Nearly three years ago, Jules and Madeleine took a look at an aspect of fiction writing that some writers find awkward - writing sex scenes. Both dragons have done a lot more writing since then and with more information, opinions shift, so this week they're revisiting the topic with the benefit of more experience in writing. The inclusion of sex scenes in fiction has been a hot topic of late, with readers, writers and fans arguing both for and against it. This is especially so in YA where the portrayal of healthy relationships and sex positivity has clashed with a certain amount of censorship. The dragons acknowledge that there is no single right answer because your mileage will vary on this subject as both a reader and a writer. That said they can be relied upon to have opinions on pretty much any subject, so they're sharing those opinions here. What should you consider in writing a sex scene? Must it move the plot on or reveal character development in order to avoid being gratuitous? Do sex scenes actually need to include sexual content? All this and more in this week's episode.
Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic
Episode 249 - The Goddess' Chariot - Myths and Folktales of the Moon
Episode 248: All the Feels - Emotion and Characterisation in Speculative Fiction
Episode 247: Sweet, Awkward and Tongue-tied - The Unromantic Hero in Speculative Fiction
Episode 246 - Casting Long Shadows - How Horror Influences Other Genres
Episode 245: Old Gods & Ancient Stones - What Folk Horror has to say to a Modern Audience
Ep 244 - Of Fates and Phantoms - The Anatomy of the Ghost Story
Episode 243: The Mother of Science Fiction - The Life of Mary Shelley
Episode 242 - Chairs, Dolls & Diamonds - Cursed Objects in Fact and Fiction
Episode 241 - Vampires, Incubae and Goblin Kings - The Daemon Lover in Myth and Speculative Fiction
Episode 240: Paging Dr Love - What the Romance Genre can Teach Us about Writing
Episode 239: Unpopular Opinion Time (part 2) - The Dragon's Hot Takes on Speculative Issues
Episode 238: Unpopular Opinion Time (part 1) - The Dragons' Hot Takes on Speculative Issues
Episode 237: Sowing Prejudice - Accuracy and Research in Writing
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 236: News from the Word Mines - What No-one tells Newbies about Writing and Publishing
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 235: The Alchemy of Forever - Immortality in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 234: The Power Behind the Throne - the Hidden Voices of Political Change in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 233: Hidden Cities & Forgotten Kingdoms - Lost Worlds in Speculative Fiction
Episode 232: Murder Most Foul - Killing with Purpose in Speculative Fiction
Dissecting Dragons: Episode 231: Writing for Relaxation - the Therapy of Putting Pen to Paper
Episode 230: Growing Pains - the Coming of Age Narrative in Speculative Fiction
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