Sex.
Yep, that is a BIG WORD for a lot of writers. When to have it, when not to, when is it too much, and when it's not enough. I recently tackled this exact subject in the new dark fantasy novel I am working on and it stirred some thoughts in my head around the subject of sex in novels, overall.
I have read books that are both completely absent of sex and books that are all about sex. Yes, I have read smut and it's been an eye-opening experience, to say the least 😂.
When it comes to deciding if and when to have the subject of sex in your novel, the number one question to ask yourself is if it is appropriate for the audience you are writing for.
Young adult, new adult and all the above are open to having this subject matter involved in your writing. Young adult being the lesser, building all the way up to those raunchy pieces that are adult XXX rated. Any genre below YA should not be touched. The audience is too young. What is appropriate is the subject of love or the beginning feelings of discovering love. Adding that element in to children's books and middle grade is okay in introducing the readers to the concept, but keep it simple. Don't overcomplicate.
Another thing to consider is your subject matter and how the subject of sex will impact your characters and advance your story.
Keeping this in mind will also determine how much sex you sprinkle in your writing. Is sex just something that is talked about? Will you characters explore it physically? How often will it be explored and what emotions are tied to it?
Being aware of characters emotional reactions is so important! Sex can either make or break a characters, well... character 😉. I have read some books where the use of sex completely changes how the characters feel to the reader. You have to be very careful, especially if you don't want to paint any particular light. Sex can either enhance or degrade a characters credibility, attractiveness and likability. For some books I've read, sex completely ruined the main character for me, hoping that they would fail when the author clearly wanted the reader to be rooting for them.
And as far as advancing the story, sex should be tied to an outcome. Will it cause friction between characters? Used as a form of taboo? Carry positive or negative consequences if others find out? What will happen if and when your characters explore it, what emotional ties will be broken or formed and how will it effect the direction you are trying to take?
If you aren't sure if or when to use sex in your writing, play around with it (ooo, that sounds dirty 🤦🏻♀️).
See what happens! As long as it is appropriate for the audience you are writing for and it adds to the development of your characters and plot, there is nothing wrong with putting as little or as much sex in as you want!
This is where beta readers really come in handy. Make it a point to ask them their thoughts. Feedback is the best way to help you define your overall flow, so don't miss the opportunity to get some honest opinions on your work.
Until next time, stay classy fellow writers & readers. ❤️❤️
Has the smut been eye opening on information, approach, Takei worthy Oh Mys, or just who the hell is into X or Y thing? So often sex is added as something arbitrary or is glossed over to the point of questioning why it was included in the first place. Sex was something that was interesting for me to explore in my Human Cycle series because the first draft has a full on sex scene and when editing, it just felt so off and wrong I took it out in almost its entirety and instead opted for leaving things suggested. It became a discussion topic over how one character has casual sex and has multiple partners and how another unit is…