Up In Smokey: On Writing Lesfic

One women cliché I believe is true is that they use far more words in the average day than men. Women are quite verbal creatures. Of course, not all girl characters have to be gabby Gerties. That's something to keep in mind about female characters as a whole. Individually, like I said in my dialogue-writing essay, know your characters. You put them on the page; you (should) know them better than their own mothers do. Remember that little bio I suggested you write on them, to refer to for future use? Make sure it contains important points you made about them, to avoid inconsistencies. If your Readers get attached to a character, they'll want to keep coming back for more based on the likable qualities you gave her. Keep them consistent. And of course, another good idea in general is to re-read your own older stories, to refresh them in your mind. After enough time and new spun yarns, things will start to blur and character traits will overlap. Re-reading your work will help to not repeat ideas in the case of a new original story, and to keep that vital consistency in the case of sequels. Including how they talk. Once again—not saying this as a bad thing—gay, straight, bi, pan, women are known to be quite the chatterboxes. So make them chatter to your advantage. And another character point...

Not nearly every story needs a villain figure. Most of mine have gone totally villainless. But easily my most notorious villain has been Miss Farrah, the Devil, underworld empress from the "Beyond Hell And Back" series. Obviously, making a villain lovable presents a bit more of a challenge. When you've got a villain, A) first of all, make the hero likable and relatable. Villains already run the risk of rubbing Readers the wrong way, and if they can neither feel love or empathy for your good girl character, it's a lost cause. B) Give your villain some background, and try to explain how she (or he) got to be the way she (he) is. This will humanize them and lend some credibility. C) If you're going to have a real villain, two syllables: COM-MIT! Take a cue from the family-friendly cine-makers. Think about all the villains we were introduced to as kids, as the key demographic for these films. Disney movies, notably, knew how to give us a villain, and were actually pretty gender-friendly about it. Showing us that women can be just as bad-ass evil as men!

And what did most if not all these baddies have in common? Well, a couple things. First of all, they were serious about malice and crime. THEY committed. They didn't let humanity or compassion step in and stop them. Also, their fires were fueled on by having a wonderful sense of humor. And truly loving being evil. Look at the way they menacingly L.O.F.L. in their hour of apparent victory! For a brief spell in lots of these stories, it seemed the villains would win. And they almost did, too, because they were so good at being bad! The good guys were just a little better at being good. But that doesn't mean your stories have to adhere.

The first installment of "Beyond Hell And Back" felt ballsy for me. It was one of the first pieces I wrote—not to mention seriously hardcore and sinister—and also, the villain won. As she's the Hellmistress, a powerful sorceress in her own right, Farrah kidnapped protagonist Holly, terrorized her, stole her virginity, and got away with it. And the reason that worked was that she also stole a piece of Holly's soul, leaving her unable to vow revenge. But because Farrah proved a smoking hot sex symbol as well as a Devil, because of her unwavering evil, and her delightfully cruel sense of humor—half their torture session was spent tickling Holly to tears—and because she actually developed an air of affection for Holly at the very end, the story was successful. As she takes the innocent young waif back home, she makes Holly promise her that she won't let herself back into the kind of situation that got her kidnapped—by Miss Farrah—in the first place. Ironic, is it not? Female villains may be able to get away with more than male villains, but don't abuse that fact. It will help to make her a true bad-ass, though, and establish the fact that she pussy-tively smolders with sex appeal.

Now, villains aside, I've always been an enormous proponent of the whole humor element. It also helps that I love seeing, watching, having and writing girls doing tantalizingly mean, salacious things to each other. All in the name of fun, of course. Or for the purpose of teaching one/some a lesson. It's no secret nor accident that the words "human" and "humor" bear the same derivative roots. We have to have at least a semblance of humor to click with other people in our otherwise robotic world. We have to laugh! And what, pray tell, on this great green Earth, is hotter than a cute chick with a big hearty ear-to-ear laughing grin on her face?

Of course, then there's the other side of the coin: tragedy and drama. It's fine to mix comedy and drama in the same story, but vital to keep an even tone. As important as a sense of humor is, the sad fact is that tragedy happens to everyone. And there are certain realities from which Readers flock to our site and read our stories to get away, but I don't believe this is one of them. Readers want to find the deep human moments in our characters, to laugh and cry with them. They want to be touched and moved, not just turned on. Sure, all this can be achieved simultaneously, but there's also a time to jill off and a time to sob out your emotions. Again, it's up to you to choose which characters you'll affect with these experiences, and how they'll cope. As we're talking lesfic, another thing we hear about women is that they tend to be more sensitive and heartfelt in their emotions, and freer to express them. That last part may be more true than the rest. I advise to write your girls' feelings and reactions in the moment as you feel a human would logically act. And once more, accordingly with the traits and quirks you've given them. Don't forget, women are just people. Not superhuman mind-reading angelic little objects of pristine perfection and excellence like you see pursued by stupid male characters in movies.

Now then, to the sex. A number of lesfic writers have at first been intimidated at the prospect of writing two (or more) women making love. I won't say it's easier than you think, but I'll reiterate that the research is out there. And again, not in porn. Porn's skewed towards what the industry feels is in the interest of the male collective. You can "borrow" ideas from elements you find in your favorite porn shoots. But in your stories' actual sex scenes, you'll want your Readers able to continue accessing the characters as they know them, not just transforming into libidinous drooling freaks.

Once you've decided who your girls are and what they like in bed—or wherever the encounter takes place—it's time to customize your sexual settings. What position(s) will they try? Will it be their first time? Will they opt for bondage? If so, light or severe? Will you introduce specific kinks and fetishes to spice things up? Will a third girl enter the picture? What sorts of toys will you utilize? Will the sex involve penetration, and via what means? How much will they talk to each other during the act? Will only one cum? Or both (or all)? What form will the orgasm(s) take? How much heart and emotion will be juxtaposed against the raw lust? Where and for how long shall they do it? Will they roleplay? How much will they laugh and cry, scream and shout?

You don't necessarily have to answer all these questions in a single scene. And like I indicated above, the characteristics you give your girls and the story around them will answer some of the questions for you. One thing you will have to be familiar with, though—if you're a male writer—is the female genital anatomy. That's a little easier to research, and here's something to put your mind at ease. That some of the female writers may not want you to know, but I said it already, I'll say it again: they're all different.

Every woman's sexual needs vary. Contrary to the p.c. media, not all women are crazy about endless foreplay. Some love it, some can do without it. Some achieve their first 'o' quick and snappy, others can go for hours. Women do have the luxury of multiple orgasms, you can use that for a bit of leeway. Read forums and message boards of real women talking about their sexperiences. Some may not have very active libidos. Some masturbate literally upwards of five to six times a day. Some use all kinds of methods when left to their own devices (pun intended). I encourage you to get creative coming up with ways to get your girls off. And as an aside, right at the fingertips (pun again intended) is the "doorbell." The clit, that erect-swelling penis-homologous little button that contains more nerve endings than anything else on the female body. And further up inside is the fleshy patch known as the g-spot. They're two areas semi-frequently neglected or omitted when men write lesbian sex. But they are two important points to pay attention to, gents. They're both extremely powerful, sensitive billion-dollar spots. That basically exist solely for a dolly's sexual pleasure.

Another thing to note, character-wise—and this can go for both sex scenes and the rest of the tale. The outside world would have us believe women are all strong, fierce, independent beings who want to be heard roar. Yes, that's a double-reference to Helen Reddy and Katy Perry. If that's truly who your character is, that's great. I like women who are emotional and vulnerable, and unafraid to let those sides show. Not insinuating that they're not strong, just that they have feelings, and get scared and overwhelmed like anyone. And based on the number of Readers who like my stories, I'd say many of them feel similarly. I relish them displaying real raw nerve, at moments in fact crying their hearts out. As long as their fits of sobbing are properly motivated. If you can establish emotion coming from a real human, heartfelt place, the Reader will be moved. S/He may even finish the story with moist eyes.

Touching back on a question I posed a few paragraphs ago, it should be no secret to the lesfic writer or fan that female orgasms span a far wider range than their male counterparts. This is quite the scad of combinations to trifle with, quite the buffet to sample from. Once again as a lesbian myself, I stand by belief that lesbian sex is some of the hottest, most intense sex performable for all involved. This doesn't make it harder to write, but after enough stories, unique scenarios get challenging to come up with. Depending on a lebbi character's libido, drive, stamina, and a bit on her physicality, girls can have an entire series of orgasms at a time. These series are—not guaranteed but—likely to be composed of vaginal orgasms. More intensity and the practice of edging her can eventually bring on your extra "wet" climax, or squirting—perhaps even a waterfall-like "gush-gasm." In such a case, the pussy walls contract, and a "portal" of sorts is unlocked to the Skene('s) glands, releasing—usually in a succession of squirts and spurts—her excess fluid. Or "she-jaculate," if you will. No, "she-jaculation" is not a myth. Neither is the sort of female version of "pre-cum."

There's a number of factors that can affect the experience: energy, mood, ambience, other senses, to name a few. Along with the vaginal or penetration orgasm, there's the clitoral one—incessantly ringing that doorbell until it bulges to the bursting point. Opinions vary just how much gray area there is between them. Some women perceive them similarly, some quite separately. For the truly open, trusting lass, there is the extra intimate g-spot orgasm, which can be enjoyed literally upwards of a dozen times in a row. Despite one particular brief passage I wrote in "Bully," another portion of girls get off on assplay. Finally, perhaps least common, you've got your "mammillary" orgasm—that is, cumming by tit or nipple play alone. Just think of all the configurations. It's almost like a chess game. This is a truly wonderful privilege you'll relish as a lesbian erotica writer. The experimentation is virtually endless. You can shape your characters into anyone you fancy them to be, and give them any assortment of climactic adventures. You can trib, you can frig, you can scissor, you can go oral, manual, pedal...you've got the power.

It's the extra wet/waterfall/Super Soaker orgasm of which I'm a big fan and like to milk (pun intended) for all its worth. Whether a mere portion per multi-gasm, or all of it in one mind-scrambling climax, this method drains the pussy and is more typical to wear out the woman's libido and energy, making a nice nap seem abruptly inviting. If high on stamina, she may be able to keep going even after this. But if low or out of fluid, she can run the risk of a tender ache from overstimulation. Then again, some train themselves to separate the 'o' from the squirt. Again, it all depends on the woman. Give your girl the experience you feel will suit her best.

Well, so much for the anatomy lesson. This essay has been a blast to write and I hope you've taken a thing or two of value from it. If you feel encouraged to write a lesbian story after reading it—whether your first or not—you're welcome! If you feel intimidated, I'm sorry, I didn't intend to discourage you. For some final thoughts and uplifting words on writing stories in general, I refer you to the last segment of my dialogue essay ("'Tips On Writing Dialogue,' Said Smokey!"), which detoured from the main insight into just that, some inspirational words on the craft itself. I'll wrap this one up similarly.

It's truly remarkable and cool for us as writers that each time you start a new story, the entire fictional world's open for access. Not unlike other lesfic things that become wide open for access...but based on your interests, any venue or setting is up for grabs, as are any womanly figures you whip up from thin air. Really the only guideline that must be obeyed is that your romance/love/sex scenes include only women. Just about everything else is negotiable. Any time a new protagonist graces the page/screen and springs to life, you're bestowed with the role, honor, duty and privilege of guiding her journey. Avoid pressure not to "shoehorn" her in "traditional" roles, settings or cetera. Every author's got to do her or his own thing. Once you've got down who your character(s) is (are), you'll sense the elements to mold her story, and use your best judgment for each call thereafter. If what works best and makes most sense is a commonplace setting rather than an exotic one, so be it. If your protagonist undergoes a storyline seen a million times before, so what. It's still her and your own creation; you'll sculpt it so that the nuances are unique, even if the setting and plot aren't.

If you genuinely enjoy and are a fan of lesfic, and want to try your hand, dip your toe, and get other body parts involved, consider yourself encouraged—by yours truly if no one else. The realm of lesbian entertainment by and large remains underexplored. At least in contrast. And while I won't say it needs all the contribution it can get, bits with minable merit are good for spreading awareness. And for letting (particularly younger and insecure) lesbians find that they're not alone in their struggles. Which can too go for others in the LGBTQ-munity. So yes: play about, rove and seek those deep recesses of your mind to find the angles on lesfic that speak to you. Come at it from different directions and see what results. Join us do! There are millions of chick-loving chicks out there in the collective land of imagination, just waiting for a cool new literary home. Any number of them could cum—er, come together, and become acquaintances, friends or lovers at any time. The ideas, scenarios and opportunities (and dollies) are limitless.

Which ones shall become yours??