This writing course, Writing Love and Sex in Fiction with Anne Gracie, will be held at Writing NSW in Sydney.

No matter what sort of novel you’re writing, there often comes a time when a writer needs to deal with the growth of love, and perhaps writing sex on the page. For many writers, this can feel awkward. But a sex scene is not just about describing sex — it’s about characterisation, growth, conflict and more.

This workshop with Anne Gracie will explore techniques for showing the development of love between characters, methods of building sexual tension, and ways of approaching the writing of scenes about sex that will fit with your own personal style and avoid clichés.

Topics covered will include:

• Overcoming embarrassment
• The kinds of love might you explore
• Stages in the growth of love
• Sex: the range — from closed door to more explicit scenes
• Building sexual tension

Expected learning outcomes

Participants will gain an understanding of the following:

1. Why including love in your novel will enrich your story and widen your readership.
2. How to build sexual tension between characters, even if you never write a sex scene.
3. That a sex scene is rarely just about sex.
4. Clichés and how to avoid them.

Participant requirements

Pen and paper and/or a fully charged device.

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