Category: Writing

I only added about 100 words today.  Some writing binge, huh?  The good thing is that Chapter One is in a good enough state that I can move on.  I’ve got scenes of Chapter Two bouncing around in my head, but again, they’re not in order.  I need to do some more plotting before I can dive in and start to write.

The weird thing is that I’ve been writing later in the day.  Usually, I’m a morning writer.  That hasn’t been the case so far with this book.  I don’t know why, but whatever works.

Total word count = 5246

I added about 1200 words to Chapter One today, but focused more on editing.  It’s coming along nicely, but I really need to expand on the heroine.  I realized that I’m assuming that readers know her, but you don’t!  That will be my goal tomorrow.  I need to take a deeper dive inside her head and polish up that finishing scene.  Then I’ll be comfortable moving on to Chapter Two.

Speaking of being comfortable, my freak-out from yesterday seems to have subsided.  I don’t know why I was putting pressure on myself.  Writing doesn’t need to be fast, it needs to be good.  I’ve found that if I go too slow, I can lose the overall tone of the book.  If I go too fast, though, I can get ahead of what I’ve plotted.  Then things can take a disastrous turn.  For my last several books, I’ve written at a breakneck pace and have felt the stress associated with that.  I think that I’d come to equate writing with stress and that was what happened yesterday.  It’s not necessary.  I just need to remember that.

Yeah, like I have that kind of control.  Ha!

I started working on a new project today.  I plan to do some binge writing over the next few days, so I thought I’d blog about it here.  I’ll share what I did, how much I wrote (or didn’t write), and when or why I got stuck.  I figure this will keep me accountable and maybe somebody out there would find it interesting.  Mainly, it’s to hold myself accountable.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been pushing in my head for inspiration, which never works.  I knew who my heroine was, but the story I’d originally envisioned for her just wasn’t working.  Then I had the idea for a different type of hero. I liked him a lot, but there wasn’t enough there for a story.  It’s strange, but a romance is never just the love story.  That would be so boring.  There’s got to be some sort of drama or  action going on, too, to move things along.  Since I write erotic romance, it also had to be sexy.  That’s the part I was missing until the other day.  I don’t even know how it came to me, but I remember going into a room to get something. Instead, I stopped because an idea had hit me — and it was the missing piece that brought the story together.  I finally had the sexy conflict I needed to keep the plot moving with my two characters.  (I never did remember why I went into that room.)

Scenes then came to me.  That’s how my creative process works.  Unfortunately, they’re never in order.  So today was all about getting the big picture sorted out in my head. I ended up writing the synopsis.  A synopsis is a 2-5 page summary of the story that publishing houses require you to submit with the full manuscript.  It’s essentially the Cliffs Notes version of your story. Some authors wait until the very end to write these.  I’ve come to realize that it’s helpful for me to write them first.  Once I plot a story out, it doesn’t change much.  If it does, the synopsis can easily be updated.

Anyway, today I wrote a 1,214-word synopsis.  It helped me get some of those scenes in order.  It definitely helped me flesh out my characters, especially the hero.  He’s not the Alpha type I usually write, but I can tell he’s going to be a good one.  I hadn’t really pictured this story all the way through to its end, but I came up with an idea that would tie everything up pretty nicely.  And, no, that’s not a bondage joke.  Ha.  I’m happy with the progress I made today.  It’s not quite there, but the story is starting to come together.

Tomorrow, I plan to work on Chapter One.  Yay.  Here we go.

There’s a difference. Lately, I’ve heard the terms being used interchangeably, but erotica and erotic romance are two distinct story genres.  Some readers like both, but others might not.  Here’s a guide to help you understand the difference:

• Erotica — This is the story of a character’s sexual evolution.  It’s all about the character exploring their sexuality and their boundaries.  Expect hot, explicit sex scenes, potential darkness, and often multiple partners.  There doesn’t have to be a happily-ever-after, but there should be growth in the character if the erotica is any good.  Good erotica also has a strong story line and doesn’t simply skip from one sex scene to the next — although there will be a lot of hanky panky going on.
• Erotic Romance — This is a love story cranked up to 10.  It’s about two characters (or more) falling in love and lust with one another.  The focus is on the emotional relationship, and it should be strengthened by a sexual connection.  The characters are committed to one another and care for one another.  It’s a romance, so a happy ending is expected.

I started my career with Black Lace Books, which was the premier publisher of women’s erotica back in its time.  My early stories were published through them, so they’re mainly in the erotica genre.  My preference, though, is erotic romance, and I couldn’t help but let that creep in to most of my erotica stories.  Today, I write mainly erotic romance, although I did venture back into the world of erotica a few years ago with Private Dancer.

Through the years, the pendulum has swung wildly on just how explicit both genres will go and what sexual practices are explored.  Today, most of my books would probably just be considered “hot.”  I think sensuality is not only in the act, but in the buildup of sexual tension.  So whatever you read, enjoy it, but be aware of what you’re buying so you’re not surprised or disappointed.

Happy reading!