How to Write | Writing Tutorial | Fiction | Erotica | Writing Tips

The Basics of Writing Toe Curling, Clit Tingling, and Dick Throbbing Erotica on Medium.

A “Getting Started Guide” For Writing Good Erotica

We all love sexy, hot, steamy stories, right? You know, those stories that make you look around to see if anyone is watching you read? Yeah, those stories that arouse you to the point that you just have to touch yourself. Those stories.

I love reading them, and I love writing them. BUT, some are better than others, right? You ever read one and the concept is super hot, but the writing detracts so much it’s hard to find your rhythm, if you know what I mean.

Yes, this is one of those “how to write” articles. A lot of what I talk about here holds true for all genres of writing, but we are going to make it sexy, right? We want to make our readers so hot they barely make it through our stories before they cum in a beautiful messy orgasm. Now, how do we go about doing that? Let’s explore:

Story

Contrary to popular belief, good erotica should still tell a story. Otherwise, it’s nothing more than written porn, and we are better than that, right? Our characters are more than sex robots. They have a voice and emotions, and a lot of time have to make tough decisions.

Good stories make us want to know what happens to the characters. Yes, we want them to get fucked so hard they can’t see straight. But why are they fucking their boss? Why are they cheating on their husbands? Why are they having sex with another woman, or man, for the first time? More importantly, how does it make them feel? Don’t forget these details.

So, make sure you tell a story that’s interesting to your readers, and you will already be one step ahead of many stories out there.

Story Length

Is bigger better? When it comes to cock, some will say yes. We always want the biggest, thickest, hardest cocks to suck on, right? Just me?

Well, when it comes to erotica on Medium, sometimes length does matter. If it’s too long, it can hurt. Too short? Doesn’t quite get the job done. I’ve found the sweet spot for story length on Medium is about 1500 to 2500 words.

Sometimes, to tell a good story and have mind-blowing sex scenes it needs to be a bit longer and that’s ok. Just be cognizant of the fact that some stories longer than 3000 words, though, may be skipped over.

Why? People want to read and cum. Down and dirty. Crank and yank. You get the idea. We all have that sweet spot that drives us fucking wild when a partner touches us there. Experiment with your stories and use the above as a general guideline.

Let’s talk about writing amazing sex, that’s why we are here, right? Well, before we get to the good parts, we need some foreplay. There are a few things to consider when writing that will ultimately make your work shine. You can find variations of this advice across all genres, but it still holds true in our dirty, smutty world.

Tense

Tense: There is no magic recipe for what tense you use when writing erotica. There are excellent pieces out there written in the past tense, and some amazing erotica out there written in the present. How you write your story starts with choosing a tense.

Past tense: What does that mean? It means the person telling the story is recalling events that happened previously. An erotic example:

My lips curled around his cock while he fingered my tight pussy.

This has already happened. The woman, telling the story, did this previously. Now, the same example in present tense:

My lips curl around his cock while he fingers my tight pussy.

It’s happening now. The woman narrator is currently giving a guy head while being fingered.

There is no right or wrong way to do this, but you must be CONSISTENT.

If you start in past tense, stay there. If you write in the present, don’t flip back and forth with the past, unless of course, your character is actively recalling something that happened previously.

Point of View

Third person Vs. first person and the mysterious second person point of view:

There is a lot of debate among the writing community about which is better to write in. Let’s first talk about what these are. I apologize if this seems too elementary, but I want to make sure we cover the basics here.

Third person: is written from a narrator’s point of view. Someone not directly in the story is describing what is going on. For example:

Ruby teeters on the edge of orgasm when Reggie’s lips lock around her clit.

The person telling the story is neither Ruby nor Reggie.

First person: is the telling of the story by someone there in the scene. Using our example above, if the story were written in first person from Ruby’s point of view, it might look something like this:

I teeter on the edge of orgasm when Reggie’s lips lock around my clit.

Or, it could be written from Reggie’s point of view:

She teeters on the edge of orgasm when my lips lock around her clit.

Clearly, there is no right or wrong way to write this. Each writer has their own style they prefer, and one that works best for them. Personally, most of the erotica I write is present tense, first person.

What about second person, though? I know I mentioned it above, so what is that all about? Second person is a variation of first person, the difference is that the writer is writing to the reader in the story. If this were written from Ruby’s perspective, it might look something like this, where the reader, is Reggie.

I teeter on the edge of orgasm when your lips lock around my clit.

Again, experiment, try different styles and find what you are most comfortable with. When it comes to creative writing, there is never a right or wrong way to do it so long as you are consistent.

Lastly comes point of view. Do you write from the male point of view? The woman’s? That’s up to you. You can even switch back and forth if you clearly identify which POV you are currently writing in. Let’s go! Let’s go write some smut!

Oh, you still want to know more? Very well, then! Glad you are sticking around!

Writing Tips

Here are several tips to help make your writing flow, and keep readers coming back for more.

Filler words: The technical term for these is “filter” words, but I call them fillers. These are the words that describe what someone is doing, but are totally unnecessary. Words such as “heard, felt, saw…” It seems like it would make sense to use these words so that the reader knows exactly what is happening in the story, but trust me, they aren’t needed!

Here is an example to ponder.

When I feel his cock expand I know he is about to cum. I hear him growl out with his orgasm.

See those fillers in there? Yup! “Feel,” “know,” and “hear,” are all filler words. Let’s rewrite without them.

His cock expands and he is about to cum. He growls out with his orgasm…

Sounds better, right? Search some of your WIPS for these words and you will be amazed at how many times they appear. Avoiding them takes patience and practice!

Showing vs. Telling: Are you ready for the big one? Think you can handle it? Of course, I’m not talking about cocks. I’m talking about showing and not telling. There are thousands of articles and books even about this topic, so I won’t go into too much detail here. I do recommend though, that every writer, regardless of experience, refresh themselves on this topic.

So, what is showing and not telling. In concept, it’s very simple. Show through your words what someone is feeling, rather than telling the reader what someone is feeling. When someone experiences an emotion, there are things we as humans do to display them without having to announce what we are feeling.

A few examples of telling:

I’m so horny.

He was turned on when my fingers brushed his ear.

I’m scared!

Let’s spice them up a little bit and show the reader how the character is feeling without coming out and saying it.

I’m so horny — My pulse quickens and and there is a throbbing between my legs that needs to be addressed, and soon.

He was turned on — My fingers brush his ear, which causes movement below his belt. He moves in closer so his now fully erect cock presses against my belly.

I’m scared — I grip the flashlight tighter. My heart is beating abnormally fast and sweat is beading on my forehead. I’m alert to every little sound around me while I scamper through the darkness.

With these examples, you still understand what the character is feeling, but it invokes the emotions in you, without being told. It connects you to the character at a much deeper level and that’s the whole point of writing, right? We want our readers to feel as though they are immersed in our scenes and characters.

Again, there are countless articles, books and videos on this topic. What I wrote above is just to get you thinking in that frame of mind, so go do more research. Your writing will thank you, I promise!

Repetition and Overuse: Now, let’s dive into another topic that many new writers fall victim to, which again, is simple in concept, but takes practice to avoid. The overuse of words, or starting multiple sentences with the same word. It’s easy when describing an action scene, be it fighting for fucking, to write something like this:

He lifts my feet back toward my shoulders and lays kisses down my calf. He is gentle and soft and kisses my delicately. He is driving me wild. He is getting closer and closer to kissing me where I really want him to.

In the paragraph above, it makes sense, right? “He” is doing things to you that you like. But when you read it, it’s monotonous. He this, and he that. It’s boring. You will also see the word kiss three times. Again, we want to avoid those types of repetitive words. Programs like ProWritingAid can help identify those overused words.

The paragraph above could be rewritten like this:

He lifts my feet back toward my shoulders and lays kisses down my calf. With a featherlike touch, his lips just barely graze the smooth skin. My body is on pins and needles as he gets closer and closer to my needy center.

Does that read better? Yup! So, when you write and edit, be sure to watch out for this easy trap to fall into. This leads to the main event. How to write a steaming hot sex scene.

Writing That Hot Sex Scene

Writing a great sex scene doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid:

Your sex scene shouldn’t be a how to guide, or a step-by-step approach to the physical act. No one wants to read “He did this, then he did that, then I did this.” Make sure you sprinkle in the five senses. Smell, sight, touch, taste and hearing. Using multiple senses in the scene will help bring the reader closer to the scene. It will help them relate to what’s happening on the page.

The last key thing to include is emotion. What are they feeling? What emotions are going on.

What does the massage oil smell like? What does his precum taste like? Let’s capture those details.

Don’t get bogged down in the details. Yes, positions should be realistic, but you don’t need to go step by step about how they got there. It detracts from the sexiness if you spend too much time talking about the non-sexy stuff.

For example:

I slid off the couch, walked behind her, and put my hand on the couch behind her. I used my other hand to unzip my pants while my feet were placed on the outsides of hers.

Too many details. Try this:

I slid off the couch and positioned myself behind her, where I freed my cock and slid inside of her.

Don’t over explain. Let the reader use their imagination on what it looks like. Just make sure that you give them enough to build from.

Poetry in motion: Sex is beautiful, in all its forms. Reflect that in your writing. Find new ways of describing things, avoid those clichés and let your words take your readers on a magical journey.

Summary

Writing erotica should be fun. What you read about above is just the tip of the iceberg on how to create mind blowing, orgasm inducing sex scenes. Keep writing, keep these topics in mind and have FUN! If your writing isn’t making you hard or wet, how is it supposed to elicit that reaction from your readers?

I love helping out writers and do so as much as possible. If you would ever like an honest critique, find me on twitter @sonjaraeerotica.

I love you all and let’s get kinky!