With winter approaching and temperatures dropping, it’s time to heat things up with a steamy read on Inkitt! If you’re an Inkitt reader, you know we have a wide selection of stories to choose from. Enjoy!
If you’re a writer looking to add some spice to their stories, you may be wondering about the best approach for heating things up in your story. Don’t despair! You’re not alone. Writing scenes of physical and emotional intimacy is difficult.
Basic Rules of Writing a Spicy Romance Story
- Build Anticipation: Create tension and slow build-ups to make the romance feel more rewarding and keep readers invested.
- Ensure Plot Relevance: Every intimate scene should have a purpose, advancing the plot or developing character relationships—no scenes should feel random.
- Focus on Consent and Chemistry: Show mutual desire, respect, and clear consent between characters, as well as authentic chemistry that drives the connection.
- Use Emotion Over Description: Focus on emotions and character reactions to make scenes more engaging, rather than relying solely on explicit details.
- Stay True to Character Development: Intimate scenes should align with the characters’ personalities, growth, and relationship journey, making each moment feel real and meaningful.
The Right Time and Place
Everyone loves the steamy scenes, but it’s important to place them where they make sense in the story. The plot should build naturally from point A to point XXX, so avoid adding scenes just for the sake of it. Even if the scene is hot, it shouldn’t leave the reader wondering why it’s there. This doesn’t mean you can’t open with a bold scene—Millennium Wolves by Galatea does just that to grab readers’ attention—just make sure it fits within the story’s flow.
Authors’ Comments
brunaharmel:
I love writing the spicy scenes, but I think that it all needs context, so I always make a place [for]it. I love the burning before it, and I think that´s essential when we talk about building a great, romantic, spicy scene.
Eliza Grace:
I think that it’s good to know when the story calls for it; adding spice just for the sake of adding spice doesn’t always translate well! But if the chemistry and the tension [are] there, sometimes characters gotta do what they gotta do 😉
Jake_Havyn:
A lot of it comes down to “Why do you want the scene in there to begin with?” Is it a plot device? A twist? Or is it something that readers just enjoy, so you throw a little spice in from time to time? […] I enjoy putting a spicy scene when it feels right for the characters to have that moment together. I base how graphic it is off of the rest of the story. If the protagonist is shy, I might focus more on their mindset than the actual action. If both characters are fully engrossed in the action, I might let go of any emotions or thoughts and just focus on the action, allowing the senses to be the descriptive points.
Jazmin_G:
For pacing, I go at whatever speed the circumstances in the novel require. (For example, a rushed interaction in the middle of a tense war. Or a slowed, intimate scene that makes the characters fall in love. Or a very hot and heavy but brief scene that happens because the anticipation was too high and the satisfaction came too fast.) Whatever seems most realistic to the plot’s circumstance makes the length of the scene.
The Joy of Anticipation
As you are no doubt aware, when things happen too quickly, they may be unsatisfying.
Anticipation is key in spicy romance because it builds tension and keeps readers hooked. By creating a slow build-up, with teasing moments and unfulfilled desire, writers intensify the emotional payoff when the characters finally come together. This buildup makes the romance feel more rewarding and heightens the reader’s investment in the characters and their relationship.
Authors’ Comments
Arri Stone:
I love adding heat to my stories, but I also think what is important is the build-up between the characters.
Ashley Kyle:
My books have a lot of explicitly detailed scenes with a lot of steam 🙈and I love writing them 😊 but what I love most is the build-up, what comes before that point they get down to business, the timing, the place creating the perfect mood, the little things. Soft touches, lingering glances, and the perfect ending. That’s it.
Less Is More
It’s possible to give the reader too much detail, something that can result in a reading that feels like a coroner’s post-mortem in a police procedural or the instructions for assembling Ikea furniture. A clinical level of detail isn’t always necessary. Also, don’t forget about the beauty of metaphors and similes to heighten erotic tension. Alluding to or hinting at what’s happening is often more sensual and engaging than anything you could spell out for the reader. Give the reader’s imagination a prompt, and the reader will happily construct the scene themselves.
Authors’ Comments
Arri Stone:
When it gets to that sexy time 😏 I think you don’t always have to go into detail. Build it on the characters you have. If one is shy, portray that and the feelings they get.
Eliza Grace:
I also feel like less is more; no need to describe every detail of the actual act can be even spicier, especially when followed by emotions, i.e., “he did xyz and it made me feel abc, it’s amazing how he knows zyx about me.” Seeing these emotions makes me feel like I’m the main character 😇
Jazmin_G:
I try to keep my scenes 1k or less.[…] [The] standard word count per page is 250 (traditional novel). So keep that in mind if you’ve been writing a scene for a while, you glance at your word count, and you’re at 3k. 3k/250= 12 pages. Would you read 12 pages of spice? I wouldn’t. There’s only so many times you can describe what’s happening.
jmycenae:
So far, in my books, I have tried to keep the love scenes romantic without being graphic. I enjoy reading spicy scenes, but sometimes feel that all of the specific details about how tab A fits into slot B feels like reading an instruction manual.
Kalissa Gil:
Subtlety is key. Instead of being explicit, use suggestions to hint and provoke the reader’s imagination. Leave room for the reader’s mind to fill in the details. […] Say less, show more: Instead of explaining in detail what is happening, show the emotions, gestures, and reactions of the characters so readers can feel the passion. […] Metaphors and symbolism are useful for describing erotic experiences in a roundabout way. You can compare the sexual act to nature, art, or anything else that fits the tone of your story.
Consider Your Audience and Your Own Limits
When it comes to sex, people’s comfort level varies widely. Consider the audience you’re writing for, and don’t push them farther than they’d be comfortable with. Post appropriate trigger warnings if your story drifts into rougher territory.
Authors’ Comments
jmycenae:
I want to be able to recommend my books to my friends and family without embarrassment. My books tend to fade to black when things really get going. So I suppose my love scenes might be a little tame for Inkitt, but they are what I am comfortable with writing.
Jazmin_G:
[M]ost of my spice is pretty graphic. I don’t do fade to black as I feel like it doesn’t satisfy the build-up being made.[…] I tend to use words that you can find in mainstream erotica. Also, I sometimes use placeholder words like “part” to get through the scene and then replace them with words I feel comfortable “saying/typing.” I use words that I think fit the tone of the story. To be appropriate, I wouldn’t use a word like “dong” in anything other than a rom-com cause if I see that word, I’ll laugh. I mention triggers at the beginning of any books I have triggers in. I [also] put it in the tags[.]
Kalissa Gil:
Decide on the tone you want for your erotic text. It can be soft and romantic, passionate and wild, or any other nuance. This will help guide your choice of words. […] Know your audience: Consider who your text is aimed at. What might be acceptable in an erotic novel for adults might not be appropriate in a story intended for a wider audience. […] Remember that erotic writing is subjective, and what works for one reader may not work for another. The key is to find a balance that is effective and respectful while serving the story you are telling.
Remember, It Should Be Fun
Remember, sex in romance and erotica is supposed to be engaging and thrilling, so don’t describe it in a way that is mechanical or repetitive. Avoid repeating words and scenes. If the scenes and the language used within the story are too repetitive, they’ll begin to feel mechanical and obligatory rather than fun and titillating. Mix things up. Have your characters get busy in different places, circumstances, and positions.
Arri Stone:
Mix up what you write, places, and different positions during the deed. 😅 Have a spontaneous naughty moment between them. 😉 I love the forbidden types, where those stolen glances and touches can be highly arousing just as much as the deed itself. 🥵 Sometimes, if you have a dirty-minded character, boy, let them come out to play. 😂What turns me off is repetition of the same words and motions.
At the same time, don’t use too many new words or descriptions within the same scene. This can disrupt the flow and pull the reader out of what is supposed to be one of the more engaging moments in the story.
Jazmin_G:
It’s important to remember that mixing up the words you use is good to break up repetition, but if you use a new word [in] every sentence or every other sentence, the flow of the scene will break.
The Heart of the Matter
Finally, remember, it’s not just about sex. It’s about connection. The emotional link between characters heightens sexual chemistry and erotic tension. It’s not just bodies that come together but hearts and souls as well. The more your characters are into each other, the more your readers are likely to be into them as well.
Arri Stone:
That’s why if you are not sure, then go with emotions and feelings before the deed, bring in the spice there, then fade to black after. Also, the after-spicy deed is equally important. The snuggles, the sweet kisses. So you can break [it]down into 3 sections of it. Before, during, and after. Focus on one, two [or]go the full hog and have a mega-sexy chapter. 😉
brunaharmel:
And all my stories are romances before it’s erotic, so, it’s important for me the feelings in the scene, more than explain the scene and the sex I love to tell the emotions and the feelings in it.
Kalissa Gil:
Erotic literature is all about emotions and connections between characters. Spend time developing the emotional relationships and tensions between them.[…] Writing erotica is more than an act. It is using the senses and emotions. To make people feel things only with words, [and] gestures without the need to reach the vulgar.
Jazmin_G:
What I always find is a good indicator that you’ve written a good scene is if you yourself are feeling the emotions you want your readers to feel. If you feel revved up and satisfied with the progression of your characters then your readers will too. […] I look for intimacy in erotica. I dislike there being no feelings between the characters (it doesn’t have to be love; it can be obligation or whatever works). There should be progression to the book from the erotic scene.
We’re All Ears! 🗣️📢
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