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Sensual Reads Guest Blog: Learning to Write Erotic Romance By Kate Richards

Several years ago, I noticed that many of the romances I was picking up were being billed as erotic romances. I thought that was great, and bought and read many of them. Some were great and some were not, pretty much like any stack of books we latch onto when we hit the bookstore. Then I was an author myself, and decided to write an erotic romance.

Breathless Press has a line of very short, very hot romances. As short as 1,000 words! Little amateur that I was, I thought that would be easy, but as it turned out making a reader love your characters, and making it sexy in such a short work is a lot harder than it looks. However, I persevered. I wrote and submitted a 6,000 word short, to Breathless, and they accepted me. Finally, My Love is a very loose version of meeting my husband online. The airport scene is pretty accurate, as to the rest….okay I took some liberties. My second internet romance, Perfect Partners. com will be released tomorrow, September 17, by Breathless Press, and there is a third on the way and a fourth in the planning stages.

That was several books ago, and I’ve learned a few things about being a writer of erotic romance
1.    If I don’t love the hero, out he goes. If he doesn’t do it for me, why would my readers like him?
2.    Although it is possible to find a sex lexicon that will give you literally hundreds of words for the various parts of a man and woman and the things they can do with them, there are only a half dozen that are just the right level of heat, are currently in use, and in fact will make sense to a reader.
3.    Erotic authors will discuss these words for days on end. We do have a fun job.
4.    My heroines are always at least a bit like me, although they have minds of their own.
5.    The characters are my guide. When the hubby asks what’s going to happen next and I say, “I don’t know, they haven’t told me yet,” I mean it.

It’s a learning curve, and porn is not our goal. I’ve made editors gasp and, with the same story, had a reviewer say it wasn’t hot enough. Confessions from the Carnivore Club: Dave and Nancy’s Story, from Solstice, seems to have that effect on people. It’s an erotic romance, but has a big helping of self-discovery and an ice blue corset that I wish I had.

At first, it’s hard to get past the fact that we all spent a lot of years being told not to say naughty words. Well, now naughty words are my technical jargon. And it certainly makes the day fly! I’m always saying that I have to hurry and make dinner because I’ve left naked people all over the place. In fact, I think I hear some calling me now.

katerichardsshortstories.blogspot.com

katerichards.wordpress.com

Author of Finally, My Love and Carnivore Club: Dave and Nancy’s Story and coming soon: Perfect Partners. com and Demons Love Cinnamon from Breathless Press and One Night at the Beach from Decadent Publishing

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posted Thursday, September 16th, 2010 | filed under Blog

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1. September 16th, 2010 at 8:53 am
   kate said:
   

   Hi all, I’ll be popping in all day if anyone wants to chat!
2. September 16th, 2010 at 9:06 am
   Nicole Hicks said:
   

   I can definitely agree with your list! My characters rule what happens, but the sensual scenes can get a bit hard (no the pun was not intended! ) to do. What do you find the hardest part about it is? As for the corset… GET it! I love mine! If they are made properly they are so very nice!
3. September 16th, 2010 at 9:08 am
   Becca Dale said:
   

   You made me chuckle as always, Kate. I agree with so much of this. There are words that my editor insists I use that make me cringe and others she disallows that seem perfectly acceptable to me. I struggle to even type some of them. I have to write a scene in my words and then go dirty it up. I find I can handle it if the really hard words are in the heros head – never from his mouth if I can avoid it – unless he is a rough around the edges guy. Then it is easier. I am far too innocent for my job.
4. September 16th, 2010 at 9:20 am
   Stephanie Beck said:
   

   I love how we can indeed talk erotica jargon for days on end. And yet, if you’re still rocking the romance part of it, the carnal details are just perks that adds to the relationship.

   I always love a good erotic romance that manages to make the characters and plot so strong I can’t put them down on their merrits yet also has that quality that makes me quick close the book, or turn off the screen because I can’t BELIEVE it was actually that naughty!

   Great post Kate!!
   Steph Beck
   www.stephaniebeck.net
5. September 16th, 2010 at 9:25 am
   Emily said:
   

   Great blog post, I dabble in writing and what you have written is fantastic. The hero is such an important part, I am going to take your tip. Thanks for the help.
6. September 16th, 2010 at 9:39 am
   kate said:
   

   Thank you, Emily, That was such a sweet thing to say. Last year I dabbled in writing…and thanks to the kind authors who supported…should I say pushed lol…me, I’m published. Now I hope I give back a little of what I got. Good luck and if you want any help or advice…say the word.
7. September 16th, 2010 at 9:45 am
   Stephanie Beck said:
   

   I love how the part about discussing naughty things is so true! I also love that when the genre is still romance, that the erotica points are just little perks and not the whole thing. The perfect erotica book for me is the one that draws me in on characters and plot alone until I can’t set it down, yet when the sexy parts come up, I have to close it fast to make sure no one is reading over my shoulder! Your stories often have that, close, check and giggle factor! Great post Kate!!
   StephBeck
8. September 16th, 2010 at 11:29 am
   Olivia Starke said:
   

   Wonderful blog Kate
9. September 16th, 2010 at 11:53 am
   Gina Gordon said:
   

   Great post Kate!! Very true about the hero! If I don’t find my hero hot, he needs to deleted from the page.

   I am so glad that I write erotic romance because all the dirty words I already used are now acceptable LOL!!
10. September 16th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
    Mary Corrales said:
    

    Excellent post, Kate! Nothing better than spending the day with naked people.

    Congrats and good luck with your newest release tomorrow, Perfect Partners.Com.
11. September 16th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
    kate said:
    

    Thanks everyone for the comments. I agree, Steph, that the story and plot have to be there for me. And sexual tension….gotta love that!
12. September 16th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
    Ambrielle Kirk said:
    

    I second (or third) the point about a hot 3 dimensional hero. I’m similar in my approach. If I don’t like the hero, then I usually move on to another story. I’ve been known to burn dinner and blame it on writing a high tension scene.

    Great post!
13. September 16th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
    Margie Church said:
    

    Kate – so fun to get to know you and best wishes keeping that potty mouth under control while you pen the next book.
14. September 16th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
    Fiona McGier said:
    

    Hi Kate…you are so right! If you don’t fall in love with the hero, why should the heroine? Or the reader? And yes, I often tell my kids to stop bothering me, I’m working through a scene in my head. They are old enough now to just shake their heads and walk away, lest I try to tell them what I’m thinking about!
15. September 16th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
    Maeve Greyson said:
    

    Great post! And I was smart this time. I DID NOT take a drink of diet soda before reading it. I KNOW you’re always going to say something that makes me snort!
16. September 16th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
    Ellen Keener said:
    

    Great post! I’ve listened to some of those discussions… too funny! Sounds like great stories – I’ll have to go check them out!
17. September 16th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
    kate said:
    

    I don’t have kids,but my neighbors do,and they wander through and my nephews…I close the laptop a lot. And hide my reference materials…Anyone besides Margie and I take Sascha’s writing BDSM class? lol
18. September 16th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
    Gina Gordon said:
    

    I took that class! Online material is a little easier to hide than the lifestyle book I have in paperback lol!!

    Kate! You and I are kindred spirits…potty mouth sisters!!
19. September 16th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
    kate said:
    

    Yes Gina…we are bad, bad girls!
20. September 16th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
    kate said:
    

    Last nite Maeve brought up an excellent question about when to italicize in a manuscript and Valerie Mann and I were off and running…and that is why Maeve is not drinking her diet soda while reading these posts!
21. September 17th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
    Dominique Eastwick said:
    

    Love the blog and I have a list of Male body parts I will have to post sometime LOL
22. September 17th, 2010 at 11:02 pm
    Valerie Mann said:
    

    Truer words were never spoken…er, typed! I love a good, strong, hard (pun intended), hot hero! And if he isn’t doing it for me on the page, I ditch him for the next hot guy who does! Keep writing Kate, and get that corset! You deserve it!
23. September 18th, 2010 at 10:08 am
    kate said:
    

    I know! I think I’ll have to hunt for that corset…anyone have a good idea where an ice blue corset can be found?
24. September 18th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
    Nicole Hicks said:
    

    Depends on what kind you want: overbust/underbust or steel/lightboned. Lol. A lot of the places that do good corsets will do custom ones.
25. September 18th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
    kate said:
    

    My birthday is coming…soon the hubby will be asking what I want lol
26. September 18th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
    nancy barone wythe said:
    

    Love the blog, Kate! Please let us know when you have another one, soon, I hope!
    All the best,
    Nancy
27. September 18th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
    Amber Scott said:
    

    So true how the shock factor is all relative. I had a reader say, oh that’s all? Really? Well, I suppose I have room to explore then. I’m with you on that corset! I love lingerie!
28. September 18th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
    kate said:
    

    Thanks Nancy!

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