Touch!

I promised I'd write about the five senses and now I'm way behind after doing "Smell" months ago.

So the sense I'm going to talk about today is touch. Touch is crucial to good erotica - you could probably write a really great sexy story and have the hero or heroine unable to smell or taste or see but they've got to have the sense of touch.

First - there are all kinds of touches - feather-light touches, hard touches, stroking touches, etc.. Practice some on yourself or your significant other and pay attention to your reaction. What turns you on? What doesn't? Exactly how does the sensation feel?

Second - rubbing someone's elbow won't garner you the same reaction as tracing light circles around their nipples. If you're writing a love scene for your characters, be aware of the kind of touches they're using and where. Know your characters likes and dislikes. One heroine might like having her clit lightly fingered while another prefers firmer pressure. One hero might go for having his backside lightly scratched during loveplay while another prefers his heroine to pay attention to his balls.

Three - anywhere on someone's body can be an erogenous zone for them. By focusing on the sense of touch you can avoid cookie-cutter sex and have your characters get turned on by touches few of us think of. Having your hero lightly stroke the heroine's inner arm can signal his interest in her and how she reacts to his touch clues him in to whether or not she's feeling him (pun intended)!

The next time you're reading a good love scene, check out how the author uses the sense of touch (and the other senses too) and try to incorporate some of what you've learned in your stories too. It will deepen your writing skills and make for a great one-handed read!