Reviewed by Samantha Dewitt (Rivera) for Readers' Favorite

Writing a novel, a screenplay, or any other type of content can be complex because of the different elements involved, but even harder than writing the general content is the writing of sex scenes. The Fiction Writer’s Sexuality Guide by Dr. J. is a compilation of the author's experience as both a sex therapist and an erotica writer, as well as a range of different models, methods, systems, and more to help the reader (and in this case, writer) understand the different ways of viewing sex, sexual history, and more for themselves and their characters through things like PEMS, PLISST, micro and macro lens, Grand Unified Theory of Writing, MICE quotient, quantum model of sex, and the Fisher Temperament Inventory, to name only a few. There’s even a glossary of words for those who need a little help with how to write their new scenes and capitalize on their new knowledge. It’s all about choosing a beat and seeing where it will lead.

I am definitely a ‘pantser’ according to this book, writing my own content ‘by the seat of my pants’ rather than plotting the whole thing. But this book is great for either one as Dr. J. explains. Information in The Fiction Writer’s Sexuality Guide comes from a range of different sources including the expertise of the author and the expertise of researchers. It also comes from movies, TV shows, written content, and more that are referenced and often even linked to make additional research simple. Dr. J. is extremely direct and to the point, which is not often found when talking about sex, but it’s a welcome and necessary component. Each ‘session’ details everything the reader or writer needs to know about how to get from not knowing what to do about sex in their writing to creating solid, quality, realistic sex scenes every time, whether it’s solo sex, partnered sex, or group sex. With the activities, worksheets, research, and more, anyone can come away feeling more confident about their future sex scenes. And for those who still aren’t sure, there’s even a sample of a novella at the end to get a first-hand look at what the author is talking about. So now there’s no excuse for less-than-stellar content.