Self-Image and the Gaze of Others – How Characters Perceive Their Own Attractiveness
No one truly sees themselves as they are. Every perception of the body is filtered — through memory, through comparison, through what others have said. In erotic writing this becomes especially visible: characters never experience their bodies neutrally. Even when they’re alone, they carry the echo of someone else’s eyes. A character who believes she’s … Continue reading Self-Image and the Gaze of Others – How Characters Perceive Their Own Attractiveness
How Much Power Does a Protagonist Have Over Her Own Desire?
In erotic literature, desire is rarely neutral. It is force, mirror, awakening — yet for centuries, women’s desire was written from the outside. Female pleasure served as response, proof, or punishment, but not as voice. The female body was the stage for male imagination, not the source of it. In feminist erotic writing, this changes: … Continue reading How Much Power Does a Protagonist Have Over Her Own Desire?
Defamiliarization in Erotic Writing – Seeing the Ordinary Anew
Erotic writing often fails not because it’s too explicit, but because it’s too familiar. Bodies, fabrics, gestures – all become predictable if they are written as we expect them to be. Defamiliarization means describing the ordinary as if seen for the first time. The term comes from literary theory, but in erotic prose, it becomes … Continue reading Defamiliarization in Erotic Writing – Seeing the Ordinary Anew
Exposed: power, humiliation, and the dark heart of Greek life
Sandra Manthers’ new novella “Abandoned” throws readers into the middle of a night that twelve young women will never forget: Barefoot and wearing only a semi-transparent nightgown, they are abandoned in a remote forest – a “test” that will determine whether they are accepted into the prestigious sorority Gamma Xi Delta. The air is humid, … Continue reading Exposed: power, humiliation, and the dark heart of Greek life
Desire and Power – Psychological Dynamics in Dominant Relationships
Dominant relationships are fascinating because they take the paradox of eroticism to the extreme: those who submit are not seeking weakness, but intensity. Those who dominate are not seeking violence, but resonance. In no other erotic dynamic are trust and control so closely intertwined. Power here is not a rigid system, but an emotional exchange: … Continue reading Desire and Power – Psychological Dynamics in Dominant Relationships
From Femen to Free the Nipple: Nakedness as Protest
When the Exposed Body Becomes a Weapon Imagine standing in a public square. Hundreds of people around you in jackets, sweaters, properly dressed. And then – you rip off your shirt. Not by accident. Not for provocation. But as a statement. This is exactly what Femen activists have been doing since 2008. This is exactly … Continue reading From Femen to Free the Nipple: Nakedness as Protest
The body as a plot device – physical reactions as narrative signals
In erotic literature, rarely does everything happen in dialogue. The real action takes place beneath the skin. A breath that catches. A muscle that tenses. A pulse that quickens. These physical micro-reactions are not mere effects – they are dramatic signals. They show readers what characters are feeling before they themselves realize it. And they … Continue reading The body as a plot device – physical reactions as narrative signals
“Lust has nothing to do with perfection.”
A conversation with Sandra Manther about body, shame, and female sexuality With her literary erotic novella “Schleim” (engl.: Slime), Sandra Manther ventures into a topic that rarely finds a place in the portrayal of female sexuality: physical resistance, discomfort, silence. Her text is not a smooth fantasy – but an exploration between lust and disgust, … Continue reading “Lust has nothing to do with perfection.”
The body as a place of memory – trauma and eroticism in writing
The body stores memories. Trauma leaves traces in it. Eroticism often awakens these traces. This becomes visible in writing. Authors use it to add depth. The body becomes a place of confrontation. Lust meets pain. The past intrudes on the present. Such themes fascinate readers. They reveal human vulnerability. Trauma shapes eroticism. It becomes complex … Continue reading The body as a place of memory – trauma and eroticism in writing
Clothing, Control, and Shame – Feminist Readings of Erotic Scenes
In erotic literature, clothing is never neutral.It is border, language, and instrument of power.It hides, but it also defines what may be seen.To describe clothes is to describe social order. A hemline that’s “too short,” a zipper that comes undone, a uniform that turns desire into discipline — all are more than textiles.They are social … Continue reading Clothing, Control, and Shame – Feminist Readings of Erotic Scenes