How many pages should a sex scene take?

Hahahahahahahahhaah OH MY SHIT.





Jeez.

Lori, will you say it or will I?

How long should it take a man to get a woman to an orgasm?

How long should it take for them to get out of each other's clothes?

There's no definite answer. I've read some EPIC sex scenes. I mean, we're talking thousands of words and I still wanted more. And I've read some that were three paragraphs, but were too damned long.

The answer is the same as any other scene: However long it takes to say what needs to be said without saying more than needs to be said.

ETA: Two of the best sex scenes I've ever read were upwards of 5-7K words. I won't say who wrote them...

Having just counted chapters sixteen through eighteen of my WIP...

14,593 words, 65 pages, two orgasms for him, two for her and a multitide of positions.

Come big or stay home.

scarletpeaches said:

Having just counted chapters sixteen through eighteen of my WIP...

14,593 words, 65 pages, two orgasms for him, two for her and a multitide of positions.

Come big or stay home.

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And it is srsly an epic bucket of sex scene win.

I've also seen sex scenes that drag on forever, that go by too quickly, that really couldn't be salvaged no matter how long they were. Some of mine are no longer than a paragraph...one of the best ones (I think) I've ever written is upwards of 3,000 words.

Just write it as you think it needs to be written and don't worry about how long (lol) it is.

I have no idea. But it's typical of my writing it seems!

I read anthologies a lot, so they're wall-to-wall sex.

Novels? I've read a few. 65 pages...hmm...that's manuscript format so what that would be on the page I don't know.

I say just write it. Worry about fixing it up on the edits.

15k though...my god, I'm a pervert. I've shattered my previous record by more than 100%.

Brindle Chase said:

Would you say that is typical of the genre?

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Not directed at me, but...

The genre demands well-written sex scenes that are neither ridiculously gratuitous nor too brief. You as the author have to determine what your sex scene needs to accomplish and how to accomplish it. A well-done sex scene is a well-done sex scene whether it's a paragraph or 40 pages.

Think of it this way:

In real life, good sex is good sex whether it's a quickie or an all-nighter. The same applies to bad sex, except the all-nighter makes you want to stab your eyes out because it just. won't. end.

Make it good sex and your reader will stay for the all-nighter.

Unlike real life, in this case...size does not matter.

Depends on whether it's good or not... : If it's good, then, the longer the better. xD

GLAZE_by_KyrstinMc said:

Depends on whether it's good or not... : If it's good, then, the longer the better. xD

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Amen to that. If it's bad, well...just forget it.

If it's good....don't....STOP!

As many as it takes without repetition or boredom. I usually shoot for ten.

Oops.

Not that I'm at all ashamed, if Lori's reaction is anything to go by...

Damn! I've got to read me some more erotica!

scarletpeaches said:

Oops.

Not that I'm at all ashamed, if Lori's reaction is anything to go by...

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You should be ashamed, what with all of that filth you keep stuffing into my inbox.






Anyone who wants to read scarletpeaches' fulth, PM me...

vixey said:

Damn! I've got to read me some more erotica!

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I'll send you a copy of my durty little book when it's published.

This is like asking how long sex should last. As long as it should be to make everybody involved happy!

I've read great sex scenes that filled nearly a chapter, and I've read one-line descriptions of sex that managed to be almost as hot. Any length can work --

-- and now I'm going to stop posting before I get myself into metaphor trouble.

ClaudiaGray said:

This is like asking how long sex should last. As long as it should be to make everybody involved happy!

I've read great sex scenes that filled nearly a chapter, and I've read one-line descriptions of sex that managed to be almost as hot. Any length can work --

-- and now I'm going to stop posting before I get myself into metaphor trouble.

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A chapter? Pffft.

Chapter 6: Tension
Chapter 7: Sex
Chapter 8: Middle of the night sex
Chapter 9: Morning after sex

And that's just MY book. You should see what scarlet's done.

Might be useful to draw a distinction between sex that is plot and sex that isn't. Sex that doesn't advance the story or develop the characters should not go on very long, but sex that accomplishes something carries its own weight better and you can go on for quite a number of pages without bogging the story down.

Also, IME as a reader, the shorter sex scenes are the ones where there is no dialogue because of the idea that talking is not erotic, and the ones that are long are the ones with lots of dialogue because of the idea that talking builds the eroticism.

There tends to be a lot of talking in mine, yes.

Well, between certain characters.

Ahem.

I'd say if the sex isn't structural or advancing the story it shouldn't be there at all. That said, a lot happens in sex for your characters and your plot.

To answer the initial question, for me sex scenes run between 1K and 10K in length (4 to 40 pages in paperback).

ELMontague said:

I'd say if the sex isn't structural or advancing the story it shouldn't be there at all. That said, a lot happens in sex for your characters and your plot.

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I agree. Sex can result in tremendous character development. One of my fantasy novels has quite a bit of sex in it, but it ALL serves a purpose: showing the deterioration of one relationship, showing the lack of passion and emotion between two people, creating tension in another, breaking one character down, redeeming another character, etc. One of the sex scenes actually decides the fate of an entire kingdom...not because of any pregnancy or any such thing, the sex act itself changes the course of the future...and that's all I'll say about THAT.

I'd say that's not gratuitous.

Yep, I've got to agree with Claudia here. Just because the sex scene is long, it doesn't always make it good; in fact some of it can be rather boring, and not in the right way either

A few months ago, I beta-read a story for a girl on here and her first two sex scenes made me feel really horny, but the more sex scenes she wrote, the more boring they became... guess she just ran out of steam, or viagra?

Oh, and just to add: Sex scenes are like everything else in life, what turns one person on doesn't necessarily turn another one on.

ClaudiaGray said:

I've read great sex scenes that filled nearly a chapter, and I've read one-line descriptions of sex that managed to be almost as hot. Any length can work --

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Brindle Chase said:

Well I ask, because I was curious what is typical. I understand that a sex scene should be written without size in mind... you know what I mean. I have noticed several publishers that say they want 60-70% romance and fit the sex into the rest, so I was wondering how the typical erotica novel splits it up.

Thanks though!

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If you're writing erotica or erotic romance, you should be reading it and finding out that way what is typical (although I don't really think there is a "typical" length or amount of sex.)

Mine are all over the place, with some lasting fifteen pages and some barely a few paragraphs; it depends on where the characters are in the story and their relationship.


And just a general FYI--you cannot say you write "Romantica" unless Ellora's Cave is publishing it. "Romantica" relating to erotic romance is a trademarked term.

I think it might depend on the writer's style, as well. I used to write sex scenes that lasted for page after page. But then I changed some style issues in the structure of how I write. Lost a lot of verbiage that wasn't really necessary, and sometimes got in the way of the action. Now the scenes, unless they get interrupted and then resume (which happens. ) tend to run shorter, but more intense.

It really is up to your style of writing, the situation of the scene, and really, what you're internal editor suggests to you. I don't think a short scene is better than a long one. Or a long one better than a short.