Screenwriting : Writing sex scenes. by Patrick Fox

James Dean's favorite quote was from The Little Prince which says: "What is essential is often invisible to the eye." With sex, it's often the imagination that runs wild moreso than the actual body. I call it The Bikini Effect - remove the bikini... and suddenly, it doesn't seem to matter as much.

Thank you. So keep the action simple?

The research is tax deductible! Focus on the story elements of the scene (just as if it were any other scene). What does the scene tell us,? How does it change the direction of the story? What is the conflict within the scene?

Yes - simple action (so that the reader gets the gist), and move on. Maybe write it in a poetic way

Thank you guys. So something like this? INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT Characters make love.

Yeah, if there's no specifics that need to be mentioned. I'd gather that the lovemaking itself is a plot beat, and immediately has a direct impact on the story without any in-depth description. Good luck with it, dude. Sounds very steamy.

@Chris Carvill Thanks. :D The scene does have a place within the plot. Thank you. The film is an action/thriller. Nothing too steamy. Only one sex scene and a topless scene in a pool club. Nothing x rated. For now anyway. :D

Only one sex scene?! No! (Just kidding). Cheers, chris

Okay. Dumb idea but, watch some soft core love scenes and try to recreate it in your own screenplay words. Sometimes The Young and The Restless can have some racy stuff just on daytime television so let your own eyes tell you what you like and then maybe your words will flow better. :)

Agree to the above. Just describe the scene and the mood of your characters. Is it an aggressive mood, romantic, the first time - that is already enough. The rest is up to the director. Dialogue only if this scene leads one character to give information which are needed for the story. Like James Bond makes girls talk or trust him by seducing them...

I published a book under a pseudonym titled "The Sexts" that you may want to check out for writing racy stuff. It's on Amazon if you care to view it.

@Dawn Thank you. That is a very good idea. I have done a little reading screenplays with sex scenes and some are very explicit and others a just very soft. @Elizabeth Thank you. The scene is required, but the reason for it doesn't come to the attention of the reader until later on in the story. @Brian I will take a look now. Thank you. EDIT: I have searched and have not found it. Sorry to be a pain. Could you post a link if possible?

Hi Patrick. I would use the route of (acting the scene out) imediately with your consentual lead... then you might find the presure that's built up in doing it (right), being released, and you should be able to type away without resistance. As a creator; we don't think our way into right action...we BEHAVE our way into right thinking. *besides... this should be fun too.

Uh, I hope you realize that there are no sex scenes in American movies. INT. BATHROOM Hillary and Bill kiss. CUT TO: CLOSEUP TOILET Used condom lands in toilet. Flush. if comedy... Used condom lands in toilet. Flush. Used condom lands in toilet. Flush. Used condom lands in toilet. Flush.

Depending on what you want to reveal to the audience, keeping it minimal is good. Although, you mentioned something will come up later on... so maybe just add that detail with some subtlety and then when that detail is revealed to be something more important, the reader will get it as "oh, I remember that, wow!" I love it when I things like that happen while reading or watching films/television. I'd pick whatever action/thriller movie you can think of that has a scene similar to yours and read the script to see how it was formatted. :)

@Bob I like it... lol :D :) @Emi I do to. That's why I don't want to reveal anything. I was thinking having something happen during the sex. A funny moment for example. Just so people will remember the scene when I need them too. :D

@Stephen Thank you. Very good advice. I will have to try that. :D

I would just put just enough to show they were having sex and include any details that were important to the story...if it is just sex let the director work with the talent.

Patrick....my suggestion from one writer to the next...you should experience it. There are many types of bathrooms, big small, expensive, run down. Depending on the bathroom....go find one and stand inside...look at how it's configured. I'm hoping it's a sex scene with a man and a woman....there's a thousand different ways it can play out. Is it an affair, lovers, husband & wife...young, old...how the scene is all dependent on these facts....or it could be better if they did stranger things. Lots of things in the bathroom can be used in the scene...candles, soaps, lathering, water....windows....is a stranger watching...there's counters, toilets, sinks, showers, tubs, Jacuzzi's, .....steam showers...sauna's....let your mind wander....

John....sex is never just sex.....it's like cooking...you can do it to just get it done or you can spice it up.

"The research is tax-deductable." Awesome. As others may have mentioned, it all depends on how much detail you want to put in - you can either write: They kiss, tear at each others' clothes. Cut to logs burning in the hearth. or She mounts him, reverse cowgirl. Rides him wildly, takes it out, switches to her ****. Etc.

Ha ha, nice one William (nicely spotted, C. D-Broughton) - maybe giving a credit might get a discount for that all-important research. Gosh, us guys are foul-mouthed hooligans!!

I would suggest not so much detail as suggestions and what the characters are feeling. The actors will take it from there. Richard Gere had a tendency when doing sex scenes to place his female co-stars breast in his mouth. I'm pretty sure that wasn't in the screenplay!! lol. good luck.

My solution to this is not to describe the detail of what happens. Leave that up to the director, DOP and actors who can decided what can be achieved in the location on the day, given what they're all prepared to do. (Unless there is a clear reason that something particular needs to be specified - eg, if it is necessary to the story that one of them has a bruise afterward, you may want to describe how it happens.) The script only needs to describe the emotions and motivations that make the scene necessary to the story. Give a description of what the scene needs to emote, not what the characters are doing.

@John Thank you. :D I have been working with different ways. The simpler does seem the best way for scene. - @David Thank you. :D It's a motel bathroom. It's very small and old fashioned, but very clean and well kept. - @C.D Thank you. :D I think the sex isn't the main concept of the film, I think your first suggestion will work best. - @Chris Us blokes. Will we never learn. :D :) - @Jaime Thank you. :D Just direction. - @Craig Thank you. :D The scene is very important. I think I have a way to do it. Hopefully. lol

Does anything particularly interesting or revealing happen in the sex scene? Does something that reveals character, creates tension, or moves the story forward occur during the course of intercourse? If not, it's just a sex scene. Keep details to a minimum, though. No need to write a cheesy romance novel for the actors. Just keep it simple and leave it up to the director and actors to figure out how it plays out on screen. Perhaps something like this: INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT Fred and Wilma have passionate sex all over the bedroom. On the chair. On the bed. On the floor. On the dresser. At the point of orgasm, Fred calls out the name "Betty." Wilma slaps him and leaves abruptly.

@Steven Thank you. :D It does sell. @Rick Thank you. :D Nothing is revealed when the sex is talking place, but is apart of the plot.

Honestly, put it out of your head that you're writing this for a script...and simply just fantasize. Sit there, close your eyes even...think of someone you WANT to have sex with. Then just let your mind wander...when you're done thinking and doing whatever needs to be done (lol), write it down as you remember it in your fantasy. Trust me, it works.

Google a few articles about sex scenes, you may not realize it...but a lot of stuff you think should be in there, should not be in there lol. Or if your fantasy feels and reads right, keep your fantasy word for word (or almost fully word for word).

@Jennifer Thank you. :D Great advise. I have written a few versions and this was the one I did first. I just didn't know how to write it properly for screenplays.

Jennifer, You sound like a proper good laugh and I love dogs too, but I really need to warn you that some blokes are much more imaginative than others, so be careful when giving out such advice - I'm sure that Patrick is very creative and we'd hate for him to churn out 10 pages of passion! Sometimes, it really is better to just cut away when it's obvious what's about to cum.

I keep my sex scene descriptions as sparse as possible, if there's something that absolutely has to happen during the sex I'll mention that but mostly I describe how it's supposed to be rather than the actual acts: slow, frenzied, awkward, you get the idea. Keep it simple, let the director and actors fill in the blanks.

@C. D-Broughton Thank you. :D The scene is a very short scene. The version I have now is around 10 lines long. @Terri Viani Thank you. :) The version I have now just gives the bare bones.

This is broader advice that I apply to my own work and therefore should be taken with a pinch of salt: sex scenes should be like action scenes - the best ones move the story along. In fact, if they don't move the story along, they become exploitative (for both action and sex). So, if the plot point is just that these two characters sleep together, you don't need to show the scene per se. The audience will get it. Or you could do something creative like focus on the sounds, their feet slipping on the tiles, something that speaks thematically to your story. But if actual plot happens during the sex scene (like an exchange of power), focus on that. How are these characters changing during the scene. What are they communicating to one another? My favourite example of this are the two sex scenes in A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Both scenes - in their contrast - say so much about where the characters are at as individuals and in relation to each other.

Thank you for this. Because I am in the same situation with my script. I have never written a sex scene before and it is essential for my script.

The use of water and a shower always works and is interesting visually. Shoot thru the glass

Sex scenes should be done like fighting scenes. Keep the description brief and let the director film it the way they want.

What is the sex scene about - other than sex?

What Will said. Also, the way you approach it will change depending on the tone and genre of your story. The same sex scene in a comedy would be written completely differently than a thriller or a drama. For me, the rule of thumb for sex scenes is the same as for fight scenes: write only the detail in necessary to demonstrate how the sex informs the audience of change in character or change in plot. If the only thing necessary for the story is to know people have sex, you don't even need to show them doing it. Can just show before and after. But if HOW they have sex is important, say that.