Do you call body parts by their actual names?

Either way, by calling body parts by their actual names or by more figurative names is acceptable. Depending on the target audience, actual names could be a bit distracting, and using a softened descriptive name might be preferable.

I think core tends to be to general.

In order to keep the names gentle, which I think may be your objective, for vagina, you might try "folds" or "petals", which would give more of an surface feel. For penis "stiffness" or "hardness" are descriptive of the change to his anatomy from his attraction to her. I think these would be recognizable names when in context to the scene, without being too direct.

Another approach focusing on the actions (caress, enter, stroke), and vaguely describing the body parts during the act. This will let the reader know what is happening, without making them "think" of the body part.

I hope this is helpful.

Craig

The limitations of language in labeling body parts is one of the trickiest things I've found about writing sex scenes. If you're writing erotica, then any language can be appropriate, as long as it fits the purpose and style of your story. But, since you're writing women's fiction, you'll probably need to be more careful. If your readers aren't expecting erotica, and if the rest of your novel doesn't use blunt language and tone, then you probably don't want to pull them out of the story with a sudden shift.

Personally, I don't like the words "penis" and "vagina." I've seen them used in sex scenes--and sometimes effectively--but they usually come off as too clinical for the mood of most sex scenes. But I'm also not a fan of overly flowery euphemisms: "molten core," "strong rod of desire," etc. But there are ways to find a balance. You might read over some sex scenes by writers you admire to get some ideas on how other people have done it.

From your examples and because of the kind of novel you're writing, I assume you'd like to avoid the kind of language that is traditionally considered vulgar. But there are some other choices. "Shaft" is often used in place of "penis." I've used "his length" or "his hard flesh" quite often. A lot of writers use "manhood," but it always makes me cringe. Depending on how you've set up the context, you can also use things like "he thrust into her" or "she stroked him," avoiding the naming tangle altogether.

I have a harder time with a woman's body parts. "Core" and "wet heat" are done a lot. You could use something like "inner walls" or "intimate folds" or maybe "channel" or "entrance"--depending on where exactly you envision his fingers. I've sometimes used the word "arousal" for the woman as well as the man. Or you could try something like "he caressed her intimately" if you can't find any body part word that works for you and you don't mind the occasional adverb.

It takes some doing, since certain words trigger varying responses in readers. I happen to dislike the use of "petals" in this context, as Bawdy_Bard suggested above. And I'm sure others dislike some of the possibilities I've mentioned. It sometimes takes some juggling to write sex scenes you're comfortable that are also effective for your readers. I'm sure others will come along soon with more suggestions.

I've never used "penis" or "vagina" in an erotic scene.

It really does depend on market. Penises get mentioned more than vaginas but typically in a more anglo saxon (c.f. latin) way.

I think you should write whatever's comfortable to you. Most hardcore erotic romances use for a male's anatomy, cock, dick, maybe penis etc., and for a woman's, wet hole. That makes me chuckle a bit. Not only that, it sounds raunchy.
I"ve seen one author refer to her male character's anatomy, a long, hot rod, then in the same sentence used dick. She did a switcheroo. LOL!
Make sure whatever word you use for your character's anatomy, keep it at that. You don't want to confuse your readers.
Hope this helps.
http://www.evelynosimon.net

Another funny thread!

"Wet hole?" You have got to be kidding me! That sounds more like the toilets in old Europe.

The best thing to do is focus on the thoughts and feeling first and formost. I don't know about others, but I don't find the act intself that interesting. I mean it's the same action however you write it. I'm more interested in the foreplay and the character's reactions to one another and the situation.

I haven't written too much smut, but I have managed to throw in arousal and I sounded okay. I also used erection, but that wasn't exactly a warm and fuzzy scene. So I have no idea if that would work in women's fiction.

As to the aformentioned shaft, that word always confuses me. To me a shaft is a hole (like a mine shaft). So when someone mentions a man's shaft I instantly think of women's anatomy. I think that's just my hangup though. According to Websters there's a million definitions and all but one relate to something extending.

For female anatomy I'd suggest "Forbidden garden of lies", and for male anatomy "manaconda".

"Vulva" is a highly underutilized word, as is uterus, which I'm not even sure I'm spelling correctly because it is so rarely written.

To me its all about the scene. Pick and choose what works for you, just write it at first, see what comes out. Don't agonize over genitalia, what feels natural to you is what will go best with the rest of your writing most probably. Personally I giggle at stuff like 'hot rod' and 'p usssy', but other people like it.
I mostly do slash stuff which makes it easier since describing the female parts and arousal is often the hardest part (no pun intended).
When I write smut I use penis, cock, hardness, organ, a ss, butt, balls, vagina, clit, velvet heat, warm insides, tightness, tunnel, walls...etc. No rods, no staffs, no cunts or pussies, simply because the terms make me giggle -they make me think on either old lady porn from the 1800s or the dirty mouths of insecure teens.
Right then, that's my take on it.

I think in slash the ******* has all the same issues as the vagina. It is the bodypart that dare not speak its name.

The what? (censorship sux btw...)

The rear passage (case in point?)

*grins* It's kind of tragical when people can actually think to be offended by the terms for genitalia in a ****ing erotic story. ;-)
To me it feels a bit like outlawing 'once upon a time' in fairytales or something equally moronic.

In both of the stories I have ongoing, I use the proper terms for each item in question (penis and vagina) as I see nothing wrong with that and don't feel embarrassed or anything by using these kinds of words. The only time I would use any other words for these two sexual organs is if it were in dialogue from the characters I'm writing about; as we all call them different kinds of names, like here in the UK we might use dick and fanny (fanny isn't the same here as in the usa lol)

Ellie

Whatever the character would think of it as, is what it should be called, IMHO...

I should think that it would go on what perspective you're speaking from; I write my stories from the third person, an onlooker. Not only that, if you want your work published, then you've got to write the body parts as words in which every culture would understand surely? If I said that a man stuck his dick in to her fanny, the American audience would think he was sticking it in her backside.

veinglory said:

Whatever the character would think of it as, is what it should be called, IMHO...

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There are always caveats. I do generally go with deep third and my characters are typically American. But when they are not I try and use but implicitly explain terms from their own dialect rather than Americanise them. I was thinking more about whther a character would use a direct orversus ephemistic term or no noun at all.

Simon Woodhouse said:

Though I don't write erotica, I have penned a couple of sex scenes. But they weren't really sex scenes as such, because I didn't know how to approach the task. I didn't want to refer to specific body parts (either with technical or slang terms), and I wasn't too sure how to describe the act itself. I thought I had two choices – graphic or analogy. Graphic didn't fit in with the tone of the book, and analogy just sounded daft, i.e. 'he slipped his banana into her fruit salad.' In the end I wimped out altogether and just went for the before and after option, I cut away after the first few passionate kisses, and came back again when they were sharing a cigarette.

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LOL! [He slipped his banana into her fruit salad] I like that one. That should be used in a romantic comedy.

If people are a little embarrassed by writing actual sex scenes; why not just say they made love and let the reader fill in the gaps (excuse the pun lol) with their own imagination, that way it can be as raunchy or as boring-long-wynceyette-nightie as they want it to be

Ellie

One reason is that this is the "writing erotica" forum, guys.

I wonder who has the most problems with writing erotica, men or women?

Elodie-Caroline said:

I wonder who has the most problems with writing erotica, men or women?

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What do you mean by problems, Ellie? I have no problems at all, but as they say... I love the stuff.

Craig