Customer Reviews

Elements of Arousal: How to Write and Sell Gay Men's Erotica

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The title is in some ways misleading, as "Elements of Arousal" is one of the best books on writing fiction I've ever read, regardless of genre. Yes, it's an excellent "how to" for writing gay men's erotica, but it's also a superb course on both the craft and business of fiction writing in general. It won't suit everyone, as the writing examples used are very explicit erotica, but on the other hand the examples used are certainly memorable, and Eighner uses them to great effect in teaching various aspects of the craft of writing.

Even this revised edition is now over a decade old, and some parts of the section about the business side of writing are now seriously outdated, but it's still a useful guide to practical aspects of selling one's work. The book is currently out of print, but is readily available second-hand and in an a web version, and is well worth tracking down.

This book has some excellent advice for the writer and the erotic writer. Not limited to the gay scene either.