September 19th, 2015

Now that I’ve got your attention, how about a little bait and switch? This blog is about historical sex, but in the writing zone. As a writer of erotic romance a HUGE chunk of my books is my characters getting down and dirty. But, I bet you didn’t know sex throughout genre’s and period pieces changes. You might read a steamy contemporary and see words like “cock”, “penis” and (my personal most hated) “pussy”. But, if you were to pick up a historical or a steampunk those words would be inaccurate and likely damage the quality of your novel. I get lost in the language all the time and it took setting up a style guide to remind myself when my characters are seductively sucking on a dick or gently cradling someone’s arse. You might have to get creative and do some research but there’s nothing stopping good old historical sex from lighting a fire on the pages too.

Drawing the line between the two can be difficult, especially if you bounce back and forth between genres as I do with my release calendar. One minute someone will be ripping off a sequin dress and sinking into the folds of a willing woman and then next my characters are fighting off corsets and petticoats. The most important thing to remember is always do your research. Sex in the modern age can be almost anything you want it to be – on a plane, with vibrating toys and even for a movie. Anything goes and the number of words you can use to vary your descriptions will have you chortling with glee. We certainly have no lack of words for body parts now – “dong”, “pecker”, “chub”, “va jay jay” – you name and you can probably get away with using it.
Excerpt – Torn Between Two Worlds

Her hand cupped his cock at the base and her other hand pumped up the length of it. Once. Twice. Three times. She slowly and gently licked across the bead of cum at his tip. Swirling her tongue under his head and playing with the tender skin she sucked him deep into her mouth. One hand pumping his length near the base and the other massaging his balls. Stroke after stroke, she took him inside her until she could tell by his noises he was coming close. Grinning wickedly, she pulled him out of her mouth with a popping sound.
"Now, now have some patience. You got to play with me and I'm going to return the favor until it's you screaming my name." Rising up a little, she pressed her arms together, squeezing her breasts together and letting his cock run up the crease and slip between them.
She used her own body to move her breasts up and down his cock, letting her tongue flick out and lick the tip each time it came near. She locked her eyes with his and saw the battle he fought, presumably not to flip her over and drive into her, which was almost what she wanted. She cried out when Strider's finger pushed its way inside her again in her distraction. She was so wet and ready it took all she had to not come undone when he slipped another in. Placing her arm on his wrist she slid his fingers out of her.
"Not that I don't approve. But this is my turn and I want you in my mouth, I want you to suck you till you lose control and come."

When you write in the past it can almost be like hitting your head against a wall. You gain clothing barriers, cultural barriers, clothing barriers and word barriers. There are a million things you need to think about or explain. A woman can’t just screw a man – something needs to be explained that she’s already been married, maybe she’s a lady of the night or maybe she’s just promiscuous. Either way, the first step is making sure it’s plausible. Then you need to wade through the undergarments. Can you have a lady without them? Sure thing, can you without explaining why – I wouldn’t. If those precautions aren’t enough writing erotically becomes hampered by language. You need to make sure your references are period and culture correct or all you’ll succeed in doing is pulling your reader out of the story.


Excerpt- Nightmare in Steam

Her body crashed into his and she felt his hands tear the shirt away before they grabbed onto her breasts and began to knead them. His hands, the ones that had seemed so small holding the glass, were perfect and warm as they touched her. He shuffled slightly, his prick dragging across her breeches and she bit her lip to not scream with need. He stopped then, his body a warm wall of heat behind her and tugged her backwards him to him. Her arse hit his shaft and she realized suddenly that she was naked and froze for a moment.
“Shh, shh now. It’s all a dream. Of course you’re clothes are off, Eliza. I want them off. I need them off.” His mouth trailed close to her ear and she wanted to turn and claim them, take control of the situation because she felt so helpless, so lost in her need for this Lucius.
But he hadn’t kissed her again, not yet and she whimpered, wanting to feel his mouth on hers again. His breath was warm against her neck. His lips were soft, barely a whisper along her skin as he kissed a fiery path. He placed gentle kisses along the long column of her neck. He was so cold, so brutal and calculating out of this dream, she could tell from the soulless look in his eyes, the look he sometimes got when he thought she wasn’t looking anymore. Yet here, in this dream room, he was heat and desire as he stood behind her. Match for match as her own selfish heart called for his touch knowing that this was nothing more than a dream. She didn't let the details concern her as she felt him press against her, naked flesh to flesh. His erection, a rock hard reminder of what would come, pressed into the small of her back.


Now that you’ve seen a little preview of both, what do you think you’d find harder to write? Which do you prefer to read?