DISCLAIMER!
None of this is written in stone! It's just what I have found works for me, and some may be useful for you too. The only 'magic ingredient' is LUCK, but you know what they say: 'The harder you work, the luckier you get!'




HOW EROTIC WRITING COMPARES WITH
WRITING OTHER TYPES OF FICTION
Speaking personally, it's not all that different. I always aim to write a 'proper' (as well as an 'improper'!) novel, with some semblance of a plot, and characters who are a bit more than just cardboard figures. Although the requirement of this genre is for around 50 per cent sex scenes I try to include other material that might be of interest. I based 'Aphrodisia' around the perfume industry, for instance, since scent has always played a part in sexual arousal. In my Black Lace historicals there's quite a bit of scope for interesting snippets about past times, but ideally everything should be related to the erotic theme.



WRITING AS SEDUCTION
If you think about it, all writing contains a strong element of seduction. First you must package your book to attract the potential reader. Hopefully your publisher will do this with an eye-catching jacket and some whispered words of enticement (the blurb). Then the reader might be tempted to flirt with you, the writer, by flicking through your book in the store. They might make a close inspection of the front view (first page) or the back (the last page). If they like what they see your book might be bought and taken away to somewhere more private, where the real business of seduction begins.

Now that you have your reader 'hooked' your task is to maintain their interest, so you must use a few tricks. Act like a striptease artiste and don't reveal everything at once! Tease and intrigue them, arousing curiosity and excitement. But also give your readers time to settle in and explore the new experience you are creating for them. Arouse their senses as well as their mind. Now they're really involved and wanting more, but be sure to pace your book so as to maintain their interest while still keeping something back. Do something unexpected from time to time, or they'll get bored.

You've set the scene and plotted a course for the characters that leads inevitably towards some sort of climax. Now keep your reader hovering on the brink for a while. Make them think it's going to happen now . . . then disappoint them a little, only to raise their expectations again. Wait until they're completely absorbed and hanging on your every word before you finally deliver that shattering climax (or even multiple climaxes!) before letting them relax into the pleasant afterglow of a happy ending, with all their curiosity satisfied and expectations fulfilled. Hopefully the experience will have been so satisfying that your readers will come back for more!



HOW TO WRITE A GOOD SEX SCENE
Don't imagine you can get away with just fantasising on paper - editors and readers expect a lot more than that. If you pour out a string of four-letter words, or stick to stark descriptions of the action with no emphasis on sensual detail or subtler shades of feeling, your work will seem at best amateurish and at worse will seem like the crude outpourings of an adolescent w..ker!

For classy erotic writing two words that come to mind are 'detail' and 'involvement,' both yours and the reader's. You should describe what's happening in detail, and all aspects should be lovingly dwelt upon or, if the scene is brief, vividly conveyed. Try to avoid crude expression and cliche, though it's not always possible. Use your taste and judgement, attributes that every writer needs and the erotic writer more than most. Aim to orchestrate your sex scenes with highs and lows, obviously building towards one or more climaxes, followed by some resolution - although sometimes it is more fun to leave your readers high and dry until the next chapter!

Involve the reader by describing physical feelings and emotions, as well as actions. Participles (-ing verbs) are useful to avoid the monotony of 'he did this then she did that.' Aim to get some rhythmic flow into your writing that carries the reader on smoothly from one piece of the action to next.

Remember we have five senses and write to appeal to all of them. Dialogue can be useful, but more in the build-up to the sex scene than in the scene itself, where it should be used sparingly. Make use of your knowledge of the different ways people make love and imagine new ones, new settings, to get as much variety as possible into your writing. Remember, variety adds SPICE!



HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING
All writers are also readers. Your job as a writer is to put yourself in the position of a reader coming to your book for the first time. It's not easy, but once you've mastered the trick it will pay dividends. You'll find yourself asking such questions as 'Do we really need to know all this right now?' 'Why do three of the characters' names begin with S?' and 'What was the point of introducing that character, since they have nothing whatever to do with the plot?' Then you'll know how to edit your writing.

Read 'How To' books if you must, but develop your own way of working. Every writer works differently. Some write every day from 6 a.m. to noon, others work best in the small hours. Some aim to write a thousand words a day, others are pleased if they manage a hundred. Some polish as they go along and can't start the next bit till they're satisfied, others write the whole thing without stopping then go back and tinker. Find the way that works for you.

When I was first learning the craft of writing I read loads of 'How To' books for the various genres I was interested in. Be warned: they can become addictive! By reading these books you can convince yourself that you're learning magic tricks to improve your writing, but there's no substitute for practice, practice, practice. After a while the books began to seem repetitive and I realised I was only getting one or two useful new points from each one. I also realise the money could be better spent on getting a really good dictionary, slang dictionary, thesaurus, etc.

Read other erotic novels but, again, beware! They are not all well-written. Choose only the best as your models. Write the book that turns YOU on, describe the characters and situations and techniques that YOU find erotic, and trust that others will feel the same.



HOW TO GET PUBLISHED
The most thriving market for erotic novels is the British one. Black Lace pioneered erotica for women and this has given a boost to the genre. However, four years on most lines are pretty full and you face a good deal of competition. The initial boom is probably levelling out in the UK although US and worldwide sales may continue to rise. Before you send anything out get the writers' guidelines for each line and make sure your story fits, as requirements differ between publishers - certainly as regards word length, for instance.

PUBLISHERS' ADDRESSES:
The bad news is that the 'Erotica Boom' is now over in the UK. Most of these publishers have now stopped publishing erotica or only consider their exisiting authors. In the US, Masquerade have also cut back, and revised their guidelines.

Black Lace is still open to new writers, but you are strongly advised to send for their guidelines to this address, enclosing postage or international reply coupon:

Kerri Sharp,
Editor, Black Lace Books,
Virgin Publishing,
Thames Wharf Studios,
Rainville Road,
London W6 9HT
UK

The usual rules about submitting work apply, i.e. presentable, typed mss and send only synopsis plus up to three sample chapters in the first instance. Make sure you include a stamped, addressed envelope or international reply coupons if you want acknowledgement. And include a phone number, as some editors like to phone and chat about your book if they're interested.


WRITING 'SHORT'
There is not much of a market for erotic short stories these days since several UK magazines that used to publish them have folded. Anthologies occasionally appear - Black Lace is publishing one called 'Sugar and Spice' sometime soon - and there is the American 'Herotica' series. But your best bet if you want to give your stories an airing is the Internet. Do first read the rules for each site and follow them, as some may not accept explicitly sexual material. You can post stories to ERA (see Related Sites) or to other writers' groups such as Compuserve's 'Erotic Literature' forum, which runs a workshop. With luck you may even get some feedback on your writing!