“When writing a novel, a writer should create living people; people, not characters. A character is a caricature.” – Ernest Hemingway
As I’ve previously stated, I don’t write erotica and I’m not so much an indulgent person in my own day-by-day. However, in my lifetime, I’ve been fortunate to count a wide variety of "strange and unique" individuals as my friends. This classification, while not flattering when said by some, is accurate and completely accepted within friendly circles. As such, this post is a bit more PG-17 than my previous blogs.
Among these friends have been two writers of erotica; one whose writing style is similar to John Norman’s Gor series, but not so ham-handed (apologies to the fans of Mr. Norman’s thirty-three books of Gor, as he did get better after his first few books were published).
And, although I was never a client, I’ve counted among my friends the owner of Chattanooga’s first escort service listed in the yellow pages (quite groundbreaking in those days) and a telephone sex operator who demonstrated Foley props (oddly enough, a wire whisk and large jar of petroleum jelly used together were her favorites) that kept her clients engaged and the money rolling in.
What does any of this have to do with writing? These friends from my past were in the business of enticement. They made money because they were aware of some important rules:
1. Know your target audience.
This is the biggest mistake made by beginning writers and a question asked by many agents. If a writer isn’t sure how to respond, they might consider reference to an icon. E.g. people who read Alexa Riley or people who read Nicholas Sparks, etc. And sometimes the question might be better answered, “People like me”.
A manuscript can stand on its own without a target audience. Perhaps it was written because it needed to be written. I believe that is a valid purpose. Some agents, however, may not. Indie and self-publishing can bring an excellent story to a wide audience.
But, given the idea you will attract a certain type of reader. are you targeting people who are looking for great sex interlaced with a good storyline, or are you targeting people who are looking for a good storyline that features great sex?
2. Use the right wording for your target audience.
I’ll deal with erotica in a moment, but, if a work of non-erotic fiction calls for intimacy, the writer would shy away from words such as: (apologies and a bit of indulgence requested here)
A) Manroot
B) Heaving and/or throbbing when referring to:
C) Expletive deleted
D) Expletive deleted
E) Clinical terminology used by your family MD when speaking to your grandmother. (This is true for Erotica as well).
F) Any language that makes you uncomfortable. It will translate through your writing to the reader.
Some things to remember. Nicholas Sparks doesn’t write sex scenes. But no one can deny his books are full of romance. Possibly the biggest key in writing intimate scenes in non-erotic fiction is: Less is often More. For example: “And with that one look, she surrendered to his touch.” The reader’s imagination will take over if you have a good storyline.
As for erotica, let the steamy, hot, monkey lovin’ commence. But there is one HUGE note I must interject. Most readers are women.
3. Men are visual. Women are situational.
A male reader might accept that the pizza delivery guy gets pulled into the beautiful housewife’s home for a toss about. This same man might momentarily regret his decision to graduate dental school, wishing instead he’d remained a pizza delivery guy.
A woman will call Captain Bogus out for what he is. She knows that the housewife will have had at least a page and a half of angst leading up to that call for pizza. She knows that somewhere another guy has been involved and caused this poor unfortunate housewife to have unrequited needs. She knows that if the housewife had ordered from the deli and invited a friend for supper, none of the wonderful, miserable, slow burn, quick release dialogue and descriptive narration would have been necessary.
Once the groundwork has been set, add the visual. Let the character(s) ripple, throb, heave, melt, plunge, dangle, thrust, and ache to your heart’s content.
But don’t cheat the reader out of the “Why?” of the situation. You can’t just write that the character went to some event, met some random guy, fell into bed, met another random guy the next day, fell into bed, and the storyline involves which random guy is she going to keep falling into bed with. Send that to Penthouse Forum. Don’t make a novel out of that kind of fluff.
However, I must admit, there is a population of female readers who are looking for just that. Life can be all too real. The guy(s) in their life belch, or scratch, or other less fun things in public. They want to escape into a world where all that matters is the bow chicka wow wow with Mr. Fantasy Lover 2016.
For an example of mainstream Erotica, I’m including a Click Here button at the end of this blog. The short passages are from a published author, with credit given, and provide an example of erotica that I see as standard and well written. The language is a bit graphic and is in no way a representation of the entire work. This excerpt only considers today's topic, writing a sexual situation.
4. Most writers and readers fall into a middle ground.
Comfort level is what’s important here. If the writer isn’t comfortable writing about intimacy, the reader will know it. Also, the writer has to realize some readers might be embarrassed by the pulsating, throbbing expletive deleted.
I’ve been in healthcare for fifteen years. Ask any nurse, we talk about anything and everything. Sometimes we have to monitor ourselves, as no topic is taboo dinner conversation within our peer group. But, I’m not going to talk about my day and the “You should have seen" stuff with my wife. Likewise, some sexual topics will never make it to the pages I write.
I’m giving an example of how I deal with passion and intimacy in a second Click Here button, which provides pages from The Hospitality Girl.
To set up the passages provided, Tammie Bowers is a young woman who feels betrayed by love. One of Tammie’s patients, ninety-one-year-old Alice Rogers, has sensed the turmoil in Tammie and is telling the story of her own life to help Tammie understand how wonderful and painful love can be. Alice has provided only short excerpts from her life each day, leaving Tammie constantly wanting more.
Remember these keys things:
Fiction is often about creating a fantasy world using factual building blocks. As such, sex can be messy and uncomfortable. Sex can be one of the best and one of the worst things to happen to a relationship. Sex can bring two people closer than they’ve ever believed possible. Sex can tear relationships apart. Sex can feel good or bad or both.
Guys will go to a sink, reach for the faucet, and beg for water (pardon my metaphor). Women know that when the water is off at the sink, there’s bottled water in the fridge and working faucets all up and down the block.
Don’t vulgarize sex unless the storyline calls for it. And remember, write sex the same way you write everything else. The characters have to be believable (not caricatures), the dialogue and narrative must be purposeful, the scene needs to move the story forward and not be a gratuitous bit of slap and tickle thrown in for laughs (unless you’re writing comedy).
I hope this has been enjoyable and provided a smile or two along with a few ideas to consider. No matter how or what you write, just keep writing.