Dos and Don'ts for Writing Erotica

If you're looking to break into the business of writing erotica, here are some basic dos and don'ts on which most editors agree. Knowing the rules ahead of time will help you craft erotica that you can be proud of and that will get published.

1. Writing Erotica: Do Write Real Characters

One of the main differences between erotica and porn is that you can get to know the characters in erotica. Real-seeming people with real motivations and desires keep readers coming back for more. Give your characters some depth and see how hotly the sparks fly off the page.

2. Writing Erotica: Do Imply a Connection between Characters

Whether you're writing a scene between a long-married couple or strangers having a chance encounter, the sex that follows should imply some sort of connection between the characters. Is one person having a long-ignored curiosity fulfilled? Does one character seem to anticipate the other's needs perfectly? Because erotica is primarily read by women, random sex isn't nearly as sexy as sex that is emotionally fulfilling in some way or another, even if the fulfillment is brief.

3. Writing Erotica: Do Craft a Plot

You know how in a porn film, the characters wander in and out of ridiculous scenarios to get to the sex? Erotica needs to have a more substantive set-up than ordering a pizza or breaking down by the side of the road. If you do want to try a tried-and-true plot line, you'll still have some explaining to do. If the pizza guy is going to seduce the lonely woman in her apartment, you'll have to set the stage. What is the woman doing home alone ordering pizza? Why does the delivery driver invite himself inside, and why does the woman let him? Part of the appeal of erotica is the anticipation of sex, so you need to build up to the climax, so to speak.

4. Writing Erotica: Do Pay Attention to the Setting

Just because you want to write erotica doesn't mean you can ignore all five of the senses. What does that steamy mall dressing room smell like? What sort of noises come from the family gathering in the other room? What does the texture of the couch feel like against her skin? You get the point.

Beyond describing the setting sensually, use the setting to give us clues about the characters. Is one character's apartment messy beyond belief? Does the seducer have phallic lawn statues? The bottom line is that unlike in porn, the sex has to happen somewhere that is more substantial than a poorly lit room.

5. Writing Erotica: Don't Write about Illegal Sex

You're going to have a hard time getting published if the erotica you write describes illegal activities like having sex with children or animals. Incest and rape scenarios are usually flat-out rejected by publishers who don't want to risk their own businesses by posting or printing content that could get them in trouble.

6. Writing Erotica: Don't Ignore Publishers' Guidelines

When you're looking for a target market for your erotica, it helps to get a general idea of what publishers are looking for. If a certain subject (like interracial romance or group sex)is mentioned as desirable by multiple publishers right now, then you know you've got a way to break in. If several publishers write in their guidelines that a certain topic (like extreme violence or gender-bending) is off limits, use that as a cue.

7. Writing Erotica: Don't Forget Your Target Audience

Always, always keep in mind that you're writing erotica for people who are a little more literary than people who want visual pornography. Write with skill and depth, and you'll find your audience.