Writing erotic fiction is much like writing other fiction,
but unfortunately it isn’t always viewed that way, possibly due to what we
could call the Playboy/Penthouse
effect. In these magazines, we rarely find quality erotic fiction, but instead
are subjected to snippets of empty, dull sexual encounters that might, like a
one-night stand, satisfy us for the moment but do little to feed our hearts or
minds.
 |
| image USN via Wikimedia Commons |
Most people need love, not just sex, and find that sex plus
love is much more satisfying than just sex. Erotica minus romance is porn.
Erotica minus the essentials of good storytelling is boring garbage unworthy of
anyone’s time, especially since so many quality entertainment options are
available these days.
So neglecting the essentials of good writing might get an
aspiring author a sale to Penthouse
Variations letters but never a book contract or even an indie-published
novel with decent sales—unless you offer it for free. A freebie here and there
may stimulate sales of your other books, and that’s good, but eventually a
writer must gain the skills s/he needs to garner paid sales, if s/he aspires to
be a professional.
What are the essentials of good erotica? They’re the same as
the essentials of any good story. In brief: likable characters who resolve
interesting conflicts in a setting that heightens the emotional content of the
story.
Let’s look at an example: Anne Rice’s Exit to Eden. Set in a BDSM-focused resort, Lisa, the Dominatrix
manager, finds herself attracted to and then falling in love with Elliott, who
has come to the resort to experience true submission. Lisa and Elliott are
undeniably likable, relatable characters even though their desires may be
foreign to many readers.
But their conflicts aren’t. In her twenties, Lisa has it
all: a cushy job at an island resort where everyone bows to her will, plus
wealth and beauty. Nevertheless, she feels separated from reality and can’t
understand why she’s drawn to vanilla sex and normalcy. Thrill-seeking
photojournalist Elliott desires to explore his darkest sexual self for the
undeniable danger enslavement presents.
Exit to Eden is a
BDSM-laced, sexy, sensual read that no one would ever call porn due to its
excellent craftsmanship. I’ve written in my writing primer,
Plotting and Planning, that the writer
must know his or her characters down to their souls. It’s clear that Rice knows
Lisa and Elliott, and by the end of the book, we know them almost as deeply.
However, erotic writing must include sex, and a lot of it.
How can we get a lot of sex into our writing without it being gratuitous, as
sex is in porn?
Step one is
creating likable characters with interesting conflicts. Those conflicts have to
be the sort that doesn’t keep them apart physically, so they’re less romantic
or external conflicts than they are internal conflicts. Let’s look at Lisa
again. Her conflict isn’t with Elliott—it’s with herself. She has everything
but can’t understand her discontent. This conflict pops up frequently in modern
literature. As our lives have become more comfortable, fewer external
conflicts, such as getting our next meal, are the subject of books. When
writers examine modern life, they often analyze our dissatisfaction in the
midst of plenty. In fact, one of Freud’s most famous works is Civilization and its Discontents.
Step two is
getting your likable but conflicted characters naked as soon as possible and as
frequently as possible within the limits
of the story. In Exit to Eden,
Rice does this via the setting as well as the characters. The setting allows
Lisa to choose and use Elliott as her personal sex slave. This takes place
early in the book and is preceded by several sensual scenes, including the
unloading of the new batch of naked slaves delivered to the resort she runs.
And it’s followed by many erotic scenes as the characters’ pasts are shown to
the reader and the course of their romance is related.
So, in order to load erotica with a lot of sex, start with a
sexy premise, which will lead naturally to a lot of sex-filled scenes, without
the lovemaking seeming forced or the sex shoehorned into the book just to give
the reader a chance to get off or, worse, to increase the word count.
Another tactic is to begin a story in the midst of a
relationship. Here’s the beginning of one of my short stories, Gypsy Witch:
Ben propped himself up
on his elbows to better see the naked woman beneath him. Sheened with sweat,
Elena’s lush curves glowed in the reddish half-light of her bedroom, curtained
in exotically patterned swaths of gauze and silk. A curl of smoke from a lit
incense stick scented the air with sandalwood. Otherworldly New Age music
flowed out of a boombox in the corner, irritating the hell out of him.
Not only did I start off the story with a bang (pun
intended) but there’s quite a bit of characterization and even a little
conflict—and this is only the first paragraph. We see that Ben is very
“feet-on-the-ground” while Elena, his lover, is exotic and New-Agey. So
character is described, setting is related and the romantic conflict is shown.
Step three is
developing the plot so that the characters’ romantic relationship grows along
with their sex life. Sex may be an everyday occurrence, and even mundane to
many, but if you’re a character in a book, having sex will change your
relationship. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t belong in the book. Nothing belongs in
your story except events that move the tale along. The entire purpose of a
romance—which is usually the fiction genre that erotica falls into—is to show
growth and change in the characters as they grapple with their conflicts and
gain their happily-ever-after, or at least, happy-for -right-now love. If
you’re at all tuned into the basics of plot, you’ll place those life-changing
events right where they should be—at turning points in the story or perhaps at
the midpoint.
There’s more, of course...
Enjoy the journey!
Here’s where you can find the books I wrote that are referenced
in this blog:
Plotting and Planning, included in About Writing:
About the Author:
Best-selling,
award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several
subgenres, including erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and
suspense, plus a number of short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A
freelance editor, she’s held the positions of managing editor and senior
editor, working for such firms as Totally Bound and Ai Press. She also takes
private clients.
Her books have been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a contest or two,
attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller lists.
A former trial attorney, her passion is world
travel. She’s left the US over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working
overseas. She’s now writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.
Check
out Suzie's site: http://www.suzdemello.com
And her blog:
http://www.TheVelvetLair.com
