Writing erotica isn’t for the faint of heart - whatever anyone tells you, there is a certain ‘cringe’ factor to writing a sex scene that doesn’t really exist in any other part of fiction writing. Even those who are fairly experienced in real life can find themselves floundering when they first try to write a realistic and compelling sex scene. Why? Well, probably because it feels a little personal.
So, in many ways it’s all about practice - actually writing or reading sex scenes will provide a sharp learning curve. However, there are a few changes that you can implement to elevate (almost) any sex scene immediately.
6 Tips for Writing Better Sex Scenes
These 6 tips are very simple and can be implemented by making a few changes to an existing manuscript as well as when you begin to write a new piece. So, don’t be afraid to haul out a few old drafts and see what a difference these changes can make! Read More on Vocal
Lust is about looks, love is about connection - romantic love, and romance, is somewhere in the middle. Creating this unique and potent experience as a writer is one of the most challenging parts of the craft (at least I think so). There are a million writing blogs, magazines, and gurus out there eager to tell you how to write better romance, but less information on how people most often go wrong.
The truth is that it’s rarely down to writing technique. With the screams of legions of plummy literary types in my ear, I’ll gently remind you that some of the most technically brilliant authors don’t make a living from their books. That doesn’t take away from their talent, of course, it’s a symptom of one thing; they’re writing for writers, most popular, widely loved authors write for readers. The very best, for example, Terry Pratchett and Barbara Kingsolver, do a bit of both. I’m boring you with this for a reason; the biggest mistake romance authors (or arguably any author) can make is to prioritize prose over storytelling.
The Importance of a (Good) Story
With the exception of very few, very esoteric, books which have gained cult acclaim, the majority of the novels you see in libraries and shops have a story. Storytelling is the heart of fiction writing, and in the romance genre, it is doubly important because the relationship is the story.
When writing horror, atmospheric descriptions may smooth some rough edges, in thrillers the plot is often an excuse for heart-racing action. In most novels, the story is the skeleton on which the book hangs - it’s hard to have a firefight or a haunted night without the shadow of a story, after all. If the writing falls short, the plot will seem bare and lifeless, but the structural integrity should keep it upright… should.
I just discovered foodtimeline.org, which is exactly what it sounds like: centuries worth of information about FOOD. If you are writing something historical and you want a starting point for figuring out what people should be eating, this might be a good place?
CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY
this is awesome but the original link just turned into a redirect loop for me, here it is again (x)
populations and peoples don’t just suddenly change at a border marker. cultures interact and blend.
there are usually a multitude of cultures in one place, and religions often have different factions within them
what are the differences between the upper and lower classes? is there a lower class? what system is used? fuedalism? capitalism? communism?
how does your society view and deal with poverty?
think about the diaspora. invent a large population of immigrants. why are they there? how long have they lived there? how does their culture now differentiate from their homeland?
languages. is there a global lingua franca (a language that people use to speak internationally. historically this has been latin and french, and right now, english)? if so, why That One? are there smaller lingua francas within different nations?
a large country will almost always have smaller languages within it. put some in. you don’t even have to name them, just have someone mention that they often have to translate for their parents
the lingua franca will usually be the language of the majority, but not always. if a particular ethnic group has control of the government, and therefor education, then that language will probably become more widespread. although sometimes there are “official languages” and “daily languages”
i could write a whole other post about languages honestly
what things do different cultures see as beautiful? is it eyes? hair? what parts of the body are considered scandalous. are the bodies of men and women seen differently? how do people feel about breasts?
how is makeup used? is it daily? is it ceremonial? do different colours and patterns have meanings or is purely for aesthetic? is it seen as gendered?
basically just don’t take everything in your culture as the “norm.” there is no norm. the world is weird.
learn about other cultures in our own world. please.
I would add to this, it is a good idea to have at least a rudimentary idea of how people came to inhabit the places they do and why.
Geography has a heavy influence on early societies - especially access to water, light and other critical resources.
A culture’s history will heavily influence its social norms, just as change to access to resources is likely to cause social norms to shift (for the better or worse depending on whether access opens up or restricts).
Me trying to figure out the distance between places and how long it’ll take a character to get there in a society that travels mostly on foot:
Relatable…
Good roads, fairly level (or at least gently graded) terrain, reasonably fit human (most in a walking society would be accustomed to all that walking)… If they’re walking mostly in daylight hours with regular rest breaks, plenty of food, a good night’s sleep, all in good weather and with only a mild burden…an adult can do about 30 miles (approximately 48km) in a day.
But if all their transport is done on foot and they have no pack animals, yet are hauling a lot of gear on their back, slow it down to 20mi (32km). If they’re pulling a travois (pole drag) or maneuvering a push-cart, slow it down further.
If they’re traveling at night, it will depend on their night vision and their light source; a mostly foot-based society probably won’t have high-powered thousand-lumens flashlights or headlamps to see by, so slow it waaay down.
If they’re traveling unfamiliar territory, slow it down a little…but on the converse side, if it’s familiat terrain, give them a familiarity bonus and speed up how far they can travel in a given timeframe. (Unless they’re being called home to be yelled at by their parental figures, lol, then slow it waaay down, lol.)
If the road is rough or the terrain steep, slow it down. If the weather is harsh, slow it down. If there is no road where they are going, cut the speed according to the terrain. LIght forest or grasslands, 75%. Modest forests 50%. Thick hack-your-way underbrush/jungle, slow it to 25% speed…and these calculations are after discerning elevation changes and weather conditions and burden management. However, slow it to 10% if you have a frikkin’ cart you’re trying to get somewhere, or any other Wide Load. A travois might be acceptable if it’s narrow.
If you’re traveling with another person and using shoulder carry poles with gear dangling, slow it to about 75% to 50%, depending on their strength and burden weight. (And terrain, weather, etc.)
Alsofootwear can make a difference. If it’s rough or thorny terrain and the characters are walking barefoot, they’re definitely going to go slower, or if they’re walking with open sandals. Boots don’t always guarantee great traction, however.
If it’s pre-rubber-availability, boots and other leather but non-moccassin shoes are usually either hobnailed or not. If hobnailed, they’re used on muddy terrain, and they can be painful to walk upon over long distances (metal lumps, only a few layers of leather to cut down on construction cost, in most cases). But walking on cobblestones, flagstones, brick roads, etc, means that the metal studs on the bottoms of your shoes run the risk of slipping. (You’ll gain back some traction on icy paved streets, but not on rain-wet paved streets.)
If they’re meant for walking on paved roads, shoes & boots tend not to be hobnailed, but they lack traction and you’ll slip on wet surfaces, and definitely slip on any muddy or icy slopes. If your character can afford it, they could have two kinds of footwear…but even so, they’d still have to carry the weight of that second pair of shoes. People who travel on foot tend to either have lots of servants (often slaves, in historical accounts) to carry extra gear, or they pare down their own gear when traveling.
One way around the different types of terrain traction issue is to make rope sandals, by stitching coils of braided rope in place (think braided rug construction style, not woven like cloth). The coils can provide “grip” or traction–more than smooth leather in mud, more than hobnail studs on paving–and if you make them thick, they can be remarkably comfortable. But it’s not always feasible in wet climates because water will soak into the rope, saturate it, and give it mold or mildew problems over time.
Either way, if you’re wearing the wrong soles for the type of surfaces you’re traveling, that will cause problems, too.
Also, people who travel almost entirely by foot do not wear high heels.
I gotta repeat this one:
People who travel almost entirely by foot DO NOT WEAR HIGH HEELS.
(thank you for comng to my TED talk)
Also, chopping the heels off of high heels does not suddenly make them practical walking wear.
Please refer to this page before sending any asks, please!
I will answer questions about:
Characters
Plotting
POV
Setting
Tropes
Fanfiction
Genres
Getting Started
And more!!!!
I will NOT answer questions about:
Things that are already on this list
The publishing/editing industry (primarily because I’m unqualified)
Children’s fiction and Nonfiction (Same reason as above)
Hyper-specific details of your WIP; I can’t tell you how to write your own story.
“Does ____ sound like a good idea?”
Anything that can be figured out with a quick Google search (i.e. how fast can cheetahs run, how long does it take to get a license, etc.)
Asking me to reblog your post, give you a shout-out, etc. This blog is just for writing content only and will remain ad-free.
Asking me to read/edit your story for free. I’m a college student with a very busy life who also has her own writing projects to worry about, and cannot put time aside to edit someone’s work for no cost at all. Refer to my commissions page, please!
Sorry, but I am quite rigid about these rules!
This is just a compilation of the questions I get a lot or I think I answered pretty well, so if you need anything else feel free to check out my #answering asks tag!
I’ve also included some posts from other blogs/sources as well because I feel as though they can explain it much better than I ever could!
I am a white, neurotypical, cisgender woman and shouldn’t give you any advice but to DEFINITELY include diversity! Here are some great blogs for you to follow!
I’m currently working on a novel titled Wings of Faith, and often post content such as art, aesthetics, and writing updates!
Summary:
A one-winged angel must team up with a ragtag band of demons to escape his life in Hell. Haloes and harps must go on the backburner if it means clawing his way out of the fire, and if the world burns to ashes in his wake, so be it…because let’s be honest here: Hell’s humidity got old after, like, a day.
Here’s the blog that I post all of my art on, including Wings of Faith content, art wips, fandom content, and original work! Feel free to check it out here!
COMMISSIONS ARE OPEN!
Writing!
Starting at only $5!
Editing!
Copyediting only $5 per page and content editing only $10 per page!
Art!
Fully-colored AND shaded waist-up portrait for only $45!
You know a little detail I love in The Martian book? That Mark is obviously smart, but to different degrees depending on the subject.
He’s a mechanical engineer and a botanist. This makes him especially good at math, biology, food science, physics, and techy stuff that involves building things or taking stuff apart and making it do something else and general problem solving
He’s also generally good at chemistry. He knows that to make water he can breakdown hydrazine, but doesn’t think about the fact that it would cause the place to fill with hydrogen and almost blow up until it does. He also knows you exhale some oxygen each time you breathe, but doesn’t know how much.
He knows that solar panels are held at a 14 degree angle but doesn’t know why, and only knows the angle because he was in charge of setting them up
When he gets injured he doesn’t say what muscles, just that his back hurts. He fixes most of his muscle injuries with pain killers and warm baths while thinking about how the medic would have more detailed instructions
He has no idea how the pilot is so good at pilot stuff, and never differentiates different kinds of rocks like the geologist would
It’s just cool to have a smart character who is smart at things that make sense for their degrees and experience. So many characters get the Sherlock Holmes treatment where they’re good at whatever the plot needs, but in this case the book uses his blind spots as part of the plot. He knows enough chemistry to solve problems but not enough to anticipate the problems the chemistry would cause as well. It’s refreshing to have a book where what a character is bad at, or just not super good at, works with the story rather than just getting glossed over or having the character magically good at everything because if you know botany obviously you also know anatomy and geology and meteorology, etc
“…knows enough chemistry to solve problems but not enough to anticipate the problems…” is such a good way to put it.
“Each crewman had their own laptop. So I have six at my disposal. Rather, I had six. I now have five. I thought a laptop would be fine outside. It’s just electronics, right? It’ll keep warm enough to operate in the short term, and it doesn’t need air for anything.
It died instantly. The screen went black before I was out of the airlock. Turns out the “L” in “LCD” stands for “Liquid.” I guess it either froze or boiled off. Maybe I’ll post a consumer review. “Brought product to surface of Mars. It stopped working. 0/10.””
Here’s a quick ‘n’ easy writing exercise to spark off some new ideas. It’s about as simple as you can get AND YET lends itself to a numberless amount of interpretations:
Oh, hi. Today, we want to take a moment to talk to you about the single most important thing in the world.
Love.
Yeah, yeah, we’re raging hippies hellbent on mobilising the world’s writers and artists into a glorious revolution to save humanity from itself. Don’t act all surprised.
Because after politics and technology and progress and war and all the other stuff that humans seem to think is their ‘real’ work, the only thing that is left is love. Love is, indeed, all around, and love will, in fact, save the day. (Sorry Joy Division, you were wrong on this one).
And love starts with you.
It starts with loving yourself and the creative work you do, not by making some huge declaration but by setting a quiet intention to stop being so goddamn horrible to yourself all the time. And it starts with our fave writing mantra:
Writing romance: the power of a feel-good love story
The romance genre and its almost-guaranteed happily ever afters (HEAs) have a history of being dismissed. Is it because most romances are written by and for women? Or that romances are emotional stories of hope, with a theme that we are all deserving of love, just the way we are?
Why on earth would we dismiss that?
Most good stories have elements of a love story. (For example, you’ll find love story threads in The Hunger Games, Independence Day, and even Harry Potter.)
The enduring power of a feel-good love story has its roots in our species’ history and brain chemistry as well as from our desire to connect with universal truths about ourselves and our world. Arguably, HEAs have an important role and should not be dismissed.
Hey guys! As a writer myself, it’s hard to have a lot of resources for writing in one place. That’s why I decided to create this masterpost, and maybe make more if I find future resources. I hope you like it, and expect to see more masterposts like this in the future!
ZenPen: A minimalist writing website to keep you free of distractions and in the flow.
The Most Dangerous Writing App: A website where you have to keep typing or all of your writing will be lost. It helps you keep writing…kind of. You can choose between a time or word count limit!
Evernote: An online website where you can take notes and save the product to your laptop and/or smartphone!
Writer, the Internet Typewriter: It’s just you and your writing, and you can save your product on the website if you create an account.
Wordcounter: A website to help check your word and character count, and shows words you’re using frequently.
Monospace: An Android app for writing on the go when you feel the inspiration, but you don’t have your laptop on you!
For Productivity
Tide: An app that combines a pomodoro-esque timer with nature sounds and other noises! (Google Play/Apple Store)
ClearFocus: An Android app with a pomodoro-type time counter to let you concentrate easier and stay productive.
Forest: An app with a time counter to keep you focused and off your phone, and when you complete the time limit, a tree grows in your garden! (Google Play/Apple Store)
SelfControl: A Mac downloadable app that blocks you from distracting mail servers, websites, and other things!
more on writing muslim characters from a hijabi muslim girl
- hijabis get really excited over pretty scarves - they also like to collect pins and brooches - we get asked a lot of questions and it can be annoying or it can be amusing, just depends on our mood and personality and how the question is phrased - common questions include: - “not even water?” (referring to fasting) - hijabis hear a lot of “do you sleep in that?” (we don’t) and “where is your hair?” (in a bun or a braid, usually) - “is it mooze-slim or mozzlem?” (the answer is neither, it’s muslim, with a soft s and accent on the first syllable) - “ee-slam or iz-lamb?” (it’s iss-laam, accent on the first syllable) - “hee-job?” (heh-jahb, accent on the second syllable)
- “kor-an?” (no. quran. say it like koor-annn, accent on the second syllable) - people tend to mess up our names really badly and you just get a sigh and a resigned nod or an awkward smile, maybe a nickname instead - long hair is easy to hide, short hair is harder to wrap up - hijab isn’t just covering hair, it’s also showing as little skin as possible with the exception of face, hands, and feet, and not wearing tight/sheer clothing - that applies to men too, people just don’t like to mention it ( i wonder why) - henna/mehendi isn’t just for special occasions, you’ll see people wearing it for fun - henna/mehendi isn’t just for muslims, either, it’s not a religious thing - henna/mehendi is not just for women, men also wear it, especially on their weddings - there are big mehendi parties in the couple of nights before eid where people (usually just women and kids) gather and do each other’s mehendi, usually just hands and feet -five daily prayers - most muslim kids can stutter through a couple verses of quran in the original arabic text by the age of seven or eight, it does not matter where they live or where they’re from or what language they speak natively - muslim families tend to have multiple copies of the quran - there are no “versions” of the quran, there has only ever been one. all muslims follow the exact same book - muslims have no concept of taking God’s name in vain, we call on God at every little inconvenience - don’t use islamic phrases if you don’t know what they mean or how to use them. we use them often, inside and outside of religious settings. in islam, it is encouraged to mention God often and we say these things very casually, but we take them very seriously - Allahu Akbar means “God is Greatest” (often said when something shocks or surprises us, or if we’re scared or daunted, or when something amazing happens, whether it be good or bad; it’s like saying “oh my god”) - Subhan Allah means “Glory be to God” (i say subhan Allah at the sky, at babies, at trees, whatever strikes me as pleasant, especially if it’s in nature) - Bismillah means “in the name of God” and it’s just something you say before you start something like eating or doing your homework - In Shaa Allah means “if God wills” (example: you’ll be famous, in shaa Allah) (it’s a reminder that the future is in God’s hands, so be humble and be hopeful)
- Astaghfirullah means “i seek forgiveness from Allah” and it’s like “god forgive me” - Alhamdulillah means “all thanks and praise belong to God” and it’s just a little bit more serious than saying “thank god” (example: i passed my exams, alhamdulillah; i made it home okay, alhamdulillah) - when i say we use them casually, i really mean it - teacher forgot to assign homework? Alhamdulillah - our version of “amen” is “ameen” - muslims greet each other with “assalamu alaikum” which just means “peace be on you” and it’s like saying hi - the proper response is “walaikum assalam” which means “and on you be peace” and it’s like saying “you too”
“Authors retain all rights to works posted on BetaBooks, and can add or remove content at their discretion. BetaBooks makes no claim to any of the work posted on the site.”
Incase anyone was wondering
If you use this, please invite me to read y'all’s writing
Does anyone know how this works if you are looking to try the traditional publishing route? Would it be an issue if you tried to get an agent if the book was on the internet on a site like this?
I looked it up, coz it sounds really cool! It seems like your book stays private, so you can only invite people to look at it, like you would a Google Doc. I imagine there’s no issues with agents then, as it’s not available to the general public.
Reblogging from the previous note, because if you want to be professionally published, you MUST be very careful in how you share your work online. If it is readily available in full for all to see, it may be viewed as previously published and therefore rejected.
As long as this company ensures you content is private and not considered published in any way, it may be safe to use, but always check these things out thoroughly before you use them if you want to go the traditional publishing route!
Yay!! Love sites like this! It also makes me think of royalroadl.com and tapas app but those two aren’t as constructive feedback oriented and more just shots for burgeoning writers to post their work (not sure about privacy and ownership either but it’s very public facing). So just wanted to add this one to those as well ^.^
None of these are actually meant to be hateful, if any of these have truely offensive meanings (such as the r word) that I was unaware of, please tell me so I can remove it! Tried to avoid cursing, but it contains some!
The original “6 Steps to Write Better Sex” remains one of my best-performing articles - this tells me that there is a need not being filled (oo-er) amongst writers. Writing about sex can feel a little taboo, depending on the topic and your predilections, but it shouldn’t be a total mystery. Of course, the fact that so many of the writers who follow me on social media have a million questions about writing sex the minute they find out that I write erotica under a pseudonym is indicative of a deeper issue… or two, in fact.
One, many writers want to be able to write about sex in realistic, honest, and compelling terms. Tw0, they feel ill-equipped to do so. Whether this is a lack of writing confidence or a lack of sexual information and confidence I can’t say, but I can provide six more tips for those looking to write great sex!
Don’t Be Afraid of Filth
Depending on the “rating” you’d give your story, e.g. adult/mature or explicit, I don’t expect you’ll be seeking erotica writing tips for a YA novel, you shouldn’t be afraid of a little vulgarity. While I wouldn’t recommend that you take your direction from porn, you should keep in mind that it is a part of modern culture. Most adults don’t expect to read about sex in proper medical terminology (too stuffy) or mild, childish euphemisms (somehow worse, and a little creepy depending on the language). Instead, they expect a certain level of vulgarity. If you cringe writing the word “cock” I’ll kindly suggest that erotica isn’t the genre for you.
Of course, getting “filthy” isn’t just about language, it can be about the content too. Hold your horses, there, I’m not talking about weird and wonderful kinks or hardcore acts; I mean actual messiness and dirt. If you’re writing about a couple who get… eh, Intimate, on a camping trip there’s no reason not to acknowledge the dirt, sweat, and bugs. Of course, I wouldn’t dwell on it - you want the scene to be sexy (unless you don’t, not all sex is sexy after all) and that means a certain amount of displacement from the reality of getting it on with pinecones jammed into your back.
“Lick, Laugh, Lust” aka Humor Belongs in the Bedroom
Sex is often treated as a deadly serious endeavour - as if a slight misstep will ruin the moment. While a mistake can certainly ruin a fantasy anyone whose been lucky enough to have a partner they feel really safe will could tell you that a mistake that ruins a fantasy doesn’t have to ruin the night. Laughter is good - it’s good for the body, our mental and emotional health, good for the soul, and I would say probably one of the best things for a relationship.
If you’re writing a sex scene to be arousing, laughter might not be the best medicine. If you’re writing a sex scene to inform character development and create an intimate relationship in the story, laughter could be exactly what you need. A slip of the hand, bashing teeth, leaning on your partner’s hair (even a queef or two) these things are indicators of the state of a relationship; if your characters can laugh it off and keep going, they’ll be showing a healthy, trusting, and loving dynamic. Read More
As a writer, I truly love words - written language is a flowing, living thing that never ceases to amaze me. When I was a child I would read the dictionary in stages, picking out words to pester my grandparents with. They were wonderfully patient, of course, but it must have become tiring. From writing my first book at 8 (it was about a vampire flea, and honestly I may re-write it as a childrens’ book yet) to the present day, I’ve found great joy in discovering a new word - it’s like meeting an old friend for the first time.
These are some of the best and most unusual words that I’ve come across in my literary explorations:
1. Defenestration
A funny and changeable little word, Defenestration is my go-to icebreaker word for parties now. In the most literal, and humorous, sense it means “the act of throwing someone out of a window”. I think it’s just amazing that there’s a word for this. In an informal sense, however, it is generally used to mean the process or act of demoting or dismissing someone from a position of authority or acclaim. For example “the general was subjected to defenestration after his failure in the war”.
2. Insouciant
One of those words that somehow feels like its meaning, Insouciant describes a person who is “nonchalant (another good word), calm, and casual - free from concern, worry, or anxiety”.
3. Brouhaha
Brouhaha “a state of commotion or excitement, a noisy reaction or response: hubbub, uproar” - the meaning of this word is nowhere near as fun as saying the word. Unfortunately, Brouhaha has become attached to the stuff-upper-lips and plummy accents crowd - I want to take it back.
4. Sonder
A personal favourite of mine, Sonder is one of the most beautiful words in the world… or at least I think so. Defined as “the realization that each person and passerby has a life as real, vivid, and complex as ones’ own”, it’s one of those words that describes a sensation or emotion that is intangible.
5. Festooned
A fun word to say, Festooned also has a lovely meaning. To festoon something means to decorate, to adorn, to drape it with decorative and beautiful things. The most common definition is “to adorn a place with chains or garlands of flowers”.
Writing realistic injuries - The title is pretty self-explanatory: while writing about an injury, take a look at this useful website;
One Stop for Writers - You guys… this website has literally everythingwe need: a) Description thesaurus collection, b) Character builder, c) Story maps, d) Scene maps & timelines, e) World building surveys, f) Worksheets, f) Tutorials, and much more! Although it has a paid plan ($90/year | $50/6 months | $9/month), you can still get a 2-week FREE trial;
One Stop for Writers Roadmap - It has many tips for you, divided into three different topics: a) How to plan a story, b) How to write a story, c) How to revise a story. The best thing about this? It’s FREE!
Story Structure Database - The Story Structure Database is an archive of books and movies, recording all their major plot points;
Crime Reads - Get inspired before writing a crime scene;
The Creative Academy for Writers - “Writers helping writers along every step of the path to publication.” It’s FREE and has ZOOM writing rooms;
Reedsy- “A trusted place to learn how to successfully publish your book” It has many tips, and tools (generators), contests, prompts lists, etc. FREE;
QueryTracker - Find agents for your books (personally, I’ve never used this before, but I thought I should feature it here);
Pacemaker - Track your goals (example: Write 50K words - then, everytime you write, you track the number of the words, and it will make a graphic for you with your progress). It’s FREE but has a paid plan;
Save the Cat! - The blog of the most known storytelling method. You can find posts, sheets, a software (student discount - 70%), and other things;
