The Joy of Writing Sex

"The definitive book on writing sex in fiction . . . a wonderful and handy compendium." ―Carolyn See

Twelve years after it was first published, The Joy of Writing Sex remains the classic writer's resource on creating compelling sex scenes. Elizabeth Benedict covers all the issues, from the first time, to married sex and adultery, to sex in the age of AIDS.

Her instruction, supported with examples from the works of today's most respected writers—among them, Dorothy Allison, Russell Banks, Alan Hollinghurst, Joyce Carol Oates, Carol Shields, and John Updike—focuses on crafting believable sex scenes that hinge on freshness of character, dialogue, mood, and plot.

In this revised edition, Benedict addresses the latest sexual revolution, intimacy on the Internet; adds new interviews with Edmund White, Darren Strauss, Stephen McCauley, and other writers; and updates her selections to include examples from the best fiction of the past few years.

"Skillfully balanced between a primer for the M.F.A. crowd and a smart essay for the literary generalist . . . The Joy of Writing Sex proves again that when it comes to books, quality is what counts." ―The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Here is clearly the most enterprising how-to book of our era . . . sane and straightforward and—he said bashfully—very interesting." ―Scott Turow