Tag Archives: sex

Can Science Fiction Be Funny? (Encore)

Someone long ago told me the reason she didn’t read science fiction was that it took itself too seriously. “You can read that stuff all day and never even smile,” she claimed. I’d read enough Heinlein to know that wasn’t … Continue reading

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A Fairy Free Fairy Tale

It’s Halloween 2022; we’re supposed to post scary stuff, right? Well, this is about as close as I’m liable to get. Yes, I know it’s a bit long, but I think you’ll like it. The Crown and the Crone (Encore) … Continue reading

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Is Your Sex Scene Worthwhile? (Encore)

When working with beginning novelists and reviewing their work, I’m often tasked with reading their very first sex scenes. One might be tempted to say, “Oh, you dawg! You get to jump straight to the good stuff.” But, one would … Continue reading

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It’s All About the Sex — Part 2 (Encore)

Last time we scratched the surface of writing sex scenes. The essential takeaway was that a sex scene should be two-fold, at least. In other words, make sure there’s more to the scene than just sex. Pick an extra element … Continue reading

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It’s All About the Sex — Part 1 (Encore)

If you’re writing a novel for adults, and these days “adult” often means Young Adult, too, there’s a very good chance you’ll need to include some sort of sex scene. Many writers new to the craft approach this opportunity with … Continue reading

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A Fairy Free Fairy Tale

It’s Halloween 2021, we’re supposed to post scary stuff, right? Well, this is about as close as I’m liable to get. Yes, I know it’s a bit long, but I think you’ll like it. The Crown and the Crone (Encore) … Continue reading

Posted in short fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Character Emotions — Part Three (Encore)

The next emotion up for discussion is something that’s often mistaken for something else, especially in fiction. I’m talking about passion. At first blush, most people will automatically link the word to human intimacy. There’s nothing wrong with that; if … Continue reading

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On the topic of sex scenes… (Encore)

If you’re anything like me–human, mostly–and you’ve spent any time at the beach, you’re probably already aware that the ratio of truly beautiful people to the rest of us is, well, pretty damned small. And I mean “beautiful” in the … Continue reading

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Hie thee to the discomfort zone! (Encore)

It seems like everyone at one time or another must face the prospect of doing something they’re not good at. I vividly recall just such a moment when I was tasked with making an announcement during the lunch hour about … Continue reading

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Can Science Fiction Be Funny?

Someone long ago told me the reason she didn’t read science fiction was that it took itself too seriously. “You can read that stuff all day and never even smile,” she claimed. I’d read enough Heinlein to know that wasn’t … Continue reading

Posted in short fiction, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments