Write the erotica you want to read in the world.
Part two of the erotica class that began as Pen Play!
Writing Spicier builds on what we did in Writing Spicy (and Pen Play) — but this time, instead of focusing on the publishing process, we will be focusing more exclusively on the craft of how to write an erotic story. We’ll start with the opening paragraphs, fast forward to the first consent moment, move on to the climax (orgasmic or not), and end with the ending.
We’ll be reading plenty of examples to emulate and learn from along the way, and we’ll be bravely sharing our work to encourage constructive feedback, support, and encouragement.
Come join me and dive into writing erotica. Bring your desires, your kinks, your pleasures to the page and play around.
About Writing Spicy:
This is a four week class on constructing erotic stories. Part classroom, part writing group, we will explore the craft of short erotic stories, focusing on the craft of storytelling and how erotica is different than stories without erotic content. You will have something short to read and a writing assignment each week to turn in. Participants will have the opportunity to share their work with each other and give constructive feedback on it. We will meet weekly on Zoom to discuss the readings, workshop selected participant pieces, and answer your questions.
In the class, we will cover in depth craft for the different components of an erotic story. At the end of the class, you will have a revised story from writing prompts and homework ready to polish and submit.
This class is made for folks who are beginners to intermediate writers and who want to hone their craft and publish more work. You do not have to have published anything. All genders, all sexual orientations, all experience levels welcome — no specifics required. Queer characters and kinky acts not required, but this will be a queer-focused and kink-positive space. It will also be kink-positive and trauma informed.
Sliding scale available, click here for more details and to sign up.
Webinars will be recorded and available to download; you do not have to attend live.
Who is behind this?
This series will be led by me, Sinclair, with assistance (and feedback for you!) from erotica writer Ash Orlando, whose work you may already be familiar with at @say_please_baby.
About Ash:
ASH ORLANDO is a playwright, poet and short story writer from Sydney, Australia. They have performed in The Butch Monologues, the Butch/Stud annual performance night and various spoken word events. Ash is also a co-director of Gender Creatives, a collaborative group showcasing work by non-binary artists and writers. They don’t know much, but they know they love you, and that may be all you need to know.
About Sinclair:
SINCLAIR SEXSMITH (they/them) is an award-winning queer trans masc writer focusing on queer culture, trauma, dominance, submission, spiritual kink, and transgender and nonbinary issues. Sinclair’s creative nonfiction and queer erotica writings are widely published online and in more than thirty anthologies, including eight volumes of Best Lesbian Erotica series. They are the editor of Best Lesbian Erotica of the Year Volume 4, Volume 5, Volume 6, Best Lesbian Erotica 2012, Erotix: Literary Journal of Somatics, and Say Please: Lesbian BDSM Erotica. Their short story collection, Sweet & Rough: Queer Kink Erotica, was a 2015 finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. Sinclair writes at sugarbutch.net since 2006, recognized numerous places as one of the top sex blogs. They have been teaching about erotic writing, the power of queer narratives, somatic arts, and many sex and kink techniques since 2002. Sinclair is an international leather titleholder, a pretty good cook, and an avid creative journaler. Follow all their work at patreon.com/mrsexsmith.
Dates:
Sundays
February 13 – March 13, 2022
4-6pm PT / 7-9pm ET
$250
How to sign up:
Last day to register is February 6, 2022.
1. Click here and sign up via the Sugarbutch shop!
2. Once you sign up and pay, I will send you an email with next steps, which include signing up for the Google Classroom and an intake survey in your email. Please fill it out to give us a better sense of who will be attending.
3. Your first assignments will drop on Sunday, February
I believe stories matter. Telling our stories matter. Sharing how we as queer, kinky, gender radical people live, love, lust, and desire, helps to support others like us, to feel less alone. We still don’t have enough depictions of our truths out there in the world! And I believe we all have stories to tell. Writing isn’t the only way to share them, but it is the craft I know best, and I am excited to share what I know with you all.
Questions?
Do I have to write erotica?
Nope. You can be working on any kind of writing — poetry, plays, short stories, a novel. It could include erotic content, but it doesn’t have to. We will be talking about the things that are different about writing things with explicit sex in them, but what you turn in as your writing assignments is up to you.
Will the webinars be recorded?
Yes! Webinars will be recorded and available to you to download after they are live.
Will you have an ASL interpreter for the webinars?
Yes; please get in touch at sinclair@sugarbutch.net. I will do my best to accommodate different access needs.
Do I have to publish my work?
No. There’s no requirement to publish, but this class is intended for folks who are pursuing writing with some seriousness and are interested in sharing their work more broadly. We will spend some time going over tips and procedures for publishing.
What kind of feedback will I get?
We focus on giving feedback in the Amherst Writer’s Method, which enhances what is working in the piece and gives the author feedback to encourage them to play to their strengths. The feedback will focus on what’s working, what we love about it, and what stays with us.
Do I have to share my work with the class?
No, it’s optional to share your work. Participants will be encouraged to share their reactions to each other’s work in a particular framework, using primarily positive feedback, and all participants will be able to ask for the kind of feedback that they would like to receive, which could be things like some critique, positive feedback, or just to witness with no feedback at all.
Will there be content warnings? Is this trauma-informed?
Yes, we will use content warnings in this workshop, to let everyone decide what they are equipped to read and make decisions with agency. More details about how to use content warnings will be in the class guidelines. I have studied trauma, restorative justice, and community safety in various form, and I will do my best to keep the needs of survivors forefront in the structure of the workshop.
I can’t afford $250. Is there a sliding scale?
Yep, click here for more details and to sign up.
More questions?
Email me, sinclair@sugarbutch.net.
