What is the hardest part of writing erotica? Not using the “touched,” “hot”, and “wet” 1,000,000 times in a book.
Not kidding.
One would think that an author, someone who has wanted to write since she was 5 years old would have an expansive and diverse vocabulary - but nope. This gal was raised on Care Bears, Punky Brewster and Pippy Longstocking, and while I can rhyme Hop and Pop with the best of the Dr. Seuss fans, when it comes to synonyms, I struggle.
So I found a thesaurus.
Yup, an honest to God, printed-on-paper, sitting-on-a-bookshelf thesaurus and while I was supposed to be paying attention in one of the umpteen-billion Zoom calls I attend each week in my day job, I flipped through that handy SOB and I book marked all the pages that deal with synonyms and antonyms and every other kind of nyms for “hot,” “wet,” and “touch”.
Here are the word lists I have brainstormed, plus those collected from - or inspired by- The Concise Roget’s International Thesaurus, edited by Robert L. Chapman. (Thanks, Bobby!)
Hot
Burning Steaming Blushing Molten Feverish Smoldering Fevered Fervency Fervidness Eagerness Excitement Boiling Melting Sultry Torrid Thermal Firestorm Steam Glow Inferno Furnace Flush Bloom Redness Rubicundity Rosey Rosiness Fire Blaze Flame Combust Flicker Roaring Raging Sea of flames Bonfire Balefire Wildfire Blaze Spark Scintillation Cinder Brand Ember Fireworks Pyrotechnics Scorch Swelter Catch fire Flame Scald Swelter Roast Simmer Blaze Combust Gasp
Pant
Smother
Choke
Warm as toast
Torrid
Sweltry
Blistering
Red hot
White hot
Ardent
Like a furnace
Like an oven
Combust
Smoking
Afire
Wet
Moisture Damp Dampness Sodden Dew Rainfall Drink Liquid Dewdrops Morning dew Night dew Sprinkle Shower Splash Splatter Run Spatter Moistening Dampening Bathing Laving Flooding Deluge Soaking Sopping Drenching Dunking Shower Bathe Drip Moisten Damped Drench Saturate Flush Flood Dunk Rainy Watery Liquid Splashy Wet to the skin Dripping wet
Touch
Stroke
Caress
Fondle
Tickle
Squeeze
Grab
Clutch
Hold
Titillate
Scratch
Prickle
Sting
Creep
Crawl
Gooseflesh
Goosebumps
Tingle
Atingle
Finger
Sense
Kiss
Lick
Feeling up
Rub
Friction
Tap
Flick
Breath
Whisper
Brush
Graze
Handle
Pressure
Flick
Prod
Paw
Palm
Run fingers over
Touch upon
Brush by
Graze
Nuzzle
Nose
Rub noses
Rub against
Rub
Massage
Kneed
Lick
Lap
Tongue
Mouth
Lightly touching
Playing lightly over
Barely touching
Choke
Smother
Crush
Press
Maul
Clutch
Grip
Force
Slap
Strike
Fist
Grab
Twist
Bite
Nip
What a ridiculous exercise! I am not sure how many of these words I am going to be able to weave into my next erotic novel, but I am grateful there are so many words I could use - when wet, hot and touch get worn out.
Thank you for playing with me!
With Love,
Regina Grimm is the author of erotic fairytales, written for the uninhibited readers 18+. Check out her books - Snow White and the Wicked Curse: Chapter 1 and Snow White and the Vicious Curse: Chapter 2. Snow White and the Seven Thieves: Chapter 3 coming soon!