Writing Erotic Fiction - Rochford, Pamela

How to Write a Successful Erotic Novel

1998.

eISBN: 9780585239262

z-Libary

10.703/64.316

*** Preface

Writing an erotic novel is easy, or so a lot of people would have you believe. But
sustaining the few pages of erotic fantasywhich just about anyone can writeto the
80,000 words required by most publishers, involving interesting characters and a
believable plot (or at least be well written enough to evoke Coleridge's 'willing
suspension of disbelief' in the reader) is much harder.

If you're interested in erotic writing and want to learn how to write a novel of
your own, this book will show you the difference between romance and erotica,
introduce you to the various techniques used in fiction writing, and set you on the
right road to writing your own erotic novel.

Black Lace published their hundredth title in August 1997, and have sold over two
million copies to date. Virgin and Hodder Headline publish nine erotic titles per
month between them, and the smaller presses usually publish one a month. There
isn't quite as much competition in this market as there is in romance or crime, so
there's more likelihood of having your erotic novel accepted.

The case studies and practical exercises in this book are supported by advice from
commissioning editors and successful writers in the genre.

In addition to Elizabeth Coldwell, I would particularly like to thank Kerri Sharp

of Black Lace, Mike Bailey of Headline, and Nick Austin of NEL for their valued
assistance in the writing of this book and the development of my own erotic style.

I would also like to thank the following editors and authors for their helpful
contributions: M. Bernard, Cleo Cordell, Portia da Costa, Eliza Down, Zak Jane
Keir, Helen Pisano (Editor, X Libris), Josephine Scott (Editor, Olympia), Mary
Tofts, Sarah Veitch, Adrian Wilkins (Editor, Chimera) and Alan York.

Pamela Rochford

*** Foreword

As the editor of Forum magazine and founder member of the Guild of Erotic Writers,
I have been dealing with manuscripts of erotic stories and novels for over ten
years.

There are a lot of pitfalls in writing erotic novelsit's a lot harder than it
looksbut it is a growing market, and one which particularly welcomes new writers,
so it is well worth pursuing. A good erotic novel brings pleasure to its readers,
and I hope that many of you who read on will soon be joining the ranks of
successful authors who produce good, well-written and enjoyable erotic novels.

Elizabeth Coldwell editor, Forum Magazine

*** 1. Getting Started

,Defining Erotica

,,The Difficulty of Defining Erotica

It's quite difficult to define erotica. What one person finds erotic is distasteful
to another, or a dull read for someone else. Skimming through contemporary
collections of erotic writing doesn't help much, either; the Pandora anthology of
women's writing includes a piece by Elizabeth David about foodit doesn't even
mention sex, but the sensual quality of the writing is obvious.

,,Establishing a Working Definition

M. Bernard, a writer of erotica for both sexes, gives the following definition of
erotic fiction:

>

A story with all that impliesproperty constructed plot (with conflict, resolution,
climax, denouement), characterisation (which includes mood, atmosphere and accurate
background detail) and, possibly, theme.

It has one crucial added element which distinguishes it from the mainstream story:
that is, it contains one or more explicitly described sexual encounters which are
integral to the plotand without the encounters and explicit descriptions, the story
would be meaningless.

In other words, the eroticism is not something grafted on like an appendage to a

story which could exist of its own accord without it, but forms the core, the very
raison d'être of the events which make up the tale itself.

<

,,Understanding What Erotic Writing is

Erotic writing has three main attributes

1. The writing is heavily based around the senses.

2. The aim of the book or story is to make the reader feel 'turned on'.

3. The scenes contain action which is sexually explicit.

An erotic book for a predominantly female or mixed audience is heavily based around
the senses. This means that it should be richly textured in the way that things
taste and smell and sound, as well as in descriptions of how things look and feel.
It's important that your audience feels as though they're experiencing exactly what
your lead characters experience, and can identify with your characters.

Because the whole point of the erotic novel is to make the reader feel 'turned on',
your book needs to contain sexually explicit scenes, written and structured in a
way that makes them part of the plot.

,,Understanding What Erotic Writing Isn't

Good erotic writing steers clear of three things: crudeness, coyness in the sex
scenes, overuse of humorous interludes.
There is a market for the 'I put my four-letter-word thing in her four-letter- word
thing' type of fiction, but it isn't in the top imprints of erotic fiction. For
example, the guidelines for Black Lace specifically say that they don't want
'sleaze'. Make sure that you're rude, rather than crude, so that your readers can
enjoy the naughtiness of your tale without wincing at the way in which you tell it.

Although the erotic novel should contain explicit sex scenes, these scenes don't
necessarily have to be written in explicit language; sometimes it's more erotic to
leave bits out. For example, Donne's Elegy 19, On his mistress going to bed, is
widely recognised as one of the most erotic poems in the English language, but it
doesn't once mention his lover's body parts. The analogy can be carried through to
modern erotic writing; as top erotic author Portia da Costa says, 'It's possible to
write erotica with the least amount of blatant sexual language. The use of
understatement and subtlety can be far more subversiveand far more erotic.'

Most erotic writers tend to steer clear of adding humour; editors are not keen on
slapstick, 'Carry On' type scripts or the kind of 'Confessions of …' books popular
in the 1970s. Modern erotic novels deal much more with relationships between the
characters. The odd joke is fine, but putting too much humour into the book risks
undermining the erotic elements.

,Understanding the Difference Between Erotica and Romance

Erotica is one of the most difficult genres to write well. It has much in common
with romancebut there are also important differences.

,,Exploring the Similarities Between Erotica and Romance

,,,It's Escapist Fiction

Both erotica and romance can be defined as escapist literature, very much based in
fantasy worlds with impossibly attractive characters and (often) a happy ending.

,,,It's Easy to Read and Hard to Write

Novels in both genres tend to be 'easy reads'but that doesn't mean that either is
easy to write.

It's very easy to write a sex scene (or a less sexually-explicit scene between two
characters in a romantic novel), because almost everyone has their favourite
fantasy and can describe it. What's difficult is to sustain this sort of writing
for the 80,000 words required by the majority of publishers, while making sure that
your book has a well-placed plot, believable characters and dialogue, and stays
erotic without turning into farce or cliché.

,,,It Isn't Considered 'Proper' Literature

Many people won't admit to buying or reading either romance or erotica, because
neither is considered to be 'proper' literature. It's worth noting that half a
million Black Lace novels were sold in their first year of the imprint, and the
two-million mark was reached before their hundredth novel was published in summer
1997so there's certainly a large readership out thereand Mills and Boon has a huge
market. Before W H Smith's recent re- organisation, two per cent of the books they
sold were erotic fiction, according to The Author, the journal of the Society of
Authors. People might not admit to reading erotica or romance, but they certainly
buy it.

,,,Erotica as Part of the Established Literary Canon

As for erotica not being 'proper' literaturethe poems of Ovid, Catullus, Donne,
Marvell, Keats and Browning are in the established literary canon, and some of them
are decidedly erotic. Similarly, there are erotic interludes in Chaucer and
Boccaccio (both standard texts in English literature degree courses), and in the
stories and novels of Hardy, Austen, Eliot, Brontë (Emily, Anne or Charlottetake
your pickall three were considered to have written 'naughty' books, in Victorian
times), Lawrence and Nin. It's worth browsing through a copy of one of the many
'literary guides to erotica', to give you a taste of writers from all ages and all
cultures. You'll see that there are female writers as well as male, and that there
are erotic texts from the Bible and Greek and Roman writers, as well as from the
nineteenth and twentieth century.

,,,Genre Fiction and Personal Taste

Still from the 'literary snob' point of view, it's often claimed that all romantic
and erotic novels are rubbish. Yes, some of them are dreadfulbut equally, some of
them are very good. It's the same with all genre fictionghost stories, science
fiction, detective stories, thrillers, horror. There are always books which you
read and think are terrible, and those which you think are brilliant. Someone else
might think that your favourite books are terrible, and vice versa. It's all a
matter of personal taste. Erotic novels which are full of spanking bore some
people, turn off others, and excite yet others.

,,,'Formula' Books

It's often said that romantic and erotic novels are written to a 'formula'. For the
romantic novel, it's usually:

• boy meets girl

• the attraction is mutual (whether they admit it or not at the start)

• something comes between them (for example, another character or their jobs) the
conflict is resolved and they all live happily ever after.

For erotic novels, the formula is:

• boy meets girl

• they have lots of sex with each other and different people and everyone is happy.

If that were true, no-one would buy erotic or romantic novels, because they'd be
much too predictable and boring. Yes, the romantic novel will have a happy ending,
and the erotic novel will contain lots of sex scenes but there's more to it than
that, as we'll see in the next three chapters.

,,Exploring the Differences Between Erotica and Romance

,,,The Treatment of Sex

As Black Lace editor Kerri Sharp says, 'Erotica isn't ''Mills and Bonk".' There are
imprints 'in between' traditional romance and erotica, such as Robinson's Scarlet
imprint for erotic romance, but the sexual element in romance is much lighter than
in erotica. Of course your readers want to use their imagination, but remember why
they bought an erotic novel in the first place. If you stay outside the bedroom
door' in an erotic novel, your readers will feel cheated, whereas readers don't
necessarily want to go beyond the bedroom door in a romantic novel.

,,,Interplay of Characters
In romantic novels, there may be a 'love triangle', but the key element is the
relationship between the hero and the heroine. In erotic novels, on the other hand,
readers expect to see a variety of sex scenes, between a variety of characters. If
your chapter plan sticks to sex scenes only between your hero and heroine, your
editor will ask you to alter the plot to include encounters between your hero and
heroine and other characters.

,,,More Scope with the Plot

Erotic novels are usually around 75,000 to 90,000 words in length (depending on the
publisher), whereas romantic novels (at least, for the Mills and Boon market) tend
to be around 50,000 to 55,000 words in length. This means that you have at least
20,000 more words to play with, so you can introduce other elements than just the
relationship between the lead characters. You can happily include devices from
other genres, such as thrillers or mystery novels or even detective fictionVirgin,
for example, have their 'Crime and Passion' imprint for erotic crime stories.

,Building the Essential Erotic Writer's Toolkit

,,Finding Somewhere to Work

This doesn't have to be the proverbial book-lined study which looks out over a
beautiful garden. A corner of the dining room or the kitchen table will do just as
well, as long as you're comfortable with your surroundings and have the space to
spread out any papers you're using.

,,Using A Typewriter or Word-Processor

If you prefer to use pen and paper, you can write the whole of your book or story
in longhand. As with your surroundings, your method of writing isn't important, as
long as you're comfortable with it.

However, publishers and editors only work from a typed manuscript, so your book
will eventually have to be typed. Whether you use a typewriter or a computer word-
processing program to type your finished manuscript is entirely up to you (and your
budget). You certainly don't need to have all the latest programs and gizmos,
including a CD-rom, an internet connection and email, in order to write an erotic
novel. Sometimes, these can be a hindrance, because you can become side-tracked and
end up spending more time browsing through a CD-rom or something on the World Wide
Web, rather than writing!

,,Building up Your Reference Library

,,,A Good Dictionary

Even if your spelling is excellent, a dictionary can be a useful browsing tool,

helping you to come up with a titleor maybe even sparking off an idea.

,,,A Thesaurus

This is useful for synonyms, particularly if you have a 'word block' and tend to
overuse certain words. You could also compile your own erotic thesaurus.

,,,A Dictionary of Sex

This is useful for browsing and sparking off ideas. Wordsworth publishes a good
one.
,,,A Sex Manual

Again, this is useful for browsing and sparking off ideas. If you have a computer
with a CD-rom, you could consider buying the CD-rom version of manuals such as
those by Alex Comfort and Anne Hooper.

,,,A Book of First Names

This is useful for naming characters a random dip is often the most helpful.

,,,A Telephone Directory

This is useful for characters' surnames again, a random dip is often the most
helpful.

,,,An Atlas of Britain

This is useful on two counts: for characters' surnames for settings.

If you're using an actual place, be careful to get the details correct for example,
there are no motorways in Norfolk, and the M11 does not go through Yorkshire.

If you're using a fictional town, an atlas will help you to avoid using real place
names in your chosen county.

,,,A Map of the London Underground

Again, this is useful for settings. If your novel is set in London and your
characters use the tube, make sure that your details are correct: for example,
don't say that Islington is on the District line.

,Looking at the Market for Erotic Novels

Once you've decided that you're going to write an erotic novel, you need to decide
on your target audience. There are various imprints on the market, and all have
different audiences and different styles. You need to tailor your writing to fit
your particular audience and market.

» Fig.1. UK publishers currently accepting erotica.

Publisher, contact, address / Required length / Audience / Comments

Black Lace, Editor: Kerri Sharp, Virgin Publishing Ltd, 332 Ladbroke Grove London
W10 5AH / 7580,000 words / Female / Very detailed and helpful guidelines available

Chimera Publishing, Editor: Adrian Wilkins, PO Box 152, Waterlooville Hants PO8 9FS
/ 7580,000 words / Mixed / Prefers dominant male subjectdon't overdo the corporal
punishment (CP) elements

Headline, Editor: Mike Bailey, 338 Euston Road, London, NW1 3BH / 7580,000 words /
Headline Liaisonsmixed Headline Delta predominantly male / Editor dislikes 'golden
rain' scenes

NEL, Editor: Jon Wood, 338 Euston Road, London, NW1 3BH / 90,000 words /
Predominantly male /

Nexus, Editor: Peter Darvill-Evans, Virgin Publishing Ltd, 332 Ladbroke Grove,
London, W10 5AH / 7580,000 words / Predominantly male /
Olympia Publishing, Editor: Josephine Scott, 36 Union Street Ryde, Isle of Weight,
PO33 2LE / / Mixed / Heavy SM, don't send lightweight erotica

X Libris, Editor: Helen Pisano, Little, Brown & Co Brettenham House Lancaster
Place, London, WC2E 7EN / 60,000 words / Female / Not keen on heavy SM

,,Choosing Your Publisher

The main publishers in the erotic market are listed in Figure 1 on page 20. There
are other imprints which no longer exist (for example, Penguin's Signet and
Robinson's Raven were both 'erotic horror' imprints which were withdrawn in 1997,
and Titan's 'Eros' no longer publish erotic novels, concentrating on short stories
instead), and there are also small presses around the country which publish erotic
novels from time to time.

,Keeping in Touch with the Market

The best way to keep in touch with the market particularly to find out which
publisher is launching a new imprint, which imprints are being withdrawn, and
whether there are any major changes to guidelines from the big players is to
subscribe to a magazine dealing specifically with writing and markets in publishing
(such as Writers News) or to join a group such as the Guild of Erotic Writers,
which has access to this kind of information and will pass it on to its readers and
members.

,Targeting Your Publisher

Bearing in mind that each imprint has a different target market, you need to decide
which publisher you want to target before you write your novel. Read a few novels
(by different authors) in your chosen imprint. If you don't enjoy them, then pick
another imprint and read a few more books. This will give you an idea of the kind
of manuscripts that the publisher is looking for. If you're not sure which authors
to pick, ring the editorial department and ask them which authors or titles are
their most popular. These are the kind of books that the publishers know sell well
and they're likely to be more sympathetic to submissions in these veins.

,Applying for Guidelines

Once you've decided on your chosen publisher, write to the editor and ask for a
copy of their contributors' guide lines don't forget to enclose an SAE. Once you've
read the guidelines, start to write your novel, and always keep those guidelines in
mind. There's no point in writing a 90,000-word novel for X Libris, or a 60,000-
word novel for Black Lace, because the former will be 30,000 words too long, and
the latter will be 20,000 words too short. And sending a 'vanilla' erotic novel to
Olympia will guarantee a rejection, because they cater for a heavy SM (sadism and
masochism) market. Similarly, X Libris is not likely to accept a heavy SM novel.

,,Knowing Your Audience

Figure 1 also shows the kind of audience for each imprint. There is a difference
between writing for women, writing for men, and writing for a mixed audience, in
the kind of topics covered, the language used, and the general style of writing.

,,,Don't Patronise Your Readers

Your readers want an erotic read, but that doesn't mean that they're poorly-
educated and can be fobbed off with a plot which consists of a series of bonks, the
kind of dialogue found in second-rate sleazy films, or cardboard and stereotyped
characters. Your readers are looking for a book with a good (and reasonably
intricate) plot, intelligent dialogue, and interesting characters. And they want it
to be erotic, as well after all, that's why they chose to read an erotic novel or
story in the first place.

,,,Remember That Men and Women Like Different Things

Kerri Sharp, editor of Black Lace, says, 'The female erotic imagination is more
diffuse than obsessive. Women are more interested in scenarios, the environment and
the dynamics between the characters; men put a lot more emphasis on anatomy.' If
you're writing for a female or a mixed audience, make sure that you describe the
setting and the emotions as well as any sexual action.

,,,Taking Advice from the Horse's Mouth

It's helpful to have a person in mind when you're writing. If you're writing for
one of the women-oriented publishers, imagine that a female friend or partner is
your target audience; if for a male audience, think of a male friend or partner;
and if you're writing for a mixed audience, imagine that a close male friend or
partner is your audience, as well as a female friend or partner. What do they enjoy
about erotic novels? What do they wish there was more of? What do they wish that
writers would leave out? Feedback of this kind is very useful in helping you to
structure your novel.

,Analysing Your Own Writing

,,Think About why you Want to Write Erotica

Before you analyse your writing itself, think about why you've chosen to write
erotica.

,,,Making Money

If you're doing it just to make money, you could be setting yourself up for
disappointment. Newspapers and magazines often print articles about publishers
paying six-figure advances for first novels but those kind of advances are very
rare, and they're non-existent in the erotica market, where the advance for a first
novel might be less than a thousand pounds.

Although you may eventually be able to make a living out of writing erotic novels,
remember that it takes time to become established. And remember, too, that although
there are several publishers in the market, there are also a lot of good writers
out there, so competition is fierce.

,,,Writing for Pleasure

If, on the other hand, you've chosen to write erotica because you enjoy reading it,
and you'd like to write the kind of fiction that you enjoy, then you have a much
better chance of writing good erotic novels, and being paid for them.

,,Ask a Friend for Honest Criticism

If you have someone in mind when you're writing your novel, ask him or her to read
your manuscript and give you honest comments. What did he or she like most about
it? What didn't he or she like about it?

The important thing is that your 'audience of one' must be honest, telling you
where the dialogue or plot or characterisation needs improving, as well as giving
you praise. 'Oh, it's really good, I loved it,' will do you more harm than good you
might send off work to an editor which really isn't up to scratch.

,,,Constructive Criticism

Constructive criticism, on the other hand, can turn a promising manuscript into a
well-written and enjoyable book not to mention saving you some rejection letters
and a lot of heartache. 'Yes, I enjoyed it,' tempered by, 'but I wasn't sure about
your plot,' might hurt at the time but it will help you much more, because your
revision will make the manuscript better.

,,Be Honest with Yourself

If you can, go through a few pages of your writing objectively. What are your weak
points? What are your strong points?

Use the following checklist to help pinpoint your strong and weak areas.

,,,Technical Points

,,,spelling punctuation particularly use of commas, apostrophes, semicolons and

speech- marks grammar particularly tenses (don't mix them!) and use of
adverbs/adjectives paragraphing length, correct usage (particularly regarding
dialogue.) -> See the section on grammar in Chapter 2 for further details.

,,,Dialogue

Is your dialogue realistic and natural?

Does your dialogue add something to the plot?

Are you guilty of throat-clearing (ie making your characters say 'mm,' 'oh' or
'well', which acts as padding rather than adding to the plot or characterisation)?

,,,Characters

Can your reader see your characters i.e. have you described them adequately? Are
your characters consistent?

,,,Plot

Is your plot too simple or too complex?

Are your characters 'doing' enough (ie have you made sure that your characters are
not spending too much time reflecting or thinking so liloquies are not erotic)?

,Checklist

Read widely in your chosen imprint. Think about whether you enjoyed reading the
books, and what you liked most and least about the novels.

Make sure that you have an up-to-date copy of the editor's guidelines. If your copy
is six months old, it's worth checking again in case there have been any changes.

Think about whether you are comfortable with the style of writing in your chosen
market. If not, choose another imprint or review whether you'd be better suited to
writing in a different genre.

Can you see any similarities between the books you've read? Look at the tone, the
style and the way the books are structured. Are there any recurring themes? What
kind of characters is the author writing about? How does the author balance the
sexual content of the book with the rest of the plot?

,Case Studies

,,,Anna Checks Things out

Anna works in a large office, writing the company newsletter and press releases.
She has an excellent grasp of English and knows how to write good features. She'd
like to write an erotic novel for women and has written several rejected romances
the rejection slips being because her sex scenes are too steamy and the conflict
between her characters isn't strong enough. She has read widely in her chosen
market and has written to the editors, asking for their guidelines. She feels that
she is now in a good position to start writing her own novel.

,,,Bill Sets Himself up for Rejection

Bill has also read several erotic novels. He thinks that the ones he's read are
hopeless, and believes that he can do a lot better. He hasn't bothered sending for
any guidelines and is shocked when the manuscript he submits is rejected for being
too short and including scenes which the editor has said are unacceptable.

,Assignment

From the list of publishers in Figure 1, decide which imprint is the one which you
would most like to write for. Read at least three novels by different authors and
analyse them (use the final checklist point above to help you analyse them). Once
you're sure that this is the market you want to work in, apply for the editor's
guidelines.

*** 2. Putting it into Words

'Analysing the Elements of an Erotic Novel

The erotic tale has exactly the same elements as mainstream fiction. You need:

• an interesting plot

• well-drawn and believable characters an evocative setting.

But in addition, you also need:

• good, explicit sex scenes.

Above all, remember that if you don't enjoy writing the book, your audience won't
enjoy reading it, because your discomfort with the material will be visible in your
writing.

The elements of plot, character, dialogue, setting and the sex scene are covered in
the following chapters. What links these elements in your book are the words you
use, and the way you use them: in other words, grammar (including spelling) and
language (including vocabulary).

'Looking at Grammar

,,The Building-Blocks of Your Novel

The words you use and the way in which you use them are the building- blocks of
your novel. Think of your book as being like a house. If you went to view a house
and the windows were crooked, there were gaps in the floorboards, the doors
wouldn't shut, the light switches and power points were inaccessible, and the bath
was set in the middle of the kitchen, you wouldn't buy it. You might not mind the
colour of the walls (which you could change quickly and easily), but major flaws
would put you off.

,,,The Editor's Viewpoint

Your book is the same. Editors forgive the occasional spelling mistake, typing
mistake spell-check programs don't always pick these up and grammatical error, but
you're not doing yourself any favours if you submit a manuscript full of spelling
mistakes and basic grammatical errors.

Your idea might be fabulous, but if your manuscript is badly written, it's unlikely
to be accepted. Apart from the fact that sub-literate manuscripts are one of many
editors' pet hates, editors just don't have the time to sit there making
corrections. They work to a cost basis, so they can't afford to employ freelance
editors to rewrite your book to the required standard, either.

,,,Knowing Your Weak Spots

At the same time, not everyone's perfect when it comes to grammar and spelling, if
you know that this is your weak spot, invest in a good grammar guide there are
several on the market and a bad speller's dictionary. Or you could ask a friend
who's good at spelling or grammar to read through your manuscript and point out any
mistakes you've made.

Some of the points below may seem glaringly obvious; however, these are things that
crop up so often in manuscripts submitted to editors that it's worth revising your
own writing to check that you haven't slipped into bad habits.

,,PunctuationUsage and Abusage

,,,Apostrophes

,,,,Apostrophes are used for

• _belonging to_ for example, 'Peter's ball' or 'the cat's whiskers' (but don't
forget, 'the dog wagged its tail', not 'the dog wagged it's tail')

• _a missing letter_ for example, can't (cannot), it's (it is), there's (there is),
you're (you are).

,,,,Apostrophes are _not_ used for

_plurals_ for example, 'he picked a bunch of daisy's' should be 'he picked a bunch
of daisies'.

,,,Commas

,,,,Commas are used

_to mark clauses_ (ie the words between the commas could be left out, if you wanted
to, and the sentence would still make sense). Think of them as breathing spaces.
Try reading a long sentence without commas, and you'll soon run out of breath;
where you would naturally want to pause is probably where a comma should be to
break up the sentence.
,,,,Commas are not used

_to mark adverbs_ for example, in ' "Hello," Peter said, brightly', there should
not be a comma after 'said'.

,,,,Semi-Colons

A semi-colon (;) is used

_to link two sentences_ for example: 'It was a hot day; Jane was grateful for the
fan on her desk.'

_to punctuate a list of items_ for example: 'Susan checked the ingredients on her
list. Raspberries; strawberries; blueberries; blackcurrants; day-old bread; sugar
and kirsch. Yes, she had everything she needed to make the summer pudding.'

,,,,Dashes and Colons

Dashes (-) and colons (:) usually indicate pauses which are stronger than a comma,
but not as strong as a full stop, for example: 'I could meet you theresay, at ten?'
or 'She wondered if he'd fit in the passenger seat of her Mini: he was taller than
she'd expected.'

,,,,Exclamation Marks

You shouldn't need to use exclamation marks outside dialogue, except possibly for
characters' thoughts. Within dialogue or characters' thoughts, use them sparingly,
otherwise they soon become irritating. Journalists and advertising copywriters
refer to exclamation marks as 'screamers': ie they're used to make a very loud
point.

Also, don't use more than one. Otherwise it's non-standard punctuation!! Which
editors don't like!!! And it starts to look childish!!!!

,,,,Punctuating within Speech-Marks

If you continue the sentence after the speech, you need a comma before the closing
speech-marks. For example: ' "Hello, I'm Jane," she said, holding out her hand.'

If you don't continue the sentence after the speech, you need a full stop before
the closing speech-marks. For example: ' "You must be joking." She stared angrily
at him.'

Use a capital letter inside the speech-marks when the dialogue is the start of a
sentence, and a lower case letter if it's a continuation of the sentence. For
example: "Phew," she said, fanning herself, "isn't it hot, today?" 'or' "I'm fed
up!" she shouted. "My computer's gone wrong, yet again."

,,,,Character's Thoughts

These are always written without speech-marks, and not in italics. For example:
'Jane glanced at her watch. I've been waiting for nearly half an hour, she thought.
It was obvious that Peter wasn't going to turn up.'

,,,,_Using Italics_

The guidelines should tell you when to use italics. Check with your editorbut
usually, italics are used for:
• emphasised words (but be careful not to overdo thisyour dialogue shouldn't need
italics, as the emphasis should speak for itself)

• extracts from letters

• quotes from poems or songs (remember the laws of copyright,

• here and you'll be responsible for obtaining and paying for permission to use
those quotes)

• titles of books, songs, plays or poems.

,,Tenses

Always use the past tense he did, she was doing, they had done and third person
narrative (he and she, rather than I or we). Present tense and first person
narrative are not really suited to the erotic novel, unless it's within dialogue
for example when one character fantasies aloud to another.

Make sure that you don't mix your tenses. If you want the character to have a
flashback, to show your readers the motivation or background for a particular
character, make sure that the flashback starts in a new paragraph. When the
flashback ends, you need another new paragraph.

Be careful of your tenses within the flashback, if you use the device. It's very
easy to slip from 'he had done something' to 'then he did something else', which
confuses your reader.

,,Starting Sentences with Conjunctions

Starting a sentence with 'and', 'but' or 'or' is perfectly acceptable now a days
but be careful how you do it. For example, in 'He ordered fish. And chips'. '-
unless you're making the point that your character didn't usually order chips, this
should all be one sentence. Remember, sentences usually need verbs, and if you
start every sentence with 'and' or 'but', your writing will become very stale, very
quickly.

,,Ending Sentences with Prepositions

Some editors are fussy about this, some less so. For example, supposing that one of
your characters says that she lives with a colleague. She could say, 'My friend,
who I live with' which is colloquial, though not grammatically correct. She could
equally say, 'My friend, with whom I live' which is grammatically correct, but
sounds too forced for modern dialogue. Start with the grammatically correct version
of your sentence; but if it sounds forced or false in the context of your work,
then use the colloquial version.

,Checking Your Spelling

Some of these mistakes may seem very obvious, but again they are very common in
manuscripts submitted to (and rejected by) editors.

,,Looking at Commonly Misspelt Words

,,,The Practice of Practising…

For a verb ending in SE (eg practise, license)when using it as a verb, spell it

with an S, and when using it as a noun, spell it with a C. For example, 'Peter
practised the flute. Then he went to cricket practice.'
,,Commonly Mixed-Up Words

,,,affect and effect

you have an effect upon something, or you affect it

,,,compliment and complement

compliment means 'to say something nice to someone', eg 'he complimented her on her
new dress'

complement means 'to go well with something', eg 'the wine complemented the
chicken'

,,,dependent and dependant

a dependant (noun) is someone who depends financially upon you (eg a child, an
elderly relative); in which case he or she is a dependent (adjective) person.

,,,it's and its

its means 'belonging to it', eg 'the dog wagged its tail'

it's means 'it is' or 'it has' eg 'it's a pity that the tennis was rained off' or
'it's been sunny all day'

taut and taught (This one is peculiar to erotic writing.)

taut meant 'tight', as in 'her nerves were as taut as a bow-string' taught is the
past participle of 'teach', as in 'she taught French for a living'

there, they're and their

there means a place, as in 'over there' or 'there is a cat sitting on the

windowsill'

they're means 'they are', as in 'they're going to the beach today'

their means 'belonging to them', as in 'they put their shopping in the boot of the
car'

,,,your and you're

your means 'belonging to you', eg 'is that your car?' you're means 'you are', eg
'you're very tall'.

,Looking at Language

,,Using Description to Show Your Readers what's Happening

As with any fiction, your erotic novel needs to be descriptive. You may know what
your characters look and sound like, in your head, but your reader doesn't. Unless
you describe them, your readers won't be able to see your characters, and how they
speak and act. What do your characters look like? What are their mannerisms? Do
they plod along sedately, or bustle around getting things done?

,,Using and OverusingAdjectives and Adverbs

Don't overdo the adjectives and adverbs, though. For example, in the sentenc… I'm
tired," she said wearily,' the word 'wearily' is redundant. If you really need to
convey just how weary your character is, describe her actionsfor example, does she
throw herself into a chair, or flop onto the sofa and rake her hands through her
hair as she closes her eyes? Think about what you're trying to say, and the most
effective way you can convey it to your readers. Less is more.

,,Dialogue

Similarly, in dialogue, you don't need to follow every single speech with a verb
and an adverb. The following piece of dialogue would be blue-penned very heavily by
an editor; the overuse of adverbs makes the dialogue sluggish.

'Hello,' Peter said brightly. 'I'm Peter.'

'Hello. I'm Jane,' Jane said happily.

'Shall we go and sit down?' Peter asked enquiringly. 'Yes. Lets,' Jane said
enthusiastically.

,,Historical Settings

Historical settings create their own difficulty. If you've been reading up on

Victorian slang and your novel is set in Victorian times, it's very tempting to use
your new-found knowledge. However, will your readers be able to follow you? The
likelihood is that they won't unless they happen to have specialised in Victorian
studies, in which case they'll also be much less tolerant of any slips you may have
made. At the same time, modern slang simply won't fit historical settings. Try to
steer a middle course.

,Analysing Vocabulary

,,Expletive Deleted

Just because you're writing erotica, it doesn't mean that you have to pepper your
work with expletives. Apart from the fact that your editor will probably delete
half of them, a novel which is full of monotonous and crude words is, quite simply,
boring. Don't limit yourself to a small vocabulary. Use a variety of phrases,
particularly for description of bodily parts. Though beware of going so far over
the top that you descend into farcethe 'purple-headed womb warrior' or 'mauve
banana' belong more to the world of Viz than to the world of erotica!

,,,The Taboo Areas

There are taboo areas, of course: words which people dislike. That isn't just the
'obscene' wordsmost women, for example, won't respond that well to the idea of a
man's penis 'ramming' into a woman, although some men will find it acceptable. The
vocabulary you use will depend on your target audience.

A rule of thumb is personal taste: use the words you're comfortable with. For
example, if you don't like a particular word, use a synonym. At the same time,
beware of being coy. Remember, you're working in a sexually-explicit genre; you
don't have to limit yourself to 'his manhood', 'his mate hardness', 'her womanhood'
or 'her secret centre of pleasure', which have more of a place in romance than in
erotica.

,,Beating the Word-Block

It's very easy to have a word-block, or find yourself overusing one particular
phrase. Ask a good friend to read your work, to spot if you're overusing a
phraseor, if you're using a word-processor, and you suspect that you have a habit
of overusing a particular word or phrase, use the 'find and replace' function of
the word-processor to check how often you've used it.

,,,Compiling a Personal Thesaurus

Try making a personal erotic thesaurus, culled from the books you read and your own
imagination. Make lists for various parts of the body, the sexual act, and
orgasm/ejaculation. It takes time, but it will pay dividendsnext time you realise
that you have a word-block, at least you'll have a couple of other phrases you can
use instead.

,Checklist

Look at a piece of your writing and check it for the following, using the notes
above to help you.

The accuracy of your punctuationit's very easy to fall into sloppy habits.

The accuracy of your spelling. The quickest way to do this is through a spell-
check program on a word-processor; if you don't have access to one, ask a friend or
local college.

Whether your vocabulary is 'erotic'if you haven't already compiled your personal
erotic thesaurus, do it now and see how many different words you can find.

How descriptive your writing iscan anyone else see exactly what you had in mind
when you wrote the piece?

Your use of adverbs and adjectivesthink of it as seasoning. Too many will spoil
your 'dish', or novel.

,Case Studies

,,Caroline Works it out

Caroline reads a lot of erotic novels and would like to write one herself. She was
good at writing stories at school, but that was a long time ago. She knows that her
spelling could be better, so she buys a bad speller's dictionary. This helps her
feel more confident about tackling her first novel.

,,Denise doesn't Bother

Denise is full of good ideas. She has no problem with finding a plot or keeping the
story going for the required number of words. However, her punctuation is erratic
and she has particular problems knowing when to use new paragraphs. She submits a
synopsis and the first three chapters to an editor; the editor likes the basic
idea, but knows that copy-editing the book to the required standard will push the
production budget over the limit. Denise's book is rejected.

,Assignment

Punctuate the following passage correctly, including paragraphing where necessary.

>

I cant believe its so hot today Jennifer said reclining on the blanket and
stretching The weather man did say that it was going to be nearly 30 degreesthe
hottest day of the year Sally reminded her friend Yes Jennifer mopped her face with
a tissue and pushed her dark hair back from her face But I havent trusted weather
forecasts since we held that barbecue last year It was supposed to be sunny and it
rained buckets remember Never mind This Sally told her pouring a glass of pinot
noir rosé and handing it to her will make you feel a bit better Jennifer accepted
the wine Whatd make me feel better is having our own private swimming pool With Fox
Mulder as the lifeguard Sally added a look of sheer lust brightening her eyes
Jennifer pulled a face That's highly likely isnt it About as likely as fitting a
swimming pool into our back garden Sally retorted eyeing the narrow courtyard

.oOo.

- I can't believe it's so hot, today - Jennifer said, reclining on the blanket and
stretching.

- The weather man did say that it was going to be nearly 30 degreesthe hottest day
of the year - Sally reminded her friend.

- Yes - Jennifer mopped her face with a tissue and pushed her dark hair back from
her face. -, but I haven't trusted weather forecasts since we held that barbecue
last year. It was supposed to be sunny and it rained buckets, remember?

- Never mind. This - Sally told her, pouring a glass of pinot noir rosé and handing
it to her -, will make you feel a bit better.

- What'd make me feel better is having our own private swimming pool - Jennifer
accepted the wine.

- With Fox Mulder as the lifeguard - Sally added, a look of sheer lust brightening
her eyes.

- That's highly likely, isn't it? - Jennifer pulled a face.

- About as likely as fitting a swimming pool into our back garden - Sally retorted,
eyeing the narrow courtyard.

<

*** 3. Structuring the Novel

,Using Kipling's Honest Serving Men

To continue the analogy of the previous chapter, language and grammar are the
building blocks of your novel. However, you need an overall plan or structure to
work tootherwise your novel risks being like a house which has the doors and
windows in the wrong places, the porch where the roof should be, and the roof where
the floor should be.

,,Starting a Structure

So how should you start to structure your novel? Kipling had a small rhyme about
it:

>

I have six honest serving men / They taught me all I know / Their names are what
and why and when / And who and where and how.

<
This is true for all fiction, including erotic fiction. The reader wants to know
the following:

_What_ is happening? This is the book's action.

_Where_ and _when_ is it happening? This is the book's settingin time as well as
place.

_Who_ is it happening to? These are your characters.

_Why_ is it happening? This is the motivation of your characters and your book's
plot.

,,,The _how,_ of course, is how you tell it to your readers.

Remember, a number of sex scenes placed one after the other doesn't make a plot, or
even a structure: it's like having your building blocks without cement. One turn of
the page, one yawn from your reader, and the whole lot falls down. As top author
Cleo Cordell says, 'There has to be something more than a string of sex scenes and
no other content.' Otherwise, what gives your reader the motivation to read on?

You have between 60,000 and 90,000 words to play with, this will give you ample
room to explore your characters, their motivations, and the situation in which they
find themselves.

,,First Things Count

The first few pages of a novel are the most important. They will make the reader
decide whether it's worth reading on. So you need to grab his or her attention, for
example by starting in the middle of a conversation or with a striking event. Look
at the first pages of top-selling novels and you'll find that they nearly always
begin with a striking event or conversation.

,,,Planning, Planning and More Planning

As with a mainstream novel, the erotic novel needs an underlying plot: that is,
character and conflict and conclusion. So where does your plot start? And should
your book/story start with the plot, the character, or the setting?

,,Plot or Character First?

Writers in the genre are divided as to whether the plot or the character comes
first. Cleo Cordell starts her books with a character and settingalthough she
admits that the emphasis is mostly on the setting: 'Something with lots of sensual
possibilities, somewhere interesting that I'll enjoy writing about.' Zak Jane Keir
uses a wide variety of starting points, from a name, a place, a storyline or even a
theory. Best-selling writer Portia da Costa usually starts with the idea of the
book; Mary Tofts' work usually revolves around a strong group of characters; and
Eliza Down's first novel was sparked off by a scenario which turned into a plot.
Whatever inspires youuse it.

,,Developing a Plot

One good way to develop a plot is to start with the idea, then ask 'what if… ?'
Keep asking the question, and your plot will start to take shape.

Some people find plotting easy; others, such as Portia da Costa, find it the
hardest thing. 'I spend long hours just trying to work it out beforehand, weighing
up causes and effects and twists etc, but usually find that once I get working,
plot points seem to suggest themselves. It is a huge struggle, though.'

Mary Tofts adds, 'If I'd had a quid for every ending I've agonised over… the only
way round it is to edit and re-edit and play with different ideasyou'll know when
you've hit on the right one. It took me ages to get the ending of my story Neil You
Horror! right, the breakthrough coming when I decided what the ring which Neil had
made for his heroine would look likeit was all relatively straightforward after
that.'

,,Using a Flow Diagram

One way to help you sketch out your plot is to do a flow diagramusing a bare bones
approachand see where it leads you. See Figure 2 on page 40 for an example of the
beginning of a plot and the kinds of questions you can ask to help develop the
plot.

,,,Structuring Your Flow Chart

Start with your basic idea and draw a box round it. For example, supposing that
your main character is a woman who has buried herself in work. Something
happenseither she has a huge row with her boss, or she's made redundant, or her
company is taken over and she has a clash with her new boss. Her friends suggest
that she takes a break and she agrees, reluctantly, to do so. What happens nextdoes
she meet someone on her journey? What happens when she reaches her destination?
Does it have anything to do with her encounter on her journey? Do her feelings
towards her boss affect the choices she makes?

Box each event, then draw a line between each consecutive event. Don't forget to
link back to 'connecting' eventsfor example, in the plot outlined above, if the
woman encounters someone on her journey and then again when she reaches her
destination, there will be a line linking that event with her arrival (the next
part of the story) and also with what happens next. If your plot is completely
linear, there will be no links back to events that happened earlier in the story,
and your reader will find the plot too simple.

[Fig. 2.]

,,Seeing Plot Complexities at a Glance

Using a flow diagram means that you can see at a glance where there will be room
for extra 'branches' (or sub-plots). If your flow diagram resembles a spider's web,
it's possible that your plot has become too complex; you can see immediately where
the likely areas of confusion will be, and deal with them accordingly.

Once your basic plot is sketched out, you can then break it down into chapters, and
put flesh on the bones. Now that you have the characters, the basic outline of the
plot, and the setting, you're ready to work on your novel. This means planning,
planning and more planningand the best way to do this is to write a synopsis.

,,,Writing a Synopsis

If you used a flow-chart diagram for your plot, use it to build your synopsis. This
will help to give you a working structure, when you're writing the novel. Try to
divide the book into a sensible number of chapters, for example 12 chapters for a
60,000-word book and 16 chapters for an 80,000-word book. The chapters don't all
have to be exactly the same lengthbut if they're approximately the same length,
that is, somewhere between 4500 and 5500 words, the book will seem more balanced.
,,The Different Types of Synopsis

,,,Working Synopsis

You need two different types of synopsis, to do two different jobs. The first is
your 'working' synopsis. This is the synopsis you will work from when you write
your novel: that is, a detailed breakdown of the book's characters, setting and
action, split into chapters.

,,,Selling Synopsis

The second type of synopsis is a much shorter version of your working synopsis.
This is your 'selling' synopsis, which you will send to editors as part of your
submission, whether you're sending just the first three chapters or the whole
novel.

,,Structuring Your Synopsis

For your working synopsis, the first paragraph of your synopsis should introduce
your main characters, the setting, and what is happening. Then you should work
through the plot, chapter by chapter, showing what happens and where characters
develop.

,,,Use the Amount of Detail that Suits You Best

If you prefer to work from a very detailed plan, then put in as much detail as you
like; if you know from previous experience that you tend to change things as you go
along, then put in less detailjust enough to help you remember what you want to do
with the plot.

For your 'selling' synopsis, remember that most editors prefer to read no more than
three A4 pages, typed in double-spacing. The first paragraph of this synopsis
should give a brief overview of the novel: this should take no more than six lines.
What you're trying to do is to rouse the editor's interestjust as the blurb on the
back of a book jacket and the extract from the novel on the prelim page tries to
rouse the reader's interest.

Then give a very brief resume of your main characterstheir names, ages, occupations
and a brief description of their looks will doand state whether your setting is
contemporary or historical (if the latter, name the period), where it is, and
whether it's fictional or real. Finally, outline each chapter, giving roughly six
to ten lines for each chapter.

See Figure 3 on page 43 for the first page of an example selling synopsisfor
_Dangerous Consequences_ by Pamela Rochford, published by Black Lace.

,,,Working to a Synopsis

If you're writing your book before submitting it to an editor, don't feel that you
have to stick rigidly to the synopsis. Go with your instinct. If you get a better
idea for an ending when you're halfway through the book, or an event happens
partway through your book and changes the plot, use it. The same goes for
characters. If a new character writes himself or herself into the book, it's
usually for the better.

If you're selling your book on the basis of a synopsis and the first three
chapters, you have rather less room for manoeuvre. Most professional writers allow
themselves to deviate from their
Dangerous consequencesa contemporary erotic novel by Pamela Rochford After an
erotically-charged conflict with an influential man at the university, Rachel is
under threat of redundancy. Luke takes her to a friend's for a weekend in the
country, to cheer her up. When she returns to London, she's accused of smuggling
papers out of the country, and sacked on the spot. In the meantime, Luke has
disappeared. What is the link between Luke, Max, his friends and the missing
papers? Is Luke really what he seems? Was the erotic charge between them just to
throw her off the scent and disguise what they were really doing?

Main characters

Rachel Kemp is 30; she's a junior lecturer in English at a London university. She's
writing a thesis on the role of women in the Victorian novel, as part of her
doctorate, although she's finding it difficultshe clashes badly with Colin Gilson,
her head of department, who's supervising her thesis. She's 5 foot 3, with blonde
curly hair, hazel eyes and a lush figure; she tends to dress in leggings and loose
sweaters (chiffon loose shirts, if she has to dress up). She lives alone, in
Walthamstow.

Luke Holloway is 27; he's a lecturer in economic history who has spent the past
three years working in America. He lives in Holborn, in a rented flat. He's tall,
with dark hair and greeny-grey eyes; he's nice-looking, and tends to wear faded
jeans and baggy sweaters outside university.

The setting

London; a fictional country house in Norfolk.

The plot

Rachel is working in the library on a Saturday morning. On her way back from the
coffee machine, she's not looking where she's going and collides with a man. Her
coffee ruins his paperwork; Luke says that she can start apologising by taking him
for a coffee.

Over coffee, they tell each other more about themselves. Rachel explains about her
problems; he says that she needs something to take her mind off ithe doesn't have
any answers, but says that dinner would be a start. Rachel agrees, and spends the
afternoon fantasising about him. Over dinner, she finds herself growing more and
more turned on by him.

Fig. 3.

Example synopsis first page.

synopsis, but do check with your publisher before you make any radical alterations.

Using Common Plots to their Best Advantage

It's said that in fiction, there are only seven basic plots, based on the seven
deadly sins. If we take that view to the obvious conclusion, erotic fiction only
has onelust! However, even the most skilled writer couldn't rehash the same plot
for dozens and dozens of books. It would be too predictable, and the audience would
grow bored.

The list of common plots below could be expanded quite easily, but these are the
main ones used by top-selling writers.

Initiation
This isn't just the standard 'how Jane lost her virginity' story, and it doesn't
necessarily have to be an older man introducing a younger woman to sex. The

initiation story can also show a character's exploration of different sorts of

sexuality. Particularly popular are:

Initiation into darker sexualityusually involving corporal punishment, with the

emphasis on shame rather than pain; corporal punishment and SM themes are a very
popular sub-genre within erotica.

Initiation into a secret society or club, whose members explore their sexuality and
recognise each other by some kind of insigniaCyrian Amberlake's The Domino Tattoo
has inspired several contemporary novels on this theme.

Make sure that you don't position the book as an autobiography, though. Erotic
autobiographies can be an incredibly tedious read (for example, the Victorian
Walter books), and it's not appropriate to the erotic novel.

The Job which Leads to an Erotic Situation

Accepting a job (or meeting a new boss) which leads to an erotic situation is
another popular plotalthough be warned, there are a plethora of novels about
wealthy barons and housekeepers around, and editors are becoming bored with them.
This can be

combined with the 'initiation' theme, for example with a teacher seducing his or
her pupil. (Note that the pupil will be over the age of consent.)

The House which Takes Over People's Lives

The setting is the most important part of this type of plot; the house can be
inherited or bought, but the important thing is that the main character's life/
sexuality is changed by the move.

The Episodic Tale

A novel where each chapter tells a different story which is linked to the preceding
and following chapters. This is along the same kind of lines as the Arabian Nights
or Scheherezade, with the hero or heroine embarking on a series of sexual
adventures. The link between the stories needs to be very tight, though, or your
book will look like a cobbled-together batch of stories or just a string of sex-
scenes, which will bore the reader.

Power Games

Editor Kerri Sharp says that novels featuring power games or power relationships
are among the most popular with Black Lace readers, with characters who, sexually,
'surrender responsibility to someone else. They want exciting and experimental sex,
but they don't want to be ashamed by having to ask for it… Our readers like to read
about men who take the initiative sexually and are confident.'

Conflict

Conflict between your characters is a very good way of helping the plot move
forward. Some of the most likely causes of conflict (which have a lot in common
with romance) are:

family feuds cultural/political differences money/class

jobs

lifestyle clash.

Avoiding Overused Devices

Overused Plots

Certain plots have, as Kerri Sharp states in the Black Lace guidelines, been done
to death. These include:

women's health clubs 'with a difference' contact magazines

sex as therapy

impossibly wealthy suitors

the sex industry.

Overused Situations

Also avoid using clichéd situations; Elizabeth Coldwell, editor of Forum, says,
'There are far too many stories about neighbours popping round for sugar and having
sex instead.'

Taboo Areas

The final kind of plots and plot elements to avoid are the taboo areas. These are
non-consensual sex and anything illegal, such as:

Incest. Even if you think you're being very clever by using the Oedipus myth, it
won't get past your editor.

Under-age sex. The Victorian 'cult of the little girl' does not exist in our age.
Make sure that all your charactersheterosexual or homosexualare above the age of
consent, if they're going to have sex. If you're using a historical setting which
had a different age of consent, make sure that you get the details right.

Bestiality.

If you include any of the above, you'll either have an immediate rejection letter
or, if it's only part of the book, you'll be asked to rewrite it, removing the
unacceptable elements. Even the 'initiation into the world of SM' type books steer
clear of non-consensual sex.

Also note that some editors are not keen on male homosexual scenes, particularly if
the imprint is aimed mainly at a male readership.

Understanding the Role of 'Set Pieces'

A common remark about erotic novels is that they're filled with set pieces, or
scenes which appear in many novels. Remember that any sexual action needs to
further the plotif it's there just for the sake of padding the word-count, it will
show.

Making the Most of the 'Set Piece'

Variety
Try to vary the sexual action. As Kerri Sharp says, 'It's possible to write an
arousing story where characters only have beautiful and meaningful sex in bed,
naked, under the duvet, but it's pretty boring when you have an entire gamut of
sexual behaviour to play with.'

Is it Physically Possible?

Make sure that whatever action you describe is physically possible. For example, if
your characters have sex standing up, it depends on their height as to whether it's
comfortable; and if the woman is lifted against the wall, she won't be 5 foot 10
and weigh 20 stone, while her partner is 5 foot 6 and weighs ten stone.

Common set pieces which many top writers use include: the scene set in a bath or
shower

the outdoor romp

the lesbian or homosexual fantasy (note that the latter isn't popular in books
aimed at a male or a mixed audience)

the threesome fantasy or orgy

the masturbation scene (sometimes linked with telephone sex; also commonly linked
with email or computer technology)

the corporal punishment scene (whips, chains, canes, slippers, hairbrushes and the
like)

the bondage or blindfold scene

voyeurism (often involving two-way mirror or being hidden in a wardrobe, roof or

the next room with a peep-hole)

the 'foodie' scenewith a character using whipped cream, honey and champagne etc on
his or her lover's body

the erotic massage.

These scenes can be very effective, or they can be extremely hackneyedit's up to

you, the writer, to make sure that it's the former. If it doesn't do anything for
you, it will show in your writing: so only write what you enjoy.

Asking for Comments

Once you've written the scene, ask your 'audience of one' to read it and comment;
for example, if the response is a groan of, 'Oh, not, not that again,' or laughter,
you need to rewrite or even scrap the scene.

See Chapter 6 for advice on writing the sex scene.

Checklist

From your flow chart and working synopsis, check whether your plot is complex
enough to interest the readerbut not so complex that the reader is confused as to
what is going on.

Look at your 'selling' synopsis and check that it reflects your book accurately,
giving the editor a 'hook' to sell the book to readers.
Make sure that you avoid the overused plot and situation elements.

Make sure that you avoid plot and situation elements that the editor will find
unacceptable.

Case Studies

Edward loses direction

Edward is an English student who wants to supplement his grant by writing novels.
He knows that the erotic market is one of the easier markets to break into, and has
researched the market thoroughly. He knows which publisher he wants to target and
which are the favourite themes of his chosen imprint, and he has

read the guidelines thoroughly. However, he doesn't plan his novel, trusting that
the action will resolve itself through the interaction of his charactersand he runs
out of steam halfway through the book.

Felicity swerves from her structure

Felicity is a saleswoman who finds that her job really helps her to identify
different types of character. Her love of reading inspires her to unlimited plots,
and she always write a full synopsis before she starts work on a novel. However,
she finds that the interaction between her characters makes her deviate from her
synopsis to such an extent that the finished book is nothing like her original
idea. To give her the best chance of selling her books, Felicity always writes the
book first and then revamps her synopsis to suit before submitting her manuscript
to an editor.

Assignment

Start from a basic premise of the story of Snow White and see how many different
plots you can get out of it (with a chain of 'what ifs').

*** 2. Putting it into Words

,Analysing the Elements of an Erotic Novel

The erotic tale has exactly the same elements as mainstream fiction. You need:
• an interesting plot
• well-drawn and believable characters an evocative setting.
But in addition, you also need: good, explicit sex scenes.

Above all, remember that if you don't enjoy writing the book, your audience won't
enjoy reading it, because your discomfort with the material will be visible in your
writing.

The elements of plot, character, dialogue, setting and the sex scene are covered in
the following chapters. What links these elements in your book are the words you
use, and the way you use them: in other words, grammar (including spelling) and
language (including vocabulary).

,Looking at Grammar

,,The Building-Blocks of Your Novel

The words you use and the way in which you use them are the building- blocks of
your novel. Think of your book as being like a house. If you went to view a house
and the windows were crooked, there were gaps in the floorboards, the doors
wouldn't shut, the light switches and power points were inaccessible, and the bath
was set in the middle of the kitchen, you wouldn't buy it. You might not mind the
colour of the walls (which you could change quickly and easily), but major flaws
would put you off.

,,,The Editor's Viewpoint

Your book is the same. Editors forgive the occasional spelling mistake, typing
mistake spell-check programs don't always pick these up and grammatical error, but
you're not doing yourself any favours if you submit a manuscript full of spelling
mistakes and basic grammatical errors.

Your idea might be fabulous, but if your manuscript is badly written, it's unlikely
to be accepted. Apart from the fact that sub-literate manuscripts are one of many
editors' pet hates, editors just don't have the time to sit there making
corrections. They work to a cost basis, so they can't afford to employ freelance
editors to rewrite your book to the required standard, either.

,,,Knowing Your Weak Spots

At the same time, not everyone's perfect when it comes to grammar and spelling, if
you know that this is your weak spot, invest in a good grammar guide there are
several on the market and a bad speller's dictionary. Or you could ask a friend
who's good at spelling or grammar to read through your manuscript and point out any
mistakes you've made.

Some of the points below may seem glaringly obvious; however, these are things that
crop up so often in manuscripts submitted to editors that it's worth revising your
own writing to check that you haven't slipped into bad habits.

,,PunctuationUsage and Abusage

,,,Apostrophes

,,,,Apostrophes are used for

_belonging to_ for example, 'Peter's ball' or 'the cat's whiskers' (but don't
forget, 'the dog wagged its tail', not 'the dog wagged it's tail')

_a missing letter_ for example, can't (cannot), it's (it is), there's (there is),
you're (you are).

,,,,Apostrophes are _not_ used for

_plurals_ for example, 'he picked a bunch of daisy's' should be 'he picked a
bunch of daisies'.

,,,Commas

,,,,Commas are used

_to mark clauses_ (_ie_ the words between the commas could be left out, if you
wanted to, and the sentence would still make sense). Think of them as breathing
spaces. Try reading a long sentence without commas, and you'll soon run out of
breath; where you would naturally want to pause is probably where a comma should be
to break up the sentence.

,,,,Commas are not used

_to mark adverbs_ for example, in ' "Hello," Peter said, brightly', there should
not be a comma after 'said'.

,,,Semi-Colons

,,,,A semi-colon (;) is used

_to link two sentences_ for example: 'It was a hot day; Jane was grateful for the
fan on her desk.'

_to punctuate a list of items_ for example: 'Susan checked the ingredients on her
list. Raspberries; strawberries; blueberries; blackcurrants; day-old bread; sugar
and kirsch. Yes, she had everything she needed to make the summer pudding.'

,,,Dashes and Colons

Dashes (-) and colons (:) usually indicate pauses which are stronger than a comma,
but not as strong as a full stop, for example: 'I could meet you there say, at
ten?' or 'She wondered if he'd fit in the passenger seat of her Mini: he was taller
than she'd expected.'

,,,Exclamation Marks

You shouldn't need to use exclamation marks outside dialogue, except possibly for
characters' thoughts. Within dialogue or characters' thoughts, use them sparingly,
otherwise they soon become irritating. Journalists and advertising copywriters
refer to exclamation marks as 'screamers': ie they're used to make a very loud
point.

Also, don't use more than one. Otherwise it's non-standard punctuation!! Which
editors don't like!!! And it starts to look childish!!!!

,,,Punctuating within Speech-Marks

If you continue the sentence after the speech, you need a comma before the closing
speech-marks. For example: ' "Hello, I'm Jane," she said, holding out her hand.'

If you don't continue the sentence after the speech, you need a full stop before
the closing speech-marks. For example: ' "You must be joking." She stared angrily
at him.'

Use a capital letter inside the speech-marks when the dialogue is the start of a
sentence, and a lower case letter if it's a continuation of the sentence. For
example: "Phew," she said, fanning herself, "isn't it hot, today?" ' or ' "I'm fed
up!" she shouted. ''My computer's gone wrong, yet again."

,,,Character's Thoughts

These are always written without speech-marks, and not in italics. For example:
'Jane glanced at her watch. I've been waiting for nearly half an hour, she thought.
It was obvious that Peter wasn't going to turn up.'

,,Using Italics

The guidelines should tell you when to use italics. Check with your editorbut
usually, italics are used for:

emphasised words (but be careful not to overdo thisyour dialogue shouldn't need
italics, as the emphasis should speak for itself)

extracts from letters

quotes from poems or songs (remember the laws of copyright, here and you'll be
responsible for obtaining and paying for permission to use those quotes)

titles of books, songs, plays or poems.

,,Tenses

Always use the past tense he did, she was doing, they had done and third person
narrative (he and she, rather than I or we). Present tense and first person
narrative are not really suited to the erotic novel, unless it's within dialogue
for example when one character fantasies aloud to another.

Make sure that you don't mix your tenses. If you want the character to have a
flashback, to show your readers the motivation or background for a particular
character, make sure that the flashback starts in a new paragraph. When the
flashback ends, you need another new paragraph.

Be careful of your tenses within the flashback, if you use the device. It's very
easy to slip from 'he had done something' to 'then he did something else', which
confuses your reader.

,,Starting Sentences with Conjunctions

Starting a sentence with 'and', 'but' or 'or' is perfectly acceptable now a days
but be careful how you do it. For example, in 'He ordered fish. And chips'. '-
unless you're making the point that your character didn't usually order chips, this
should all be one sentence. Remember, sentences usually need verbs, and if you
start every sentence with 'and' or 'but', your writing will become very stale, very
quickly.

,,Ending Sentences with Prepositions

Some editors are fussy about this, some less so. For example, supposing that one of
your characters says that she lives with a colleague. She could say, 'My friend,
who I live with' which is colloquial, though not grammatically correct. She could
equally say, 'My friend, with whom I live' which is grammatically correct, but
sounds too forced for modern dialogue. Start with the grammatically correct version
of your sentence; but if it sounds forced or false in the context of your work,
then use the colloquial version.

,Checking Your Spelling

Some of these mistakes may seem very obvious, but again they are very common in
manuscripts submitted to (and rejected by) editors.

,,Looking at Commonly Misspelt Words

,,,The Practice of Practising...

For a verb ending in SE (eg practise, license)when using it as a verb, spell it

with an S, and when using it as a noun, spell it with a C. For example, 'Peter
practised the flute. Then he went to cricket practice.'

,,,Commonly Mixed-Up Words

affect and effect

you have an effect upon something, or you affect it

compliment and complement

compliment means 'to say something nice to someone', _eg_ 'he complimented her on
her new dress'

complement means 'to go well with something', _eg_ 'the wine complemented the
chicken'

dependent and dependant

a dependant (noun) is someone who depends financially upon you (_eg_ a child, an
elderly relative); in which case he or she is a dependent (adjective) person.

it's and its

its means 'belonging to it', _eg_ 'the dog wagged its tail'

it's means 'it is' or 'it has' _eg_ 'it's a pity that the tennis was rained off' or
'it's been sunny all day'

taut and taught (This one is peculiar to erotic writing.)

taut meant 'tight', as in 'her nerves were as taut as a bow-string' taught is the
past participle of 'teach', as in 'she taught French for a living'

there, they're and their

there means a place, as in 'over there' or 'there is a cat sitting on the

windowsill'

they're means 'they are', as in 'they're going to the beach today'

their means 'belonging to them', as in 'they put their shopping in the boot of the
car'

your and you're

your means 'belonging to you', _eg_ 'is that your car?'

you're means 'you are', eg 'you're very tall'.

Looking at Language

,,Using Description to Show Your Readers what's Happening

As with any fiction, your erotic novel needs to be descriptive. You may know what
your characters look and sound like, in your head, but your reader doesn't. Unless
you describe them, your readers won't be able to see your characters, and how they
speak and act. What do your characters look like? What are their mannerisms? Do
they plod along sedately, or bustle around getting things done?

,,Using and Overusing Adjectives and Adverbs

Don't overdo the adjectives and adverbs, though. For example, in the sentence...
I'm tired," she said wearily,' the word 'wearily' is redundant. If you really need
to convey just how weary your character is, describe her actions for example, does
she throw herself into a chair, or flop onto the sofa and rake her hands through
her hair as she closes her eyes? Think about what you're trying to say, and the
most effective way you can convey it to your readers. Less is more.

,,Dialogue

Similarly, in dialogue, you don't need to follow every single speech with a verb
and an adverb. The following piece of dialogue would be blue-penned very heavily by
an editor; the overuse of adverbs makes the dialogue sluggish.

'Hello,' Peter said brightly. 'I'm Peter.'

'Hello. I'm Jane,' Jane said happily.

'Shall we go and sit down?' Peter asked enquiringly.

'Yes. Lets,' Jane said enthusiastically.

,,Historical Settings

Historical settings create their own difficulty. If you've been reading up on

Victorian slang and your novel is set in Victorian times, it's very tempting to use
your new-found knowledge. However, will your readers be able to follow you? The
likelihood is that they won't unless they happen to have specialised in Victorian
studies, in which case they'll also be much less tolerant of any slips you may have
made. At the same time, modern slang simply won't fit historical settings. Try to
steer a middle course.

,Analysing Vocabulary

,,Expletive Deleted

Just because you're writing erotica, it doesn't mean that you have to pepper your
work with expletives. Apart from the fact that your editor will probably delete
half of them, a novel which is full of monotonous and crude words is, quite simply,
boring. Don't limit yourself to a small vocabulary. Use a variety of phrases,
particularly for description of bodily parts. Though beware of going so far over
the top that you descend into farcethe 'purple-headed womb warrior' or 'mauve
banana' belong more to the world of Viz than to the world of erotica!

,The Taboo Areas

There are taboo areas, of course: words which people dislike. That isn't just the
'obscene' words most women, for example, won't respond that well to the idea of a
man's penis 'ramming' into a woman, although some men will find it acceptable. The
vocabulary you use will depend on your target audience.

A rule of thumb is personal taste: use the words you're comfortable with. For
example, if you don't like a particular word, use a synonym. At the same time,
beware of being coy. Remember, you're working in a sexually-explicit genre; you
don't have to limit yourself to 'his manhood', 'his mate hardness', 'her womanhood'
or 'her secret centre of pleasure', which have more of a place in romance than in
erotica.

,,Beating the Word-Block

It's very easy to have a word-block, or find yourself overusing one particular
phrase. Ask a good friend to read your work, to spot if you're overusing a phrase
or, if you're using a word-processor, and you suspect that you have a habit of
overusing a particular word or phrase, use the 'find and replace' function of the
word-processor to check how often you've used it.

,,,Compiling a Personal Thesaurus

Try making a personal erotic thesaurus, culled from the books you read and your own
imagination. Make lists for various parts of the body, the sexual act, and
orgasm/ejaculation. It takes time, but it will pay dividendsnext time you realise
that you have a word-block, at least you'll have a couple of other phrases you can
use instead.

,,,Checklist

Look at a piece of your writing and check it for the following, using the notes
above to help you.

The accuracy of your punctuation it's very easy to fall into sloppy habits.

The accuracy of your spelling. The quickest way to do this is through a spellcheck
program on a word-processor; if you don't have access to one, ask a friend or local
college.

Whether your vocabulary is 'erotic' if you haven't already compiled your personal
erotic thesaurus, do it now and see how many different words you can find.
How descriptive your writing is can anyone else see exactly what you had in mind
when you wrote the piece?
Your use of adverbs and adjectives think of it as seasoning. Too many will spoil
your 'dish', or novel.

,,,Case Studies

,,,,Caroline Works it out

Caroline reads a lot of erotic novels and would like to write one herself. She was
good at writing stories at school, but that was a long time ago. She knows that her
spelling could be better, so she buys a bad speller's dictionary. This helps her
feel more confident about tackling her first novel.

,,,,Denise doesn't Bother

Denise is full of good ideas. She has no problem with finding a plot or keeping the
story going for the required number of words. However, her punctuation is erratic
and she has particular problems knowing when to use new paragraphs. She submits a
synopsis and the first three chapters to an editor; the editor likes the basic
idea, but knows that copy-editing the book to the required standard will push the
production budget over the limit. Denise's book is rejected.

,Assignment

Punctuate the following passage correctly, including paragraphing where necessary.

Answers are on page 118.

I cant believe its so hot today Jennifer said reclining on the blanket and
stretching The weather man did say that it was going to be nearly 30 degreesthe
hottest day of the year Sally reminded her friend Yes Jennifer mopped her face with
a tissue and pushed her dark hair back from her face But I havent trusted weather
forecasts since we held that barbecue last year It was supposed to be sunny and it
rained buckets remember Never mind This Sally told her pouring a glass of pinot
noir rosé and handing it to her will make you feel a bit better Jennifer accepted
the wine Whatd make me feel better is having our own private swimming pool With Fox
Mulder as the lifeguard Sally added a look of sheer lust brightening her eyes
Jennifer pulled a face That's highly likely isnt it About as likely as fitting a
swimming pool into our back garden Sally retorted eyeing the narrow courtyard

'I can't believe it's so hot, today,' Jennifer said, reclining on the blanket and
stretching.

'The weather man did say that it was going to be nearly 30 degreesthe hottest day
of the year,' Sally reminded her friend.

'Yes.' Jennifer mopped her face with a tissue and pushed her dark hair back from
her face. 'But I haven't trusted weather forecasts since we held that barbecue last
year. It was supposed to be sunny and it rained buckets, remember?'

'Never mind. This,' Sally told her, pouring a glass of pinot noir rosé and handing
it to her, 'will make you feel a bit better.'

Jennifer accepted the wine. 'What'd make me feel better is having our own private
swimming pool.'

'With Fox Moulder as the lifeguard,' Sally added, a look of sheer lust brightening
her eyes.

Jennifer pulled a face. 'That's highly likely, isn't it?'

'About as likely as fitting a swimming pool into our back garden,' Sally retorted,
eyeing the narrow courtyard.

*** 3. Structuring the Novel

,Using Kipling's Honest Serving Men

Ahogy az előző fejezetben is említettük, a nyelv és a nyelvtan a regényed

építőkövei. Ugyanakkor szükséged van egy átfogó tervre vagy szerkezetre is,
amelyhez igazodni tudsz, máskülönben a regényed olyan lesz, mint egy ház, ahol az
ajtók és ablakok rossz helyen vannak, a tornác a tető helyén, és a tető pedig a
padló helyén.

,,Starting a Structure

So how should you start to structure your novel? Kipling had a small rhyme about
it:

I have six honest serving men/ They taught me all I know/ Their names are what and
why and when/ And who and where and how.

«
This is true for all fiction, including erotic fiction. The reader wants to know
the following:

_What_ is happening? This is the book's action.

_Where and when_ is it happening? This is the book's setting in time as well as
place.

_Who is_ it happening to? These are your characters.

_Why_ is it happening? This is the motivation of your characters and your book's
plot.

The _how_, of course, is how you tell it to your readers.

Remember, a number of sex scenes placed one after the other doesn't make a plot, or
even a structure: it's like having your building blocks without cement. One turn of
the page, one yawn from your reader, and the whole lot falls down. As top author
Cleo Cordell says, 'There has to be something more than a string of sex scenes and
no other content.' Otherwise, what gives your reader the motivation to read on?

You have between 60,000 and 90,000 words to play with, this will give you ample
room to explore your characters, their motivations, and the situation in which they
find themselves.

,,First Things Count

The first few pages of a novel are the most important. They will make the reader
decide whether it's worth reading on. So you need to grab his or her attention, for
example by starting in the middle of a conversation or with a striking event. Look
at the first pages of top-selling novels and you'll find that they nearly always
begin with a striking event or conversation.

,,,Planning, Planning and More Planning

As with a mainstream novel, the erotic novel needs an underlying plot: that is,
character and conflict and conclusion. So where does your plot start? And should
your book/story start with the plot, the character, or the setting?

,,Plot or Character First?

Writers in the genre are divided as to whether the plot or the character comes
first. Cleo Cordell starts her books with a character and setting although she
admits that the emphasis is mostly on the setting: 'Something with lots of sensual
possibilities, somewhere interesting that I'll enjoy writing about.' Zak Jane Keir
uses a wide variety of starting points, from a name, a place, a storyline or even a
theory. Best-selling writer Portia da Costa usually starts with the idea of the
book; Mary Tofts' work usually revolves around a strong group of characters; and
Eliza Down's first novel was sparked off by a scenario which turned into a plot.
Whatever inspires you use it.

,,Developing a Plot

One good way to develop a plot is to start with the idea, then ask 'what if... ?'
Keep asking the question, and your plot will start to take shape.

Some people find plotting easy; others, such as Portia da Costa, find it the
hardest thing. 'I spend long hours just trying to work it out beforehand, weighing
up causes and effects and twists _etc_, but usually find that once I get working,
plot points seem to suggest themselves. It is a huge struggle, though.'

Mary Tofts adds, 'If I'd had a quid for every ending I've agonised over... the only
way round it is to edit and re-edit and play with different ideas you'll know when
you've hit on the right one. It took me ages to get the ending of my story _Neil
You Horror!_ right, the breakthrough coming when I decided what the ring which Neil
had made for his heroine would look like it was all relatively straightforward
after that.'

,,Using a Flow Diagram

One way to help you sketch out your plot is to do a flow diagramusing a bare bones
approachand see where it leads you. See Figure 2 on page 40 for an example of the
beginning of a plot and the kinds of questions you can ask to help develop the
plot.

,,,Structuring Your Flow Chart

Start with your basic idea and draw a box round it. For example, supposing that
your main character is a woman who has buried herself in work. Something happens
either she has a huge row with her boss, or she's made redundant, or her company is
taken over and she has a clash with her new boss. Her friends suggest that she
takes a break and she agrees, reluctantly, to do so. What happens next does she
meet someone on her journey? What happens when she reaches her destination? Does it
have anything to do with her encounter on her journey? Do her feelings towards her
boss affect the choices she makes?

Box each event, then draw a line between each consecutive event. Don't forget to
link back to 'connecting' events for example, in the plot outlined above, if the
woman encounters someone on her journey and then again when she reaches her
destination, there will be a line linking that event with her arrival (the next
part of the story) and also with what happens next. If your plot is completely
linear, there will be no links back to events that happened earlier in the story,
and your reader will find the plot too simple.

» Fig. 2. Example beginning of a flow chart. «

,,Seeing Plot Complexities at a Glance

Using a flow diagram means that you can see at a glance where there will be room
for extra 'branches' (or sub-plots). If your flow diagram resembles a spider's web,
it's possible that your plot has become too complex; you can see immediately where
the likely areas of confusion will be, and deal with them accordingly.

Once your basic plot is sketched out, you can then break it down into chapters, and
put flesh on the bones. Now that you have the characters, the basic outline of the
plot, and the setting, you're ready to work on your novel. This means planning,
planning and more planning and the best way to do this is to write a synopsis.

,Writing a Synopsis

If you used a flow-chart diagram for your plot, use it to build your synopsis. This
will help to give you a working structure, when you're writing the novel. Try to
divide the book into a sensible number of chapters, for example 12 chapters for a
60,000-word book and 16 chapters for an 80,000-word book. The chapters don't all
have to be exactly the same length but if they're approximately the same length,
that is, somewhere between 4500 and 5500 words, the book will seem more balanced.
,,The Different Types of Synopsis

,,,Working Synopsis

You need two different types of synopsis, to do two different jobs. The first is
your 'working' synopsis. This is the synopsis you will work from when you write
your novel: that is, a detailed breakdown of the book's characters, setting and
action, split into chapters.

,,,Selling Synopsis

The second type of synopsis is a much shorter version of your working synopsis.
This is your 'selling' synopsis, which you will send to editors as part of your
submission, whether you're sending just the first three chapters or the whole
novel.

,,Structuring Your Synopsis

For your working synopsis, the first paragraph of your synopsis should introduce
your main characters, the setting, and what is happening. Then you should work
through the plot, chapter by chapter, showing what happens and where characters
develop.

,,,Use the Amount of Detail that Suits You Best

If you prefer to work from a very detailed plan, then put in as much detail as you
like; if you know from previous experience that you tend to change things as you go
along, then put in less detail just enough to help you remember what you want to do
with the plot.

For your 'selling' synopsis, remember that most editors prefer to read no more than
three A4 pages, typed in double-spacing. The first paragraph of this synopsis
should give a brief overview of the novel: this should take no more than six lines.
What you're trying to do is to rouse the editor's interest just as the blurb on the
back of a book jacket and the extract from the novel on the prelim page tries to
rouse the reader's interest.

Then give a very brief resume of your main characterstheir names, ages, occupations
and a brief description of their looks will doand state whether your setting is
contemporary or historical (if the latter, name the period), where it is, and
whether it's fictional or real. Finally, outline each chapter, giving roughly six
to ten lines for each chapter.

See Figure 3 for the first page of an example selling synopsis for _Dangerous
Consequences_ by Pamela Rochford, published by Black Lace.

,,,Working to a Synopsis

If you're writing your book before submitting it to an editor, don't feel that you
have to stick rigidly to the synopsis. Go with your instinct. If you get a better
idea for an ending when you're halfway through the book, or an event happens
partway through your book and changes the plot, use it. The same goes for
characters. If a new character writes himself or herself into the book, it's
usually for the better.

If you're selling your book on the basis of a synopsis and the first three
chapters, you have rather less room for manoeuvre. Most professional writers allow
themselves to deviate from their Dangerous consequences a contemporary erotic novel
by Pamela Rochford After an erotically-charged conflict with an influential man at
the university, Rachel is under threat of redundancy. Luke takes her to a friend's
for a weekend in the country, to cheer her up. When she returns to London, she's
accused of smuggling papers out of the country, and sacked on the spot. In the
meantime, Luke has disappeared. What is the link between Luke, Max, his friends and
the missing papers? Is Luke really what he seems? Was the erotic charge between
them just to throw her off the scent and disguise what they were really doing?

,,,Main characters

Rachel Kemp is 30; she's a junior lecturer in English at a London university. She's
writing a thesis on the role of women in the Victorian novel, as part of her
doctorate, although she's finding it difficult she clashes badly with Colin Gilson,
her head of department, who's supervising her thesis. She's 5 foot 3, with blonde
curly hair, hazel eyes and a lush figure; she tends to dress in leggings and loose
sweaters (chiffon loose shirts, if she has to dress up). She lives alone, in
Walthamstow.

Luke Holloway is 27; he's a lecturer in economic history who has spent the past
three years working in America. He lives in Holborn, in a rented flat. He's tall,
with dark hair and greeny-grey eyes; he's nice-looking, and tends to wear faded
jeans and baggy sweaters outside university.

,,,,The setting

London; a fictional country house in Norfolk.

,,,,The plot

Rachel is working in the library on a Saturday morning. On her way back from the
coffee machine, she's not looking where she's going and collides with a man. Her
coffee ruins his paperwork; Luke says that she can start apologising by taking him
for a coffee.
Over coffee, they tell each other more about themselves. Rachel explains about her
problems; he says that she needs something to take her mind off it he doesn't have
any answers, but says that dinner would be a start. Rachel agrees, and spends the
afternoon fantasising about him. Over dinner, she finds herself growing more and
more turned on by him.

»Fig. 3. Example synopsis First page.«

synopsis, but do check with your publisher before you make any radical alterations.

,Using Common Plots to their Best Advantage

It's said that in fiction, there are only seven basic plots, based on the seven
deadly sins. If we take that view to the obvious conclusion, erotic fiction only
has one lust! However, even the most skilled writer couldn't rehash the same plot
for dozens and dozens of books. It would be too predictable, and the audience would
grow bored.

The list of common plots below could be expanded quite easily, but these are the
main ones used by top-selling writers.

,,Initiation

This isn't just the standard 'how Jane lost her virginity' story, and it doesn't
necessarily have to be an older man introducing a younger woman to sex. The
initiation story can also show a character's exploration of different sorts of
sexuality. Particularly popular are:
Initiation into darker sexuality usually involving corporal punishment, with the
emphasis on shame rather than pain; corporal punishment and SM themes are a very
popular sub-genre within erotica.

Initiation into a secret society or club, whose members explore their sexuality and
recognise each other by some kind of insignia Cyrian Amberlake's _The Domino
Tattoo_ has inspired several contemporary novels on this theme.

Make sure that you don't position the book as an autobiography, though. Erotic
autobiographies can be an incredibly tedious read (for example, the Victorian
_Walter_ books), and it's not appropriate to the erotic novel.

,,The Job which Leads to an Erotic Situation

Accepting a job (or meeting a new boss) which leads to an erotic situation is
another popular plot although be warned, there are a plethora of novels about
wealthy barons and housekeepers around, and editors are becoming bored with them.
This can be combined with the 'initiation' theme, for example with a teacher
seducing his or her pupil. (Note that the pupil will be over the age of consent.)

,,The House which Takes Over People's Lives

The setting is the most important part of this type of plot; the house can be
inherited or bought, but the important thing is that the main character's life/
sexuality is changed by the move.

,,The Episodic Tale

A novel where each chapter tells a different story which is linked to the preceding
and following chapters. This is along the same kind of lines as the _Arabian
Nights_ or _Scheherezade_, with the hero or heroine embarking on a series of sexual
adventures. The link between the stories needs to be very tight, though, or your
book will look like a cobbled-together batch of stories or just a string of sex-
scenes, which will bore the reader.

,,Power Games

Editor Kerri Sharp says that novels featuring power games or power relationships
are among the most popular with Black Lace readers, with characters who, sexually,
'surrender responsibility to someone else. They want exciting and experimental sex,
but they don't want to be ashamed by having to ask for it... Our readers like to
read about men who take the initiative sexually and are confident.'

,,Conflict

Conflict between your characters is a very good way of helping the plot move
forward. Some of the most likely causes of conflict (which have a lot in common
with romance) are:

• family feuds

• cultural/political differences

• money/class

• jobs

• lifestyle clash.
,Avoiding Overused Devices

,,Overused Plots

Certain plots have, as Kerri Sharp states in the Black Lace guidelines, been done
to death. These include:

• women's health clubs 'with a difference'

• contact magazines

• sex as therapy

• impossibly wealthy suitors

• the sex industry.

,,Overused Situations

Also avoid using clichéd situations; Elizabeth Coldwell, editor of Forum, says,
'There are far too many stories about neighbours popping round for sugar and having
sex instead.'

,,Taboo Areas

The final kind of plots and plot elements to avoid are the taboo areas. These are
non-consensual sex and anything illegal, such as:

Incest. Even if you think you're being very clever by using the Oedipus myth, it
won't get past your editor.

Under-age sex. The Victorian 'cult of the little girl' does not exist in our age.
Make sure that all your characters heterosexual or homosexual are above the age of
consent, if they're going to have sex. If you're using a historical setting which
had a different age of consent, make sure that you get the details right.

Bestiality.

If you include any of the above, you'll either have an immediate rejection letter
or, if it's only part of the book, you'll be asked to rewrite it, removing the
unacceptable elements. Even the 'initiation into the world of SM' type books steer
clear of non-consensual sex.

Also note that some editors are not keen on male homosexual scenes, particularly if
the imprint is aimed mainly at a male readership.

,Understanding the Role of 'Set Pieces'

A common remark about erotic novels is that they're filled with set pieces, or
scenes which appear in many novels. Remember that any sexual action needs to
further the plotif it's there just for the sake of padding the word-count, it will
show.

,,Making the Most of the 'Set Piece'

,,,Variety

Try to vary the sexual action. As Kerri Sharp says, 'It's possible to write an
arousing story where characters only have beautiful and meaningful sex in bed,
naked, under the duvet, but it's pretty boring when you have an entire gamut of
sexual behaviour to play with.'

,,,Is it Physically Possible?

Make sure that whatever action you describe is physically possible. For example, if
your characters have sex standing up, it depends on their height as to whether it's
comfortable; and if the woman is lifted against the wall, she won't be 5 foot 10
and weigh 20 stone, while her partner is 5 foot 6 and weighs ten stone.

Common set pieces which many top writers use include:

• the scene set in a bath or shower

• the outdoor romp

• the lesbian or homosexual fantasy (note that the latter isn't popular in books
aimed at a male or a mixed audience)

• the threesome fantasy or orgy

• the masturbation scene (sometimes linked with telephone sex; also commonly linked
with email or computer technology)

• the corporal punishment scene (whips, chains, canes, slippers, hairbrushes and
the like)

• the bondage or blindfold scene

• voyeurism (often involving two-way mirror or being hidden in a wardrobe, roof or

the next room with a peep-hole)

• the 'foodie' scenewith a character using whipped cream, honey and champagne etc
on his or her lover's body

• the erotic massage.

These scenes can be very effective, or they can be extremely hackneyed it's up to
you, the writer, to make sure that it's the former. If it doesn't do anything for
you, it will show in your writing: so only write what you enjoy.

,Asking for Comments

Once you've written the scene, ask your 'audience of one' to read it and comment;
for example, if the response is a groan of, 'Oh, not, not that again,' or laughter,
you need to rewrite or even scrap the scene.

» See Chapter 6 for advice on writing the sex scene.«

,Checklist

From your flow chart and working synopsis, check whether your plot is complex
enough to interest the readerbut not so complex that the reader is confused as to
what is going on.

Look at your 'selling' synopsis and check that it reflects your book accurately,
giving the editor a 'hook' to sell the book to readers.
Make sure that you avoid the overused plot and situation elements.

Make sure that you avoid plot and situation elements that the editor will find
unacceptable.

,Case Studies

,,,Edward loses direction

Edward is an English student who wants to supplement his grant by writing novels.
He knows that the erotic market is one of the easier markets to break into, and has
researched the market thoroughly. He knows which publisher he wants to target and
which are the favourite themes of his chosen imprint, and he has read the
guidelines thoroughly. However, he doesn't plan his novel, trusting that the action
will resolve itself through the interaction of his characters and he runs out of
steam halfway through the book.

,,,Felicity swerves from her structure

Felicity is a saleswoman who finds that her job really helps her to identify
different types of character. Her love of reading inspires her to unlimited plots,
and she always write a full synopsis before she starts work on a novel. However,
she finds that the interaction between her characters makes her deviate from her
synopsis to such an extent that the finished book is nothing like her original
idea. To give her the best chance of selling her books, Felicity always writes the
book first and then revamps her synopsis to suit before submitting her manuscript
to an editor.

,Assignment

Start from a basic premise of the story of Snow White and see how many different
plots you can get out of it (with a chain of 'what ifs').

*** 4. Developing Your Characters

,Creating Your Characters

,,Identifying with Your Characters

Character is as important in the erotic novel as in any other type of fiction. You
need to identify with your main character, and find his or her lover sexy if you
don't, how can you expect your readers to believe in your characters and sympathise
with them? For that reason, many successful writers use themselves or part of
themselves in their characters, with a bit of fantasy thrown in.

,Using Your Own Characteristics for Your Lead Character

For example, if you're a female writer, your female lead character might have the
attributes you like in yourself, plus the attributes you'd like to have. For
example, she might have your hair colour and style, but be taller or thinner. She
might be able to speak seven languages, or fix cars, or paint, or program
computers. She might look like Meg Ryan or Julie Christie or Vivien Leigh. If
you're a male writer, your male lead character might have the same occupation and
hobbies as you, but have different colour eyes, be able to play the piano, or look
like David Duchovny or James Dean. Or he might race cars for a living. If that's
what you would really like to do, your passion for the subject will come across in
your book, and give your novel more impact.

,,Mixing Fact and Fantasy

The lead character of the opposite sex can also be a mixture of fact and fantasy.
He or she might look like a famous actor or sportsperson or singer. He or she might
have your own lover's eye colour. He could be anything from a James Bond or Indiana
Jones swashbuckling type to the 'quiet but deep' man you've noticed in a corner of
the office and wondered what he was really like; and she could be anything from a
cool and sexy Dana Scully to a bright and bubbly Anthea Turner type. The important
thing is that you find him or her attractive, because your attitude to your
character will certainly affect your readers' view of your character.

,,Looking at Viewpoint and Interaction

The viewpoint in your novel or story will probably be from a character's who is the
same sex as you are mainly because it's very difficult to sustain a novel written
from the opposite sex's viewpoint and keep it plausible. So imagine that you are
the character you've just invented. If you looked like him or her, thought like him
or her, had his or her quick temper or assertiveness or talent, how would you react
in the situations demanded by your plot? How would you react to the other
characters as a friend, a lover, an enemy or a colleague?

,Using Only One Viewpoint Per Scene

When you're writing the novel, you need to stick to the viewpoint of one character
in each scene, or your readers will become confused. This is particularly true of
'flashback' scenes. If you're recounting an event in the past as seen by Adam,
suddenly switching into Becky's view of the scene throws the reader off balance.
There are better ways to write in an element of surprise.

The interaction between your characters is what will really interest your readers.
How do your characters interact? If one is submissive and one is dominant, who is
really the one who controls the action? Remember, it isn't necessarily the
outwardly dominant one.

,,Considering the Number of Characters

It's possible to write a book using just two characters but it might be too intense
or too boring for your readers. You need other characters, if only to throw your
main characters into relief. Even in an 'enclosed' setting, such as among the
clientèle of an exclusive hotel, you need to have interaction between various
characters.

,Using Lots of Characters

Editors like to have varied scenes, not just a long saga of Anna and Bryan's
lovemaking alone in the novel. What about Charles and David and Elizabeth, and the
permutations? Anna and Bryan, Anna and Charles, Anna and David, Anna and Elizabeth,
Anna and Bryan and Charles... Though make sure that you're not throwing in the sex
scenes just to pad out the novel. If Anna and Bryan are an established couple, Anna
needs to have some kind of motivation to make love with Charles or David or
Elizabeth motivation which furthers the plot.

,Avoiding Overpopulation

On the other hand, if you populate your novel with as many people as Dickens did,
you're at risk of your characters becoming ciphers for the sexual action
particularly as an erotic novel is a great deal shorter than the average Dickens
novel and your readers will find this unsatisfying because the plot of your novel
will be submerged under the weight of the huge cast of characters. Go for the happy
medium.
,,Making Sure that Your Characters are Consistent

You need to keep a note of certain things about your characters such as eye colour
for continuity's sake. It can be argued that it's the job of a copy-editor to pick
up that your lead female character has blue eyes in chapter one, but has brown eyes
in chapter eleven when you changed your mind and forgot to alter the references in
chapter one but copy-editors are not infallible. If your work is sloppy, there's
always a chance that something will be missed. Don't cheat your readers by skimping
your checks on the details.

Your characters also need to be consistent in their behaviour. Of course, everyone

has mood-swings; but a character who's assertive one minute, passive the next, and
then assertive again will simply confuse your readers (unless it's obvious sexual
role-play, but then it's likely to involve one of the specialist sorts of fiction).

,,Using a Potted Biography

One way to help keep your characters consistent is to use a potted biography or a
thumbnail sketch, and refer back to it while you're writing. It's particularly
useful if you have a character in chapter one who doesn't appear again until
halfway through the book: by then, you'll be so involved in your other characters
that you'll probably have forgotten the details of this character. Looking up his
or her details in a 'potted biography' is much easier and quicker than having to
re-read the whole of your first chapter to find out those same details.

» Fig. 4. Sample form for a character's potted biography

• Name
• Age
• Height and build
• Specific facial characteristics Hairstyle
• Eyes
• Occupation
• Interests and preferences Major character traits
• Style of dress
• Other background details
«

Many successful writers prepare thumbnail sketches of their characters before they
write the book. These don't have to be exhaustive. For example, Eliza Down and Zak
Jane Keir both use very loose notes, and Cleo Cordell writes very brief notes,
finding that her characters come to life as she writes about them.

Whether you use index cards, or just a piece of paper, try making a list of your
main characters' attributes and refer back to it. Use a scaled-down version for
your minor characters. An example form for a character's 'potted biography' is in
Figure 4.

,,Looking at What Readers Want to Know about Your Characters

There are a number of details about your characters that readers will want to know.

,,,Age

How old is your character? This can be exact, for example 29, or approximate, for
example mid-thirties. Star signs are probably not important, unless it's an
intrinsic part of the plot.

,,,Body Type
What is the character's height and build? Is he or she tall or short, voluptuous,
wiry or slender? But don't go into bra sizesthey really aren't necessary and can
turn your description into farce or sleaze. Also avoid the 'busty blonde'
syndromeit's more of a caricature than anything else. At the same time, all your
female characters don't all need to be tall and slender. Use a body type that you
can identify with, either your own or what you would like to be, in an ideal world.

,,,Facial Characteristics

Does the character have any specific facial characteristics? For example, what is
the character's facial shapeoval, square-jawed, heart-shaped? Does he or she have
any scars or a broken nose or a beauty spot? Is he clean-shaven? Does she always
wear make-upand if so, what kind of colours does she use? If she usually sports the
'clean-scrubbed' look, what happens when she does use makeup?

,,,Good-Lookingor Not?

Does the character have conventional good looks or is he or she unconventionally

attractive? If you've borrowed the character's looks from a real person, you could
write down their name in your notes as a reminder to you when you're writingbut be
aware of the laws of libel. Don't say that your character is that real-life person,
although you can say that your character reminds another of that real-life famous
person.

,,,Hairstyle

What sort of hairstyle does your character have? Think of the colour, the length,
and whether it's straight or curly, natural or dyed. It's quite acceptable to have
heroes who are thinning or baldthink how many women find Bruce Willis, André Agassi
and Sean Connery attractive.

,,,Eyes

What colour eyes does the character have? Do they change according to mood? If so,
how? Does he or she wear glasses or contact lenses? If the former, what kind of
style and frame? If the latter, are the lenses colour- enhanced? Does the character
use coloured lenses as a disguise, for any reason?

,,,Occupation

What does your character do for a living? You don't need to go into great depths
about the character's career to date, unless it's an intrinsic part of the plot.

,,,Interests and Preferences

What are the character's interests and preferences? This is particularly important
if the interests and preferences have a bearing on the plot, such as a love of
Victorian paintings.

,,,Personality Traits

Does the character have any major personality traits? For example, is he or she
shy, confident or arrogant? Is she a leader? Is he a follower? Do they discover
different traits within themselves during the course of the novelfor example a
woman who always thought of herself as a coward is put into a situation where she
is forced to act bravely?

,,,Dress
What is the character's favoured style of dress? Formal or casual, scruffy or
smart? This can also have a bearing on the plotfor example, one of your female
characters might believe herself only to be attracted to professional men in dark
suits and crisp white shirts, but then meets a scruffy student who gives her a
whole new outlook on life. Also bear in mind the 'fetish value' of clothes,
particularly in historical novels.

,,,Other Background Details

Are there any other background details that your readers should know, because they
have an impact on the plot? For example, education or family circumstances.

,,Showing Your Characters to Your Readers

Having your characters looking at themselves in a mirror and describing themselves

is one way of telling your readers what the characters look likebut be warned that
some editors absolutely hate that kind of scene. (See page 105 for comments from
Mike Bailey, editor of Headline Delta and Liaisons.)

The impact shocked him; he hadn't been aware that anyone else was browsing in the
same section of the library as he was. He turned to stare at whoever had bumped
into him, and caught his breath. She was one of the most striking women he had ever
seen. She wasn't particularly tallprobably about five feet threeand she wasn't
particularly thin, but he was instantly attracted to her.

'Sorry,' she said, her voice low and cultured.

An intellectual, then. He would have known that even without the tell-tale little
round glasses which hid her cornflower blue eyes. She looked a bit like a student,
dressed in faded denims, a baggy sweater and black leather ankle- boots. She wore
no jewellery apart from a watch with a leather strap and a large face. Her hair was
light brown; it was parted on one side and was slightly wavy, as if she were
growing out a perm.

Her skin was pale, as though she spent most of her time indoors. Her mouth was wide
and generous, with a full lower lip: a soft pale rosy colour, a perfect cupid's bow
that made him itch to draw his tongue along it.

»Fig. 5. An example of introducing a character.«

An easier way is to describe the first time that one of your main character sees
the other. For an example, see Figure 5.

,A Rose by Any Other Name

Names are a small but important part of your character. It's unlikely that a Percy
will be drop-dead sexy; nor will a Hilda (although a Hildebrand or Percival might
be, if you're writing a book which has a medieval setting). On the other hand, your
characters don't all have to have exotic names: one Angelica or Gabriella in a book
is enough. It's perfectly all right to have a Jane and a Susan and a John and a
Peter.

Often, you'll find that your characters will 'name' themselves. Though if a surname
or first name is proving difficult, a quick trawl through the telephone directory
or a book of babies' names will pay dividends.

,Understanding the Different Types of Erotic Characters

As with all genre fiction, the characters in erotic novels fall into types. This
doesn't mean that your characters will be stereotypesmerely that they conform to
certain conventions. If you're writing a 'power relationship' type novel, one of
your lead characters will be dominant and the other will be submissivebut it's up
to you which is which, and what other characteristics are blended with that
particular one.

,,Looking at Male Character Types

'Mr Rochester' he is sexually sophisticated, usually dominant, and usually well-

educated. He's often rich (and can therefore afford to indulge his sexual fantasies
whenever and however he likes); he's occasionally titled. Don't make him impossibly
wealthy.

The naive man being taught new thingshis naïveté is his main characteristic, and it
appeals to the female readers who would enjoy teaching a man what they know. He
isn't stupid, or crass: he's usually young (although he's always over the age of
consent).

_The submissive man_ as a foil to a dominant female.

,,Looking at Female Character Types

The _naive woman being taught new things_ the female counterpart to the naive man,
above.

The _sophisticated woman with jaded appetites_ the female counterpart to 'Mr
Rochester', above.

,,The independent free spirit.

_The successful businesswoman_ who's thrown into the deep end or who has suppressed
her sexuality and 'rediscovers' it.

The _submissive woman_, as a foil to a dominant male.

,,,Using Dialogue for a Purpose

The purpose of dialogue is to further the plot or to give your reader an insight
into a character.

,,,Throat-Clearing

Avoid everyday conversations, and using lots of 'mm' and 'oh' and 'well' (referred
to by editors as throat-clearing, and usually taken out at the copy-editing stage,
because it's usually unnecessary padding).

,Don't Use Dialogue to Pad Your Story

Another form of unnecessary padding is to use the characters' names a lot, in

dialogue. Avoid it. If your word-count is short, add another scenedon't go through
and put the characters' names into every piece of dialogue, because it will be
edited out. In real life, a conversation wouldn't run along the lines of:

'Hello, Jane. How are you?'

'Fine, thanks, Peter. How are you?'

'I'm very well, Jane. What are you doing, this evening?'

'Not much, Peter. What are you doing?'

So although the occasional reference to names is fine, don't do it in every speech.

The best way to check if your dialogue works is to read it aloud into a tape
recorder, then play it back and listen hard. Or ask a friend to read it to you.
Where are the weak points? Is all of it necessary? Where can you pare your dialogue
to make it punchier and more immediate?

,,Being Careful with Accents

Not everyone speaks with a Home Counties BBC-newsreader accent. If you use a
regional setting, the likelihood is that at least one character in your story will
have a regional accent. That's finebut don't try to convey it by using phonetic
spellings, which will irritate your reader. 'Thass roit, gal,' may be exactly what
an old Norfolk man would say, but write it as, 'That's right, girl.' 'Oi'm Oirish'
is another one to avoid.

,,Using He Said, She Said

You don't always need to signpost who's talking for your readers. If it's already
obvious that the dialogue is between two people, you don't have to keep writing
'Peter said' or 'Jane said' after each piece of dialogue. It's intrusive and looks
more like you're trying to fill up the word-count (and editors are wise to this
method of trying to pad out your novel). Though if it's a protracted piece of
dialogue, using the occasional 'Peter said' and 'Jane said' will remind your
readers who is speaking.
When describing tone, you don't always need to use adverbs. 'Peter said happily...
Jane said crossly... Peter said pleadingly... Jane said intractably... ' Using an
adverb after every piece of speech soon makes your dialogue monotonous and
irritates your reader. Use other verbs, instead, to convey tone. Whispered (though
avoid 'whispered quietly' or 'shouted loudly'these are obvious!), snapped, pleaded,
cajoled, added... are all more evocative than 'said quietly', 'said crossly' etc.

,Checklist

Use this checklist to analyse a piece of your own writing.

Make sure that your readers can see your charactershave you described them
adequately? (Bear in mind that once you've 'set' the character, you don't have to
keep repeating that he or she has blue eyes or dark hair or a Rubenesque figure.)

Make sure that your characters are consistent and don't switch moods too often.

Check that your dialogue has purpose and if it doesn't further the plot or
characterisation, cut it.

Make sure that you use verbs to convey tone, rather than adverbs. Remember, less is
more.

,Case Studies

,,,Gary works on his dialogue

Gary finds writing dialogue difficult. He knows that he has a bad habit of making
his characters say 'oh' and 'um', not furthering the plot or the reader's knowledge
of the character. To help himself improve, he reads his dialogue into a tape-
recorder and plays it back, listening critically and thinking about what he's
heard. Then he edits his manuscript, taking out the redundant words and
conversational trivia. He checks his dialogue again with the help of the tape-
recorder, and keeps editing until he feels that his dialogue is tight enough.

,,,Helen has trouble with characters

Helen finds writing dialogue easy, and has structured her plots so that her book is
well-paced. However, she knows her characters so well that she forgets to describe
them, and when she submits her first manuscript, the editor rejects it because her
characters aren't defined enough for her readers.

,Assignment

To help you practise characterisation, write thumbnail sketches of people you

knowfamily, friends, colleagues; or even what you imagine a famous person to be
like.

What do they look like?

What are their distinguishing features?

What are their interests?

How has their background influenced them?

Don't forget to include:

• mannerisms

• speech patterns and accents etc

• the way they walk.

*** 5. Developing Your Setting

*** 6. Writing the Sex Scene

*** 7. Finding Sources for Ideas

*** 8. Submitting Your Manuscript

*** 9. Learning from Experience

*** 10. After AcceptanceWhat Now?

Your first acceptance letter is a real moment of celebration. All that hard work
has paid off, and someone apart from your family and friends finally believes in
your ability as a writer. It's a moment to be savoured. But once you've drunk the
champagne and celebrated with your friends and familywhat then?

,Looking at Contracts

Once you've had a book acceptedwhether it's on the strength of your synopsis and
first three chapters, or the complete manuscriptthe publisher will send you a
contract. If you have an agent he or she will read through the contract and ensure
that you're getting the best deal, but it's still worth reading it through
yourself.

,,Reading Through the Contract

Some contracts are written in plain English and others are written in more formal
legal language, but the contents are fairly standard between the publishers.

The most important points are:

,,,Delivery Date

This is the date when you need to deliver the manuscript to the publisher; it's
usually agreed between you or your agent and the editor before the contract is
drafted. Before you agree to a date, make sure that it's realistic. if you write
quickly and know that you only need two months to complete the novel, then agree a
date for two months ahead; if you need more time, then agree a delivery date that's
further away.

Whatever you agree with the publisher, make sure that you stick to it. Editors
don't tend to commission more books from authors who don't deliver. If you think
that there's any chance you'll miss the deadlinefor example, you have a prolonged
illnessthen speak to your editor as soon as possible to explain the situation and
renegotiate the deadline. Editors are always understanding if there's a real
problemprovided that you keep them informed at the earliest opportunity.

,,,Word-Count

This is often specified as being between an upper and lower limit. if you go below
the limit, the publisher will ask you for a rewrite (and is unlikely to accept more
work from you, because asking you to rewrite the book means that they'll have to
change their production schedules and maybe ask another author to deliver early).
If you go over the word limit, the publisher will need to ask a copy-editor to take
out large chunks; again, this costs time and money. So stick to the agreed limits
for the word-count.

,,,Title

This is the eventual title of your book. Once you've had more than one book
accepted by that publisher then, depending on your relationship with the editor,
the title in the contract might be a working title rather than the final one.

,,,Payment
Advance payment is usually divided into a third on signature of the contract, a
third on delivery, and a third on publication. Some publishers divide the advance
into two: half on signature and half on publication. Royaltiesthat is, a percentage
of the cover price of your bookwill be payable once or twice a year, once you've
sold enough copies to cover the cost of your advance.

Royalties are not payable on the copies given to you, or on copies given to
reviewers. An amountusually 25 per cent for paperbacksis held back at each royalty
statement to cover returns (ie books which bookshops haven't sold and decide to
return to the publisher).

Note also that some royalties are payable on a 'net receipt' basis (ie the amount
that the publisher receives from the bookseller, as opposed to the cover price),
depending on the type of discount given to the bookseller and whether it's a home
or overseas sale.

Royalties will also be payable on subsidiary sales, such as book club editions,
audio tapes and editions printed by a publisher in another country (usually America
or Australia).

,,,Publication Date

Don't expect the book to be on the shelves of your local bookshop within a month of
delivering your manuscript. Publishers work with long lead times, and the
publication date is likely to be around a year after you deliver the finished
manuscript.

,,,Your Next Book

There may be a clause saying that the publisher wishes to reserve the right to
publish your next book under that particular pseudonym or your real name.
Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that they will actually publish itthey just want
the chance to consider it first. If they reject it, you'll be free to send it
elsewhere, though probably under a different pseudonym.

,,,Free Copies

As part of your remuneration, the publisher will send you a number of free copies
of your book, a couple of weeks before publication date. Royalties are not payable
on these.

,,Clarifying the Contract

If there's anything that you don't understand in the contract, ask your editor for
clarification. If you are a member of the Society of Authors, it's worth taking
advantage of their contract-reading service, where they will read any contract and
offer advice free of charge.

,Understanding Proofs, Blurbs and Illustrations

,,Receiving Proofs

Once you've delivered the manuscript, it goes to the copy-editor. Any typing
errors, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors will be picked up by the copy-
editor, along with any deviations from house style (for example, if you've used
double quote marks instead of single quote marks, or you've useded endings and they
prefert endings where possible). The copy-editor will also query anything that
might be incorrect, such as the habitat of particular flora and fauna, or whether
certain mineral types are found togetheror even whether some of your scenes are
physically possible (for example, it's unlikely that your hero will be able to tie
his own wrists in a bondage scene, and loosen them afterwards). Then the marked-up
manuscript goes to the typesetter, and the first proofs are produced.

The publisher will then send proofs to you for correction, telling you the latest
date when he or she needs comments. The proofs will look almost exactly the same as
the finished book, although there will be two 'pages' on each sheet of A4 paper.
This is your chance to go through the proofs and pick up any errors; or you may
choose to leave it all in the hands of the publisher's proofreader (who will go
through the manuscript checking for corrections, whether you give any comments or
not). Don't make full-scale changes to the text at this stage, or you'll be charged
for the cost of resetting those pages.

It's worth asking for the return of your original manuscript, so you can see where
the copy-editor has made changes; this will help you with future books, because
you'll become more familiar with the publisher's house style and also be aware of
any stylistic problems you have (such as 'throat- clearing' or misuse of commas).

,,Writing the Blurb

At the same time as the copy-editing stage, either the copy-editor or the editor
will write the wording for the back of the book-jacketknown as the blurb. The aim
of the blurb is to give an idea of the plot (without giving too much away) and a
sample of the book's contents, usually including a piece of dialogue. If you've
written a good selling synopsis, part of it may be used as your book's blurb.

The editor will send the blurb to you for approval. You have the chance to make any
changes here, if you really don't like what they've written, but usually the blurb-
writer has a lot of experience and knows what sells in their market.

,,Choosing Illustrations

Once the blurb has been approved, the editor will choose the cover illustration,
have everything set, and then send you a copy. If you really hate the illustration,
you may be able to negotiate changes; however, it's worth remembering that the
publisher is likely to have done a great deal of market research and found out the
sort of covers that their target readers like, so the publisher will have a better
idea of what kind of illustration helps to sell a book.

,Working Up Your Next Submission

Depending on your relationship with the editor, you may be asked only to send one
sample chapter, together with the synopsis, for your next submission. Remember that
there are no guarantees of acceptanceestablished authors still have ideas for books
rejected by their publishersand to be polite and patient, as with a first
submission. The good news is that once you've had a book published, you'll avoid
that publisher's slush pile in the future, so you have a better chance of an
acceptance.

,Keeping Records

There are two particular sets of records you need to keep.

1. Your own records of submissions, so you know what's been sent where, and the
reaction of the publisher

2. Records of income and expenditure, for tax purposes.

,,Recording Submissions
Keep a note of what you've sent to which publisher, when, and their reaction. This
will save you from the embarrassing situation of sending a novel to a publisher,
having it rejected, having it rejected by another three, and then sending it back
to the first one because you'd forgotten that you'd already had it rejected by
them.

A simple columnar record will do. See Figure 12 for an example. Including a
'results' column has the added advantage of showing you at a glance the main reason
why you've been rejected. If you've had three novels rejected for having too
complex a plot, or too thin a plot, you know one of the areas you need to work on
before you submit any further ideas.

» Fig. 12. Sample submission record sheet.

Date / Title / Pseudonym / To / Result

1.1.199x / The Master / Jane Bloggs / Headline / No plot not exciting enough. Try a
different Book

1.3.199x / Dark Desires / June Smith / Black Lace / Yes

,,Dealing with Tax

If you have something published, you'll need to declare your earnings on your tax
return. Publishers will record all payments made to you.

You can claim various expenses against the money you earn; but you need to keep
receipts, and accurate records. If you post a manuscript to your publisher, note it
down as the exact price and don't round it up (for example, 97p, not £1.00). Ask
for receipts each time you purchase anything to do with your writing.

As well as postage costs, you can also claim the cost of:

• travel (for example, to an erotic writers' conference)

• reference books (for example, _Writers' and Artists' Yearbook_ and dictionaries)

• telephone calls (for example, to an agent or a publisher)

• paper

• pens, typewriter ribbons, printer cartridges, floppy disks, correction fluid,

folders, envelopes, labels and other stationery

• correspondence courses

• subscriptions to relevant publications (for example _Writers News_)

• your accountant's fees.

Your local Inland Revenue office will give you details of self-employed tax
allowances; for example, you may be able to claim part of the cost of lighting and
heating your house, if you work from home.

You may prefer to leave this in the hands of your accountant. If you choose to use
an accountant, ask for quotes from several different firms, and always ask if
they've had experience of working with authors.

,Checklist

Make sure that you keep a record of how much you've earned from writing during the
last tax year.

Make sure that you keep a record of how much you've spent on writing-related
purchases during the last tax year.

Keep all your receipts, bank account statements and remittance advices together.

Keep records of submissions and results and use notes of your rejections to help
improve your writing.

,Case Study

,,,Zoe keeps up to date

Zoe keeps separate accounts sheets for each category of expenditure, and keeps her
receipts in plastic walletsincluding remittance advice notes from her publisher. At
the end of her tax year, all her records are in order and she feels confident that
her tax return is accurate, thus avoiding potential administration problems.

*** Glossary

,B

Blurb - The working for the back of the book-jacket; the aim of the blurb is to
give an idea of the plot (without giving too much away) and a sample of the
writing, usually including a piece of dialogue, to attract readers to buy the book.

,C

Chapter - Section of a book, normally numbered but may also have its own title as
well.

Coleridge - "willing suspension of disbelief" egy szakmai kifejezés a

irodalomkritikában, és Samuel Taylor Coleridge, az angol költő és kritikus nevéhez
fűződik. A kifejezés azt a hajlandóságot jelenti, amelyet az olvasó vagy néző
tanúsít, amikor "felfüggeszti" a hitetlenségét egy művel szemben, hogy élvezhesse
azt.

Conflict - The obstacles which the lead character in your novel has to overcome.
Usually some form of problem, either practical or emotional.

Contract - The legal agreement between you and a publisher stating the title,
approximate word-count, delivery date and publication of your novel, plus payment
terms.

Copy-editor - The person employed by the publishing house to go through your

manuscript and check it for house style, factual mistakes and grammatical/ spelling
errors.

Copyright - The legal ownership of publication rights in a piece of written work.

Covering letter - A brief letter to an editor asking if he or she will consider

publishing your novel.
,D

Dialect - The accent or vocabulary used in a particular region rather than

nationally.

Dialogue - Speech between two or more characters.

Double spacing - Manuscript presentation where a blank line is left between each
typed line on a page.

Dream-sequence - Scene in a novel which turns out to be a dream.

,E

Editor - The person at a publishing house who is responsible for commissioning a

novel.

Editorial guidelines - Information for authors about the publisher's requirements

in style, length and content.

Episodic tale - A novel where each chapter tells a different story, linked to the
preceding and following chapters.

Erotica - A short story or novel containing explicit sex scenes, written with the
aim of making the reader feel turned on.

,F

Fetish - Non-sexual object or part of the body which is endowed with sexual
symbolism (for example, gloves and shoes) and arouses sexual excitement.

Flashback - A method of revealing past events to shed light on a character's

motivation.

Flow diagram - The plot of your novel shown in diagrammatic form, with events
placed in boxes and connected by lines.

,G

Genre fiction - A story or novel which fits into a particular literary category,
such as thrillers, crime novels or romance.

,H

House style - How a particular publishing house likes things set outfor example,
ending past participles such as 'learned' as 'learnt', having dialogue within
single speech marks, and the layout of a chapter.

,I

Imprint - The name of the 'list' within a publishing house which is under the
control of a particular editor. For example, Liaisons is an imprint of Headline,
which is a publishing house.

Interaction or interplay - The way your characters react to other characters and
the setting in your novel.

,L
Lead time - The time between the date you deliver the manuscript and the date when
the book is finally published.

List - The titles published by a publisher.

,P

Plot - The events in a story.

Power games - The interaction between characters based on the balance of power
between them often in the form of master/mistress scenarios.

Prelim page - A page at the front of the book which contains a short extract of up
to ten lines from the novel, aiming to whet the reader's interest.

Proofreader - Person employed by the publishers to check proofs for errors. Proofs
Unbound typeset copy of your manuscript.

Pseudonym - A name which you may wish to adopt as your writing name.

,R

Rejection letter - A letter from an editor saying that your manuscript is not
suitable for their imprint. May contain good advice to help you improve your
writing.

Romance - A short story or novel based around the love affair between two
characters, ending with the happy resolution of the conflict between the
characters.

,S

Scene - Part of a chapter with its own distinct action. There may be more than one
scene per chapter.

Set piece - A sex scene which is commonly found in an erotic novel.

Setting - Where the action in a book takes place, when (contemporary or historical
plus the time of year/time of day) and the 'world' in which the characters move.

Slush pile - A collection of unsolicited manuscripts.

SM - Sadism and masochism; sometimes interpreted as submission and mastery.

Synopsis - A brief resume of the characters, setting and plot of your novel.

,T

Targeting - Researching and producing work for the specific style of a publishing
house.

Throat-clearing - In dialogue, when characters say 'Mm' or 'Oh' or 'Well' before a

speech.
Timescale The period of time which your novel covers.

,U

Unsolicited manuscript - A novel submitted to an editor on speculation.

,V

Vanilla sex - Sexual activity which doesn't include bondage, corporal punishment or
the use of anything 'kinky'.

Viewpoint - The point of view from which your story is told.

,W

Word-count - The number of words required by the publisher.

Writer's block - A temporary feeling that you are unable to continue writing your
novel.