I don't mind writing them, but I do hope the members of my critique group don't see me as the character. I never thought about these things until I experienced writing them. When I read something written in first person, I certainly don't picture the author as the character. And I don't think about it reading other people's work in my critique group. But now that I'm taking a sex scene for the first time to my critique group tonight, I hope I won't be embarrassed when they read it. And no, I'm not the character, but I am in the character's head when I'm writing her.
So... If you're in the character's head while writing sex, does that mean, you're in them? Vicarious sex through writing!
The only time I had an issue of the author as character was Judy Blume for her mc in Blubber. Jill Brenner had short hair, was overly skinny, had mother issues, and a daddy complex which seems to match some of the things I've read about Blume. Notice how even their initials match - J.B. Not that I dislike Blume but I really grew to dislike Blubber because it seemed to shift blame away from the 'hero' Jill. And that might not have happened if the character had been more than a reflection of the author. Is the embarrassment in reading out loud all those I's during the sex scene so that it sounds like a confessional? Could maybe ask someone else to read it out loud. I was shocked that my mother, who got hold of my Not Pink ms ( part of it anyway ), was so absorbed in the story she managed to keep author separate from the story. It was more than just a reflection of me.
Our group reads copies, we don't read out loud (except once on a special occasion). I can't properly critique a piece if it's read out loud. An audio book, yes, I listen to a lot of audio books. But when authors in our critique group read their pieces, there is too much variation in reading skills and that interferes with the critique. So, um, Not Pink is you? I do hope no one is kicking you around.
I try to be, but it's not the same as 'me'. For example, this is an unpleasant scene, it's not a pleasurable one. I need to be in the character's head to write the disgust properly. As for the hot sex scenes, I only refer to those, there isn't any explicit intercourse in the book.
Lol, no. It becomes more - this is what you think about?! Strippers who beat robots?! Weirdo. Lucky you don't have to read out loud. That's what everyone was doing at the writing group I went to. They did pass copies around too but ... I hated the reading aloud aspect of it. I'm not good at it. Worse if I've changed a passage too much I can trip over my own prose.
Strippers who fight robots? this book has everything? Shut up and take my money. Seriously though, is this something i can buy in the store to support a fellow forum member?
Well, it's not as exciting as fighting robots, more like poor abused robot. I'm working on a expanded version ( almost done - the cover is giving me trouble though. Hoping to have it available on Amazon before Christmas ) but if you want to read the first draft here is a link - https://www.writingforums.org/threads/congratulations-peachalulu-for-not-pink-sci-fi-runner-up-contest.131856/#post-1219588
