Writers, Bare All!
No need for modesty here
From retail ads and Instagram posts to song lyrics and novels, you can hardly open your eyes and not be exposed to something suggestive. Sex is everywhere … or at least the idea of it is.
Sometimes it is subtle, like a whispering innuendo, and other times you can feel the heat, like hot pepper juice dripping off your lips after biting into a warm, soft Italian beef sandwich. (See how I did that?!)
But, truly, we all know that sex does indeed sell. While it is not always appropriate to use that technique, I suggest we writers go for it!
“Charlotte Bronte was writing about sex. I supposed Jane Austen was, too. Where do you get a hero like Darcy unless you are writing about sex?” — Alice Munro
Pride, Prejudice … and Passion
So let’s look at Jane Austen. This English novelist (who was born in 1775) certainly wrote about sex, although it was done more indirectly. Her books often focused on courtship, on a woman’s dependence on marriage, on love, and on romance.
Her fictional character, Fitzwilliam Darcy (aka Mr. Darcy), from “Pride and Prejudice” is a famous romantic interest of the book’s protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet. He was arrogant and aloof, and his tumultuous relationship with Bennet has fueled many hungry readers, who maybe relate to unrequited love or the concept of love trumping social status or other challenges.
However you look at it, there was heat within those pages. There was tension. There was undoubtedly sex, even if there were not explicit scenes detailing it.
Don’t Be Shy
Now it’s our turn as writers. We don’t have to hold back. If we are not comfortable with sharing explicit personal details in essays (as I happened to do in a previous article about great sex after 50), then be subtle like Austen.
Use hints and suggestions. Whisper in your readers’ ears. The art is often in the nuance of your words.
You don’t have to shout. You don’t have to whip the cool, silk sheets off of you and expose your sultry thoughts. But you can if you so desire!
Just be your authentic self. If you force adding sex scenes into your books or if you purposely write about sex because you want more eyes on your pieces, your readers will know. They’ll catch you with your pants down, so to speak … or as Austen would say, with your trousers down.
Keep it Raw and Real
As a writer, I keep it real. I write what naturally flows off my tongue. I censor myself sometimes in an effort to reach a larger and possibly more conservative audience, but I never fake it. (Now that’s a not-so-subtle double entendre!)
As a reader, I know I can sense when writers are not keeping it real. It is precisely the act of vulnerability and honesty that I find so appealing — that so many readers find appealing.
So, strip down to your level of comfort. Stand there in a long-sleeve pajama set, in a big fleece robe, or in nothing at all. Tap into your natural voice, let it drift along the page, and the readers will undoubtedly follow.