Writing Sex Scenes

>> That is what it ends up being... after I stall for hours or days.<<

Then you have two sensible choices:

1) Accept that your comfortable style of writing means you blow out the candle when your characters start to make out, and quit tormenting yourself trying to do something that doesn't suit you.

2) Decide that you want to stretch your boundaries, and work gradually in that direction. Quit trying to do it all at once so that you freak and wind up blowing out the candle when you don't want to.

>> I don't think my writing is "luscious" enough. <<

By whose standards, and for what purpose? If you want to write luscious, steamy, one-handed prose then by all means go for it. But if you're holding yourself up to someone else's standards, that may not be the best option.

>>One of my writing teachers in school knew the author of "The Secretary" personally, and wanted me to get some training from her. I was so freaked out! Now, I am not generally "a prude", but I think I resist getting too sucked into my own story, and I think this is a problem. Anyway, I am working on it.<<

Gah. NO. That is NOT the most effective way to broaden someone's erotic horizons. If you're not having a good time, your readers won't have a good time either, even if the characters are. (And if your characters are rutting against the wall, they may not stop to care whether you and the readers are following along.)

Think of it like swimming. You have to be able to relax enough to float and trust the water to hold you up. If you tense up, you'll sink and get water up your nose, which is not fun. So you need to start in the shallow end of the pool, and learn to relax into the story before you start trying to swim around and make it do what you want. There's a flow to good writing that will carry you with it if you let it -- but if you jump in at the deep end, it can seriously be overwhelming.

Maybe see if you can figure out the point at which you start to feel awkward when your characters get amorous with each other. When they moan? When someone's hand goes under a garment? When they get to a bed (or other surface)? Write up to that point, then try to write one step further, and then stop. Another thing to consider is what kind of activities you are comfortable describing. Kissing? Caressing? Pillow talk? Then think of what kinds of things make you shy away. Look for the boundary between what already works for you and what doesn't yet. Try to nudge it just a little in the direction you want to go. And always look for things that will be fun and exciting for you to write about, rather than things that go way too far and fast for you.

>>Very good advice... especially the part about relaxing. <<

I'm glad I could help.

>>I think, perhaps, part of the problem is, for me, these types of scenes require me a longer time period of intense concentration than I usually have available to me.<<

*chuckle* Well, yeah, naturally. Sex scenes are still sexual. Most people need some time to get warmed up, and are not keen on having someone suddenly barge in on them while writing that sort of thing. It ruins the mood.

>>Now that I will be getting more alone time, perhaps I will be able to relax more, and let the characters take me where THEY want to go. Thanks!<<

That sounds good. You might also find it helpful to set the mood a bit -- close your door, dim the lights a notch, maybe put on some quiet music.