Copyright © 2012 by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved/
I wrote the short piece below on request for a Canadian magazine called Chatelaine, in 2012. I have the reprint rights back, though, and since a Twitter acquaintance recently expressed a desire to “write smut”—I thought I’d at least provide him with the basics.
This short piece has also been expanded into an ebook titled I GIVE YOU MY BODY (HOW I WRITE SEX SCENES), which was released in 2016. Click on the cover image at right for more information.
Where most beginning writers screw up (you should pardon the expression) is in thinking that sex scenes are about sex. A good sex scene is about the exchange of emotions, not bodily fluids. That being so, it can encompass any emotion whatever, from rage or desolation to exultation, tenderness, or surprise.
Lust is not an emotion; it’s a one-dimensional hormonal response. Ergo, while you can mention lust in a sex-scene, describing it at any great length is like going on about the pattern of the wall-paper in the bedroom. Worth a quick glance, maybe, but essentially boring.
So how do you show the exchange of emotions? Dialogue, expression, or action—that’s about the limit of your choices, and of those, dialogue is by far the most flexible and powerful tool a writer has. What people say reveals the essence of their character.
Example:
“I know once is enough to make it legal, but…” He paused shyly.
“You want to do it again?”
“Would ye mind verra much?”
I didn’t laugh this time, either, but I felt my ribs creak under the strain.
“No,” I said gravely. “I wouldn’t mind.”
Now, you do, of course, want to make the scene vivid and three-dimensional. You have an important advantage when dealing with sex, insofar as you can reasonably expect that most of your audience knows how it’s done. Ergo, you can rely on this commonality of experience, and don’t need more than brief references to create a mental picture.
You want to anchor the scene with physical details, but by and large, it’s better to use sensual details, rather than overtly sexual ones. (Just read any scene that involves a man licking a woman’s nipples and you’ll see what I mean. Either the writer goes into ghastly contortions to avoid using the word “nipples”—“tender pink crests” comes vividly to mind—or does it in blunt and hideous detail, so that you can all but hear the slurping. This is Distracting. Don’t Do That.)
So how do you make a scene vivid, but not revoltingly so? There’s a little trick called the Rule of Three: if you use any three of the five senses, it will make the scene immediately three-dimensional. (Many people use only sight and sound. Include smell, taste, touch, and you’re in business.)
Example:
The road was narrow, and they jostled against one another now and then, blinded between the dark wood and the brilliance of the rising moon. He could hear Jamie’s breath, or thought he could—it seemed part of the soft wind that touched his face. He could smell Jamie, smell the musk of his body, the dried sweat and dust in his clothes, and felt suddenly wolf-like and feral, longing changed to outright hunger.
He wanted.
In essence, a good sex scene is usually a dialogue scene with physical details.
Example:
“I’ll give it to ye,” he murmured, and his hand moved lightly. A touch. Another. “But ye’ll take it from me tenderly, a nighean donn.”
“I don’t want tenderness, damn you!”
“I ken that well enough,” he said, with a hint of grimness. “But it’s what ye’ll have, like it or not.”
He laid me down on his kilt, and came back into me, strongly enough that I gave a small, high-pitched cry of relief.
“Ask me to your bed,” he said. “I shall come to ye. For that matter—I shall come, whether ye ask it or no. But I am your man; I serve ye as I will.”
And finally, you can use metaphor and lyricism to address the emotional atmosphere of an encounter directly. This is kind of advanced stuff, though.
Example:
He’d meant to be gentle. Very gentle. Had planned it with care, worrying each step of the long way home. She was broken; he must go canny, take his time. Be careful in gluing back her shattered bits.
And then he came to her and discovered that she wished no part of gentleness, of courting. She wished directness. Brevity and violence. If she was broken, she would slash him with her jagged edges, reckless as a drunkard with a shattered bottle.
She raked his back; he felt the scrape of broken nails, and thought dimly that was good—she’d fought. That was the last of his thought; his own fury took him then, rage and a lust that came on him like black thunder on a mountain, a cloud that hid all from him and him from all, so that kind familiarity was lost and he was alone, strange in darkness.
Like that.
This page was last updated on Friday, September 7, 2018 at 12:05 a.m. (Pacific Time), by Diana’s Webmistress.
It takes mastery in writing, a soul of an artist and great understanding of human nature
to write sex scenes as you do, Diana. You don’t have a worthy rival at that!
You’ve just explained in detail why I didn’t read fiction by male authors for years. I couldn’t stand the way they wrote sex scenes. With no understanding of *all of the above*
I’ve since modified my reading list to include a few male authors.
Thank you for sharing your experience and point of view! New writers like me benefit immensely from your help!
Cheers,
J
Don’t know if this will make sense, but this is in my mind right now. No wonder you are my favorite author because you give, at least to me, something really special in your storytelling that I didn’t even know I was looking for until I read it. You, Diana, open up my heart to the tenderness, the tears, the rage and then the bleeding. Thank you so very much, Diana, for your storytelling talents.
Thank you, once again, Diana, for the many wonderful gifts. I do so love Jamie and Claire! My extra family!
Sigh ……………
Just “like that”, just a few words and you enthrall me, you take us far beyond your written words…
Sorry Kitty, I accidentally clicked on reply, my comment is for Diana
This. Is. Brilliant. This is what the rest of us who fancy ourselves as writers aspire to create. Thank you for the reminder to rein in the details. It’s like the difference between the bathing beauties of the past and the mostly naked beachgoers of today. The extra coverage adds an appeal that near nudity cannot compete with.
Having laboured through 50 Shades, (I hasten to add just to see what the fuss was about) it’s nice to quantify why it was so awful. Thank you Diana, your writing wit & knowledge are a joy to us all.
Helen – While I too love Diana and find her writing superlative, I find it terribly sad that you cannot share that love without dissing another author. Shame.
Jane, Helen has every right to diss an author or book. No shame in that at all. Freedom of speech and expressing ones opinions is our right, is it not?
I agree with Helen. I too read 50 Shades and was left thinking that the Outlander series was a much better example of an all consuming pasion that cannot be denied.
ARGH, I can’t correct my spelling error! — passion
Dear Jackie and Helen–
I’m…um…flattered! Thank you!
–Diana
You should be writing about this topic as you are definitely a master when it comes to sexual excitement!
Is that 3rd example from Moby? I can’t otherwise place it.
Jerry
Dear Jerry–
Yes, the third example is from MOBY. (For those who were asking where the others come from: 1) OUTLANDER, 2) THE SCOTTISH PRISONER, 3) MOBY, 4) A BREATH OF SNOW AND ASHES.)
–Diana
Hi Diana! I was about to ask where the third example came from, but guessed it’s from the new book because I sure can identify scenes, most dialogues and characters across all of the existing 7 books. I love the moby excerpts! That sample is intense.
Also happy that the book will come out Q1 next year, earlier than the last book’s September (2009) release.
One day, I hope you visit Manila. There are Gabaldons here, too, by the way (descendants from Spaniards, maybe).
Salamat! (Thank you in Tagalog)
Ylee,
I don’t know where you got the Q1 information but Diana hasn’t said when the next book is oming out. She’s still writing it.
Sheila
Great blog. Could you list where each of your quotes come from please? I’m new to your books. I’m in Fiery right now. I haven’t made it to Lord John’s books yet. My family loves your books! We can’t wait for MOBY.
I have languished within the pages of your books for many a cold night. Each sex scene with Jamie and Claire is moving and diliberate. I believe the first time they were together was my favorite, but as they’ve grown older they’ve changed, as older folks do. And you’re so brilliant at showing how beautiful the act is, even between an older couple. I’ve learned so much from you. Thank you for talking about writing sex scenes without all the shades of gray. You’re a class act, Diana.
It’s a shame that the french edition cut half the sex scene and one time even add on totaly disgusting !!! that’s why I prefer read you in english, even if I don’t understand all !!!! (and to my opinion it’s why Outlander doesn’t have the succes it would have in France. they not only cut sex scene but a lot of descriptions and dialogues, it’s a total mess to read.)
And, please, please, Diana, don’t let the TV producion cut the sex scene. American movies are often so puritan… It will spoil the salt and the soul of your books…..
Thank you so much for your books and this post
I first read Cross Stitch and Dragonfly 18 years ago. With a 3 year break for depression and some very tough times I am currently catching up again. I read The Scottish Prisoner in June and and am half way through Echo.
Your books mean even more to me now. I can only read slowly and have time appreciate just how well you write. This post shows me how you do it, not just the sex scenes although they are sometimes heart stopping, and I love seeing your artistry on every page. I am enjoying Echo immensly and am looking forward to Trail of Fire and Moby.
Thank you for your wonderful books.
Diana is the master of sex scenes and yet, as she says, it’s rarely noted who put what where. Writing good sex scenes is an art and everyone should study her books as examples of *the* way to _do it_. LOL
Thanks for sharing your gift with us, Diana!
Cyndi
aka ever-the-student
Hi Cyndi,
How did you do to make your photo on your comment ? I’m knew and I didn’t find the way, could you help me ?
best regards
Laurence
Diana,
You’ve, er, nailed it.
And I thank you.
Forever.
I am still laughing – you do this so well.
yes, Yes, YES! Oh, sorry, did that sound like something else? I meant approval for your writing style!
Love the way you write about love! I read trashy romance novels when i’m feeling lazy, and if I have to read about “laving nipples” one more time I think I may barf! My husband read Outlander, and it worked for him — he denies it, but he’d been reading it one day and next thing I knew . . . and he’s in his 50′s!
I only wish the entire Outlander series could be re-printed with less of the sex scenes so I could turn my 15 year old daughter loose on them! As it is, I’ve read quite a bit of the series to my girls, heavily edited, over the years and they love your wit, intelligence, historical and scientific accuracy as much as I do! I’m eager for the next one, as I have been ever since I read the first, when I was pregnant with aformentioned 15 year old.
Dear Charlie–
You know…it might be easier all round if you just waited ’til you figured your daughter was old enough to read them as they were written, rather than my rewriting them. Just a suggestion. [g]
–Diana
Charlie–
Speaking as a woman who got ahold of her dad’s copy of Fear of Flying at around 12, I don’t think 15 is too young for Outlander. I would guess your daughter is clear on the physical aspects of love-making; why not let her get a chance to ponder the emotional and social repercussions of sex in print and inside her own head rather than in real life? Claire is a nice example of a strong, healthy woman who takes responsibility for her own feelings and behavior.
BTW, I re-read FoF as an adult and was surprised at how much of the sex scenes went right over my head–your daughter may find the same to be true.
I’m a teacher librarian in a grades 8-12 school. I have the entire Outlander series on my shelves, and would not censor any students in the school from reading it. Kids tend to do a pretty good job of choosing what’s appropriate for them.
Dear Shawn–
Very sensible of you!
–Diana
I find it very curious when I hear remarks regarding what age a person should be before reading certain books. Granted, there is huge spectrum of books that fall in this category, and there is most certainly a difference between an 8-year-old and a 15-year-old. I find Diana’s books to be particularly courteous in dealing with sex scenes and “adult material.” I get so upset when because of “political correctness” it seems there are mandates to avoid how history really occurred. I’d much rather my children/grandchildren be exposed to thoughtful approaches rather than surfing porn sites. I read Kathleen Woodiwiss’ The Flame & the Flower when I was about 14 or 15 – talk about “politically incorrect!” – and I don’t see that it left me scarred. Anyone who thinks teens and pre-teens aren’t doing some “research” on their own is sadly mistaken!
what surprises me most is that people are always afraid that teens have access to sex scenes in movies and in books, but if I had a 15 year old daughter who I would like to read Outlander, I fear more violent scenes than sex scenes…
I would have been so glad if I could discover the Outlander’s book at 15 ! It would have saved me so much time with my sexuality. I think this books are perfect for an initiation, even if the teens are not ready for an “active sexuality”, I hope that at 15, girls use to masturbate .
Personaly, I discover sex with pornography and it makes me takes years to learn than sex is not necessarily a gymnastics exibition !!!!
Love it. Now I feel like I need a cigarette. Too bad I don’t smoke…
love your style.
It is amazing to see how the craft works, that you actually know what you are doing, with intent and mastery.
I remember being hooked in the first book I’d read and uncertain as to how you had hooked me and it was merely starting with the detritus in the gutter flow or some such and you just made it clear by talking about involving at least three of the five senses in order to give depth. Amazing. Thanks. Blessings.