Erotic Romance, Erotica, What’s the diff?
Exploring the differences between two spicy subdivisions of romantic literature.
(First published in Words From the Heart, the official newsletter of the From the Heart Romance Writers chapter of RWA www.fthrw.com)
Erotic Romance, Erotica, they’re the same thing with a different label, right? A rose is a rose and all that. Let’s see...They both have graphic sex scenes with foul language held loosely by a weak plot and shallow, stereotypical characters. Writing Erotica is simple, just write kinky sex, sex and more sex. If you can do that without blushing profusely or hiding in a hole for the rest of your life, you’ve got it made.
Wrong. If you are a hopeful Erotic Romance or Erotica author this is not the way you want to think.
The lines between mainstream romance, erotic romance and erotica may be as hazy as the sky on a muggy summer day...or as muddy as the Detroit River...but I digress. They do exist. Only recently, with the advent of specialized publishing houses like Ellora’s Cave, Ghede (Ellora’s new erotica publishing house) or lines like Kensington’s Brava has there been an attempt at drawing a distinct line between Erotica, Erotic Romance-aka “Romantica” and traditional romance. As a result, examples of Erotica or Erotic Romance can be found among older--or even more recent, as traditional romance houses seek to capture a share of the sensual romance market--traditional romance titles.
This makes it difficult for a romance author to determine what level of sensuality to write into her book, or more importantly how to determine what houses to approach with the finished manuscript she’s been hiding under the bed for fear of putting friends, coworkers or family members in the hospital from shock. But, with a little judicious study, subtle but important differences can be uncovered.
While the following are not set-in-stone rules, they can help an author determine what sort of story to write if they’re interested in targeting an Erotic Romance publisher or line. As you’ll soon see, it isn’t all about the language in the sex scenes. If one compared those scenes only, the differences would be much more difficult to pick up. It’s in comparing the entire manuscript that the real differences become more apparent.
So let’s begin...
1. First and foremost, an Erotic Romance plot revolves around some aspect of the sexual relationship between the primary characters...it has a “sexy” premise whereas a traditional romance’s plot generally revolves around the romance relationship (and subplots) which may or may not include sex.
If you read reviews or synopses of Erotic Romance novels, you’ll see a common denominator: a focus on sex in the primary plot. Whether the book is a futuristic, suspense, contemporary comedy or a historical, the story is about the romance: specifically how sex impacts the development of the relationship between the hero and heroine.
That’s not to say there aren’t Erotic Romances with substantial suspense plots, for example. But the romance, specifically the development of the sexual relationship between the hero and heroine, are the main focus of the book and often the secondary plot acts as a catalyst for the primary.
Erotica takes the focus on sex one step further. All subplots may take a backseat to sex in erotica. In fact, there may be no secondary plots in addition to the sex. In addition, there is not necessarily a HEA in Erotica, at least not in a traditional sense.
2. While there are examples of mainstream romance books that contain graphic language, for the most part, Erotic Romance and Erotica contain more graphic terms to describe sex than mainstream romance. In addition, the sex scenes tend to be longer and more frequent with more details described.
It’s difficult to determine where the acceptable-versus-unacceptable line is drawn for each publisher, and I am not in the position to be able to state emphatically where it is for every house. The best way to tell is to read several current releases by a house--written by a variety of authors--to get a solid handle on the language a house or editor will accept.
3. Erotic Romance authors may push the envelope, exploring subject matter that isn’t often explored in as great depth in mainstream romance, such as bondage and submission, inter-species relationships (between shapeshifters or aliens...or robots...and humans, for example), or fetishes.
Erotic Romance is still at heart a romance. So while the end of the journey--the HEA--may be the same as a traditional romance, the road leading there may traverse vastly different terrain. Instead of, or in addition to, romantic walks on the beach holding hands and candlelit dinners, a couple in an Erotic Romance might experiment with sex toys or bondage paraphernalia, have sex in a New Orleans alley during Mardi Gras, or try a ménage a trios.
Here too, Erotica authors take it to the extreme. The few limitations Erotic Romance publishers have are often cast aside in Erotica. Things like male-male sex, not traditionally written about by Erotic Romance authors, are portrayed with graphic detail. The rules, if there are any, tend to be simple: no bestiality, necrophilia, or sex with minors. Practically anything else is fair game.
Okay, now let’s sum it up.
Put simply, the labels Erotica and Erotic Romance may be used interchangeably by some individuals, but as a hopeful Erotic Romance or Erotica author, it’s worth the time to investigate the subtle differences between them. Whether your prized manuscript is best marketed to an Erotic Romance publisher, a traditional romance publisher or an Erotica publisher is a key decision that may impact your submission’s success. This determination is best made by looking less at the specifics of sex scenes and more at the overall focus on sex in the plot, the path the story takes to reach the HEA (if there is one) and the exploration of subject matter that is too extreme for mainstream romance publishers/lines.
Happy writing and submitting!
The Erotic Romance Author’s Kama Sutra.
(First published in Words From the Heart, the official newsletter of the From the Heart Romance Writers chapter of RWA www.fthrw.com)
Writing erotic romance is both a joy and a challenge. After tackling edits for Tempting Fate, my first erotic romance, I quickly learned I must focus the vast majority of my novel’s pages on the developing sensual connection between the hero and heroine.
That was an unexpected relief.
However, I also learned I had to really come to terms with what makes a sex scene unique, and therefore sizzling. And it has nothing to do with techniques…at least not THOSE kinds…well, not entirely.
In short, with a little gentle guidance from my editor and fellow authors, I learned there are a few key elements to a well-written sex scene, one that will leave the reader panting and ready for more.
Steady Sensual Build-up
The challenge of writing erotic romance lies in having fairly common characters act in extraordinary ways…and making it believable. The lead-in to the first sex act can be very brief in page count, and therefore must be intense, or the motivation will not be believable. Every action and bit of dialogue must carry the hero and heroine closer to sex.
Okay. So, now you ask, how does an author fill pages of a novel with sensually charged action and dialogue? Double entendre, comedy, and playful flirtation are some of my oft employed tools. Another is internal dialogue. Many times, the characters’ thoughts and actions will be at odds, and that too adds to the conflict and tension in a scene. The heroine says “no,” but thinks “yes.” If the author only shows the action, the sensual tension is diminished because it’s hidden in her thoughts. Let the reader inside her head.
A final suggestion: Keep the progress continual throughout scenes and chapters. It’s always disappointing reading a tense scene that fizzles out because the dialogue has lost its focus or because the action has been neglected for dialogue. Remember, it’s not always about what the characters say or do, but what lies just below the surface. Tiny nuances. The tip of a head. The use of one word over another in an otherwise straightforward conversation. As the reader turns pages, they should have no doubt about where those characters are heading, only what they’ll do once they get there.
The application: Read your scenes leading up to a sex scene. Are there subtle clues to what each character is thinking? Do they give words an intentional twist? Do they “accidentally” touch? Tease? Joke? Does their behavior and spoken intention become more direct, more obvious as the scenes progress? Or do they seem to move toward and then back away from sex? Also, if they are intentionally coy with each other, does the reader get a solid sense of their true feelings through internal dialogue?
Emotion
There is nothing worse than reading an empty scene of “He touched…” “She stroked…” To engage the reader, the author must take the time to show how each act, how each touch and new level of intimacy affects the characters…emotionally. As humans, we long to feel, to share the emotions of characters in books, movies, news stories. We weep with the widowed bride. We celebrate with the triumphant fireman. The draw in the most newsworthy stories is the emotion.
The same is true of fiction, and specifically sex scenes. The reader is not a fly on the wall, merely watching the action. The reader is the heroine, experiencing the most life-altering, mind-blowing, sensation-producing act a human can enjoy. She doesn’t want to be cheated. She wants it all. The joy, the fear, the wonder. The disappointment. Whatever feelings that very intimate act produces.
The application: Read a sex scene and look for key moments: the first embrace, kiss, touch, undressing, etc. Is the reader experiencing the emotions that accompany those pivotal moments? What is the POV character feeling?
Deep POV
The act of sex involves all five senses. It isn’t enough to describe where he put X and where she put Z. A sex scene written like that would read like an assembly manual. Slide Rod A into Slot B…
During sex, people hear, see, touch, taste and smell all kinds of things, and each sensation plays its part in the build-up toward climax.
The application: Before writing a sex scene, close your eyes, put on some soft music, and imagine the perfect setting for sex. What do you smell? Hear? Feel? Then imagine each step of the sexual encounter. Undressing, caressing, touching. Besides the obvious, touch and sight, where can other senses bring more depth to a scene? Getting the reader inside the character’s skin, eyes, ears will bring them into the story and keep them there.
And Then There’s…Kink…
…The final element, but not necessarily the least.
However, I acknowledge this one may or may not apply to an author, based upon their target audience and publisher. The explicitness of the sexual content, and the level of kink vary, and it’s often up to the author to determine what and how much she is comfortable writing. But be aware: Kink sells! In today’s hottest electronic markets, kink is king. Anal sex, bondage, spanking, and other forms of non-violent sexual experimentation are all the rage. Readers spend good money for books that touch upon these subjects.
And so…If you’re not squeamish, give it a try! There are plenty of websites out there for inspiration…
The application: Is there any kink that would either progress the plot or give a character additional depth?
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Ever thought about writing erotic romance novels or short stories but don't know where to begin? Check out my writing articles for some advice and insight. Enjoy!
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