Writing (Sexual) Tension (Patreon)

hey heyy, I made a video about my experience with writing sexual tension(its so long im sorry lmao, please feel free to not watch it). to keep it more general I didn't mention the names of the members, I do talk about a few of my stories in this as examples hahaWhat it comes down to in short (in my personal opinion):Sexual tension:

know your characters and their characteristics, don't change them in the middle of the tension, this will make it feel less organic. If they're shy, make it awkward. If they're confident, make it cocky.

it's easier to create characters that have naturally opposing characteristics, this is easier for the push and pull dynamic

there has to be attraction at least from one side, I usually like writing from the POV of the one who is aware of their attraction. You can write entire monologues in their head about the other character.

use subtext in dialogue, make them talk about explicit things while on the surface they're really talking about something innocent

let them argue. They don't have to be enemies, even a silly argument can lead to a lot of tension.

Whatever you do, don't make your characters say it out loud. At least, for the tension to really build, to not address the attraction is usually the best course of action

pay attention to where your character is looking. they can suddenly be distracted by the other character's lips or legs or ass or chest, anything that could invoke some sort of arousal. sometimes it's even better when the other character notices.

play with the embarrassing part. not every character is overly confident and cocky when it comes to flirting/sexual tension, sometimes the tension is in the part where a character is too embarrassed to admit that they're attracted to the other

be shameless. In my opinion, to really make the other character completely breathless, is to be shameless. And, if it feels 'cringe' then don't hold back from making the other character tell them that, sometimes little quips back and forth can up the tension even more

Make your character look at the other character while they are doing something they're passionate about. To see someone have a real passion for something can invoke feelings of tension (romantic and sexual)

Romantic tension:

I usually like romantic tension more where onecharacter is oblivious to the other's interest. This makes it fun to play with how the one in love deals with the other's actions

making a character overanalyse everything the other character says and does is something I forgot to mention in the video, but this is fun to write and really adds to that atmosphere of romance

make the conversations more indirect, so, the opposite of sexual tension. Romantic tension is (for me) when a character can barely make out their words, and they don't even dare to say what they want to say. Stuttering and being indirect is one of the ways I usually portray romantic tension in stories

I didn't mention this in the video either, but making a character go out of their way to look out for the other character can definitely add romantic tension. Even better when the other one is not aware of this gesture but finds out later!

let the moments linger. the very first time you touch your crush's hand is nerve-wracking, and I feel like you can really take your time writing a scene like that, stretch it out and make that 'uncomfortable' silence known. because it's there, and it adds to the romance