So, you want to be a successful Literotica Romance writer?

Writing for Literotica is not very different for writing any other style of Romance. There are a couple of differences, though.

For one, you can write in instalments, building the tension by making your readers wait for the next chapter, instead of just turning the page.

Also, you can get more raunchy in the description of sex scenes than you would normally see in, say, a Harlequin novel. You don't have to go for explicit, in-depth sex scenes though. That is the joy of the Romance category -- just about any level of sexual description goes, from a kiss and cuddle and a shutting of a bedroom door right through to full-frontal, wild, hot and wet sex.

But we're getting a little ahead of ourselves. Before we can have sex, we need people. In Romance, it's best that you have two main characters -- one male and one female -- to fall in love. There will also be a cast of lesser characters: friends and family of the main characters. And there needs to be a villain or two.

The female lead character must be feisty. She will know exactly what she wants, and she doesn't want a man. She's been burned in the past by a louse and has decided she doesn't need the heartache ever again. Or she's too busy with her studies or career to bother with all the foolery of love. She is, of course, ravishingly beautiful, but doesn't know it.

The male lead will also be dashingly good looking. He probably does know it. He will know immediately upon meeting the female lead that he wants to marry her. He will be outrageously rich (this may or may not be common knowledge).

She will not like him at The First Meeting. In fact she may well despise his cocksure attitude. But she will fall in love with him almost immediately, denying that she has.

Here's where the friends and/or family come in. Her friends will either be all for her hooking up with this wonderful chap, or they will be seriously warning her against him because of his known womanising.

He will be using his friends/family to help him get to know her better.

At this point we have The Revelation. She will realise she has fallen desperately in love with him. He will be ecstatic that he has won her over.

If you are so inclined, this is a good spot to put the First Sex Scene, to consummate their love. Violins play and weddings are planned. They are all set for the Happy Ever After.

And now you need to drop in the Evil Plot Twist.

Just as everything seems peachy between our two lovebirds, she has to see him in a compromising position with another woman, preferably a former girlfriend. He is totally innocent of any wrong doing. The evil ex-girlfriend has schemed her way to this action, so she can get him back.

Our heroine will leave in a flood of self recrimination and tears. How could she have been so foolish as to believe he loved her? Oh woe -- you know the drill. She leaves the fabulously expensive gift he has just given her in a prominent place for him to find when he comes looking for her when she doesn't turn up when expected.

She will cut off all contact with him, refusing to speak to him, the cad. She will be righteous and heartbroken.

He will be bemused and heartbroken, unable to understand why she has shut him out totally. He will move heaven and earth to get her back.

Now we need the Convenient Plot Device. This can be any number of disasters -- a car accident; getting lost outdoors in bad weather; an evil ex-boyfriend who threatens bodily harm. I'm sure you can think of others. It doesn't really matter what it is. What does matter is that one of our couple is effectively incapacitated.

If it is the heroine, it gives the hero a chance to explain what really happened when she saw him with the evil ex.

If the hero is taken out, temporarily of course, it gives the heroine a chance to realise that she really does love him and she's being a fool (because, of course someone else -- the hero's family/friend -- has told her the truth but she refused to believe it).

Now we can have the Glorious Reunion, fanfares, angels singing (and here's the chance for a Second Sex Scene, if you so desire) and they can fade off into the blissful sunset, together forever.

The really good thing about Literotica is you can add extra little twists in here and there, leading up to the Big Romantic Events and have these turn up just at the end of each chapter, so that the reader is positively chomping at the bit to get to the next chapter and find out what happens.

Oh, and a quick word of warning -- try to at least make the time scale believable.

We don't want our feisty heroine falling head over heels, getting engaged, discovering the man of her dreams is a louse, bravely soldiering on with broken heart only to have major catastrophe and finally realise he is the man of her dreams and marrying him on the spot all in the space of a two week holiday. Even the most starry eyed of readers may find that a touch hard to swallow.

But, I hear you say, I've only given you the plot for one successful Literotica Romance.

No, I haven't. I've given you the plot outline for nearly every chaptered Literotica Romance (and most of Harlequin's as well) and the odd Novel. It is up to you to provide the fluffy detail that sets each one apart.

The other really good thing about Literotica is you can always write a sequel about how the happy ever after goes sour and he takes a mistress and she takes on the mailman, and put it in Loving Wives...

Or not.