Hmm ... maybe I shouldn't start at the beginning. Sometimes, it's best to start somewhere in the middle, then work backward. Every good romance novel has a climactic "the hero and heroine finally get together" moment, so I thought I'd start there.
As I wrote, I realized the scene I was creating was a bit more graphic than most mainstream romance novels. I just could not force myself to use the euphemisms for actions and body parts so prevalent in these stories--her heaving bosoms, his manliness, etc. Gag. I wanted to use real words that real people would use. However, I knew that kind of writing would never make it past the editors of mainstream romantic fiction. This was when I realized I didn't want to write romance at all--I wanted to write erotica!
I've read some of this genre, too, mostly on-line or in e-book format. Not being quite sure I was ready to write my own, however, I decided to take Linda Orlando's Suite University course, Writing Erotica: Sex Sells.
The first thing explained in the course is the difference between pornography and erotica. Many people think they are one and the same, but this is not the case. While erotica does contain graphic sex, it also includes much more plot, substance, and art than pornography.
Orlando next provides a list of some terminology that can be found in basic erotica stories. Finally ... a solution to that pesky "heaving busoms/manliness" problem!
The next section of the course deals with the basic story elements as they are used in erotica. Orlando doesn't go into great detail on characterization or plotting (there are other SuiteU courses that cover these in more detail), but she does give some valuable tips on how these elements should specifically be used when writing erotica.
The third segment of the course covers some of the successful writers of erotica, as well as some of the various sub-genres, such as gay and lesbian erotica. Just as with any form of fiction writing, knowing what genre or sub-genre you would like to cover can help bring focus to your writing.
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