This fandom is full of realistic, heart-rending, emotionally engaging, anatomically and physiologically correct and hot as fuck explicit gay smut. And prior to the 1st of January 2018, I had written NONE of it.
As a doctor and a married person, sex as a concept doesn’t alarm me. During my time as a medical student and GP and a locum A&E doc, I had the privilege of getting up close and personal to plenty of male genitalia, including prostates. But, writing about it just seemed… very hard. Pun intended. Not that I have lost my virginity in that sense, I thought I’d share some experiences. Yes, there was some sex in On the Rack, but the could have actually gotten away with a mature rating. Now, for the upcoming next part of You Go To My Head, I found myself teaming up with @7-percent to go all in (pun intended).
This sure as hell ain’t some presumptuous guide on how to write smut. I will probably never be qualified to give anyone advice on that. At most, these are some lessons I have learned while attempting to call up the fresh porns truck for the first time.
Problem one: how does one make hydraulics interesting? All this has been done so many times, and let’s face it – there are only so many ways to put tab A into slot B. Or rubs two tabs A together. Or suck on tab A while — you probably get my point already.
Problem two: how does one stop blushing at all the lurid details like a stupid teenager?
Problem three: how does one stop fearing that their mother and their colleagues will read this stuff and laugh?
Problem four: with so much great smut in this fandom, how will I ever pluck up the courage to serve up mine?
Solution to problem one: for me, this was realising that a sex scene should be looked at just like any other scene. What do I want to say with this, what plotty or emotional arc-related purpose does it serve, what will the general tone be, how do the logistics work? There can be dialogue, and the emotional stuff can actually be enhanced by the characters engaging in something so intimate. In a regular conversation in a story, I sometimes struggle to come up with things that the characters might be doing in between or while talking. Sex adds a big list of new alternatives. Sex has also turned out to be a veritable smorgasbord for serving up miscommunication, awkwardness and insecurity – some of the staples of my Sherlock characterisation.
Solution to problem two: team up with someone who is less cringey than you. A graceful, mature adult person (stop laughing at that description, @7-percent!) with whom you are comfortable discussing all the logistics of the hydraulics – and admitting when the blushes are hitting you. Well, mature and graceful are maybe less important than being comfortable in each other’s (online) company, and having fun. I don’t think I’m the sort to be able to have sex with a stranger, and I sure as hell couldn’t write about it with one. In the words of co-author mine: “We will manage. Just like these two idiots.”
Also, I think it helps to have read a lot of well-written porny goodness. Lots and lots of it, to see what I like and what I don’t. There are certain words and phrases that instantly put me off, so it was nice getting to dictate what goes in this time (pun obviously intended). Among other things, copiously leaking cocks make me want to scream. Cocks do not rival vaginas in their ability to lubricate the proceedings. Where do all these damned tropes come from?
Solution to problem three: sex won’t be the weirdest thing I have written, and all that messed-up stuff is already out there, so alea iacta est. Besides, to get to the smutty bits in stories that carry my name, people will have to wade through tons and tons of angst; no one in their right mind would summarise my fic career as as simply as “she writes gay porn”. And, if someone is really so very bothered by the notion of consensual sex between two people in a committed relationship, there is something wrong with them.
Also, I have been trying to practice what I preach being utterly shameless when discussing my recent porninations with fandomy friends. Keeping that attitude up is a challenge. I still vacillate between a smug, empowered sense of awesomeness and OMGWHATHAVEIGONEANDDONE. One thing that helped was getting a bit competitive with co-author mine. I refused to lose to her in terms of who dares and doesn’t dare to put in the necessary explicit details.
It surprised me, how much fun it all turned out to be. It made me stop feeling like a Sunday school teacher among all these other folks penning beautiful, romantic sex. It put me in a good mood, and offered refreshingly novel situations to write dialogue in.
Solution to problem four: how does one ever pluck up the courage to post anything? One simply does, and hopes that the reaction will be good. That’s all. When one has a track record of folks liking what one does, it’s much easier than being a newbie posting their first fic, whether that fic be explicit or not.
It’s odd what one acclimatises to. The percentage of Sherlock fic that is explicit easily goes over the proportion of explicit stuff in original, published literature, and most definitely also trumps it in, well, explicitness. After several years of reading these fics, it all feels rather normal – and so it should be. Sex and death are the two great forces of the universe, so why should we not explore them in detail? I’ve sure done the death bit already in my own writing.
There will never be a PWP with “J. Baillier” as the author. But, at least I no longer have to grumble quietly in my cave about never quite getting over that one little hurdle of not shutting Sherlock & John’s bedroom door in my readers’ faces just as things are getting interesting.
My co-authoress keeps taking me by surprise with her tumblr posts. But then she does that too when we are writing, too. We were both a tad tentative in On The Rack when it came to the sex scenes. And yet, the story of established JohnLock relationship NEEDS this to happen. So much of the fandom loiters around unrequited love, or pining angst. It is quite interesting to deal with what would happen if they actually do get together. But we never really start out with that idea. It’s more a question of writing a story in one of the co-authored universes, and then sex is part (or not) of the story. So here’s my advice to add to hers:
Sex is not a solution Too many fics think that ending up in bed and having hot sex is going to “fix” Sherlock, or John, or both of them. Sex without an underlying relationship that is explored in its full emotional turmoil is just porn.
Sex is not the point of a Sherlock story If you don’t have all the other ingredients right (like characterisation, plot, originality), then there is no point to putting sex in there.
DON’T write PWP For years I avoided Ao3 as PWP Central; most of the stuff just put me off completely. Love and sex are not the same. Line after line of explicit detail is just plain boring.
DO be fearless There is every reason to write sex that works for the story line, that allows a point to be made in a very clear way within a relationship. Sex can be angry, romantic, perfunctory, even awkward. I can still remember the time when I actually shocked J_Baillier with a draft where Sherlock’s first sexual encounter with John is a blow job in the hall of Baker Street, but it was the <manner> of it taking place that moved the story forward in a way that no other action could have.
Unlike J, however, I do not read many explicit stories. I find that too many authors are just writing sex for the sake of sex. And it isn’t the essence of anyone’s relationship, it is an expression of it. So, my advice boils down to write the story first, and if sex helps make the plot move forward, then use it. But don’t be afraid to just say no, if it doesn’t.
For no reason at all, I’ll add my two cents on this topic. Above, two structured and very talented writers have given their advice on how to write sex. I won’t give advice, because really; as someone who most frequently gets to hear that her more elaborate sex scenes evoke an interesting sense of discomfort, I don’t think that it’s in anyone’s interest to take advice from me on this topic…
…because sex is an important part of the things I enjoy in fandom.
* I am proud of writing detailed sex scenes. I’m proud if something I write passes as pornographic to some readers. I’m proud to be part of a diverse community/tradition of written/painted sex for enjoyment and exploration, written by and for a group consisting mostly of women, nb and/or queer people.
* I enjoy a good PWP. I really do. Something that just caters to my particular taste and is well written. I never thought I’d ever enjoy porn before fandom. Now I know that given the right circumstances, I very much do.
* I want to actually succed in writing my own PWP one day. I haven’t managed yet – apparently what I see as ‘interesting framework for the porn’ is read as ‘plot’. I still want to write a PWP, because that’s a challenging and enjoyable genre in and of itself.
* I will gladly redirect the plot a bit so that I can add more sex into a fic if I feel so inclined, because in some verses, I just find it intriguing to write them having sex. Frequently.
* There are fics I read and enjoy, and where I skip the sex scenes. There are also fics I read and enjoy where I skip everything but the sex scenes.
* I’ve learned so many things about myself and my sexual (and asexual) sides from reading smut, PWP and other genres of fic. Like. So many things.
* Writing sex is challenging, fascinating, not half as simple as one might think and it’s not a guilty pleasure. For me it’s – most of the time – simply a pleasure.
* Fanfic smut is a place where people can explore a whole smörgåsbord of kinks, sexualities and logistics in a comparatively safe way, without any pressure or expectations from anyone.
* If anyone learn anything at all about their own sexuality from reading something I wrote, I’d feel honoured. If anyone ‘had a pleasant time’ with themselves and enjoyed their own bodies after reading anything I wrote, I’d be equally delighted.
* I see the appeal of wishfulfillment in sex scenes theoretically, but personally, I get so much more out of writing as close to the sometimes embarassing and utterly human reality of sex. It’s imperfect, messy, awkward and ungraceful a lot of the time. And I love the raw vulnerability that brings into the story. It’s almost my own kind of whump, at times.
* A fic doesn’t need to involve sex to be good. A fic, likewise, doesn’t need a plot for the sex in there to be good.
* There are times I only want explicit fic, and times where I only want gen-teen rated fic, and those times are pretty 50/50.
* Sex is an amazing way to explore characters, if they’re into that kind of stuff. If they are not sure what they’re into, it’s even more rewarding to write it at times. And sex can contain – as mentioned by OP- so much character/relationship development, plot or other elements that move a not-PWP story forward or add to the nuances.
* I will have to agree with Seven; DO be brave when writing sex. Write what you really want to write. There will be others that enjoy it too. And if they never find your fic, you’ll still have enjoyed writing it.
* People don’t write ‘just porn’. They write porn. People also don’t write ‘just gen’. They write gen. And that’s legit.
I think we should absolutely write PWP. I think we should write sex for the sake of writing sex. It’s kind of like writing crack; there’s not always a lot of plot or character development but it can still be well-written. There’s a place for it.
I’d rather not tell anyone what they shouldn’t write, or how they should or shouldn’t incorporate sex into their fic, especially not in a genre that is built on consumers of canon material exploring the characters’ relationships and sexuality beyond what TPTB give us. I think it’s just fine to explore it any way you see fit.
There are as many reasons and ways to write and read fic as there are writers and readers of fic. We’re all looking for different things. I, for example, don’t read johnlock for the cases. I’m reading and writing for the relationship. I love it when the relationship’s emotional catharsis happens through, or results in, sexual intimacy. To me, it’s a natural progression. The sex may not define the relationship, but it is an aspect of it, and I like seeing that aspect.
I’m usually disappointed when I get to the end of a long, well-plotted, beautifully written fic and find out that we don’t get that glimpse into the newly developed sexual aspect of the couple’s relationship (that’s when I find out the M or E rating was for violence). That’s just me, though. There are plenty of people who don’t need things to culminate in that context, who prefer that it doesn’t.
If I wrote a list of how to write sex in fic it would merely be a reflection of my own preferences. Except for that thing about adverbs. I’d probably stand by that bit of advice. 😉
I find it interesting to hear what everyone likes in fandom. Fandom is so diverse and some people are here for asexual or heterosexual Sherlock and others are here for PWP and kink exploration. I, too, love certain types of fic and shy away from others.
What I find troubling is that some people want to dictate what is good and bad writing. Isn’t that for the individual reader to decide? We, as a fandom, never want to set rules like DON’T write PWP. Really? If you don’t like PWP don’t read it. Don’t write it. But don’t tell others it’s not worth their time.
I for one, unlike one of the original respondents, only read E rated fic (99% of the time). I love a good slow burn with amazing characterization, growth, realization, emotional well being, and finally sex. I want the sex because, for me, this is the full picture of John and Sherlock as best friends to John and Sherlock as boyfriends. In my perfect fic they aren’t perfect men. There is pain and misunderstanding and hurt. But they grow from there to become better men together, as a couple, and I want all the hard bits, all the sexy bits, and all the bits in between. I know this type of story isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay.
PWP writers, keep going. Asexual Sherlock writers, rock on. Sherlolly shippers, keep shipping. I’m going to read and cry over these two men I think are soul mates and rejoice when they can finally hold each other through orgasm.
So many lovely add ons- especially @conversationswithjohnlock & @happierstill I agree wholeheartedly. I think it’s generally bad form to try and dictate what to write or what not to write, and there is room for it all. Sex may not be the same as Love, but that does not make it bad, or wrong, or *gasp* boring.
I pretty much write only PWP’s. Why? It’s fun! A little bit of feels thrown in, some great smut, and boom. For me, that’s what I like. It’s what I’m good at. Some other writers are amazing at world building, Case fics, angst to kill you, etc. We all have our talents.
As with anything, find what you love, read what you like, write WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE, and the audience will follow.
Write what you like. Write what you want to see. Write what you NEED to write, because it’s your story.
A PWP can be every bit as important and intense and revealing as a heartfelt conversation scene, and there’s nothing wrong with writing fics that are just that, either.
But can I let you in on a little secret, as someone who writes a LOT of PWPs (and finds them every bit as fascinating in the realm of character exploration as writing characters doing anything else)?
psst
top secret
if PWP means “porn without plot” in the fanfic sense?
there’s no such thing.
Sex IS a plot. There’s beginning, interaction, rising action, characterization EVERYWHERE, still more rising action, possibly conflict, yet more character details, CLIMAX ONE HOPES and then the afterward, the comedown, the resolution. That’s a classic short story plot, as taught by Creative Writing 101 teachers everywhere.
And if you think it’s not about the characters? lolwut?
No two people have sex exactly alike. If someone tries to tell you “all X are alike in bed,” you know they’re 1000% wrong, and you’re ok writing off everything else that person has to say about sex because they’ve just revealed they know less than jack shit about it. Everyone does it differently; humans have VAST variations in what turns them on and what doesn’t and how they express that. And the same person will be a little bit different with every different partner. And the same couple will be different with each other in different moods, on different days, in different stages of life, with different hopes to fulfill and issues to resolve. There are SO MANY ways people communicate with each other and reveal themselves while having sex, both consciously and not. There are negotiations. There are experiments. There are successes and failures. There are kinks and fetishes and all the things they can possibly reveal; there are tests of relationships in sexual compatibility. There are hints of past trauma and hurts. There might be positive or neutral baggage from the past. There are weird body noises and unpredictable reactions. There are misunderstandings. There are disappointments and pleasant surprises.
ALL of this is PLOT. And all of this is fascinating in the hands of a good writer.
If you’re not into stories that have sex as most of the content, that’s fine, but can we please stop pretending that sexual stories are somehow less challenging to write or less thought-out or less revealing of character than, say “two characters talk about their feelings in an empty room” type stories?
It’s preachy bullshit to say that Sex is not the point of a Sherlock story.
Maybe not of YOUR Sherlock stories, but it’s just as valid a hook to hang a story on (Sherlock or otherwise) as anything else. (Lord knows novel/novella-length casefic is hard to write. I know, because I’ve written a few and am working on a few more. )
I have a whole long list of Sherlock fic subgenres that personally make me roll my eyes so hard I see my own brain, but I’m not mentioning them here because – imagine this – putting down other people’s work, tastes, and favorite genres in a post that’s supposed to be about writing advice in general is a dick move.
@vulgarweed what you illustrate here should be part of a writing guide. Some of this is stuff my eyes have been opened to recently; it was hard to see the potential nuances and possibilities in something one has not yet personally explored through writing. Probably 1/3 of my private AO3 bookmarks are just the sorts of PWPs you’re talking about here.
Oh GOODY! I thought that might get people tallking! Yes, of course there is a place for PWP. And if it serves the purpose as described by SincerelyChaos, that’s great too. Using the Sherlock characters as the means to explore sexuality in all its glorious permutations is also great. But, I was talking about MY approach, not everyone else’s. And for a lot of young writers out there the Ao3 avalanche of PWP is intimidating as hell, especially when they don’t have a lot of personal experience of sex. Wish fulfillment? Fine. It’s all fine. Just make sure the tags are clear.
You’re still over-simplifying and being reductive of erotic fiction and the people who write it, @7-percent. Even in this short reply, you’re assuming the main reason people write PWP is wish-fulfillment (speaking as someone who writes a lot of it…well, sometimes yes and sometimes HELL NO. Very often, the characters are into things that I’m not, or not into things that I am).
You weren’t talking about your approach alone, you were purporting to give writing advice!
Most writers on AO3 are generally really good about tagging – which might be part of why people who aren’t into sex writing think it’s a Wretched Hive of Porn and Villainy: it’s exactly because things are so well tagged that if there’s a single instance of anal sex in a 20k fic, by god, the reader will know it before they even click. Is that why young writers think AO3 is so full of PWP – because people who post there are actually pretty GOOD about tagging? Because erotica writers are doing exactly what we’re supposed to do, laying out everything in the tags and warnings so no reader gets an unwelcome surprise?
But while we’re on the subject of wish-fulfillment – why is sexual wish-fulfillment less worthy than any other kind, in stories? Why is the pursuit of good mutual orgasms considered less worthy to write about than the desire to see the criminals caught by the clever detective, or see the couple work out their differences and wind up together, or see someone who’s suffered find healing, or all other kind of tried-and-true happy ending stories? These are all formulaic story types that scratch an itch in the psyche. And there are so many good writers in Sherlock fandom who use all these tropes in fresh, inventive, individual ways that feels IC for so many different versions of those characters. Why are sexual wishes considered less worthy of that kind of fictional treatment?
No one has ever been able to explain this to me in a way I found satisfying.
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