Writing Sensual Romance 101
It seems that Erot!ca is a dirty word on this website, by that I mean the search function gives you nothing, and so I’m flying low to avoid the radars, so to speak.
If you’re a writer that adds any element of romance or sexuality to your writing, you’re going to stray into my neck of the woods eventually; you might not be writing all out erotic fiction, but it doesn’t hurt to know how to write it well. Worst case scenario, you have a skill that you can utilise to varying degrees. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it, after all.
For lack of a more sophisticated question to start us off, I’ll quote a good friend of mine,
“I just get so… squeamish. I mean, how do I do the do?”
What she meant by this, of course, was “how do I write erotica without making my toes curl?”
The answer is so simple, and oh so complex; write what turns you on. If you’re not confident in what that is, it’ll be harder for you (no pun intended), and if you’re not comfortable with sexuality it’s definitely going to be an uphill battle.
So, first on the list; get comfortable with what turns you on, and get ready to pick it apart. Even if you’re only writing fade to black scenes you’re going to want them to stir something in your readers. If you’re not getting hot and bothered writing it, there’s a high chance you’re doing it wrong.
There really are no such things as concrete rules when it comes to writing, but I have 3 rules that I follow more often than not when it comes to writing romance or erotica. They are;
1) Characterisation is King; when you sell romance of any type or degree you’re selling the chemistry between characters more so than plot. Plot matters, of course, but not as much as characterisation or chemistry. A poor plot can be saved by good chemistry, but a fantastic plot will not sell a romance that is devoid of tension, sensuality, and friction.
3) Spare the Shaft; please dear God, never use the phrases “python”, “throbbing rod”, or “love tunnel”, or any of the many euphemisms which litter so many poor-quality, dated romances and erotic novels. Stick to terms that are functional and appropriate for your time period and story lean.
4) Foreplay of all Kinds; this applies to you, yes you, even if you’re not writing erotica! I don’t just mean the tongues and fingers etcetera; I mean the longing looks, the touching of hands, the whispered adoration. There’s a good, solid saying; if they have to kiss for you to know they’re in love, you’re not writing it well. That may be a poor paraphrase, but I stand by it. Your readers should know the characters love, desire, want each other before they ever touch.
If you intend to write straight up erotic fiction the pace is much different than, for example, that of a romance or adventure novel. Think less context, more action, but nonetheless follow the basic principles of plotting;
Stasis; how is life now, what are they dissatisfied with, and what is it they crave. Is your MC a lonely widow/widower, and adventurous young adult (over 18 of course), or a promiscuous singleton? Are they seeking no frills fun, emotional fulfilment, a release for emotions and tensions, or something a bit less tangible.
The Disturbance; generally speaking this is the moment they meet their Love Interest.
The Swivel; the moment your M/C realises what they want is potentially being offered in the form of their love interest.
The Proposition; moving into the negotiation of their interaction. Assuming what you write is fully consensual this could be a discussion on limits, a make-out session that leads to questions of how, when, where etcetera, or a straight up offer e.g. “I have what you need.”
Foreplay; literal and figurative. Be generous to your characters. Ease the readers and characters into it together, and get the engine running before you get into the fray properly.
“The Do” - pretty self explanatory.
If you’re writing what I call sensual or erotic romance the structure differs a little;
Stasis - every plot begins with stasis. When you’re working with a bit more of a plot involved story use this to set the scene as well as identify the need for romantic/sexual evolution.
The Disturbance - this could be the moment they meet their love interest or the moment that leads to them meeting this person.
The Hook - if you’re writing romance you need to draw it out a little more. The hook is the event which throws them together for the first time in a very real sense. Think Margaret Hale meeting John Thornton in her fathers study, or Katniss Everdeen finding herself on the train with Peeta Mellark. This is the moment they must interact properly.
Catastrophe! - You know this bit, everyone knows that there has to be a point where a horrible misunderstanding, mistake, or argument comes between them, This is the moment that highlights how far they have to go.
The Swivel - the moment they realise how terribly wrong they were about their love interest!
The Choice - at this point they have to choose between the easy path and their lover. Think of the moment Margaret Hale gets back on the train to Milton with John Thornton; the characters choose to make a change for love.
The Slide - in romantic or sensual erotica you want to think of this not as a proposition, but a gradual loosening of inhibition. You’re essentially giving your reader a romance novel with on-screen satisfaction for all the feelings you’ve built up in them.
Foreplay and Climax - once again, pretty self explanatory.
This is far from everything you need to think about, but if you can nail this down you’ll have a good foundation to work from. You can also check out these resources for extra help;
5 Ways to Kill Your Erotica Instantly
Write a Banging Erotic Novel
10 Well Written (Modern) Sex Scenes
