Ashley Lister - How to Write Erotic Fiction and Sex Scenes

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All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or stored in an information retrieval system (other than for purposes of review) without the express permission of the publisher in writing.

The right of Ashley Lister to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

2013 Ashley Lister

First published 2013

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978 1 84528 505 9
eISBN: 978 1 47210 969 9

Produced for How To Books by Deer Park Productions, Tavistock
Typeset by TW Typesetting, Plymouth, Devon
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain Ltd, Glasgow

NOTE: The material contained in this book is set out in good faith for general guidance and no liability can be accepted for loss or expense incurred as a result of relying in particular circumstances on statements made in the book. The laws and regulations are complex and liable to change, and readers should check the current position with the relevant authorities before making personal arrangements.

Cover design by Ian Hughes, Mousemat Design

Im indebted to all the writers whove given permission for their work to be included in this book. Im equally indebted to the publishing houses whove given permissions and to all the friends and colleagues whove helped me track down lost friends and favourite authors so that I could make this book as complete as possible.

I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to the friends and family who helped me get this MS to completion. You know who you are. Thank you for being so supportive.

Of all the literary genres, erotica is the one that can make the strongest physical impression on a reader. Erotica is also the genre that can provoke the strongest critical reactions of condemnation and praise, even from those whove never read the work theyre discussing.

In other words: no other genre compares to erotica.

We might read horror to enjoy being scared.

We might read murder mysteries to pit our own wits against a genius detective.

We might read literary titles to savour the timeless pleasure of a classic.

But no other genre compares to the sexually charged thrill of reading well-written erotica.

There are reasons for this.

Most importantly, erotic fiction is arousing. Because of its taboo associations, erotica remains one of the most compelling genres in all of fiction. As children we used to look up the rude words in the dictionary before exploring anything else in those pages. We went on to giggle at the sex references in supposedly serious works such as the Bible and Shakespeare. Since then many of us have moved on to enjoy reading more explicit fiction. If youre reading this book, the chances are youre now interested in writing explicit fiction.

There are various definitions of erotica. The one Im most inclined to accept is:

Written literature or art intended to cause sexual arousal.

Admittedly, this definition leaves a broad scope of interpretation. What one person classes as erotica, another person might dismiss as pornography. My own opinion is: if the reader considers the work to be erotic, then its erotic. It doesnt matter what label anyone else places on the piece.

In the following pages Ive included examples of erotic fiction and sex scenes from a host of writers who exemplify good practice in the genre. Because of restrictions of space Ive had to overlook many other writers who are equally talented. But Im happy that the writers in these pages represent some of the best authors currently populating the erotic fiction shelves.

To make the best use of this book youll need a notepad and pen and the desire to write erotic fiction. There are exercises in most chapters as well as materials to prompt creativity and guidance about the preferred practices within the genre.

The purpose of this book is to show how erotica is currently being written and give some inspiration for those who are interested in writing erotica. Hopefully, by the time youve reached the end, youll be well on your way to crafting arousing and exciting scenes that thrill each and every one of your readers.

Ashley Lister

Im talking about Parnells story. Did it give you any ideas?

Charlotte shrugged. It made me question the dubious mentality of our hosts and their guests. Or did you mean something other than that?

Serena shook her head. They mounted the stairs and she pushed her sister into the shared bedroom before daring to raise her voice above a whisper. I want to try it.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. Have you been mixing travel sickness pills and alcohol again?

I mean it. I want to try it.

No way.

Didnt the idea excite you? Didnt it give you a thrill thinking about it?

No. Charlotte frowned and then asked, What idea?

The idea of being spanked beneath a full moon. Doesnt the thought send your pulse racing?

Ashton, L., A Stout Length of Birch

We read fiction to enjoy the experiences of fictional characters. In a good horror story, we enjoy the thrill of being frightened. In a good romance we savour the magic of love. And, in good erotica, we share the pleasure of a characters sexual excitement.

Erotica usually focuses on:

the thrill of sexual experiences;

the dynamics of sexual relationships;

the mechanics of sexual interplay.

However, while erotica is thought to be all about the sex, its often about a lot more than that. Over the following pages well look at how sex is currently being written, well look at some of the more popular ways of approaching sex in fiction and well consider some exercises to help writers craft successful erotic scenes.

EXERCISE

Think about all the erotic titles youve ever read and all the erotic scenes youve encountered in fiction. Try to decide what you liked about them. It doesnt matter whether critics would call them literary erotica or genre erotica or pornography. Well look at those labels soon enough. What matters here is whether or not you enjoyed the story or the events being described. What matters is your reaction to the erotic content and the erotic interaction of the characters.