I went for a run this morning. Usually I go with my good friend but she was having a much-deserved sleep in this morning, so I thought I’d go myself. I thought this morning would be a good time to get my head around an article I’m writing for the church newsletter on Spirituality and Running. My minister suggested it, I think because he knows I would rather go for a run on Sunday mornings than go to church with husband and kids. Have I ever had a spiritual experience while running? Not really sure, but I thought a solo run might be a good time to reflect on it. And then I could talk to my friend about connections to religion and spirituality and running the next time we ran…heehee. Inside joke.
I also thought it might be a sign of solidarity to another good friend (my walking friend. I have a running friend and a walking friend and also a boxing/bellydancing friend who once called me a workout slut but that’s off topic.) My walking friend and 90% of my predominantly Jewish neighbourhood were enjoying(?) the high holy day of Yom Kippur while I was reflecting on my spirituality this morning. I thought that might make me a good neighbour. Anyway, I started out with my ipod and thought it was a good sign that ‘Like a Prayer’ was the second song on my playlist. I began to contemplate my spirituality…
…and then my thoughts turned to sex.
Not my sex life, but sex in books. Sex in my book. So much for spirituality and running this morning.
When I tell friends about my book coming out, I get a lot of eager questions about if there’s a lot of sex in it. Unfortunately, there’s not. There’s a little bit where Casey finds the cheating boyfriend in the process of cheating with the girl in the church (I’m sure that would be great for the church newsletter!) and the end of the second chapter ends with her having sex, but that’s about it. It’s not that I’m avoiding it – if Casey should have had sex, I’d be perfectly happy to have her enjoy some sex but I wasn’t about to put in a gratuitous sex scene just for the sake of writing a dirty bit. But because of all the questions and the interest in sex in books in general lately, I was wondering if I should include more in the new book I’m working on. And if so, how graphic should I make it?
I’ve read the three Fifty Shades and have seen how erotica is sweeping the literary world these days. I enjoyed most of the books, although Christian’s ‘You.Are.Mine.’ while they’re getting it on gets creepy really quick. Reading the Fifty Shades trilogy led me to check out other books in the erotica genre, which was an undiscovered field for me. Memorable ones were ‘The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty’ (starts out good but too much spanking/paddling for my liking. A little might be ok, but if that’s all they do…) and ‘A Diary of a Submissive.’ BTW, any other suggestions would be welcome!
Doesn’t everyone have books with the pages earmarked at the good bits? When I was a teenager, my friend used to talk about the scandalous Jackie Collins but for me, Judith Krantz crafted a much better sex scene. And these days I love how Jilly Cooper writes sex. It’s not too titillating but more matter-of-fact. “Here are Billy and Janey walking through the meadow and now they are having sex and this is what he is doing to her and she is clearly enjoying it.” I love Jilly Cooper!
I remember I included a sex scene in one of my first books. Actually, I think I put in a couple of scenes, including a threesome, which a friend of mine loves reminding me about. He keeps asking if I’m going to put in another one in every book I write! I also remember reading the scene (straight sex, no kink) aloud in a writing class I was taking. Talk about embarrassing!
Because of the success of Fifty Shades, it’s clear sex sells. And women aren’t hiding in the bathtub reading their books anymore. Well, they are, but they’re also reading it on the subway, on the beach and in book clubs. And it’s not just women who are reading it. This summer, another family came to our cottage with us and all four adults were reading one of the Fifty Shades books!
So how much sex is enough? And how much is too much? I write chick-lit, not erotica, but should I play this new trend and spice it up? In the new book I’m working on, I think Brenna is going to have sex with the much younger Brady but how graphic should I make it? Should I sex up my chick lit, give Ana and Mr. Grey a run for their money? Then what happens when my great aunt reads it?
It’s something to think about. Do I try and channel my inner E.L. James or keep it sweet? (Maybe not too sweet) And apparently it’s more interesting to think about then my spirituality!
I should go work on that article now!
Ps. Just got the new J.K. Rowling. I wonder if she put in a sex scene?
hollykerrauthor 
I think it also comes down to how much do you sacrifice the story for shock value. Sometimes just a hint of sex or even the art of seduction is far more interesting (and arousing) than a blow by blow account. Is it value added? I think that once the hype of this type of literature dies down again, people will go back to either brown bagging it or it will become so common place that it will no longer interest people and the storyline will become the focus point once more in the material that they choose to read.