::snicker::

[ciroccoj]

Things you find going through old e-mails:

Well, that actually wouldn't raise my squick-o-meter too much. I've read some, though, that devolve into "and then his [body part] [verb] into his/her [body part] and then they [anatomically impossible action] and then the [secretion(s)] came gushing out like torrent of [bad simile]" by which point I've started scanning down to the end of the sex part hoping to pick up the plot again. I know many people find the above titillating, but to me... geez, that's about as titillating as Gray's Anatomy.

General questions, because I'm curious:

1. Do you ever read sexually explicit material?
   
2. What are some elements of well-written sex scenes?
   
3. What are some elements of badly-written sex scenes?
   
4. Do you ever write sexually explicit material?
   
5. How do you write it?
   
6. Why do you write it?

Comments

[officerjudy.livejournal.com]

1) What medee6040 said - whenever possible.

2) To me, good sex scenes should have a balance between the physical and emotional. It's a huge challenge to get to what the characters are feeling without making the scene gooey. (And it's even more difficult in slash, because you have to avoid feminizing the men.)

jessebee's and medee6040's stuff are outstanding examples. In jessebee's Lennie/Mike stories, the emotion comes through without the characters ever changing from what they are. And medee6040 writes some of the most evocative imagery I've ever read in *any* fic.

3) One thing that really grates on my nerves is when writers get overly technical with the anatomical terms - eg. "Claire licked Ben's glans while stroking his testicles." It sounds like something out of one of my nursing textbooks! I'm not terribly fond of euphemisms, but "Claire licked the head of Ben's cock while stroking his balls," works just fine here.

Also, Purplegreen's repeated use of phrases like "Oh yeah, Lennie was going to enjoy this!" annoy me to no end. As does gratuitous spillage of body fluids. As does fifty-something year old characters being able to go at it all night.

I could go on and on...

4) Yes. Next question.

5) I don't really know how I write it - I just *do*. It used to be next to impossible for me, because I'd get embarrassed writing even softcore stuff. But it's gotten much easier over time. : ) Like medee6040, I let the characters walk me through it - if I can't see them saying or doing something, it doesn't go in the story. Period. (That goes for any fic.)

6) As far as Ben goes, he's certainly the most asexual character to ever appear on the Mothership (and maybe even *all* of the L&O shows, for that matter). Therefore, it's fun as hell to get him laid. Good and often. And in scorching detail. : )

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

::blushes and thanks you very much for the compliment::