I never set out to be a novelist, and certainly not one who deliberately writes scenes that make readers blush. Growing up with the paperbacks my mother left around the house — mostly crime and mystery — I developed a taste for strong plotting and sharp dialogue, but my imagination went in a different direction. When I began writing love stories, I brought everything with me, including the appetite for scenes that feel immediate, physical and honest. The choice to include spicy scenes in my work comes from that same impulse: to represent desire honestly within the larger architecture of a tale of love and transformation.
There’s a practical side to this, too. Portraying intimacy isn’t about sensationalism or showing off; it’s about honesty and coherence. If two characters are falling for one another, their sexual chemistry is part of the truth of their relationship. To ignore it would be to omit an essential piece of who they are. I balance that openness with awareness: some readers prefer fade-to-black or closed-door approaches, and those are valid artistic choices. For me, including explicit moments is simply another tool for creating emotional stakes and reader investment.
Why intimate scenes matter
Intimacy can do work that dialogue or plot sometimes cannot. A well-written encounter reveals unspoken needs, shifts power dynamics, and accelerates character change in a way that feels visceral. Think of sexual scenes as a form of compression: they condense weeks of subtext into moments that illuminate personality and history. When handled with care, spicy scenes become a shorthand for vulnerability, consent, and agency — especially important in sapphic romance, where representation and authenticity carry particular weight. These scenes are not the whole story, but they often unlock the emotional truth at the story’s core.
Balancing sex with story
Romance must juggle multiple elements: the arc of the plot, believable character development, and the emotional cadence that keeps readers turning pages. Physical intimacy is just one strand woven through those elements. It works best when it complements tension, underscores conflict resolution, or heightens the cost of a misunderstanding. I treat such scenes like seasoning: too much overwhelms, too little leaves the dish flat. The key is integration — ensuring that every intimate scene serves a narrative purpose, supports the emotion of the moment, and deepens rather than distracts from the characters’ journey.
Writing for readers
Listening to the audience
Being attentive to readers doesn’t mean writing to a formula; it means understanding the conventions and pleasures of a genre. Fans of sapphic romance often seek both emotional resonance and erotic vitality. They want scenes that feel authentic rather than performative, and that balance heat with tenderness. I read feedback, watch trends, and learn which beats land without letting that shape my voice to the point of mimicry. There’s a difference between catering and engaging: the former is short-term appeasement, the latter is a conversation that respects readers’ expectations while still allowing the author to take creative risks.
My approach as a storyteller
I write the books I would like to read: stories where relationships feel lived-in and sexual moments register as true. I don’t include intimacy to shock or to be provocative; I include it when it makes the characters more complete and the stakes more tangible. On a practical note, readers respond to that honesty — they want tension, awkward joy, – messy tenderness and the sort of pleasure that makes characters feel human. By prioritizing reader engagement, authenticity and narrative purpose, I try to make each scene, whether quiet or explicit, earn its place in the book.
Claire Stevenson is a bestselling sapphic romance author and storyteller with over 40 published novels. Her books are available in paperback, ebook, and Kindle Unlimited. Find out more at www.itsclastevofficial.co.uk/books or follow her on Instagram/TikTok @itsclastevofficial. If you love media made by and for LGBTQIA+ women and gender-diverse people, consider supporting DIVA — a publication that has spotlighted the community for over 30 years and has become a charity under the DIVA Charitable Trust. Find ways to support at divacharitabletrust.com or learn more from their social links at linkin.bio/ig-divamagazine.