#dont think too hard about the implications of the scenario just roll with it

[umblrspectrum]

how do lighting and shading work

[yeoldontknow]

hi! i hope this isn’t too much to ask but i was wondering what writing smut is like for you? as someone with no experience hoping to start writing soon i was just curious and wanted to know about your process + tips that may help me?? thanks a bunch!

hi anon. it’s very exciting to hear that you’re starting writing soon! i hope it brings you joy and helps you harness your creative energy. how lovely!

i’m going hope and assume that you’re of an age where it’s both legal and acceptable for you to be reading/writing smut and want to clarify from the jump that if you’re underage it’s not appropriate. i’m old and older than a lot of people on this website, and i have to make that clear before i continue.

i will also start by saying what i think is deeply important and something i think a lot of people, especially new writers, can sometimes forget: not every story needs smut.

i know i sound like an old literature professor when i say that but it’s true, and it’s easy to forget especially in a climate like tumblr where it appears the highest note counts are on smut pieces. but before you begin writing, if you’re unsure how you want to write smut please always consider that sometimes a story doesn’t need it. if you’re writing a story with a romance plot as subtext then consider if the inclusion of smut actually furthers or helps the plot. is it important for the characters? ie: have they been separated? has the tension been building? does the act itself carry with it bigger implications? if you can write a story where sex is not featured and it makes sense without it, do not pressure yourself to include it just for the sake of having it there.

that said, sometimes people just want to read/write about some smut lmao if you’re comfortable and ready to write it, and want to just do a pwp or something then there’s a few tips i follow.

- outline in very basic, clear sentences. fun fact: 95% of the time when i’m writing smut, i’m not actually In The Mood. if i’m being honest, that feeling only happens if 1. it’s chanyeol and 2. i’ve already been in the mood all day and i’m blasting through these feelings by writing something like black tie or balls deep. but you’ll notice that i have a lot of smut on my master list for a lot of different people. this is because i outline the smut scenes in basic, clear sentences that help me understand the following:

* position

* location

* motive (like why are we doing this now rather than later)

* props (toys, clothes to double as Assists (gags/binds)) if any

outlining it concisely means that when i edit i see how things are going and i don’t get lost in feelings or dialogue or turn this encounter into something jaded over by desire. it also allows me to handle it like any other piece of writing so i don’t get too bored. which leads me to -

- accept that if you’re writing smut without being In The Mood, you will get bored. that’s ok. it happens. sometimes writing smut is boring, it’s just bodies all over one another, you’re running out of ways to talk about kissing, and the dirty talk you want to come up with sounds stale and dumb. we’ve all been there. accept that when this happens it’s time to take a break and write a different part - maybe a conversation or an important part of the plot. those are exciting things to write and they will remind you the story isn’t just bodies fumbling around together.

- make a playlist. i’ve got like...15? or so playlists of music i find arousing for all different types of sexual encounters and themes. if you’re writing two college kids losing their virginity together, deep edm isn’t going to suit that vibe. you’d be better off with some slow acoustics jams to spark that fire and help the visual along. so think about the type of sex you’re writing and what you’d like playing in the back if that were happening to you. and that’s also the next bit.

- put yourself in the scenario and describe how it feels. ok so this is like...a me thing? idk i get told very often that my writing makes people Feel everything and that both brings me unprecedented joy but also is the point. if you’re writing x idol holding YNs cheek as they kisses YN, how does that feel? what’s his/her palm feel like? whats their palm doing? is YN into it? is that touch a tease or a comfort? as you’re editing your basic sentences, think about these bits and it will both flush out your smut and also help the connection between the characters feel more realistic.

this brings me to: writing an orgasm. as with writing smut in general, if you’re not comfortable writing an explicit orgasm you do not have to. there’s a ton of literary symbolism out there to describe an orgasm beyond an ‘explosion,’ ‘and eruption of white light,’ or ‘x person came hard.’ if you don’t want to go into detail or you’re not sure how it feels or you’re just not confident in writing it you can imagine it like a movie. pull the camera back and explain the stillness, or not stillness, outside. is it raining? does thunder roll along with her orgasm? does dawn break silently over their bodies? does the world fall to shit outside their car/house/town, distant and unbeknownst to them? there’s a lot of ways to do it.

all of these things are basic tips to get you started. they’re some things i do and just because they work for me that does not ensure they will work for you. smut, if i’m being honest, comes easier after you’ve written several pieces that dont include it so you’re used to your style, word choice, or at least are in a comfortable flow with your characters. so take all of this with time and good luck!