"don't underestimate how difficult it is to write convincingly about sex"
Writing Erotic
A publisher who should know a thing or two about the subject provides some insight into how to write hot erotic fiction...
First, and most important, please don't underestimate how difficult it is to write convincingly about sex. Some people feel that since they've either done it, read about it or fantasised about it, there can be nothing difficult about getting in down on paper. Believe me, many try and many fail. You might have heard of the Bad Sex Awards (British prize for literature) where, each year, some of the most prominent writers are acknowledged for just how excruciating their erotic writing is.
There's no point in attempting to write about sex if you're embarrassed. If you are, then your reader will be too. Be confident. You're using your creative talents and following in a long-established tradition that goes from D.H. Lawrence to Philip Roth, to Erica Jong and Jeanette Winterson. If you're not convinced, try Audre Lorde's essay, 'Uses of the Erotic: The erotic as power' (1980).
It's generally acknowledged that most people will quickly get bored reading about endless sexual acts, no matter how inventive. The disciplines for writing good erotic fiction are as rigorous as for any other genre. Unless what you want to write is porn, there needs to be a compelling story with strong, convincing characters.
Your writing will need to be very creative, and you may need to be at your most accomplished. In many circles erotica is still regarded as a lesser form of literature. So, you’ll need to write and re-write, read and re-read. And if, after all that, you still find your sex scenes arousing, then it might, just about, be the right time to send your submission off to a publisher.
When you think about it, there aren't limitless variations to what men and women can get up to in and out of bed; the permutations of gender combinations, the locations, the deviations have probably all been done before. So bringing the sex to life is where the challenge lies. Often this can be achieved through character development, setting the scene, the build up and the tiny details that bring enlightenment that may come through a sound, a scent, something that unexpectedly catches the eye. Do remember that you're not writing a sexual manual, so there's less need for details of exactly which leg or arm goes where.
While it's difficult to come up with new words for the various erogenous zones, euphemisms like 'her kitty-kat' or his 'thingy-jig' are not only un-erotic but will probably have them rolling in the aisles. And, unless you're writing a comedy, that's not a Good Thing.
As with all good writing, it's important to read widely. That's not to suggest that you copy anyone else's style but you'll get a good idea of what makes good erotic writing; why Anaïs Nins writings are considered classics, what made Erotique Noir a ground-breaking anthology, or keeps Zane at the top of the US best-seller list, or makes (and this is not just advertising, I promise) Isabel Baptiste, Faith Graham, Angela Campion and Jade Williams such innovative new writers for Brown Skin Books.
Most crucial: EnJOY Writing. It should be fun and in this area, possibly more fun than you might imagine!
Comment, Answers, Feedback WriteIn or email editor@unheardwords.com (editor@unheardwords.com)