The Write Stuff
Formula for Writing a 25K Erotic Romance
By Sable Grey
Most of us who start out writing novel length romances have kind of a hard time switching over to write shorter erotic romance. I certainly did. But as I learned how to trim the story and eliminate the fat, I came up with a formula for writing 25,000 word erotic romances and hopefully it will help other writers who want to cash in on the digital erotic romance market.
Before we look at the formula, what is erotic romance? For me, erotic romance is nothing more than a romance story with explicit love scenes. It’s the kind of story that readers who like a little more heat with their romance will want to buy. I approach every book with three things in mind:
- Who are the characters?
- What is the story?
- How many sex scenes can I fit in without messing up who the characters are and what the story is about?
The first two are fairly easy, but the third is why I developed a formula. As someone who writes novel length, I was accustomed to just allowing the relationship and tension develop over several chapters before writing a love scene. However, it becomes much more difficult when you are writing a twenty five thousand word story. By having a formula, a basic outline, to fit the story into, things get much easier.
Each chapter is 5K and there are 5 Chapters. This makes it easier to set up my writing schedule and goals. This way, I can set myself up to write 5K a day and have a first draft finished in a week.
So week one, I fill out my formula and plot my story, doing whatever research I need before I start writing. Week two, I write hard and fast and finish the first draft. Week three, I revise and rewrite, polishing up my story. Week four, I submit my finished book to a publisher.
The Formula
- Chapter One: Introduce characters and story
- Chapter Two: Advance the plot, first love scene
- Chapter Three: Advance conflict, second love scene
- Chapter Four: Black Moment
- Chapter Five: Resolution and a happily ever after
Let’s break it down. I’ve made up a western story to fit into this formula as an example of how this works.
Chapter One: James is an ex-outlaw gone gambler who has just been caught cheating when playing cards with a lawman, has taken the money, and is making a run for it. He hops the first stage he sees which happens to be the one carrying Molly, a mail order bride, from St. Louis to Denver where she will meet her new husband. They don’t get far before James sees that the lawman is fast catching up with him so he holds up the stage, steals two horses and the woman. At gunpoint she goes with him and they set off across the plains.
Okay so I’ve established the plot, the conflict, and have introduced the characters and their individual stories.
On to second chapter where James goes off the main road and they take up camp. She asks why he won’t just give the money back but James tells her he wants to buy some land with it…he’s been saving for it. James promises her that he’ll take her to the town, now that he’s escaped and let her go. The next morning they ride into town only to find that the lawman has already been through. They part ways but Molly finds out that the law thinks she’s the outlaw’s partner in crime. She hears people talking about hanging and sets off after James, catching up with him by nightfall, demanding he turn himself in and clear her name because no man will marry her if she’s thought to be a criminal. They are attracted to one another so really hot outlaw sex scene follows.
Great, plot advancement accomplished and first love scene is out of the way. Now I’m ready for Chapter Three. But how in hell do I advance the conflict now?
Point of view switch to the lawman. Carter isn’t going to be had by this poker player. One, because it makes him look bad, and, two, because James is the illegitimate son his wife had with her lover twenty seven years ago. When she gave birth, she died and while Carter killed the lover, the very sight of James reminds him of his loss. Carter realizes that they are no longer on James’ trail and circles back. Scene change, back to James and Molly and James is taking her to one of the old hideouts he used back in his outlaw days for a second love scene. Before they get it on, he talks about the gang he was in and how he got out of the gang by turning them over to the law. Then follow with a really good love scene.
In Chapter Four I must have a black moment, where things look they can never work out. What is the worst that could possibly happen?
One of the outlaws that James turned in is in the hideout and after the love scene comes out and shoots at James. But it’s just not big enough for a black moment so I’ll have to push it over the top. James instinctively ducks out of the way but in doing so, without meaning to, allows the bullet to hit Molly instead. James knocks the gun from the outlaw’s hand. At the sound of gunfire, Carter is rushing to the scene; meanwhile, James and the other outlaw are facing off. They start fighting. James gets the upper hand but the outlaw gets to his gun, turns, points, and James is suddenly shoved to the side. Two gunshots ring out and as the outlaw falls dead, James turns and finds Carter was shot too in the stomach. He dies saving James. Molly will die too unless he can get her to a physician so he picks her up and carries her out of there. The outlaw had obviously gotten rid of the horses, so he sets off on foot with Molly bleeding in his arms.
Now that’s a great black moment.
Chapter Five starts with James standing at a fresh grave. He puts flowers down. Then Molly walks up and adds her own flowers to Carter’s grave. They walk back to the room in the hotel in town and I can work in a third love scene here – when it’s over there is a knock at the door – because I do like to throw in one last small curve ball before the happily ever after. James gets up and it’s the man that Molly was supposed to meet in Denver standing there. He’s not very happy because he’s paid for a bride and now he’s out the money and the woman. James, despite Molly’s protests, gives the man the money out of land savings to settle the deal. After he’s gone, James tells Molly that they’ll just have to work hard to get the money back and buy the land together if she’ll have him. She says she will.
And now I have the resolution and an outline for a twenty five thousand word western erotic romance. I started in the middle of the action, had a horse chase, and have a good fight scene that ends with someone dying. Action, Adventure, Hot sex, Romance, the hero does something heroic, and a happily ever after. I’ve well developed characters, a solid story, and three love scenes that do not mess up the story or who the characters are.
Sable Grey has been a published author since 2004, a cover artist who works in both electronic and print formats, and is a literary agent with her own company, Sable Grey, LLC. She is also one of the owners of Cobblestone Press, an online publisher of erotic romance since 2006. Visit her website at http://www.sablegrey.net
