Writing Erotica

Lesson 3: Successful Writers of Erotica

In this lesson, we will first look at the differences between erotica written for women and erotica written for men. Then you will be introduced to several successful contemporary writers of erotica like Caleb Knight and R.J. Masters. Join us as we look at excerpts from their work and see how they became published authors.

Sex: Heterosexual Erotica

Heterosexual stories may be geared to either a male or a female audience. The difference between the two is that male erotica tends to be more hard core, usingmore graphic descriptions of both body parts and the sexual acts taking place. In male erotica, you give only a cursory description of the characters and focus more specifically on the sex act itself. Female erotica tends to place more emphasis on the building of sexual tension, the creation of erotic imagery—the physical description, the lingering touch. Use of the erotic words discussed in Lesson 1, is much more important in female erotica.

For Men

"Doug's hands were insistent, his kiss hungry and demanding. His tongue pushed into my mouth, teasing and tasting, while he unbuttoned my blouse. His hands caressed my bare breasts, gently massaging around the stiff pink peaks. His fingers gently pinched and tweaked my nipples, tugging and rolling them, and causing jolts of pleasure to shoot directly to the heated area between my thighs....He pushed my skirt up, so that only my panties kept him from making direct contact with my warm, moist flesh."

Notice that the above sample does not have any "introductory" description or "warm-up". The story begins with graphic action.

For Women

"The muscles in his young, shirtless body tensed each time he lifted a shovel rounded with dirt. The beads of perspiration glistened across his broad back. His denim cutoffs were stretched taut across his firm, rounded buns. I could not look away. I was mesmerized by his sculpted beauty.

I waited, holding my breath in anticipation. He turned slowly, giving me the first glimpse of his handsome face, a layer of razor-stubble darkening his rugged jawline.

The thick fur on his muscular pecs and washboard belly was matted against his tanned skin. My eyes moved lower, following the dark trail of matted hairs. I eagerly devoured the outline of his youthful maleness, asit pushed against the stiff denim.

Note that not ALL women prefer soft core fiction and not ALL men prefer graphic fiction. You just need to be aware of the difference in markets. "Most" men's magazines are more graphic than women's magazines.

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