By: Sarah Azman
Ever wondered how an editor chooses whether to include an intimacy scene in a written work? Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how our company and our managing editor make those decisions.
Hard Passes
First things first. Alex Parker Publishing has a few hard passes when it comes to intimacy. Severe sexual assault is not what we are about. Splatterpunk, a genre defined by graphic and gory descriptions that often include sexual violence, is an automatic “no.” And while we love a side of romance, it's not the main course. No erotica, please. Our romance spice tolerance is 8/10.
From the Editor
Inside those hard boundaries, what are our guiding principles? I spoke with our managing editor, June Visosky, for some inside information on how editors evaluate intimacy scenes.
According to Visosky, “Like any other scene, an intimate scene should do narrative work. If it can be removed without consequences, then it might not need to be there.” She goes on to say, “These types of scenes shouldn’t be ‘soggy middle’ filler or a substitute for character development.”
But how does she decide if a scene carries enough narrative weight to justify its place in a written work? Bottom line: an intimate scene must develop the plot, characters, and/or theme.
Visosky shares key observations that help her decide the utility of an intimate scene:
“Intimate scenes can reveal insecurities, past trauma, vulnerability, trust, control issues, and power dynamics. When done well, intimacy is rarely about sex—it’s about control, surrender, safety, risk, isolation, connection, and the definition of self.”
Visosky offers examples of questions writers can ask themselves to help them determine if an intimacy scene is doing narrative work:
- Does the act betray anyone?
- Reveal a tenderness yet unseen?
- Who hesitates?
- Who initiates?
- Is there a confession?
Let’s look at how intimate scenes advance themes, characters, and plot structure in existing literature.
How Sex Scenes Do Narrative Work
Thematic Narrative Work
Laura Foley’s The Light of Lunása uses intimacy scenes to play with the theme of shifting power. Clíona Murphy, an Irish woman struggling to gain control of her magic, becomes entangled in a love triangle with two brothers, Caolann and Rian. Clíona soon learns that the brothers are not vulnerable to injury from her powers, allowing Clíona to let her guard down. In the first intimate scene with Caolann, he initiates, yet she commands devotion as the one receiving pleasure. Power shifts from Caolann, as he pushes Clíona against a tree, to Clíona, as Caolann kneels before her.
The Pechman’s Denouement from the RARE anthology uses intimacy scenes to explore contrasting themes of white and black, holy and unholy, and chaste and defiled. The Pechman’s idyllic weekend at their new vacation home begins with frequent lovemaking punctuated by over-the-top newlywed behavior. Plans to renew their vows at a small church on their new property are thwarted by an infestation of scaly, black, snake-like pests. As the bride, all in white with a crown of flowers, looks adoringly at her husband, she doesn’t notice the black liquid pooling around their feet. The final sexual scene takes place in this black slime, as the husband and wife are possessed by demonic beings and forced to create a demon spawn.
In Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale, the forced, demeaning sex scene between the main character Offred and the Commander is meant to convey a larger theme of political control of women’s bodies. Later in the book, the Commander’s wife forces Offred into another sexual encounter with chauffeur Nick. Offred and Nick’s relationship warms and they soon begin seeking sexual encounters off the books, allowing Offred to take back some of the political control asserted over her body.
Emotional Narrative Work (Character Development)
John Scalzi frequently uses intimate scenes to do narrative work across his sci-fi series The Interdependency. In The Consuming Fire, Scalzi sets a scene where Kiva, a confident and vulgar member of the noble House of Lagos, is in her bedroom enjoying one of her many sexual encounters. The scene is cut short when her current sexual conquest, Senia Fundapellonan, is shot mid-act and badly injured. Kiva finds herself feeling protective of the injured Senia and decides to try monogamy for the first time, unveiling a new vulnerability in her character.
In another scene, Scalzi engineers a sexual encounter between powerful Nadashe Nohamapetan and fellow noble Deran Wu to solidify Nadashe’s lust for power. The sexual encounter takes place while Nadashe’s mother, Countess Nohamapetan, is attempting to arrange Nadashe’s marriage to Darin’s cousin, the future emperox. Scalzi makes it clear that Nadashe has little interest in Deran for his own sake. Rather, Nadashe is seeking a back-channel way to become emperox herself.
Structural Narrative Work (Plot)
There is only one significant sex scene in the Twilight series, but Stephanie Meyer uses it to do heavy plot work. Meyer builds up sexual tension throughout the series, which finally culminates in energetic and romantic wedding night sex. Edward’s grip on his vampiric strength slips in the throes of passion, and he accidentally bruises Bella and destroys the bed.
This scene becomes pivotal to the plot when Bella discovers she is pregnant with Edward’s baby. This uncertain human/vampire hybrid has inherited Edward’s superstrength and is in danger of tearing Bella’s delicate human body apart. During birth Edward is forced to turn Bella into a vampire to “save her life,” opening up a new story arc where Bella and Edward are physical equals for the first time.
Bottom Line
At Alex Parker Publishing, we don’t include intimacy scenes that gratuitously victimize others or scenes that are erotic without greater plot context. Like any other scene, an intimacy scene must earn its place in a story by shaping the theme, characters, or plot. When intimacy scenes have a clear purpose, they enhance the story without overshadowing it.