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Using Corset Lacings to Weave the Perfect Story (or Stories!)…

When Berkley brought the four of us together for the anthology Unlaced, they told us the stories didn’t have to have anything else in common, but a corset had to figure into each one. The pleasure of writing romance is that an article of clothing can become an important part of the plot, and in this case, a very provocative one. For this blog, each of us decided to take a stab at explaining how this sensuous garment – or torturous, depending on your perspective –influenced the story she wrote for the anthology. The answers varied from very important, to not important at all! Check it out…

Jaci Burton: Clothing and characters. Not a big deal when you’re writing a contemporary. Toss a pair of jeans on your heroine, or put her in a business suit or a dress and you’re good to go, right? Not so easy when you’ve been asked to participate in an anthology, and the theme of said anthology is corsets, and your story is a contemporary.

So how was I going to fit a corset into my contemporary story about a 30 something divorcee and her ex husband? Clothing suddenly became not so easy. The one thing I love about writing contemporaries is that clothes are usually a non issue. I vaguely…maybe…mention what they’re wearing in a scene. But in the case of my novella in the Unlaced anthology, clothing, at least in the corset scene, became very important. Though I didn’t want to make a huge issue of it. So I had my heroine go shopping for her vacation in the tropics, and buy this very sexy dress that had a corset bodice. Voila, problem solved. I had a corset in my story, I met the rules of the theme, but didn’t have the clothing itself take over the story.

In some cases clothing may be the story. In this case, I didn’t want it to be, because the relationship between my hero and heroine had to be the focus–not the clothes they wore. Of course him unlacing the corset during this one scene….yeah, the clothing became very important then. Heh.

Jasmine Haynes: Clothing is actually a characteristic. I often have random thoughts about someone based on what they’re wearing, such as, “I’d never have the guts to wear that” or “Even for the grocery store, pajama bottoms just don’t seem appropriate” or “wow, she’s got it together.” A person’s attire gives me an impression of who that person is, be they sloppy, sexy, elegant, professional, down-to-earth, whatever. And so it is with the characters we write. We can show a woman blossoming with a change in her clothing style, or we can show her decline. What does it mean if a character wears a tight, low-cut dress? Is she confident or is she slutty? That comes out in the character’s introspection about how she feels wearing that dress. Or from another character’s random thought about her. In mystery/suspense novels you don’t find a lot of clothing description. There, the plot centers on the solution to the crime, not so much the character growth. But we’re writing romance, and even the lingerie is important in the erotic romance novel.

In my story in Unlaced, Margo wears pretty conservative stuff, as, appropriate to her career, she’s a mortgage broker. So dressing up in a corset to have boudoir pictures taken is a bit intimidating for her and yet it becomes a sensual adventure. As the title of the story suggests, she comes Undone for sexy photographer Dirk. Dirk likes the idea of photographing her in a corset; in his words, “There’s something sexy about a garment that a woman needs a man to help her get in and out of.” So even getting Margo into the corset becomes a sensual experience, and it symbolizes the beginning of a change in who she is.

Joey W. Hill: Since I write a great deal of D/s erotic romance, what a character is wearing and how they are wearing it is often very significant. Fetish sites abound that depict (sometimes in ways that are a bit outside comfort zones) our erotic relationship with clothing. Shoes, jewelry, leather, latex, rubber, etc. And of course corsets. But whether or not considering such interests a fetish is uncomfortable, there’s no denying that humans are very sensory-oriented creatures. And not just the obvious things are important when it comes to clothes. The texture, the color can be significant, but the way it holds us, the way it sweeps around us… The draft under that very short skirt when we’re not wearing underwear and only our husband or SO knows it, so his hand is itching to cup a buttock and feel the bare skin sliding under that thin fabric… The bra that gives us a deeper cleavage, or the soft flowing dress that makes us feel like we need to be running through a meadow in the moonlight, escaping the not-so-playful pursuit of a fairy king… And the corset is one of the ultimate items of clothing that evokes a mood with its hold, the tighter the laces are pulled.

For instance, my main character, Cassandra, has a life that teeters on the edge of chaos. As a result, she’s taken some drastic measures to keep her emotions in check. She wears a corset under her clothes as part of her daily foundation garments to remind her what she can and cannot have. But her body and heart yearn for something her mind denies her, such that the corset has begun to have a subtler, more provocative meaning. She yearns for a dominant man to be the hands on those lacings, controlling how tight or loose they are, someone she can trust to take her over, but who won’t cause her world to fall apart for that stolen moment of pleasure. It will take a very strong man to convince her he can be relied upon for that, because Cassandra is a negotiations specialist, a straight-shooting executive who sees through BS and knows exactly how to work a boardroom to serve her client’s needs. Fortunately, in Controlled Response, she meets up with Lucas Adler, who knows he is going to be the one to unlace that garment and replace it with his own form of control – one that will give her a lot more breathing room.

Denise Rossetti: It’s a funny thing, but I spend an awful lot of time thinking about how to get people out of their clothes. Of course, I guess it’s possible you do, too – but at least I have an excuse. Because I write fantasy, my characters wear whatever takes my fancy, so I make it easy for myself in a vaguely medieval, sword and sorcery sort of way. Unfortunately though, they downright refuse to go barefoot and footwear during sex scenes drives me totally nuts. Watching a man hop about on one foot ripping off his shoes and socks makes me want to giggle. Whoops! There goes the atmosphere.

But a corset, on the other hand, just cranks the sexual tension way up high. Totally yummy! Something about the way a corset stops and starts emphasizes all the good bits, so they look like they’re being offered up for a lick and a nibble. I bet there isn’t a hero in Romancelandia who doesn’t fancy his woman laced into a corset. And as a bonus, the heroine gets perfect posture - instantly.

But because I’m strange, I wanted to do something a bit different, so I made the corset a character. I must be nuts. In my story, Rubies and Black Velvet, the corset’s the villain. It’s a beautiful, seductive garment, but possessed by the vengeful spirit of an evil sorceress. When we first meet Meg and John, they’re young and deeply in love, fumbling their way through love-making for the very first time. As you can probably imagine, I don’t usually do virgins, let alone two, but these two simply charmed me with their care and concern for each other. Parted by tragic circumstances, they’ve just found each other again when the corset arrives on the scene.

What does it take to defeat such evil? Why, true lurve, of course. *smile*

* * * * *

Well, on that titillating ending note, would you like to enjoy full excerpts from these four stories? We’d be delighted to honor that wish:

The Ties That Bind – Join Rick and Lisa as they dare to renew their love.

Have a taste of Margo coming Undone before Dirk’s camera

Lose control with Cassandra in Controlled Response.

Rubies and Black Velvet - Feel the laces tighten on Meggie as a sorceress tries to steal her chance at love again.

Have you read stories where the clothing just absolutely made the story? Was it unexpected? Tell us your thoughts about corsets, anthologies, clothing in romance, or ask us any question burning in your brain about us or our work. Post your comment or question here and we’ll enter you in a random drawing for a free signed copy of Unlaced! The winner will be announced sometime on December 19 in the comments section of this blog post, so be sure and check back.

Looking forward to your comments and questions!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at 9:19 am and is filed under Guest Author. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

35 Responses to “Using Corset Lacings to Weave the Perfect Story (or Stories!)…”

  1. Larena Wirum
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 10:05 am
    1

    I think in the right story the clothing can really make a scene very hot and interesting. :-) In other stories I don’t think it is as important just kind of depends on the book or story.

  2. april s
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 10:14 am
    2

    this is for all the ladies : when you write a short story - do you get the urge to write a secondary characters story ? or do you ever get the urge to write a follow up story on characters in a short story that you have written ? I know I love reading short stories and then I find I want to know more about the characters ending … like how life is treating them 6 months to 4 years down the road later or a secondary character I seem to want to know more about :-)

    have y’all ever had that happen when writing?

  3. Jasmine Haynes
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 10:26 am
    3

    I agree, Larena, it depends upon the story as to whether the clothing matters. Hmm, is that considered “clothing optional?”

    April, I do have secondary characters who start shouting at me to have their story told. In fact, in the story I’m writing now, Yours for the Night, out in November 2009, one of the men I’ve written as a secondary has really sparked my interest. I do believe he’s going to be coming back!

  4. Kati
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 10:27 am
    4

    Question for whomever, did you guys pick one particular corset (like a photo or something) and all have to work from that? And if so how did you decide?

    I think it’s a really fun item to work a story around, although I get the challenges.

  5. Blanche
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 10:33 am
    5

    I’ve read a few books that had clothing as a theme and they were fun reads! It just seemed to add another element to the story!

  6. kim h
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 10:38 am
    6

    love the cover, congrats ladies

    wil u be writng a sequell whoo

  7. Jaci Burton
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 11:03 am
    7

    Hi everyone and thanks for stopping by!

    And huge thanks to BAM for letting us park our butts here for the day :-)

    April, I can’t even count the # of secondary characters I’ve written that I’ve gone on to write a story about. It happens to me a lot. I tend to fall madly in love with my secondary characters. ;-)

    Kati - I did do a little research on corsets for my story and found this awesome corset dress that I used for inspiration.

  8. Beth Re
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 11:45 am
    8

    clothing along with any other “props” can really add to a story

  9. Marcia L.
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 11:48 am
    9

    I like reading stories that give the discription of what the characters are wearing but it isn’t necessary for me to know every little item of clothing the character is wearing, for me to enjoy the book. I think it is very interesting to be asked to write a story centered around a item of clothing such as a sexy piece of lingerie i.e. a corset.

  10. Jasmine Haynes
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 11:52 am
    10

    Thanks everyone for stopping by and thanks for having us, Bam!

    As Jaci said, Kati, we all picked our own corset. I tried on a friend’s authentic corset and designed mine from there.

    Thanks on the cover, Kim, glad you love it. And there will be another corset book next year! Unbound. We might as well start teasing you all with it now. I can’t wait to start writing my story. It’s burning to get out!

  11. Joey W. Hill
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 11:58 am
    11

    Larena, you’re right - in fact, our myriad responses to the issue exemplify that (hey, two big words - I’m feeling intellectual today - lol). For Jaci, it wasn’t that big a deal. For Denise, the corset became a character of its own! And Jasmine and I fell somewhere in between those two.

    Amy, oh absolutely. In fact, Controlled Response (my story in the anthology) is actually about a secondary character, Lucas, who was originally written in the Behind the Mask anthology (Board Resolution). I think series are pretty much spawned by a writer’s uncontrollable urge to pursue the lives of secondary characters.

    As far as follow ups on the main characters, I love revisiting them. I don’t write short that often, but even in my longer works, I want to see how they’re doing. In a reverse strategy, I often have them show up as secondary characters in future books - “guest appearances”, I call them, so readers can see what all they’re doing. It’s hard sometimes to give them a whole new book. In romance, so much of the story is about resolving conflicts to give them an HEA. That driving tension and emotional conflict can only be rehashed in a second story (can anyone say Bridget Jones Edge of Reason?) often with terrible results. Another strategy I’ve used is writing short freebie vignettes to indulge myself as well as the readers - for instance, I recently wrote a baby shower for my protagonists of Natural Law and made that available as an exclusive to my guestbook.

    Kati - my character wore a variety of corsets, and since they were worn beneath her clothes as a personal reminder of the need for control, she focused on the kind that Victorian women might have used. I did do some Internet research to get descriptions.

    And it really is wonderful to be here!

  12. Joey W. Hill
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
    12

    Kim H, I’m trying to decide if my story for next year’s Unbound anthology will be about a secondary character from Controlled Response or something entirely new. I’m worried about getting a month into writing it and finding I have something that’s standalone length instead of novella and having to scramble for something else (grin). But no guts, no glory in this business! :>

  13. Lillie A
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
    13

    This book sounds awesome!

  14. angie
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
    14

    great excerpt

  15. shuzluva
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
    15

    Ooh. Ladies, I might expire from excitement if I don’t get this book immediately! It sounds fantastic, and all of the excerpts have fully captured each of your styles.

    Even for the grocery store, pajama bottoms just don’t seem appropriate

    I agree. Jasmine, I’d love to go people watching with you one day.
    I can’t wait to get a copy!

  16. Jasmine Haynes
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
    16

    Yes, Beth and Marcia, it’s best to give clothing and prop details that actually speak to the reader without overwhelming them.

    Joey, you’re so great! I totally agree on Bridget Jones redux!

    Thanks, Lillie, Angie and Shuz. We’re so glad the book sounds so appealing.

    And Shuz, you gotta come people watching with me! I swear I notice good things, too, not just the inappropriate pajama bottoms! I once sat at a cafe table for fifteen minutes watching this young man cater to an elderly woman with a walker. I was so touched at how sweetly he treated her and helped her, offering her a seat at his table, getting her creamer and sugar for her coffee. He didn’t actually speak to her, just anticipated every little thing she needed. And they were strangers to each other!

  17. Fedora
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
    17

    In general, I’m not much of a clothing person (meaning that I have terrible taste and generally dress in a t-shirt and yoga pants, NOT that I’ve got nudist tendencies), but clothing can make such a statement about someone.

    I’m having trouble remembering a specific title, but I’ve definitely read stories where the heroine starts in non-descript, sacky stuff, and as her perception of herself changes and she grows in confidence, she struts her stuff in more revealing, flattering outfits. Or she’ll use a clothing makeover to jumpstart an internal transformation instead.

    As for corsets, they seem like such a constricting garment, but on the other hand, they look so sexy!

  18. Kristin M
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
    18

    I LOVE corsets, they are sexy. My thoughts are as follows: A sexy corset is only sexy beause it holds in what needs held in and lets out what totally should be let out. I think it is similar with the sexiest of people. Cant wait to read these stories!!!!!

  19. Joey W. Hill
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
    19

    Kristin, very well put! And Fedora, I struggle with fashion sense as well - to me comfort is everything. :> My New Balance sneakers go with everything from dressy to casual (grin).

  20. Denise Rossetti
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
    20

    Hi everyone! Arriving late to the party from Oz. Just finished walking the dog in incredible muggy heat. Blech!

    April - With most writers, it’s a case of “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” The minute I get into a new story, minor characters are yelling in my head. “What about me? Tell my story!” Fun, but very distracting!

    And yes, Kim H., there’ll be a sequel. I already have my hero (he’s in my Unlaced novella), I’m just waiting for his perfect woman to arrive in my head. Funnily enough, Meg and John are minor characters in Thief of Light, the second in my Four-Sided Pentacles series. I’m writing now. Kind of the other way around!

    Shuz and Jasmine, I’m a shocking people watcher. Comes with the writing territory and tends to scare your friends. ;-) Saw such a pretty little waitress the other day at a coffee shop. She had “heroine” eyes.

    Fedora - Clothes can make a real difference to way I feel. If I’m well turned out, I feel more confident. If I’m having a bad day, I’ll still throw the lacy baby blanket my grandmother made for me over my shoulders. It’s a bit shabby these days, but it makes me feel loved.

    Kristin - You sure got that right. And men love corsets! Well, mine does. ;-)

  21. Amy S.
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
    21

    Unlaced sounds great!

  22. Deidre
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
    22

    Colleen Gleason’s Gardella Vampire series is interesting from the clothes aspect. It’s during the Victorian times and she is expected to wear dresses with all the trimmings, but at the same time, she must be able to fight and slay vampires. Sometimes she even wears men’s clothes for the pants. Also, they do funny things with her hair so that a stake can be hidden within it. This is a wonderful series. I highly recommend it.

    Deidre

  23. Jennifer McKenzie
    Posted: Dec 17th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
    23

    I love seeing how each of you met the challenge and it’s so cool to see how differently you all dealt with it!!!
    They all sound fabulous!!!!!

  24. Jaci Burton
    Posted: Dec 18th, 2008 at 6:30 am
    24

    Deidre - I love Colleen’s Gardella series! I agree, highly recommended :-)

  25. Jasmine Haynes
    Posted: Dec 18th, 2008 at 6:33 am
    25

    Fedora, I also agree on the comfortable clothing, but sometimes…I love dressing up. And I suddenly remember doing the clothing transformation in my first Jennifer Skully book, Sex and the Serial Killer. She changes in the very beginning to give her new life a jumpstart.

    Kristin, I love the way you put it! It keeps in what needs to be, lets out what should be!

    Another people watcher, Denise! Whoohoo. i can’t tell you the number of characters I get just from observing.

    Deidre, the victorian vampire slayers sound wonderful. I remember Joss Whedon using clothing to show the difference in Willow (on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) when we go to an alternate universe where Willow is a vampire. Loved that episode!

    And hey, Jen! Waving at you!

    Thanks everyone for stopping by and thanks, Bam, for having us!

  26. shuzluva
    Posted: Dec 18th, 2008 at 7:20 am
    26

    Jasmine: I love seeing the ridiculous and the sublime. It delighted me one summer afternoon when the hubster and I were on Madison Ave in NYC and saw a guy in a full-on seersucker suit with contrasting fuchsia pocket square, straw fedora and the most dapper pair of boat shoes ever…and the crazy part was he really carried it off. Hubster’s jaw was on the ground and he even admitted that the guy looked incredibly…chic.

    Joey: I desperately try to leave the Nikes, Pumas and NBs in the gym pile, but every once in a while I end up wearing them somewhere or falling into the lazy trap. I can’t help it - we all have our days, and I even leave the house on mine!

    Denise: We’re about to have another snowstorm here. Don’t complain about summer!

  27. Jaci Burton
    Posted: Dec 18th, 2008 at 9:42 am
    27

    Jasmine and Shuz - people watching is my favorite sport - I can’t tell you how much I enjoy going to the mall to do just that. Not just for what they’re wearing, but behaviors, too. Fascinating stuff. Uh, I call it research ;-)

    Fedora - believe me, I don’t dress up either. I’m usually a sweats or shorts person. And I love those books where they start out drab and end up glam! They’re so much fun to read.

    Kristin - you nailed it about corsets. They definitely hide the flaws and accentuate the positive! ;-)

    Shuz - would have loved to see a pic of the guy in the seersucker suit. omg.

  28. Joey W. Hill
    Posted: Dec 18th, 2008 at 11:09 am
    28

    Jasmine, he did that again in Angel with Fred’s character - went from simple farm girl to ancient Goddess straddling line of evil/good in Fred’s body. Very cool. Love Joss Whedon’s characters.

    Deidre, I’ll have to try Gleason’s work - I’m already impressed with an author who takes the time to make the clothing fit the task. How many movies have we seen where the heroine chases down a bad guy in ice pick heels? Yeah, talk about broken ankles! (laughter) When I saw Underworld with Kate Beckinsale I thought - yes, she has to be dead, because she wouldn’t have enough oxygen in that corset to fight that well (lol).

    Shuz, I try harder some days than other. Of course, I prefer long skirts to pants, always have - almost never wore jeans as a kid, so even with my sneakers, I sometimes look more dressed up. However, watching me hike that skirt up to my knees to slog through the yard in the rain after the dogs, the effect is kind of ruined. My main effort at “not letting myself go” is to try and wear makeup, though it’s a hit or miss kind of thing.

    And I concur with all of you - people watching is a great source of inspiration and ideas. For me it’s the little things. I like watching a couple at a table whose conversation I can’t hear and interpret what’s going on through body language, expressions, etc. Hello Jennifer McKenzie - it’s good to see you here!

  29. sara hurt
    Posted: Dec 19th, 2008 at 6:07 am
    29

    I have recently discovered that I love anthologies. I just finished Forbidden Fantisies and also Jasmine I recieved Somebody’s Lover in the mail the other day and I couldnt put it down. Thank you so much it was a great read.

  30. SweetNSourGirl
    Posted: Dec 19th, 2008 at 9:06 am
    30

    Sounds sexy! I wanna read this anthology!

  31. Joey W. Hill
    Posted: Dec 19th, 2008 at 11:30 am
    31

    Sara, it’s the perfect time of year to read anthologies as well, with all the Christmas errand shopping that cuts into our reading time. SweetNSour Girl, hope you enjoy it. You two are just in time for the random drawing for the signed copy of Unlaced. So stay tuned for the very next comment…!

  32. Joey W. Hill
    Posted: Dec 19th, 2008 at 11:32 am
    32

    And the WINNER is…. KRISTIN M! Congratulations! Be sure and send me an email at storywitch@ec.rr.com with your snail mail address, and we’ll get the book out to you asap.

    Thank you all for hanging out with the three of us during this especially busy time of year. Hope you all have a great Christmas and wonderful New Year, however you celebrate your holiday season. :>

  33. Joey W. Hill
    Posted: Dec 19th, 2008 at 11:33 am
    33

    Oh, and if someone knows Kristin M’s email address, you might shoot her a heads up - sometimes it’s hard to remember to check back! :>

  34. Denise Rossetti
    Posted: Dec 19th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
    34

    Hey, Kristin - congratulations!

    Sara, I love anthologies. Bite-sized pieces I can gobble up quickly. And if I find a new author, I love chasing down their previous work. It’s called “glomming”. Great word!

  35. kh
    Posted: Dec 20th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
    35

    wtg winner

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