This blog post is a continuation of a poll I did on my mailing list. Originally, it was all about my Blood Trails series, and me trying to gat a handle on what reader expectations were for whether the coming sex is "on page" or "off page/fade to black."
Sex scenes are a common discussion topic in the urban fantasy genre. There are some authors who will say if you include sex, then it's paranormal romance, not urban fantasy. Which is problematic for me, because if I tried to call Blood Trails paranormal romance, when the romantic interest is only in half the books, and they don't even kiss until after the first half of the series... Well, romance readers wouldn't be happy.
Right now, the way I look at it, if an author writes strong sexual tension, and I'm really feeling the pressure, then I want that sex scene on page (Downside Ghosts by Stacia Kane is a good example). If the sexual tension is more muted, and based more on a "boy, she's attractive" sort of thing (a la Dresden Files), then I'm fine with no on page sex.
However, I do want to educate myself about reader expectations. When it comes right down to it, an author can write sex scenes (or not) however they want, the important thing is making sure the reader knows what they are (or aren't) getting into.
So how do we do that?
I can't put a sexy guy on the cover, or make the heroine sexy on the cover, because that's definitely misleading. My attempt to be forthcoming was to have a super-sexual character in the first books, a gentle warning that if you don't like heavy sexual tension/sex then this might not be the series for you. Was that enough?
Anyway, that was my survey. Blood Trails specific.
But what I'd like to know now is, what signals to you, the reader, that an urban fantasy will have explicit sex? What reassures you it won't?
How much do you care? Do you shrug and say "whatever, I'll skip the sex if I don't want it, as long as there isn't so much that it slows the plot, who cares?" or do you sigh and delete books that have sex in them as "selling out to the sex gods?"
If an author includes well-written sexual tension and then fades to black, do you quit the series because you feel a promise was made and broken? Or do you sigh and move on, determined to enjoy the sexual tension even if you don't get to read the culmination of said tension?
Comment and let's talk...
IF YOU'VE READ THE BLOOD TRAILS SERIES: Please try to avoid spoilers in any comments. If you mention something spoilery, remember to say "spoiler" first, and if possible, mention what book someone has to have read to in order to read your comment spoiler-free.
I’ve always preferred mystery first with romance on the side as a bonus. Sometimes I’m in the mood for something steamy but if I’m not, I’ll just skip it. If there’s too much explicit sex in a mystery, I probably will end up skipping it but I seriously doubt I would ever give up the series. I would be disappointed if Shade doesn’t get to do the deed after this build-up we’ve been getting but I’ll be happy with either an explicit scene or something closed door. I’m not too picky! 😉
ReplyDeleteFor me, if the sexual tension is on page and it's intense and delicious (which is what I look for in my urban fantasy), then I feel like it almost needs to be on the page or I get all the buildup and then I'm left hanging.
DeleteHOWEVER, nothing will kill the pacing of a murder mystery faster than having a bunch of sex/romance scenes popping up all over.
If I include a sex scene, I'd have to find somewhere to put it that it doesn't slow down the pacing. Which is hard, because I was just talking with a reader about how my characters don't have "down time" in the books. They're on the go from the time they find the body to the time they find the killer.
Honestly, I'd almost have to write a separate short story just so Shade can get laid...
I don’t think it would ruin anything for me to have a sex scene thrown in here and there but I do get what you mean about the pacing. In another favorite fantasy series of mine, which has a very similar feel to Blood Trails as far as being fast paced, with a similar slow-burn romance, the ending scene was the long looong awaited sex scene. After 7 (8?) books of torturous teasing, we finally got the pay-off and to me it was the perfect way to end. Maybe something to consider?
DeleteAlso… I would not be opposed to a short story of Shade getting laid! Lol 😂
DeleteShannon, I get so anxious about timing. I don't want to drag out the tension so long that people are mad the sex hasn't happened yet, but I also REALLY ENJOY the buildup!
DeleteAnd if you wanna hear a secret?
Sometimes I think about writing "fan fiction" with my own characters. Just completely gratuitous sex scenes to take the edge off. I could post them as bonus content on my website...
Hmmm… that is an intriguing idea! Sounds like a win-win to me! And yes, the build-up is really enjoyable. I definitely agree with that.
DeleteSome really great discussion panels at cons like GenCon have gone over this very topic!
ReplyDeleteI think introducing a really sexual character (Flint) was a spot on way to manage reader expectations. When the sex scenes come for the Blood Trails urban fantasy series (where romance has always been secondary if it's present at all) I will probably skim them. But the presence of such scenes wouldn't put me off most books, much less a series like this where I so greatly enjoy the banter and characters and magic and other stuff.
I also like series like Melissa Olson's Scarlett Bernard where the sexual tension is strong on page but the sex is off-page due to author preference. I respect the writer's preferences and I didn't feel there was any bait-and-switch going on.
Side note, pro-active authors are great but readers can and should do some of their own research before picking up a new series, or can ask a librarian of course, if steam level is really important to them. I recommend series for library patrons as well as seeking them out for myself, and explicitness matters in the former case. I nearly always read Goodreads reviews, NoveList, and other sources to determine the "steam level" of a book before recommending or buying it. Or I skim the book myself to make sure it's within the boundaries I believe the patron wants.
That's exactly why Flint was in there to begin with! I knew I might have romance later, but it would be awhile, so I wanted to drop a hint, just so readers who don't want any sexiness in their mystery at all would know what they were getting into.
DeleteMy author friend pointed to my covers specifically (which I chose for the express purpose of conveying "mystery genre-flavored urban fantasy) and said if you put sex in a book with those covers, people are going to throw their kindles.
I’ve read some pretty explicit sex scenes in books and I haven’t been turned off by any of them. Since Shade is a young woman and attracted to a few of the characters in the books it would only seem natural that she would have sex at some point. If there was a sex scene I would read it through whether it was explicit and on page or fade to black in a bedroom scene. I would not be disappointed either way but it does seem the natural progression to include something.
ReplyDeleteI'm heartened that most people seem to be fine either way. I would never put in so much sex that it was difficult to skip for those who chose to do so, and the series has never given me the feel of something that would ever have more than one sex scene in a book, or even a single sex scene in every book. Like so many other aspects of the books, the sex would be character led, and I just don't see Shade taking time out for sex when there's a murder to solve. She barely takes time to stop and have lunch... lol
DeleteI love the cover art I feel like it very true to Shade's personality, but no, it doesn't lead one to think the book will have sexy scenes. I think some organically occurring scenes at the end or beginning wouldn't negatively effect the flow of the book, especially since the characters are already dating, I would think that their steamy kisses would lend readers to think that something might happen in the next book, and if you read them out of order it's kind of on you anyway. Oooooo, you could have an interrupted "after the date" scene that finally gets to happen after the mystery is solved!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think my friend has me on the cover art thing. Those covers definitely don't hint to sexiness... But I love them too, lol
DeleteYou're reading my mind with the after the mystery timing. I'm thinking maybe it would be good to have it happen at the end, maybe after a really emotional case. Something that put both Shade and Liam through the wringer. And if it was at the end, it would be no problem for readers who aren't interested to skip it...
First, let me say that I love the Blood Trails series! I was drawn to it as Urban Fantasy, I am not, personally, a romance fantasy reader. On a personal note, as a survivor of sex abuse, I will skip 'on page' sex altogether. There is obvious sexual tension between Shade and Liam which has been a great plot twist since originally I thought it would be with Shade and Agent Bradford, never considered it would happen between Shade and Flint, lol. Regardless of what you chose to write it as on page or off page, I will always read the series! Just my 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words! Right now, if I do include a sex scene, I'm thinking it will be at the end of the story, so anyone who wants to skip it can do so and it won't interrupt the flow of the mystery for them.
DeleteRegarding your personal note, I'm sorry you went through that. No one should go through that.
Thank you for your caring words Jennifer, I am a proud survivor. I discovered I am stronger than I ever knew. It's why I love Shade so much, she's a warrior ❤
DeleteHi, I think you should do what you feel is right for shades story and not worry too much. We are at book 10 now so I really don't think you need to worry about genre at this point, also those who have followed shades story so far will stick with it to the end sex or no sex. Shade having sex with Liam soon would be a natural progression of their relationship and I have to admit that I do like a well written steamy sex scene and personally I would feel cheated if it was written 'off camera' so you would deffo have to write a bonus scene if you did!
ReplyDeleteI like Liam's character but I must admit that I wanted Shade to ultimately end up with Andy .... It did feel at the beginning that you were going with a Shade/Andy pairing until Liam showed up and with his character being so Alpha male Andy just seemed to be pushed to the side a little bit. I am really pleased that Andy has been given a more involved storyline more recently .. it gives me hope!