writing – Page 2

Writing erotica in an interesting journey, but one I’m glad I took. I chose this genre for my first attempts at novel writing because of the theme I wanted to work with. I’ve already written about this topic in another post, “This Is Erotically Insane.” However, I’ve been reading erotica on and off for many years, and I must admit I like reading for sensual pleasure when I’m in the mood–and I don’t have a headache!

At any rate, I do get the comments of “Why are you writing in that category?” “Why don’t you write something else?” “Can you not write about anything else but sex?” The list goes on. Even one person very close to me said that they wished I’d write in another category so I wouldn’t have to keep my writing such a big secret. I can’t blame that comment there, because it’s true, I do keep a lot of this writing secret from my family, friends, and co-workers.

When other people are promoting their book in my writer’s group, I feel I usually have to bow out due to the genre in which I write. But the big question is: If I had it to do all over again, would I choose to start out in another genre? Well, not really. After all, I could have just started out in another genre in the first place. And what’s interesting is that many authors who write in a particular category seem to try their hand at erotica at some point in their career. I’ve often wondered why they chose to do that, and I’m sure the answer is simple: they want to try their hand in another completely different category.

Contrary to popular belief, writing erotica isn’t an easy way out. I’d love nothing better than to trounce anyone who thinks or says such a thing. Writing a novel is writing a novel, no matter what category you choose. In science fiction and fantasy, you have all kinds of machines, world-building, and magical things to create, and languages to boot. In mysteries and thrillers, you have the gotcha moments and action-packed scenes to create. When incorporating wars into your work, you have to plan the battles and who’s doing what, where, when, and how.

In erotica, you’ve got to try to weave an interesting story while incorporating sex scenes, and on top of that, if sex is actually the driving force in your story, then the challenge is even greater to create a story that’s interesting and titillating. So please have some respect for those who write erotica. They’re no less than other authors just because they choose to write more about carnal pleasures.

So what about all of you readers out there? Do you think Erotica is a lesser category than other genres? Do you think this genre will ever hit mainstream markets like Romances, Mysteries, and Science Fiction and Fantasies have? Feel free to tell me what you think!

I thought I’d never be the one to do it, but I fooled myself! Yes, I’m actually a new author who managed to complete a full-length novel in the erotica genre, of all categories! Hooray! Why erotica? Yes, sex is such a taboo subject, and in the category of fiction, one dare not consider it mainstream reading. I remember my first time reading an erotic novel! I picked up Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty trilogy, thinking I was going to be reading a true fairy tale. Boy was I ever fooled! But I kept reading because the whole idea of an author writing about nothing but sex intrigued me. How could someone do that and yet, create an enjoyable story at the same time?

Well, I got to try my hand at it, and I must admit the experiences I gained in the writing process were of such great magnitude, that I wouldn’t trade them for any other in the world. The work, the revisions, the thought processes behind all the scenes, character creation, plot development–made me work and think harder than I’ve ever had to do before. Because I’m not a practitioner of the activities included in my first novel, I had to do quite a bit of research on different subject matters. I found myself hanging out and reading sites I’d never dreamt of viewing! I also learned about some highly kinky sexual activities that made me cock an eyebrow. But the research material made for great action, and the subject matter seemed to be unique even for this genre.

How did I first decide I was ready to dip my toe (or my pen, rather) into the well and begin writing? Honestly, I just went with my gut. I’d spent hours learning the craft of writing, and I must say I’m not done yet. Not by a long-shot! But at some point, I believed I had learned enough about character development and plot creation to go ahead and begin putting words on paper. As I learned more about word choices and associated do’s and don’t’s, I revised my work to flow much better. Studying some self-editing books forced me to take an even harder look at my work, so I revised again.

At some point I decided I had done all I could do with the first draft, and so I submitted parts of my writing to people in critique groups, and finally I graduated to submitting my manuscript to an editor and a couple of beta readers. These people did wonders for my first draft, pointing out flaws in flow, placement, or relatability issues. Luckily, they all liked my work, and incorporating their suggestions into my revisions will only serve to make the story even stronger. So it’s off to work I go, revising what I hope will be an even better story than I started out with!

Is The Erotica Genre A Good One?

First Experiences In Writing Erotica