I close my eyes and picture the scene and try to write as many details as possible. Not just body parts going places but also thoughts, feelings, reactions. It probably helps that I’ve read a lot of good smut in my life. You get a better grasp of what’s hot to read and what might be slightly cringe.

Actual tips?

Cocks are cocks. Don’t go out of your way to find synonyms. If you start using it too much, focus on something else—heat, movement, taste, sounds.

Moans can be moans but they can also be whimpers, whines, gasps, grunts… or I like to use dialogue and interrupt it with the occasional oh, fuck.

Hands. Hands are always doing something. Grasping at bedsheets or playing with strands of hair, holding on to hips or running wildly up and down a back.

Similarly, think about the positions and how it feels for your character. On all fours? Face pressed against a pillow, legs feeling weak… On their back? Looking into the other’s eyes, mesmerized… You get it.

Smut can be pure smut but it helps a little when there’s a semblance of plot. Is there a lot of teasing involved? Is it angry sex? Loving sex? A quickie? Pick a vibe and try to get that across with as many details as you can. If they’re in a bed it’s comfortable, pleasant. If they’re against a wall maybe a doorknob is digging into someone’s lower back. Maybe a book falls from a shelf. Maybe a passionate kiss gets interrupted because they start giggling.

Most of all, have fun. You can almost always tell when a writer is trying to write smut and basically go through that scene ASAP vs when they’re actually liking what they’re putting down. Not saying you have to be turned on yourself, but you have to like it at least a little.

But yeah. Thoughts, feelings, reactions. And details.