Sigh.

[mrissa]

It's not a very happy thing to look at the chapter I have to do when I'm done with this one and say to myself, "The sex in this chapter needs to be creepier." Not a happy thing at all at all. What a good day I have ahead of me, creeping up the sex in my book. Starting to creep up the sex in my book; this is merely the first of several dubious encounters with nasty consent questions associated. And guilt; the guilt-indicators probably need to be dialed up several notches. Oh hurrah.

Grown-ups. They stink. Some of these very same characters get to have happy sex in The Winter Wars when they're teenagers. (Though not with each other.) That's one of the very few bits I've already written on that book, and I don't even like writing sex scenes. I feel sure that several of the minor characters are having happy sex offscreen. But I can't very well introduce a new viewpoint character just to put some happy sex in my book. Stupid, stupid characters.

It's snowing, at least; that's cheering, sort of. And I can take a break and make myself bread or muffins later today. Or mop. Mopping is not very cheering, but compared to "make this sex ickier!" it's a veritable romp.

Comments

[mmerriam.livejournal.com]

I don't envy you needing to write creepy sex. I dislike writing sex scenes in general, and try hard to make sure I can get away with a simple fade to black when the time comes. No, I don't envy you at all. I agree with your idea that you should do something cheering to counter act writing the scene. I had to write a torture scene a few days ago, and I felt icky and gross afterward. A warm shower, loud alt-country music, and playing with the cat held the cure for me. Good luck with it. You are a skilled writer, so I'm sure it will work out. (You know I'm going to pester you to let me read your novel when it is done, right?)
In Peace
Michael

[tmseay.livejournal.com]

You know, I'm naturally inclined to rush in and help my friends when they have troubles, but this is one problem I'm not going to touch with a twenty foot pole...

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I generally go with the principle that sex scenes should be in the book for some reason (plot-related, character-related, whatever). Unfortunately, there are excellent plot- and character-related reasons why I can't fade to black or give a quick summary of what, emotionally, went on. So I'm stuck with the creepy screwing.

I think this is likely to be the case for me, actually: in Reprogramming, when the main characters have happy sex, there's no reason to go into much detail with it. Who cares what, precisely, they both thought constituted happy sex and how they reached that determination? Shiny new-relationship sex, la la, fade to black. If things are not going so swimmingly, however, how matters. Sigh.

I've put you on the "critwilling" filter, people who are willing to do critiques maybe sometimes, so you'll have a chance to opt in to beta-read Thermionic Night when this batch of revisions is done. No obligation, just opportunity. (This is true of anyone else who is reading and hasn't opted into this filter but would like to.)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yah, I think that's a conversation we'll both be happier not having. Good call!

I can just imagine so many ways for that conversation to go wrong.

[wilfulcait.livejournal.com]

Perhaps, in a Shakesperean way, you could include bit players having good sex in the background. Lady's maid meets the doorman kind of stuff.

[wilfulcait.livejournal.com]

Yes, please.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

The problem is perspective. I don't want to have anybody walking directly in on anybody else's fun, and there's a big difference between knowing that the lady's maid and the doorman are wandering around looking smug all evening after their afternoons off and watching the doorman and the lady's maid indulging their happy urges together. And the POV characters both have problematic sexual relationships (in different directions).

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

You're already on it.

[mmerriam.livejournal.com]

Who cares what, precisely, they both thought constituted happy sex and how they reached that determination? Shiny new-relationship sex, la la, fade to black. If things are not going so swimmingly, however, how matters. Sigh.

Sigh indeed. It really is a shame that as writers we are faced with this kind of situation. I would much rather, if I must write a sex scene, write one where all parties involved are enjoying themselves and are happily romping along.

I agree with you on when to write a sex scene, by the way. It must drive the story forward, or it is just gratuitous, and I'm not really interested in that.

[wilfulcait.livejournal.com]

thanks

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Well, surely there are plot- and character-related reasons to write a happy sex scene. I just don't come upon them as often, apparently.

[retrobabble.livejournal.com]

What a good day I have ahead of me, creeping up the sex in my book.

LOL, and sympathies.

[porphyrin.livejournal.com]

Me too?

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yep, you're good.

[stillsostrange.livejournal.com]

Eee, creepy sex. At first I thought the copious amounts of sex in the ghoul book would be happy and healthy, if possibly strange. Then some characters got together to inform me of something--it is icky, squicky, messy and nonconsensual and they actually expect me to write it all. Bastards.

Normally I fade out, and if I can't fade out, I tend to giggle while writing the scene. Apparently my brain is permanently 15 years old.

I would like to be on your reading filter.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Okay, you're on.

[voidmonster.livejournal.com]

I have a fairly simple rule for when happy sex scenes get written (when the story isn't intended to be erotica): if the characters are discovering something about themselves -- which isn't so very difficult to find reason to do in fiction -- then they get to have their fun in plain view of the reader. IMHO, it can also be done without a fadeout if it's an appropriately climactic moment and/or a moment of transition and/or transcendence.