Bring On The Steam

Steamy Scenes Dos and Don'ts

By Amanda Hatwell

Some people really struggle with the more steamy scenes in their books and short stories. They question if the scene actually belongs and if there’s too much or too little detail. These things can cause even the most seasoned author to pause or to leave out any hint of these scenes altogether. Personally, I’m in the opinion that there is a place and time for these types of scenes. Sometimes they are crucial for character development or to push the story forward. Other times it’s a tool to draw the reader in and make them feel more invested in the relationships of the characters. As a freelance writer I’ve taken on a variety of genres, including fantasy, horror and erotica. The genre depends greatly on what kind of detail you should use but I thought I’d share some tips I’ve found along the way.

First things First

Are you using this scene as a filler because you don’t know what else to make the characters do? That’s something that any reader is going to pick up on immediately and most likely will result in the reader skipping over the section. In my experience even the readers who are there for smut aren’t interested if there’s not a reason for it.

Tip #1

Start slow with the relationships. Make the moment build up to the point where the reader cares about what happens next. Even with erotica there needs to be a context. Why should we care that these two characters are about to have a steamy moment? Does their lives depend on it? Has it been building up for pages and pages and now they can’t hold back another minute? Is one character using intimacy as a ploy to get what they want? Give us something to show up for way before the actual act.

Do’s for the actual scene

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever gotten about writing a love scene was to treat it like a fight scene. Fight scenes are packed with short, efficient sentences and detailed language in quick bursts. The warrior stopped short. He held his breath. The bloody sword swung in his direction. In one fell swoop it sliced through his arm. There needs to be physical details that bring the senses into the scene. The smell of sweat, the shiver down their spine, use the senses to draw in the reader's attention.

Secondly, a love scene, like a fight scene, needs to be succinct. The reader is going to get tired of thrusts and grunts after more than a paragraph. Even if they are really into this type of scene, they might end up skipping it over. Who wants to work hard on a scene that is just skipped?

Tip #2

This one might be obvious but it’s worth noting. Know your audience. The type of language in a romance isn’t going to be the same as the language in fantasy or science fiction. Sometimes you might need to make up words for parts of the body. Other times you might have to shy away from more modern terms. He unsheathed his sword might not work in an urban fantasy for instance. Also know what terms and words your characters would use. If a character doesn’t curse in the rest of the story, don’t bring out an F bomb when they are being intimate. You get the idea.

Don’ts for Love Scenes

The biggest Don’ts for any love scene, at least to me, is body parts being referred to in odd ways and the characters suddenly growing extra limbs. For instance, one character physically can’t hold the other’s arms above their head and at the same time be brushing the hair out of their partner's eyes and unbuttoning such and such garments. This is one sure fire way to pull a reader out of a scene. Keep an eye on the hands. This can be difficult at first but with practice you can make sure these issues don’t happen.

Tip # 3

Every love scene doesn’t have to be magical and ethereal. Yes, this is fiction but that doesn’t mean it has to be multiple “arrivals” and unending hours of activity. Try out a scene that has a distraction or is interrupted last minute. Maybe the whole scene is just foreplay that makes the steam that much hotter later on. Play around with the idea of using the scene to make the character’s life more complicated instead of just a romp in the sack. Make it your own and use it to the advantage of your plot.

My last tip is something that has helped me immensely. Read your love scenes out loud to yourself when you’ve finished them. These scenes can take a lot of practice and reading them out loud can make you more aware of the pacing issues and the odd language that sometimes pops up when you’re trying not to be awkward. If you follow the tips I’ve sprinkled through this post, I am positive you will be well on your way to an interesting, pivotal love scene.

Is there anything I’ve missed? Something you’d like to add? Be sure to comment below. I’d love to hear from you.