Customer Reviews

Writing Erotic Fiction

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mr. Parker does a well rounded, though sometimes biased, look at the business of writing erotic fiction. While he does mention using the same techniques for improving erotic scenes in other works, the book's main subject are stories written for the stimulus of a reader's sexual imagination.

His style of writing is clear, insightful, and humor filled. I enjoyed reading him as much as I enjoyed learning what he had to say on the subject.

My one complaint comes not based upon Mr. Parker's work, but the publisher/book binder. This volume is in an oversized paperback format and the first copy I obtained suffered from a problem that led to a section of pages falling out of the binding.

Writing good erotic fiction rarely involves repeated and detailed explanations of the physical acts of various types of sexual intercourse. When the censorship restrictions were lifted in the late seventies, I tried to read a few of the "novels" that explicitly described sex. I never finished a single one of them, in most cases I did not even make it to the one-third point in the book. They get so very boring so very quickly.
What makes good erotic fiction is the involvement of the reader's imagination and the best prose uses creative euphemisms for the sexual body parts and the actions they execute. It also makes it clear that the people are really enjoying themselves, not by pumping out groans that rattle the paint flakes off the walls, but by descriptions of how their bodies are reacting to the stimulation.
For years, I have been a closet writer of erotica, trying to develop a style that combines the right mix of animal horniness with sensual soul-altering joy. Towards that end, I purchased this book, hoping to get that last bit of information and advice that will make my writing sizzle.
The advice is sound; there was much in the book that was obviously true that I had not thought of. I am certain that every possible sexual position and act has already been performed countless times by countless people. Therefore, as Parker points out, to write good erotic fiction, you must be able to come up with unique descriptions for acts that the readership is most certainly extremely familiar with. This is hard, but when you get it right, it is wondrous. After reading this book, my erotic writing has definitely improved, I may decide to try it out on others very soon.