Specialist Courses
Allaboutlove offers a range of specialist courses to help you up your game as a writer—not only of romances but of their first cousins, erotic romances. Indeed, we believe that mainstream novelists would find our course on writing great sex scenes of value. So whether you’re more interested in writing sex scenes that really work, or erotic fiction guaranteed to turn your readers on, or lesbian fiction that meets the needs of its own niche readers, enroll now for the course that best suits your requirements.
The Guide to Writing Sex Scenes
This four-module short guide looks at how to write sex well – whatever genre you are writing. It looks at how sex can advance the plot and develop characters.
We investigate why some sex scenes work and others don’t. Then we move into the realm of sex to turn the reader on: how to do it without invoking the ghastly cringe or, perhaps worse, the hysterical giggle.
Finally, we deal with sex in Romance writing – what it should and shouldn’t do, and how to use it well.
This course is intended to be helpful, whether you’re writing straight gay or lesbian sex. We hope it’s useful, no matter what type of fiction you write.
Some of the aspects of this course are:
• What else a sex scene must do (besides the obvious).
• Why sex should jostle for its right to be there
• What sex can do that other scenes can’t
• Examples of sex used for different purposes.
• Does it always have to be the full monty?
• Different levels of explicitness – to achieve different effects
• How to write sex designed to turn readers on
• The terms to use (or, more to the point, not to use)
• Point of View
• Some of the reasons sex scenes don’t work
• Sex and Romance – what to consider, your readers’ expectations
• Romance and celibacy – how to build your emotional intimacy and sexual tension, even without explicit sex
• Setting
The course ends with an assignment. We will respond with helpful and constructive advice.
Cost: ZAR 1200
Prices are in South African Rands. Use this currency convertor to convert to other currencies.
Writing Erotic Fiction
Seduce and Delight - Would you like to be able to turn people on through words alone? Karlita Diamond, international woman of mystery, and published erotic fiction author, lets you in on her secrets. Learn the art of erotic writing, explore your inner sex god/dess, push your boundaries, and become a master/mistress of seduction. Whether you want to write for a living or just write for your partner, this course will equip you with everything you need.
• A brief history of erotica – erotic fiction, what the history is, and why people write it.
• Losing your virginity – getting over the shyness. A basic guide to erotica, sexual language
• What turns you on? – exploring sexuality, triggers and eroticism
• Characters – essential to any story, but particularly erotic fiction – how do you make characters believable, real…and sexy
• The best place for sex – how do you weave sex into your writing
so that it is interesting and realistic? The difference between porn and erotica.
• Nuts and bolts – writing sex. Detailed descriptions.
• Finding your sexual style – exploring different erotic genres
• How far is too far? Pushing the boundaries of erotica
• Beginnings and Endings – where do you start telling your story, and where do you leave your readers wanting more….
• Details! Nuance, suggestion, subtlety – the details which will make
your story come to life
Click here to sign up for your course in Writing Erotic Fiction.
Cost ZAR 4500
Prices are in South African Rands. Use this currency convertor to convert to other currencies.
The Guide to Writing Lesbian Romance
This course will introduce you to everything you need to know about writing lesbian romantic fiction. This course will give you the same writing skills as the straight Guide to Writing Romance. But it has been geared specifically to lesbian love stories.
These differ from straight romances, in that your readers have different expectations of your characters. We’ll discuss what romance is, who your readers are and what expectations they have of you.
We’ll also will equip you with all the basic writing skills to write a novel:
• Preparing yourself for the writing life.
• Overcoming self-consciousness and getting started.
• Developing your own unique voice.
• Creating believable characters.
• Showing off your characters – what they’re like and who they are - without reams of explanation.
• Revealing your characters’ pasts, without boring your readers to tears.
• Writing authentic dialogue.
• Building a story, with both conflict and romance.
• Maintaining suspense.
• Writing a good climax and resolution, while keeping the tension taut.
• Structuring your story and keeping up the pace.
• Writing love scenes.
• Choosing the best possible viewpoint.
• Creating a world for your characters to live in – setting and background.
Each module will end with an exercise. We will respond to each with helpful and constructive advice. Every module is designed to be completed as part of your busy week. But you are free to work through the course as fast or slowly as you like.
If you have completed Module 1, sign up now for the rest of the course. If you have not yet completed Module 1, click here for access to your free first module.
Cost ZAR 3600
Prices are in South African Rands. Use this currency convertor to convert to other currencies.