation of eliza feeling uncertain in new territory but finding comfort and reassurance in gabriella. she might be nervous, but she has no doubts about this woman she's attracted to. rather than just describing one action after the other or focusing only on the biological responses happening, we're delving into the continuation of anticipation, we're showing the gentle push and pull between them. eliza has the desire to take control and give pleasure to gabriella. but she finds herself needing gabriella's guidance and that's okay.
because they met dancing, we can use dancing symbolism. deciding the contrasting language and euphemisms you want to use for your ship will help you broaden how you write the intimacy beyond the physical.
eliza wants to be more dominant we see hints of it here, but realistically someone who is new to a situation will not be able to go straight into that. but, say that there is continued scenes of intimacy between them, after the first time, we would start to let her slowly explore that. perhaps gabriella would coax it out of her, maybe eliza will surprise her. she'll tug her close by her belt loops, she let herself bite at her rather than just gentle kisses. it will happen slowly and surely. and that is typically also good advice for if you want to include more kinky content. the first time people have sex they're not gonna jump straight into that. even if they're experienced in kink they still have to get to know one another and get a feel for each other's bodies, what they do and don't like, etc.
there's further tension to explore if you utilize those intimate scenes correctly, continuing to build and escalate each time upon the previous moments. don't just jump straight to crazy sex. build up to it. let them explore each other and their sexuality together. that is where the steam comes from, the continuation of tension, the excitement of getting to know one another. don't just steamroll right over opportunities for development and sensuality.
anyway that's it folks bc this post is long af. have fun, write freaky shit, write cute shit, write what makes u happy and horny.
do you have any tips for writing smut? i definitely want to start writing but smut is so hard to start for me. thank you ps! your writing is so inspiring and amazing. you are honestly one of my favorite writers out there!
Awww! thank you so much!! That means the world to me. I’m seriously honored you'd even ask
Writing smut can be so intimidating, especially when you're just starting. You want it to be hot, not awkward; emotional, not cheesy; intense, not clinical. Trust me, we’ve all stared at the screen thinking, “...and then what? Do I just say 'thrusted' now??” So here are some tips that’ve helped me find my rhythm.
1. Build the tension before you touch.
The hottest smut doesn’t start with clothes already off. It starts with a look. With someone leaning in just a bit too close to whisper “say please.” It’s the brush of a hand down your back as they pass by, the hitch in breath when fingers graze a thigh under the table.
Make us ache for it. Make the first touch feel earned.
“His fingers hovered at the hem of your shirt for a beat too long, like he wanted to peel you open. When he finally dragged it up, slow and deliberate, your breath caught — not from the chill, but from the way his eyes tracked every inch like he owned it.”
2. Anchor every moment in sensation.
Don’t get stuck on the technical - think of what’s being felt. What does the texture of their skin do under your palm? How does their voice sound when they’re right at your ear, breath hot and uneven?
“His tongue traced the shell of your ear, breath curling like honey down your neck. You could feel the hard line of him pressing between your thighs, the desperate twitch of muscle as he tried to hold back. Tried, and failed.”
Smell, sound, movement, it all layers it in. Think less anatomy chart, more how it makes your pulse skip.
3. Use rhythm like it’s foreplay.
Your sentence length can mimic what’s happening. Slow, teasing build? Let the sentences stretch, trailing just like their fingers. Desperate, frenzied pace? Go short. Sharp. Breathe with the scene.
“He fucked you slow, torturously slow, like he had all night. Like he wanted you sobbing for it.
And then-
He snapped his hips forward. Hard. Deep. Relentless.
You broke on a moan.”
Let your punctuation and pace feel like the motion it’s describing.
4. Write what turns you on.
Seriously. Want a praise kink? Biting? Power play, begging, consent, scent kink? Write the stuff that makes you clench. You’re your first audience. Remember if it doesn't make you squirm a little in your seat, it won’t land the same.
“You’re gonna take it, baby. Gonna take all of me, aren’t you?” he murmured, voice thick with smug affection. “Look at that. Dripping already. You wanted this, don’t even lie.”
Lean into what works for you. There’s no such thing as too soft or too filthy.
5. Read smut like it’s research.
Let yourself explore different writers and tones, some go poetic and metaphor-heavy, others go raw and explicit. Notice what makes your breath catch. What lines make you pause and reread, goosebumps rising?
Highlight them. Save them. Ask yourself why they hit.
6. Start small. Think in fragments.
You don’t have to write a 2,000 + word scene right off the bat. Start with a kiss. A filthy whisper. A moment where someone pulls their shirt off with one hand and grins like they know you’re staring.
“One more step and I’m not stopping,” he said. His knuckles grazed your chin, thumb teasing your bottom lip. “You understand that, sweetheart?”
Sometimes one line can spark the whole scene.
And most of all: let it be awkward at first. Everyone writes cringe at the beginning. Just get it out you can always make it filthier, prettier, smoother later.
You're already brave for wanting to try. And trust me, the best smut gets written when you're a little turned on and a little scared someone might read it.
I’m cheering for you and if you ever want to brainstorm something dirty, I’m just a message away!
All this information is from the university class I’m taking about human sexuality. My professor has been a sexologist for 20+ years and has done sex therapy in multiple countries. This is also notes I’m considering for future fics, and some may seem explanatory but I’m an asexual virgin so 💀.
g-spot is the improperly named term for the back of the clitoris. penises are the same material as the clitoris but outwards, clitoris is longer inside the female body.
Erections take minutes to hours to come back, for older folk could be a couple of days. There’s cases where men pump up viagra or other kinds of aphrodisiacs to last longer but because of it being blood it sorta messes with oxygen there and men’s penises have literally died and lead them to require amputation.
there is no improperly matched genitalia. more or less it’s very rare, my professor only had one case of a couple that size was an issue
for historical pieces, consummation was checked and often flexed where the male would show the blood on the bedsheets to the wedding party. Yet actually bleeding when losing virginity was so rare that women would prick their fingers and smear blood first.
Paraphilia versus Kink is a thing. There’s ones that are too serious and impactful are suggested treatment. I’ll have more to say about this as it’s my chapter to present on.
Penetrative sex shouldn’t be painful. Foreplay is necessary. When the vulva is aroused enough there’s basically a female erection that forms that helps as well to stop pain as well of, of course, arousal.
