Musings on sex scenes ....

[justacat]

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted. I'm never prolific, but I've rarely gone this long without posting since I started on  LJ ... and it feels like longer, because it's been such a busy few weeks.  The reason, I think, is a combination of extensive travel over the past few weeks (Escapade, which I haven't written about but maybe

Comments

[killabeez]

Just-- I love you, that's all. This post made me happier than a happy thing. And thank you for sharing that post from cupidsbow. Interesting analysis of something that I think many people do instinctively. It's kind of similar to something cimmeriansused to call "kinesthetic writing."

But also, I really would be interested to know how the writers among you feel about this way of looking at and analyzing writing. I mean, it's fun for me from an analytical perspective, but does thinking about rules "get in the way" of free expression?

Well, I think more awareness is always good. I don't know about actually using a formula while writing, but it could be a very good way of putting your finger on why a passage isn't working, and it might help you figure out how to get past a tough spot. I don't know that I'd really call these "rules," though, except perhaps for one, specific type of fannish erotic writing. (One which I happen to use myself, but it's not universal.) I'd look at her idea as more of "a formula," than "the formula," if you know what I mean. It's a particular style/approach that has been popular in slash fandom for a while now, but there are other ways of making a sex scene sexy.

Thanks for the food for thought. :-)

[justacat]

I wrote that Question for Writers right before I posted, and as I thought about it after posting I was thinking what you wrote that probably for most good writers, doing this kind of thing is instinctive; they don't think about the rules.

(I think that applies to vidding, too; there are some inexperienced vidders who "get" things like timing and "flow," or whatever, much better than others, even without having been taught any guiding principles. And actually it's true even of something physical, like riding - some people just have a "feel" for when the horse is doing something and how to respond, even without learning the "rules." Maybe it's true of everyone who's really talented at something: they do things the "right" way naturally, without thinking about it - which often makes them bad teachers, I've found!)

I suppose it's also possible that a person could learn rules and internalize them until they become part of her "natural" writing style - I think of the classic 5-paragraph essay we wrote in high school. Of course I don't do that, but certain things, like topic sentences for paragraphs, are part of my approach to writing - I may or may not do them, but the awareness of the purpose a paragraph is supposed to serve is always there. So you could learn principles for writing action sequences, and at first the application of those would be awkward and unnatural (like those high school essays, with their concluding paragraphs!), but eventually some of that would become natural.

Okay this is not the place for a full exploration of How We Learn! *g*

So back to your comment: you are, of course, exactly right that this is "a" formula, not "the" formula; I was just so excited about the idea of *any* formula at all (and formula is a better word than rule)! But it does seem true that for many beginning or not-so-talented writers who want to write better sex - or action - scenes but have no idea how to do it, breaking it down in this simple way could be very helpful, and could certainly improve their stories, if not make them masterpieces. The more talented and experienced writers tend to have much more of their own personal style and formula ...

Anyway, sorry for blithering on! Interesting stuff, though - thanks for commenting, and I'm very glad the post made you happy!!! :-)