how far is too far?

A married couple having sex?

Blasphemy!

There is absolutely nothing wrong or sinful about sex between married people. We "are fearfully and wonderfully created." Or more to the point, we're all the result of at least one messy encounter. It's how God set it up. It's how nature works. Sex, and sexuality are gifts from God. That's why I'm opposed to vowed celibacy. Why would anyone willingly return God's gift unopened?

However, if you feel that writing sexual encounters in your book corrupts, then don't include them.

I would go with your gut feeling. You can easily make the scene as soft as possible if you still need it for the book. There's many tasteful ways it can be done. So I guess it all depends on how it's worded.

I hope you don't abandon it because of this. It's a good way to show an emotional connection between two loved ones.

Undercover said:

... You can easily make the scene as soft as possible if you still need it for the book. There are many tasteful ways it can be done. So I guess it all depends on how it's worded.

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Yeah, that ^

As I rode home in a driving rain, I pondered your question.
IMO it boils down to titillation. If your love / sex scene expresses passion without titillating the reader, then you've got it. The only way I can think of to proof this, is to have your scene beta read; preferably by people whom you do not know. If you want, you can send me the selections that trouble you, and I'll give you my honest opinion.

I'll tell you a secret -- I write for the Christian romance market, and obviously we don't "show" as much as the mainstream market. But if I feel I need to know how my couple will get along as lovers, I occasionally write the wedding night (or a lovey scene if they're already married). After that, if I've got a better grip on their relationship I go back and tweak how they read before they become lovers. Sometimes I need to explore this, sometimes not. But once I'm satisfied, I hit the "delete" key.

There are some books in Christian fiction that take things beyond the marital bedroom door. NEVER WITHOUT HOPE by Michelle Sutton is one. My writing doesn't go there, but it's all a matter of taste. I do wish our market wasn't constantly being told that we cannot even hint that a married couple is doing The Deed. This is rubbish, in my opinion. But I'm not typical of my market.

Get any book by Francine Rivers. She is perfect about the bedroom scene. As for your scene, I will tell you if you go into details about the sex, Danielle Steele details: this part goes here scene, you will lose your christian readers. You can make sex as light as you want. I have a scene in my book where the MC marries a woman to save her from being sold as a prostitute. she's been abused and can't consumate the marriage. He woes her. This is what I focused on. When she said she just wanted to see her father again, but couldn't because of her past, emer, the MC said he had changed her past. She was now a Lady of the King's court, not a prostitute. Things like him protecting her, taking care of her, making sure she was safe. Then she fell in love with him.

And when she's ready, I simply said, Emer kissed her and she never pulled away again. Then in the next chapter, she's lying in his arms. He asks, are you ok? she says, you've erased the bad memories. A few chapters later, she's pregnate. You know what happened. i don't do bedroom 'details'. You can still do the intimacy of a married couple, (flirting, knowing what they love, wanting to make each other happy, sacrifice, etc) but keep out the details of sexual encounter. A simple, their bodies became one is fine. Sex between a married couple is wonderful. It's when you go into the Steele 'details' that you 'cross the line' in a christian market.

shawn said:

Hey Y'all. I'm working on this romance story about a married couple and there are some bedroom scenes in the story. And although I like the premise of my story, I just feel weird about the story. I feel as if these scenes almost turned the somewhat morally good story sinful. So, I'm asking you guys, what do you think? As Christians have you ever written a story you felt at odds with? I feel almost abandoning the book but part of me doesnt want too.

I feel completely torn

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