I am not a self-proclaimed expert on writing erotica. I do have a second life as a creative writing tutor which means I know a bit about the writing process. These articles give some insight as to what works for me. All writers are different, adapt my ideas, ignore them or do the opposite, as long as it works for you.
How (Not) To Write a Serial Story
I really should listen to my own advice. In How to Write (and Read) A Serial Story I offered two tips. Here’s what can go wrong and how to avoid it.
I have had a bit of a revelation whilst re-writing my new serial story At the Edge of Dreams. Maybe not a full blown revelation, more a realization that even I do not always listen to what I say in my creative writing classes.
Many writers, especially when writing about sex, seem to ignore smell, taste is limited to salty (I’ll let you work out the context of that one) and all characters hear is dialogue and the odd moan.
What Do You Want From A Sexy Story?
Graphic descriptions of all the squelchy details or a little light romance with a hint of gentle fondling as a turn-on.
Read the original Grab Me By the Imagination on Medium
The question is, how rampant can a demon be in a horror story? In two classics of the genre, Rosemary’s Baby and Bram Stoker’s Dracula the sex is explicitly implied within the constraints of mainstream films.
Maintain Continuity In Your Writing
Don’t concentrate on details that are unimportant but there is a lesson writers need to learn from film-makers – continuity.
Unless you are writing purely for yourself, in which case there is no point in publishing your work anyway, there comes a point when you need to think like a reader. So when where and how is your ideal reader reading?
For the sake of this analogy, I am going to imagine that everybody loves strawberries and cream. Strawberries on their own are nice; cream is nice – combine the two and the result is a much more enjoyable taste experience. So what has that got to do with writing?
Encourage your readers to keep coming back for more
Writers have a huge number of words available to describe spankings, whippings and canings within a BDSM themed story but the vocabulary of BDSM can be confusing.
I recently read this superb article by Glenn M Stewart on Medium. He details some of the red flags that offend the reader’s intelligence so much that they make erotic writing unbelievable or transform it into pornographic writing.
Writing About Faeries Spirits and Ghosts
I recently read this superb article by Glenn M Stewart on Medium. He details some of the red flags that offend the reader’s intelligence so much that they make erotic writing unbelievable or transform it into pornographic writing.
I am often asked, how long should a short story be? My flippant answer is usually, half as long as your first draft, but so much is dependent on the medium you intend to publish it in.
Maintain Continuity In Your Writing
With apologies to those of you who are experienced writers, exposition is the where, when and who in your story.
Why I Don’t Watch Porn – When I’m Writing
With apologies to those of you who are experienced writers, exposition is the where, when and who in your story.
With apologies to those of you who are experienced writers, exposition is the where, when and who in your story.
I recently did an interview for Ari on My Pen Her Whip and one of the questions was Where do you find the inspiration for your stories? That set me thinking, so here’s an expanded article on Looking For Inspiration and where I find it.
Are Writers Stepping Away From Reality
Our writing is realistic – What about the illustrations?
Write A Book A Month – Please Don’t
I recently read an article about writing books. The author suggested that writers begin by writing short books, all good so far, and then went on to say you do not need to write a book a week (oh, good), maybe one a month or every two weeks, whoa, hang on there.
Is Writing Erotica Worth It? Part 1
A bit of titillation does garner more readers. Look at the proliferation of #hotwife and #cuckold stories on Medium and Substack. Sex sells, as the rather overused saying tells us, but does it sell ideas?
Is Writing Erotica Worth It? Part 2
. Part 1 discussed what writers might want to say and is it worth saying it in an erotic story. This part looks at who or what is going to stop you saying it or at least publishing it.
Why Is No One Reviewing Your Book?
Why do people bombard restaurants with reviews and ignore writers? And before you rush to sign up, there’s no quick fix.
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