What is sex appeal?

Take a moment and really think about that. What is it that we find ′sexy′ about the people we dream about? Now, not everybody writes romance or sexually themed stories online, but that doesn′t mean that your characters don′t have some sort of appeal to them that acts as a direct interest to your main character. What is it that draws your protagonist in? What is the bait? Why this particular boy over all others? Today...we′re talking about sex appeal. What it is, what it isn′t, and how you can use it to get your readers to agree with you.

I think one of the biggest mistakes that an author can make is assuming that the fact that your love interest is ′pretty to look at′ is enough to make them sexy. Ummm...no. No more than it does in real life. Maybe back when you were twelve, that was enough to flip your life upside down, but we grow up. Our tastes evolve and our search for someone special becomes more nuanced and more complex. Your love interest might have the silkiest hair, or the bluest eyes, or the most mouthwatering ass that you′ve ever seen, and while that is tantalizing in a variety of ways...that appeal won′t last long. Even in a fictional story. At some point, your readers will think, ″Ok, so he′s hot. We get it. Now what?″ Usually, when I describe the love interests in my own stories, I try to do so through the eyes of the beholder. Now, is this boy the sexiest thing to ever walk the face of the Earth? Well, of course not! Hehehe! But to my PROTAGONIST, he is! He is precisely what that character finds attractive in another person. That is his personal vision of perfection and beauty. And that could change from character to character. I don′t want to ′dictate′ what is and isn′t beautiful to my audience, I simply want to put them in the mindset of the character they′re reading about. So, in terms of appearance, sex appeal is whatever the main character says it is.

And still, that′s not enough.

Depending on what you, personally, find attractive about someone...you can bring your love interests to life by bringing those traits to life through their actions and dialogue. Maybe you′re a sucker for a shy guy. Maybe you like the brooding bad boy type, with a hint of mystery. You might be attracted to a more confident and straightforward personality. An extrovert who′s always the life of the party. But others might like the quiet, homebody, type. Someone to curl up on the couch with, who you enjoy giving a poke or a tickle in order to get him to smile, even when he′s trying to hide his giggles from you. I believe that sex appeal is created by the bridge that exists between two people. What you want, what you like, and a few surprises that you didn′t even know came with the total package. Sure, he′s cute...but he likes the same music that you like. His top five movies and yours are almost identical. You have similar ways of seeing the world. Similar ways of carrying yourself. A similar sense of humor. And in the places where you are different from one another, it′s more of an intriguing opportunity to learn something new, as opposed to arguing over it. Sex appeal is all about connection. If you readers can envision your love interest and truly understand what makes him sexy beyond his physical attributes...then you′ve got them hooked!

Also, the smallest gestures can truly bring a character′s sex appeal to the forefront. The actions of your love interest can come off as adorable if made into a habitual character trait. I use this technique from time to time when I′m writing. Some characters might flick their blond locks out of their eyes every few seconds. Some lightly bite the corner of their bottom lip when they′re flirting, or might twirl their pencil when they′re being shy. Fidgeting can be really cute in a character, and a well-timed blush can create a sweet little ″Awww″ moment that will give your readers the appropriate warm fuzzies needed to stay connected to the character being mentioned. This is not to say that your dream boy has to be flawless. As, quite often, little imperfections and character quirks can end up being just as sexual appealing as any other gleaming attribute. Some of my characters can be really suspicious when it comes to being ′liked′, and they don′t understand why. Some characters can become extremely clumsy in tense situations. And some are just downright insane in the head. Hehehe! But that′s fine. Sometimes, being comfortable with your own imperfections can be just as sexy. Let them own it. Play around with it. It′ll be fun, I promise.

Just remember to always create a 3-Dimensional image when you′re attempting to create the ideal boyfriend for your story. There′s more to sex appeal than simply being easy on the eyes. And the best way to demonstrate that, is through the way he interacts with your main character. As you′ve heard me say a million times before...′show, don′t tell′. We don′t need your protagonist′s inner monologue telling us he′s cute, or he′s nice, or he′s funny. Well...prove it. Have him joke around and say something funny. Have him grab a flower out of his neighbor′s yard and hand it to your main character as a token of affection. Show us how he blushes and looks down at his shoelaces because he′s too shy to look your protagonist in the eye when he′s declaring his true feelings about him. The idea is to get your readers to fall as deeply in love with your romantic lead as your main character. There′s nothing like being able to wrap yourself up in the fantasy being displayed in front of your very eyes. Experiencing the joy involved when it comes to sharing some quality time with a boy that many would find so CUTE! ″If only I could find myself a boy like that! Wow!″

Bottom line, you can find more sex appeal in the glimmer of a set of bright eyes than you can in the sizable bulge in the front of their pants. Something as simple as a shrug, a kiss on the cheek, a witty conversation on a first date, or a smile shared from across a crowded room...can truly impact the people reading your story. There′s an intangible x-factor that hides deeply within the actions of your love interest. Bring it to the surface. Put it in the spotlight, and let your main character drool over it whenever he sees it first hand. Hehehe!

So keep that in mind, and you can build up the most lovable boys to ever grace the pages of the written word. With practice, of course! 😛

Hope this helps! And thanks for reading!