want to write

[Powerone]

Many people think that they just can write a sex scene and that's it. That is porn, not erotica. In erotica you have the same things you have in your other writing, characters, settings, motivation of the characters, etc. The sex scene is just the "climax" of the rest of the story.

Don't be afraid of writing things you haven't experienced. Most writers (I hope) have not experienced rape, murder, etc. but can convey the feelings of the characters. That is what makes a good writer, where you can place the reader into the action.

If you look at most of my stories, I convey the feelings of the female characters, yet obviously I am not one (but then again, maybe I am really female, acting as a male writer, LOL)

P1

[LaJan]

Interesting distinction, Powerone. I will consider that while writing my next piece and put it to that test. In my shortest stories, there seems little time for in-depth character development. However, to avoid the label of 'simply porn' (i.e., trash), I will see if I'm better suited for one or the other. After all, writing porn is a dirty job but someone has to do it... (Yes, that was stolen and misquoted from a song by the rock band Ratt. I guess I'm gonna get sued, damn it.)

Many people think that they just can write a sex scene and that's it. That is porn, not erotica. In erotica you have the same things you have in your other writing, characters, settings, motivation of the characters, etc. The sex scene is just the "climax" of the rest of the story.

Don't be afraid of writing things you haven't experienced. Most writers (I hope) have not experienced rape, murder, etc. but can convey the feelings of the characters. That is what makes a good writer, where you can place the reader into the action.

If you look at most of my stories, I convey the feelings of the female characters, yet obviously I am not one (but then again, maybe I am really female, acting as a male writer, LOL)

P1

[Insidious]

Don't be afraid of writing things you haven't experienced. Most writers (I hope) have not experienced rape, murder, etc. but can convey the feelings of the characters. That is what makes a good writer, where you can place the reader into the action.

I have never been on a scout spacecraft. On the other hand, I know what it is like to operate a computer; I know what it is like to be alone for long periods, and I know what it is like to live in cramped conditions. So I am writing what I know, in a way.

(That quote is entirely from memory, so it may be a long way from correct.)

[Powerone]

Good Quote.

P1

[Morrighan]

When writing, period, play to your strengths and focus on the flow of the story. Blend description and dialogue with the action, rather than separating long paragraphs of description and dialogue from the rest. The best writers can put you in the scene and help you visualize it without separating the different aspects of the writing. The biggest faux pas, so to speak, that I have seen in the stories in the archive is that when introducing a character (particularly a naked woman, there's a lot of those) is that they will stop the action to describe her--height, hair and eye color, and sometimes numerical measurements. While the description helps with visualization, it should be spread throughout, not centered in one paragraph. Those few stories that I have proofread and edited are usually guilty of this. And no where is this more crucial than in erotica, as description plays such a major role in the story.

Morrighan

[Aurelius]

Lots of good advice so far. Here's my own contribution...

1) Try to think of a unique angle to your story. Just because someone ends up tied to a bed, doesn't me it can't be interesting to read about how s/he got that way. No matter what people say, every story HASN'T been told before. Believe that you have something new to offer. Toy with the idea in your mind and when you feel something formed (particularly the beginning AND the end, sit down and write it. The middle stuff is easier when you have the start and end already formed in your mind.

2) When it comes to the 'hot' part of your story, don't hold back, don't be afraid to give the dirty details. Go for it. Deliver!