Scripting Sex

I am always intrigued to find out what inspires people to write about sex, so when I managed to catch Erica Glyn-Jones (writer of “Yes!”) on the phone en route to Grahamstown, the conversation got down and dirty very quickly. In fact, “so, what made you decide to write about sex” was my subtle and discreet opening question.

Let’s talk about sex, baby

“Two main things,” Erica answers, “ Part of it was turning thirty, getting older, and it getting safer to ask questions.” She also found the stereotype to be true – women DO hit their sexual peak in their early thirties. “I was having fantastic sex and I wanted to share that,” she continues. Amen to that.

Having started down the road, she was then fascinated by something that turned up in her bookclub – the Hite Report, written in the seventies, all about sex. “I was surprised at how little has changed.” And so began Erica’s mission. She started writing about sex. She started telling people she was writing about sex. “And everyone has a story, everyone WANTS to talk about sex,” she discovered.

How low can you go?

Everyone has their limits of what is okay when writing about sex. For Erica, those limits were interestingly more about emotional and private territory than the sex itself. “I ended up writing what I felt, and really pushing the edges of my boundaries,” and then, faced with a deadline, handed it over to her actors.

A real choice was made to make it gentle, funny, but not “cringe”. Whenever they were concerned about something they’d test it out on visitors to the rehearsal room like the photographer. “If they laughed, then it was okay.”

Safe sex

“Safety is huge, and whilst I was consciously trying to avoid writing about AIDS, because I didn’t want to cover ground that already been covered, I ended up writing my feelings,” Erica explains. She was particularly interested in writing about the ‘other’ STDs, and in doing so the topic AIDS fell naturally into one of her monologues.

“It’s a good monologue,” she says (I agree, it is), “it worked, so I went with it.”

Spread the love

An interesting element of writing plays about sex, rather than stories about sex, is that you are then asking actors to say the words out loud. “I made sure the rehearsal room was safe and happy,” she says. Because she and Haidee have known each other for a long time, that was very easy. “We just drew everyone into the safe space. What happens in the circle, stays in the circle,” and she laughs, repeating that: “everyone wants to talk about sex.”

Stimulation and response

What was going to be a whole lot of stories juxtaposed, ended up being a play. “The characters just developed”. And now they’re here to take audiences into that safe space with them. “Already someone has said they’re going to wear condoms from now on. If even one person does that, it’s all worthwhile”. The show is something fun and entertaining, not at all educational. “It’s about giving audiences a space to talk about sex, and that’s already happening.”

Tips and tricks

So, what has Erica learnt in creating the play? “I’ve discovered I’m a lot more uptight than I thought,” she says, “I thought I was so open, writing this play.” She’s more thoughtful now, and offers some great advice to anyone wanting to write about sex. “You have to go there, often you feel you can write on the surface, but it never works.”

She also encourages writers to be very clear on what they’re writing about. “People immediately think sex is going to be bawdy, but it doesn’t have to be at all. Know what you’re writing.”

One other thing she’s learnt: hum during blowjobs. “It’s very popular”.

A professional voyeur and international woman of mystery, Karlita is a crusader for passion, and promotes (safe) sex wherever she goes. She seeks to inspire joy and happiness, and a sense of curiosity. She will do anything for the perfect Mojito, and frequently has.

Click here to learn more about Karlita’s Writing Erotic Fiction Course or you can read one of Karlita’s short stories here.