Fantasy’s Storytelling Role: A New Dimension of Character Interaction

FWSG Blog Post #8

Consider fantasy a gateway to character complexity and a way to unveil the mind’s treasures. When I considered writing The Fiction Writer’s Sexuality Guide, I knew I wanted to include fantasy information. It is an essential topic in writing about sexuality and one not discussed much. I want to introduce you to Justin Lehmiller’s sex research on fantasy so that you can feel confident in using it in your writing.

Fantasy Defined

First, fantasy occurs while you are awake. It’s the video or pictures you create. Second, these images turn you on. Typically, folks get nervous about what is explicitly in their head, especially as a turn-on, but research gives the space to see fantasy in a normative place. This is more about what stays between our ears and is not acted upon in real life.

The Sex Research on Fantasy

My book addresses the information from Justin’s research, including the study background, participants, and leanings. I wanted you to see what fantasy themes emerged and the prevalent order.

• Multi-partner sex (Threesomes)
• Power, Control, and Rough Sex (BDSM)
• Novelty, Adventure, and Variety (Sexual Adventure)
• Taboo and Forbidden Sex
• Partner sharing and nonmonogamous relationships
• Passion and Romance
• Erotic Flexibility (Homoeroticism and Gender Bending)

Some interesting points about the top three fantasies:

• For multi-partner sex, participants said what they did was more important than who they were with.
• A quarter of respondents said BDSM was their favorite fantasy of all time.
• Novelty was based on specific sexual activities. The adventure was about unique settings. Variety was about new directions in sexual thrills- unexpected and surprising.

Knowing these things from science could give you more space to write about what people fantasize about.

Write with Confidence on The Topic

I have found that when I know something is based on science, it is easier to incorporate it into my writing. And this is true about fantasy. It taps into a pleasure aspect for your characters. Once you’ve got their sex history, you have ways to weave their fantasy lives into their world. You can bring the fantasy material forward as a tension point between characters. You can bring the fantasy forward as a desire for another. There are so many options. This is where your creativity can flourish.

How Do You Use the Mind’s Creative Treasure and Share?

The power of unlocking the mind’s creative treasure lies in communication. It’s about sharing it with the reader through internal thoughts or dialogue between characters. Be sure to note that I’m not advocating acting on the fantasies. It is perfectly normal and okay for them to stay in their mind. But they can create sizzle with your characters. You can check out Justin Lehmiller’s work on his website. And if you want to see the FWSG from the beginning, check this out.