For anyone familiar with my writing, they know I have a fondness for writing stories that include impact play. Impact play is the use of either a hand or various implements that are used to consensually inflict various levels of pain. This is the sadomasochism part of BDSM (Bondage, Domination, Sadism, and Masochism).

People who do not practice BDSM don’t always understand why anyone would consent to let another person inflict pain on them. That’s because they don’t understand that the human body can often get it’s signals crossed, as it were. The same nerves that transmit to the brain signals of pain can also transmit signals of pleasure. In some cases, and with the right stimulus, an implement designed to cause pain can also cause pleasure.

A lot depends on the size and weight of the implement, and how hard the implement is impacting the person’s body. If the person, or Dom, wielding the implement finds the right amount of force, if can bring their sub an endorphin rush of pleasure. Sometimes it can get overwhelming and lead a point where it’s no longer enjoyable, and that’s when the sub can invoke their safeword and stop everything.

I am definitely one of those people who enjoys the endorphin rush from impact play, and it’s my favorite kink, which is why I often incorporate it into the stories I write. For me, there’s nothing sexier than the endorphin fueled arousal a good spanking can impart and it can be a very sensuous form of foreplay.

If you’re new to writing this kind of scene into your erotica, I would advise trying to experience it for yourself first, if it’s feasible. Obviously, if you do this with a partner, it would have to be someone you trust implicitly. Someone you know will stop when you tell them to. If you don’t have a trusted partner, you can use an implement on yourself. However, keep in mind that you won’t get the full experience if you’re the one wielding the implement.

Having some idea of how it feels like can add a sense of realism that I feel is lacking in so many erotic BDSM stories. Many writers who I feel clearly haven’t actually experienced impact play will often describe the scene clinically, or only from the Dom’s point of view. Missing will either be the description of the sensation each new impact has on the subs posterior, or an inaccurate description. Instead, we get a more mundane narrative of how many times the sub was hit over and over. Occasionally, the sub will count every impact. Yawn.

I don’t feel that way of writing such a scene has nearly as much impact (pun intended) as it would if you can describe the sensations the sub is feeling with every hit. The sting as each blow lands, the dissipation of that sting into an almost pleasant tingle. Then the slow build up of heat as blood rushes to the surface of the skin with each successive impact, while the endorphins begin to rush in.

Sometimes during impact play, a flood of emotion is released, and the sub may begin to cry uncontrollably; not from physical pain, but from the emotional release they are experiencing. Add to all this the intense arousal some subs experience during an impact play session, and it can become a very erotic scene.

That all being said, every person experiences impact play differently, depending on how their body is wired. Playing around with it, either on your own or with a trusted partner, can heighten a writer’s awareness and help them write an even more erotic scene.

However, not everyone has a trusted partner, or they may not be wired to get any enjoyment out of the experience. Also, for some it may be a triggering event that would do more harm than good to them psychologically. In that case, if they still really wish to write an impact play scene into their erotica, then the only recourse is to read other BDSM erotica (Please, avoid 50 Shades of Grey. It’s a very inaccurate example). Read a selection of works to get a feel for how other erotica writers handle the topic and try to glean what you can from those who describe the scene well.

Regardless of how you go about it, have fun and be safe!