Writing Inclusive and Emotional Sex Scenes
Writing emotionally charged, sexually explicit scenes in fiction can be challenging no matter what genre you write. This class will provide a deep dive into writing inclusive sex scenes that are true to your characters and are memorable for your readers.
EDSE certified sex educator and author Thien-Kim Lam will walk students through the elements of a sex scene, creating chemistry using sensory details, exploring emotional arcs during love scenes, accessibility considerations when crafting these intimate moments, and much more.
Event Details
Date: March 21 – 29, 2026
Where: Online — Available everywhere and at your own pace
Price: $150 Scholarships are available for attendees who need financial assistance.
Registration Deadline: March 15, 2026
Who Should Take This Class?
Writers of all adult book genres— Literary, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Erotica — and all mediums where there are sex scenes— Prose, Playwriting, Screenwriting, Comics/Graphic Novels, Games — at any point in their career from newbie to professional. This class is designed so that any writer who wants to write inclusive love scenes well and create characters who aren’t caricatures will find it beneficial.
Schedule, Format, and Time Commitment
This 9 day class begins on Saturday when students will get access to the classroom space and the lecture. Posts with Q&A, discussion threads, and writing exercises will open Sunday morning through the next Sunday evening when class ends.
The class is asynchronous and does not have set meeting times. You can access the classroom at any time during the class period from anywhere in the world as long as you have an Internet connection. All class discussions take place in a private online forum and class work, if any, is done on Google Drive.
The time commitment will depend on your level of participation. You may manage your time as needed based on your own schedule.
Assigned Viewings
Please watch the following videos before class begins.
- What Does Sex Positive Mean? by Dr. Liz Powell
- Wheel of Consent by Dr. Betty Martin
Accessibility and Technical Requirements
The class takes place in a private WordPress forum with a theme designed for accessibility. We’ll utilize Google Drive and a mailing list. All of these services are accessible to students using screen readers. Most lectures are in video form and include both closed captions and transcripts.
If you have questions about potential needs, or if there are any other ways we can make a class accessible for you, please contact us before registering and we’ll answer as soon as we can.
You do not need a Google account to participate in class, though we do find that it’s easier to share files on Google Drive if you do.
Full and Partial Scholarship Opportunities
We have full and partial Vonda N. McIntyre Sentient Squid Scholarships available for this class. If you do not have the financial means to pay for all or part of the registration cost for this class, we encourage you to apply. We have a broad definition of financial need that ranges from writers who do not have the money at all to writers who have the funds but can’t afford to use them for a writing class.
We especially encourage writers who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to apply. Wherever you exist on the financial needs spectrum, don’t self reject! (Still not sure whether you should apply? Read this post.)
Our scholarships are available to any writer regardless of background or identity. We set aside a portion of scholarships specifically for students who identify under the POC, BIPOC, or BAME umbrellas as well as for Palestinian writers/writers of Palestinian heritage.
If you can afford to pay for part but not all of the registration fee, please apply for a partial scholarship. Under this financial aid plan you can let us know the amount you can afford. If you cannot afford to pay at all, please apply for a full scholarship.
To apply, please fill out this form by 11:59PM Pacific February 28, 2026. You’ll be asked to provide:
- A brief (300 or fewer words) statement of financial need
- A brief (500 or fewer words) description of a work or works in progress that you hope the class will help you write.
- If you identify as POC, BIPOC, BAME, or Palestinian, you may indicate that if you wish.
Deadline: 11:59PM Pacific February 28, 2026. We will notify all applicants of their standing two weeks before class begins. If you have any questions, please use our contact form to ask!
Refund Policy
If you find that you need to drop the class, you may do so via Humanitix.
If you send a refund request up to 14 days before the class start date, you will receive a full refund minus a service fee.
Beyond that time you will not have your registration fee refunded. However, you will be able to use your payment as credit toward enrollment in a future class.
Register Below
If you have a promo or discount code, please choose your registration option first, click Enter Details, then add it to the Discount Code field on the next screen. If the whole box below gives you trouble, click here to register on our Humanitix page.