Recently I met one of my peers in Albany, New York. While we were there, we hung out for a bit at a Barnes and Noble, searching for fellow author’s books.
Not being familiar with the layout, I asked a customer browsing the “romance” section if she knew where the erotic romance was.
Her reply: “The slut books?”
Mine: “Yeah.”
Her reply: “Mixed in with everything else, I think.”
I looked over at my friend who also writes “slut books,” but chose to keep my mouth closed. Too many people make assumptions about this genre and guess what; I’m going to try to clear up a few of the common misconceptions.
So, dear romance reader, if you don’t know which books are erotic romance and which are romance, how do you know if they’re mixed in with the romance? I can tell you why. Because they are romance—just a little sexier.
Here are some common misconceptions, in no particular order:
Erotic romance is Porn.
No, actually it’s not. This common statement is often spouted by those who’ve watched “porn” but have never read erotic romance. Porn serves one purpose, to sexually excite the reader or viewer. It doesn’t usually have plot, or a plot that is central to character growth, (well not the kind of growth I’m talking about anyway). You know what I mean. We don’t have nifty music that goes chicka ba-wa in the background when the television repairman walks in and the bored housewife drops her dress. We have a beginning, middle and end to our novel. We have stakes sometimes that are quite high. The story is about the hero and heroine not only falling in love, but rising up to the challenges we hurtle in front of them—not just rising up to the challenge. Erotic romance tells a story first and foremost, with riskier sex scenes that may excite the reader, but their purpose is always about growth. Sex is not the story, but it is usually central to the story and the growth of the characters.
Erotic romance is the easiest genre to write.
Okay, when I’m done laughing, I’ll tell you why I think this is so funny. When I first started writing, I wrote romance. Science fiction mostly. I’ve heard all about this from science fiction authors since I’ve crossed over to the “Dark Side.” Here are a few statements. Romance writers ruin science fiction. Erotic romance writers are turning it, (science fiction, urban fantasy, dystopian, military) into a fuckfest. If I knew how to write, I wouldn't write erotic romance, because anyone can do that.
No, anyone can’t. It takes skills to keep your plot central and build realistic, tense love scenes that move the story forward in a manner that they don’t feel like they’ve been tossed in as gratuitous sex. Chicka ba-wa. Crossing genres is never easy. It’s not easy for science fiction authors to cross with horror and it’s not easy to cross with romance. Some of the most difficult stories I’ve written are erotic romance, because I have to pull on the readers emotions, cranking the tension in each and every scene like it’s a thriller. As an erotic romance writer, not only do you need to understand the nature of women, you have to understand the nature of men. Sheroes do not work in romance. We like our men—manly, even when they’re gay, and our sex hot.
We’re writing from experience.
Grabs sides and rolls on the floor. I freaking wish. Really?
No, I’ve never faced down flesh-eating aliens to save a crew of 2000, while having a three-way relationship with a man and woman hot enough to melt me in my panties, have you? As far as the sex goes, maybe a few do, I haven’t. But I do a lot of research and have seen some things that made my eyes cross. Chicka ba-wa.
So, if you’ve been mislead by one of these common misconceptions, I challenge you to pick up an erotic romance novel today. Read it. Then form your opinion. But don’t tell me I write "slut books" until you know the difference between romance and erotic romance. Because frankly, there’s a very thin line between the two and some of the books you’ve picked up in the grocery store at the checkout are erotic romance.
http://www.decadentpublishing.com/
You’ll be glad you did.
Have a great weekend,
I am, D L Jackson. Proud writer of slut books, a.k.a. erotic romance.
14 comments:
If writing erotic romance is a challenge, writing an erotic romance involving three distinct people is many times more challenging...as I found out recently lol.
But when it's good, it's amazing, and Seducing Liberty is fantastic! Congrats on your release, Dawn!
Ok, seriously, I think I would have complained to her manager. I mean what if some woman finally had the nerve to go in there and look for an erotic romance, facing the embarrassment of checking it out, trying to talk herself into it, only to be called, by proxy of her purchases, a slut.
I would have been ssssuuuuper pissed.
Ann- I write slut books ;)
She was a customer, not an employee.
I have you'll know that every single sex scene I've written comes from personal experience.
Right down to the menage with two super hot vampires.
*I wish*
Great post, Dawn. LMAO
Lol, Annie. Yeah, sighs. If only.
Ahhh, that makes more sense. :)
Slut books!! That's gold!
I always get asked if I write porn.. I say erotic romance and get a blank stare followed by "sex??"
Then there's my eye roll and "yes.. Sex.. I write porn" LOL
I love the ignorance of some people.. It never ceases to amaze me.
Very true, Dawn. I've come to see the more and more I read that mod.ern romances - NOT labeled as erotic - have scenes that are just as erotic as the ones I write - there are just less of them. It aggravates me no end that people have the wrong idea about erotic romance. There are some books that are purely sex - with a plot but still sex - but most have something far more than that.
I see the same ignorance in my own family. I try to explain the difference, but they don't care to listen. Oh well.
Let me tell you, those erotic scenes are the hardest to write for me, and the ones I most often have to edit. LOL
And if porn was as good as your books, I think a lot more people would watch it. How often can someone say a porn movie made them cry, or have their gut wrench?
That's a great post! A lot of people have that preconcieved notion that all we are are writers of porn. I hate it when my male friends say that lol.
Funny how every "genre" writer think "that other genre" is easier to write - and no doubt it's the same thing literary writers think of genre. It's all writing, fools! :) Very excellent post, D.L!
Now this is from a strictly reader view point (I wish I could write like you talented ladies). I started out reading romances a lot about 2 years ago. At that time, I read mainstream light paranormals and then historicals. I have since moved onto every imaginable romance type including erotica/erotic romance. The only difference between the two (mainstream romance and erotic romance) is that the latter is a little spicier sometimes and might have an extra person or two. Pretty much the same things happen in mainstream books and at least with all the erotic romance books I have read (and believe me, it has been quite a lot), they still contain great characters and interesting plots. I hope that no author ever allows other people's narrow-mined, stupid comments to discourage them from sharing their stories.
Thank you, June. You said it well.
Unfortunately many readers just don't know. I hope I could clarify the differences for a few and give them a reason to try one. Thank you all for your comments. I just had to get it off my chest.
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