Writerly Ways

[cornerofmadness]

Writing erotica is a puzzling genre sometimes. Some readers don't like too much sex. Others whine there isn't enough sex. But in the last year (since after I finished Soldiers of the Sun) I've read more of it than I have since I started publishing it. Now that I'm actually doing halfway decent I really should study the genre more.

I've come to the conclusion that for the most part, I'm writing it too much like fanfic. Now I've never been one for huge sex scenes. I do however, remember the Buffy/Angel and Buffy/Spike fanfics (more so Buffy than the anime/manga fandoms) with the twenty-page sex scenes. I didn't care for them. Still, many of the typical fandom sex scenes were several pages long.

I did just finish reading a chapter long sex scene in a DSP book and it was one of the longest I've seen in any of the ones I've bought. I was bored. I'm bored reading that. I'm bored writing that. Most of the sex scenes in the other books I've read were shorter. A page or so, maybe two. For me, that worked better.

In Love's Landscape, so far less than half have any sex at all.

However, it never occured to me to NOT write sex in mine. It never occured to me to not write a lot of sex in my stories. Actually none of them have that much sex in it but in the scenes that do, it's often rather long. I thought that was expected. Most of what I've read of erotica was twenty-thirty years ago and were little more than porn. And then of course, fan fiction.

I assumed that tons of sex was needed. (and to some maybe it is). I'm finding it something of a relief to see it's not necessarily needed. I would love to eventually get to write something other than romance for DSP. It's not my strongest genre. You should write what you love and I'm not necessarily in love with romance.

I can see myself trimming the sex scenes down to the bare neccessities. I might do more fades to black. If it needs more, like Aaron's first time having sex after losing his arm, then it will get more. I think the overall story might benefit from it. My sex scenes get the strongest editorial comments. I find them difficult.

What do you think? If you pick up romance or erotica, what satisfies you? Would a short scene do it or do you prefer the long long ones (oh the double entendres there).

Comments

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about too much sex. I wrote a story that featured a meeting between Edgar Allan Poe and Angelina Grimke (early abolitionist-feminist). Most of it was in a nineteenth century tone, so that the final scene, with a brief passage of horror and graphic sex, was a real kicker. When I sold it to an online mag, what they wanted was lots more horror and lots more sex. I was tempted to refuse, since it definitely did not work, but I rarely sell anything, so I went along with it. Another reason to use a pen name...

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

How many times have I whined about sex scenes? I'm fonder of fade to black than anything, but if it's emotionally or plot-wise necessary, and the sex scene is well written, yay.

That said, I read all of the Ann Rice Beauty books, and at the time, really enjoyed them (but I was in my early twenties at the time). Now, I'd roll my eyes.

[rahirah]

I'm perfectly fine with fades to black. But then, I don't generally read erotica. I have written plenty of fanfic sex scenes, but when I've gone back and re-read old stories, half the time I come to a sex scne and go, "Eh, I could probably have cut this." And my sex scenes tend to be short and non-explicit compared to most fanfic, so if they still come off as extraneous given a little distance...

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

eh I could have cut this is about my every thought when reading a sex scene. I don't find them all that exciting. I think it's a reason when I struggle with them.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yes I know you are not a fan

I didn't like those books even in my 20s but that's how I think of erotica where the book is nothing but sex.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yes I know you are not a fan

I didn't like those books even in my 20s but that's how I think of erotica where the book is nothing but sex. I think that's shaped how I write this stuff but I don't really want to be writing that

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's how I think of erotica, too.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm with you on this. I think that from here on in that's what I'm going to be doing.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

That's very interesting. See that's what I feared but now that I'm getting to know this market better, I'm seeing I can get away with less. thanks

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

Yay for you. I'll have to learn!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

and so far most of the modern stuff isn't that. I'm shocked at how many of the love's landscapes are just romance no sex.

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

True.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

good luck

[leni-ba.livejournal.com]

To each their own, I say. I love sexy stories, and I do enjoy long sex scenes... when the author manages to squeeze plot and/or characterization in it. As soon as I start thinking that the scene could belong in any other book, I skip it. I don't need to know how people have sex; I want to know what THESE CHARACTERS go through as they have sex.

Say, have you heard of Grace Burrowes? She writes in my fav genre, Regency romance (I adore the description of the dresses!). She writes good sex. Sometimes she writes it at the start of the story, and sometimes in the middle, and sometimes she leaves it until the very end, BUT in all the series (and there are 10+ books, each with a different couple), I can't say I could switch the characters around.

It's about the only author where I haven't skipped more than 5 sex scenes through her whole work! And she uses the words 'penis' and 'vagina', I knew the chances were high I'd like her as soon as I saw that.

[makd.livejournal.com]

funny thing about porn (for me): after awhile, it's boring.

I'd rather read the romance and the discreet sex than the way too anatomically precise porn.

IOW: a short scene, please.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I have to agree. Like I said coming up in the 80s and the model was Rice's beauty books, I assumed if you were reading erotica, you wanted a LOT of it. I'm glad to find it's not. I'm with you.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

No I have not heard of her. I read like zero romances. seriously. I can count on one hand how many I've read until I started reading these m/m romances by my publisher.

I have to say, I like penis and vagina and I know by and large it's hated in erotica.

[leni-ba.livejournal.com]

I know! If I have to read about one more hot rod... *eye roll* Nothing like a good ol' erect penis, thank you very much.

Unless they start using the word in every paragraph. But any word gets tiring then.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

I'm fine with cock and shaft even member and most stick with that but yes the more colorful ones are fine in dialogue but not in the actual sex scene

[makd.livejournal.com]

Do you remember the Rosemary Rogers books? They were the "50 shades of gray" of the 80s - except her porn was "soft"-)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

No, I must have missed those. Honestly I've never read much erotica period until I got the crazy idea to try and write it. I blame fan fic for that :-)