E is for Emotions

We spanking authors have more emotions to deal with than authors of virtually all other genres, for we usually get all the emotions you get in those other genres, plus the emotions that emerge from the act of giving or receiving a spank or two.    To the romantic stirrings in a standard bodice ripper, we also have the added tingle of hero and heroine taking delight, or not, in having a smacked bottom added to the mix.

The first trap we fall into is trying to explain why spankers and spankees have the reactions they do.   Particularly when our plot device is to awaken in the spankee and unexpected positive reaction to what most would expect to be extremely negative. 

This is often the result of allowing the delight of fantasy over-rule what would happen in real life:  spank an office worker and you are more likely, in real life to end up in court, not in a romantic embrace.   But in the world of spanko fiction, the sting in the buttocks ignites an unexpected flame of passion - which is far more fun to write about, and read about, than an appearance in court to answer charges of assault and battery.

So what trap do we fall into?   Spanko readers already know all about bottom burn being an aphrodisiac and non-spankos are not reading our works and, in any case, are never going to understand our equation.

There is no real need to give an sort of lengthy explanation - except as a linguistic exercise in trying to nail our experience in a way that, perhaps, gives some new insight into what happens to those who are not an exact match for our own traits.

But the biggest trap an author, any author and not just spanking authors, can fall into when deciding to explore the reactions to having one's bottom turned a delightful shade of crimson, is to tell rather than show.

Elsewhere we have seen that "Tom knew that Sheila liked him" is a tell and is neither satisfying nor titillating.   It would be far better to have written ""Between classes, Sheila was always leaning on his locker when he'd go to open it. She'd roll her eyes and shove off with one foot, leaving a black-heel mark on the painted metal, but she also left the smell of her perfume. The combination lock would still be warm from her ass. And the next break, Sheila would be leaned there, again."   (I cannot claim authorship of those words - they turn up in a creative writing essay on LitReactor).

But you can see the obvious improvement by going from tell to show.

When an unwilling victim turns to their shocked surprise into bed lust, we may want to take time out to resolve the unexpected (to the aforesaid unwilling victim) change in attitude towards a butt warming.    The trick is to show - without being too clinical over bodily processes - rather than give a list of emotions.

We shall deal with clinical bodily processes some other time.

Meanwhile, I am sure that Etta Stark will have an "E" set up for your erudition.