What I Learned From Writing Trans Erotica
There isn’t enough trans positive smut out there, so I tried my hand at writing some.
In case you aren’t trans, let me tell you that there aren’t enough trans-positive related sexual media out there: it usually either fetishizes trans people, is violent, or both. So, tired of being treated like an exotic wonder, I decided to try my hand at writing trans erotica.
Writing has always been a passion of mine (if you couldn’t tell). I first got into writing via creative storytelling: fanfiction. Fanfiction is easy though, as you simply take preexisting characters then modify or create lore. Don’t get me wrong either, I’ve written my fair share of smutty fanfiction as well as trans positive fanfiction- but never the two together.
Now, this isn’t about writing smutty fanfiction. The trans erotica I wrote (and continue to write) is a series of drabbles, each featuring at least one trans character. These aren’t professionally published but rather posted to an online site that hosts both fanfictions as well as original works.
So, what exactly did I learn?
Content warnings are your friends. As we’re going to discuss a little later on, certain words trigger certain people. Likewise, certain fetishes just aren’t to some’s liking. There’s nothing wrong with spoiling the basic plot of your erotica for the sake of your reader’s comfort. People are usually there for the journey, not necessarily the plot itself.
Be open to feedback. When writing pornographic fanfictions in the past, I’d get comments such as, “This is so hot!” But now with writing such a niche subject, there are certain things people wish to see because it simply hasn’t been seen before. There may also be things people would like to see less, which is also okay. Feedback isn’t a personal attack, if readers didn’t like your work they would simply stay silent.
Aftercare is very much appreciated. I stated earlier that trans-related sex material can often be violent or fetishistic. Having the characters in your work treat each other as humans who care about each other fills a large void left by already established works. Nobody wants to be used and forgotten (I mean, unless that’s a kink of yours), but sexual media treats many of us like that’s all we deserve.
Everyone experiences dysphoria and sexuality differently. This is a very important one. Transgender people have a unique relationship with their sexualities as many of us are caused dysphoria from sexual acts. For example, some trans men like having their chest touched during sex while others disdain it. Both are valid in their identities and should have their boundaries respected. Certain words to refer to genitals can also trigger discomfort with some, which is also valid.
The last point I made may discourage some from exploring writing trans sex scenes, but I challenge you to try still. Here are some tips to help with how you might want to structure your piece.
- Start with an author’s comment to the reader outlining any kinks relevant to the story. I don’t care if it’s as simple as a character being called ‘daddy,’ include that! Also, mention how genitals are referenced.
- The erotic bit of your story goes here.
- Flash forward (or stay current in your story) to the aftercare portion. Take just as much care with this as you do with your smut.
And know that getting constructive feedback isn’t the end of the world. I’m a trans man myself and am still learning about how to phrase different words for my small drabbles as I don’t want to bring my readers discomfort.
Overall, I’d rate my experience as positive. It’s fun interacting with continued readers as well as exploring kinks with different relationship dynamics with different gender identities. While I barely included aftercare at first, I’ve also grown to love writing it.
