Sex In Fiction, Thoughts?

[crazyparakiss]

Fiction. Right so I'm compiling my thoughts and feels on things before I actually start, seriously, outlining my characters and my question to you guys is this:

How do you feel about sex in fiction?

Personally, I'm not against it but I'm against sex being the only key plot point. I don't particularly want to write a romance novel, on one hand but on another I want a realistic adult world with the many trials and tribulations of adult life...and that does include sex. After puberty it seems to me that most people are working their asses off for one basic need, sex. I don't want a key plot point to be sex but I want it to be a key factor in a character's personality. A sexualized creature without that being all that this character's life is about.

So I ask you good people (because you all write much better porn than I could ever dream of) how do you find the balance and how do you find a way to make porn more than what it is?

I apologize if it seems like I am being vague and still wanting answers. By now you guys know I fail at coherent thought XD

Comments

[savagesnakes.livejournal.com]

I read this book, that kind of hit it really well. I don't remember what it was called but it was about this woman going through a divorce with her husband (they have sex in the beginning), she goes to stay with her mother (she is adopted) who is blind, deaf, and mute. She meets this guy from high school, or something, and falls in love. I forget what the big scary climax thing was...something about a feud between her adopted family and her birth family? Anyway, it was a really good book.

And what I really liked about it was that she was sexual - she had sex with two different characters, and you didn't feel uncomfortable with it at all (in fact, I'm pretty sure the book starts where she's having sex with her soon-to-be-ex-husband), but her sexual...ity? doesn't rule her life. She does other things, like translate ASL and visit her mother and stuff.

I don't know if that makes sense at all. But I can try to find the book for you, if you like? I'm a crap writer so I can't help you with my own experiences...but I'm pretty positive that this book does what you're talking about really successfully.

My notifications are lame, late reply is late

[crazyparakiss.livejournal.com]

GEORGIA! *squishes*

Yeah see that was really one of my questions (I fail at articulation, I swear), was is it horrifying to have a female character have sex with more than person and NOT have her look like a slut to the world? I mean it's like for a male character it's okay but if a woman gives it away to different people it's still frowned upon and makes readers uncomfortable. Mostly it would be mentioned in passing as the focus isn't really sex nor much of a relationship.

You make all kinds of sense! Always, to me. :D Yes that'd be lovely if you can remember the name let me know and I'll pop round at the book store and pick it up :)