Unless you’ve been living on a ship, in the middle of the ocean, with no internet or phone service, you’ve heard about the latest author vs. author “YOU STOLE MY IDEA” kerfluffle.  If you don’t know about it, catch up here. 

In light of this seemingly thin accusation, I thought I’d post a little advice here for aspiring Romance writers.  This could even apply to published writers too, so everyone take heed. 

If you write your hero and heroine having sex, say, on a bed.  It’s been done before.  Likewise, if you write them having sex in a shower, on the kitchen counter, on the library floor, in a carriage, in a wardrobe, on a desk, on the kitchen table, against a wall, in a chair, on a Harley, on a horse, in a small boat, on a ship (be it Pirate or otherwise), in an ancient Roman bath, against a tree, or in a dilapidated outbuilding on an English country estate, it’s been done.  And needless to say, sex on the beach has also been done.

Now, if you write your hero and heroine having sex standing up….in a hammock. That might be a first.  However, if later you learn someone else has also written her hero and heroine having sex standing up….in a hammock, you cannot sue her. Understand, love?

But, just in case a member of this crew should be faced with this situation in the future, you never know when another writer might imply prior ownership to the “boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets abducted by aliens and learns intergalactic sexual techniques that help him win girl back” plot idea, we’ve added a few good men of the lawyerly persuasion to the ship.

Anyone want to file a brief?