Welcome to the first in a new series of essays on writing! Before We Go Blog will be featuring authors talking about their craft and experience of writing the stories we love to read. The first essay is from our own Dani Finn, who’s here to talk about, what else? Smut.
Writing on Writing: The Smut Arc
Dani Finn
Everyone knows about plot arcs, character arcs, and romance arcs. We talk about them all the time. They’re how a writer builds a story, a character, or a romance. There’s usually a beginning, a middle, and an end, or stated another way, a rising action, a climax, and a conclusion, to each type of arc. There’s a lot of variation, of course; it would be boring if every story had the same structure. But there has to be an end game, something you’re working toward. What is the main thing that happens in the plot? What is the most important development for the character? And for a romance, how does the couple end up together, and what does their relationship look like at the end of the book?
For open-door romances (and perhaps the same could be said to some degree for closed-door ones as well), there’s another kind of arc that’s of equal importance, and which many authors give a lot of attention to: what I call the smut arc. How do we progress from that first kiss to whatever the culminating physical/emotional act is, and how does that progression interact with the other arcs in the story? Though the smut arc may mirror the romance arc to some extent, it can progress more quickly or more slowly, depending on the nature of the characters, their relationship, or the events in the larger story. And you can bet that many romance authors have a vision of a particular scene they’re writing toward, including advanced choreography and even dialogue, long before the plot shenanigans and accumulated emotional momentum have pushed their lovebirds to the blessed moment.
There are many types of smut arc, but one popular type in romantasy is the slow-burn, with a single sex scene somewhere around the 70-80% mark in a book, often followed by a less detailed one near the end. The arc will typically go from furtive glances to kiss to something a bit more—often interrupted by plot shenanigans, because we do love to make readers wait—perhaps with several stages of increasing but not-quite-there-yet intimacy before the plot and emotional pieces all fall together. Only then can we reward the readers (and, let’s be honest, ourselves as writers) with a nice steamy scene where the physical and the emotional combine with the full weight of the story and the characters’ arcs in euphoric rush that makes it all worth it. Once we’ve reached this, ahem, climax (hopefully not just the one), we typically have a bit of plot to untangle, and usually another scene at the end, which the Very Best Romance Writers™️ give us in full detail. I kid, of course—sometimes the story just wants the one scene, with the promise of many more to come off page in the Happily Ever After of our imaginings.
For books with multiple scenes, smut arcs can take many forms. There’s the sex-at-the-50%-mark formula, which usually comes with one or more scenes after, each different and more intense as the plot and emotional stakes ratchet up. Sometimes you get a fast burn, with sex early on, then something keeping them apart for a time before they can get it on again, which keeps the reader (and the characters) on edge. And who doesn’t love a little sex-in-the-first-chapter-but-it-doesn’t-mean-anything-does-it? Which can lead to a lot of fun emotional and physical entanglements as the book progresses. The possibilities are endless, and as a romance writer, this is one of the most interesting parts of the craft.
I want to talk about how I’ve approached it in several of my books, and why. You will find no significant plot spoilers, but you will find a few smut spoilers, so proceed at your own risk.
In Unpainted, my arranged marriage fantasy romance, I paired Aven, a bi man who’s only slept with men before, with Tera, an aspec woman who’s had sex before but never really seen the appeal. Both have made their peace with the marriage but have understandable trepidations about the sex. Tera decides to engage an intimacy consultant, who teaches her to assert gentle control, and Aven was chosen in part for his gentleness. The smut arc is one of Aven’s total physical submission to Tera, in baby steps from their first awkward encounter to the scorching final scene, which I had envisioned from the moment I conceived of the story. It begins with cunniling*s, which Aven has never tried before but likes more than he ever imagined, and moves slowly from there in a series of daily scenes of increasing variety and intensity, all led by Tera’s growing confidence, interspersed with island honeymoon adventures.
By the time they return from their honeymoon, Aven is smitten and ready to be owned, body and soul. Tera doesn’t feel quite the same way as Aven, but she comes to care for him a great deal, and eventually she’s ready to take the final step (and no, I don’t mean simply intercourse—they’ve gone there and beyond already). Of course, that’s when the fantasy shenanigans kick in. I wanted to put the characters—and the readers—absolutely on edge, then make them wait a little while longer, just as Tera does with Aven so often throughout the book. So, when the fantasy plot is resolved and it’s time for Final Smut™️, we get to go out with a proper bang. Tera and Aven engage in a variety of sexual acts throughout the book, but the last one is special, not just because it’s a new and intense physical act, but because it comes at the pinnacle of their emotional connection, hopefully sealing the deal made with the reader when the couple first saw each other naked and unpainted in that awkward early scene.
In Cloti’s Song, my poly fantasy romance (coming February 28 and now available for pre-order), I take a very different tack. That book features a married throuple in their 50s, and it literally begins with a threesome and ends with a foursome. The smut arc is like a rollercoaster that starts with a 100-foot drop, so you know that whatever happens next, you’re in for a wild ride. But after the initial drop, the smut scenes within the throuple are a fairly consistent, almost background occurrence, like dinner table conversation: whoever’s around at a given time might bang, or not, depending on what’s happening, and it’s only described in detail if it has emotional weight given what’s happening in the larger plot or the romance. But there’s another smut arc looping through there: the one with Cloti and the love interest.
Without giving away too much, Cloti takes a lover (with the permission of her spouses) and eventually brings him home to share. The progression of that intimacy with Cloti from attraction to kiss to more and more is a very different thing than the smut with her spouses, but it affects the spousal intimacy in interesting ways as she shares what she’s done with her lover through her magical abilities. Jealousy and yearning kindle renewed fire in the marital bed, and as the larger plot goes wild, the smut arcs intertwine in complex and (I hope) rather entertaining ways. With four characters, each with different relationships to each other, emotions and attraction entangle with trust and mistrust due to <redacted plot details>. The first foursome scene is just as complicated as you might imagine, and entirely different than the one we end the book on, both in terms of what happens physically and how the characters interact emotionally. How they f*ck and how they feel are connected, but they are not the same thing. The smut arc and the romance arc are the vines and the fence, but at a certain point it gets hard to say which is which.
As an avid romance reader, I love to see how authors handle the interplay of the physical and the emotional, how they weave these elements into the character and plot arcs. Sex in books is not empty titillation, though I love a good thrill as much as the next person. It shows us characters at their most vulnerable in ways we simply can’t get at any other way, and I believe we should appreciate the value of a good smut arc in helping the many moving parts of a romance come together in a mutually satisfying way.
Read about my favorite smutty reads from 2023 here!
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert in romance writing, I can confidently say that I have a deep understanding of the concepts discussed in the article. When it comes to crafting a story, we often talk about plot arcs, character arcs, and romance arcs. These arcs provide a framework for building a story, developing characters, and exploring the journey of a romance. Each type of arc typically consists of a beginning, a middle, and an end, or can be seen as a rising action, climax, and conclusion.
However, in the realm of romance writing, there is another important arc that deserves attention - the smut arc. The smut arc focuses on the progression from the first kiss to the culmination of physical and emotional intimacy. While it may mirror the romance arc to some extent, the smut arc can progress at different speeds depending on the nature of the characters, their relationship, and the events in the larger story.
In the world of romance writing, there are various types of smut arcs. One popular type is the slow-burn, where a single sex scene occurs around the 70-80% mark in a book, followed by a less detailed scene near the end. This arc often involves a progression from furtive glances to kisses, and then to increasingly intimate encounters, interrupted by plot twists that make readers eagerly anticipate the ultimate moment of passion. The reward for both readers and writers is a steamy scene that combines the physical and emotional elements of the story.
For books with multiple smut scenes, the possibilities are endless. Some stories follow the sex-at-the-50%-mark formula, where intense scenes occur throughout the book as the plot and emotional stakes escalate. Others may feature a fast burn, with early sexual encounters followed by obstacles that keep the characters apart until they can find their way back to each other. There is even the tantalizing prospect of sex in the first chapter, which may initially seem insignificant but leads to emotional and physical entanglements as the story unfolds.
As a romance writer, I find the exploration of the smut arc to be one of the most interesting aspects of the craft. In my book, "Unpainted," an arranged marriage fantasy romance, I delve into the smut arc between Aven, a bisexual man, and Tera, an aspec woman (asexual spectrum). Both characters have reservations about the physical aspect of their relationship. To navigate these complexities, Tera enlists the help of an intimacy consultant, and Aven's gentle nature makes him the perfect partner for Tera's exploration. The smut arc in this story involves Aven's gradual submission to Tera, starting with their first awkward encounter and progressing through a series of daily scenes that increase in variety and intensity. These intimate moments are intertwined with their honeymoon adventures, creating a powerful connection between the physical and emotional aspects of their relationship.
In my upcoming book, "Cloti's Song," a poly fantasy romance, I take a different approach to the smut arc. This story features a married throuple in their 50s and begins with a threesome, eventually evolving into a foursome. While the smut scenes within the throuple are a consistent occurrence, described in detail when they hold emotional significance, there is another smut arc involving Cloti and her love interest. Without revealing too much, Cloti explores intimacy with her lover, which later influences her relationship with her spouses. Jealousy and yearning rekindle the passion within the marital bed, and as the larger plot unfolds, the smut arcs intertwine in complex and entertaining ways. With four characters and their unique relationships, emotions, attraction, trust, and mistrust become intertwined due to certain plot details. The smut arc and the romance arc merge, blurring the lines between physical intimacy and emotional connection.
As a passionate reader of romance, I appreciate how authors skillfully weave together the physical and emotional aspects of their stories. Sex in romance books is not just for titillation; it allows us to witness characters at their most vulnerable and deepens our connection with them. A well-crafted smut arc helps align the moving parts of a romance, ensuring a satisfying and fulfilling journey for both the characters and the readers.
If you're interested in exploring some of my favorite smutty reads from 2023, you can find them here!
