By Nadine Thornhill

Once upon a time, the specifics of our sexuality were safely stored in our psyches or perhaps, if we dared, scribbled into the pages of a hidden locked diary. But times change. These days it seems more and more people are putting pen to paper, authoring steamy poetry, sultry short stories and naughty novels. For some, talking about sex isn’t enough; they want to write about it, not just in the pages of a personal journal, but publicly, for all the world to see. As a sex educator and, more recently, the author of Apartment 613’s new advice column Dirty Laundry, writing about sex is part of my job. It comes without much effort, but isn’t necessarily a big turn-on. Writing to titillate? That’s a separate beast all together.

Titillation is nothing new. Khajuraho Temple, India (1,000 AD). Photo by Jarnogz

When I wrote my first steamy sex scene, years ago as part of a National Novel Writing Month project, I was so flustered. I began typing, laying out the nitty-gritty of this fictional encounter, feeling hyper-aware of my own arousal. I couldn’t stop giggling. Even though I was describing a series of interactions that I’d played out a million times in my fantasies, they took on a new, more powerful life. Once I got past my bashfulness, I found I was typing more quickly, with more facility than I had in the rest of the novel. There was something powerful, visceral and fun about writing a scene that pushed all of my own buttons. I liked it so much I wound up posting it on my blog. The response was very positive.

In cities like Toronto and Philadelphia, people flock to erotic reading series, not only to listen but to share their own tawdry tomes. The trend seems to transcend demographics of age, ethnicity and sexual orientation. People from all walks of life have a story to share, and that story is hot.  Even here in allegedly staid Ottawa, spoken word events attract authors and their sexually charged content on a regular basis.

Why write about sex? Some people feel compelled to write as a way of processing experiences, especially experiences that may be difficult to talk about. Sexuality is an aspect of humanity many of us have been socialized to repress. Sex in mainstream media tends to be highly produced and represents a very narrow set of sexual behaviours. We humans have always been driven to identify, analyze and categorize everything, including ourselves. We like to understand stuff.  It seems like it was only a matter of time before curiosity trumped temperance and we started trying to make sense of the tingly feelings down there. Writing helps people do that. It’s self-anthropology.

The March edition of Scientific American reported a study which indicated thinking about sex improves our mental facility with detail-oriented tasks such as writing.  Perhaps sexual fantasy isn’t just the inspiration. It seems our gutter brains are primed for the grind of weaving adjectives, nouns and verbs into literary Spanish fly. Sex leads to conception, and from our minds, new works gestate and are born.

Tailored to exact specifications. Photo from Wikimedia.

Self-awareness and expression are important, but let’s not forget another major draw of erotic writing: it’s a turn on. Sex as a general topic is interesting, but it’s the nitty-gritty details that get us flushed and juicy. Writing about the way you feel when she touches that spot…right…there. That’s fun. That’s hot. And word-porn is hot in a way that’s different from film-porn. It’s not that dirty movies aren’t fun, but finding films that cater, if your libido isn’t aroused by standard fare, can be a chore. Even once you find a flick that gets you going, it doesn’t have the custom fit of self-authored smut. Erotic writing is like couture. It can be tailored to exact specifications, particularly if your specifications lie beyond the realm of realism. A friend of mine explained that her wildest fantasies involve encounters that simply aren’t possible in “the meat world”.  Perhaps mythical creatures or historical figures get you off. Maybe you’re warm for florae and faunae. What is risky in life might be safe on the page, especially if the pen is in your hand.  Through writing, you can truly be master of your domain.

Erotic literature I’ve heard or read at local events has impressed me. Not only does Ottawa have a wealth of horny residents, there are a lot of good writers ’round these parts.  If you want to hear local stuff that will make you blush, or share something of your own, check out the open mics at Voices of Venus, Capital Slam, Café Nostalgica and The Dusty Owl Reading Series.