When I went into my first Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference, I was given a nametag and then faced with a selection of little banners I could add to my badge. Did I write contemporary or historical? Realistic or paranormal? Was I a pantser or a plotter? Was I sweet, spicy or EROTIC. Thinking of the incredibly spicy and delicious scenes I had written in my manuscript [Taken by His Sword OUT NOW], I chose erotic.
Let me clarify that I have been writing for a long time, but I snuck into romance without fully understanding the depth of the genre. I had read a lot of historical romances, but that subgenre is a very, very small piece of the genre as a whole. In the historical world, maybe I am erotic… but in the grander scale--reverse harems, monsters, so much butt stuff--all I can say is that the world is a varied and interesting place.
Writing erotica, or just any love scene, is tricky because there is definitely a balance between showing a satisfying level of intimacy that appeals to the appetites of today’s audiences without becoming clinical or just straight up cringe. Lots of authors do a great job hitting the mark and creating some pant-worthy scenes, but I’ve read other stuff that either doesn’t do its spicy job or could just benefit from a lesson in physics (Just how was she entered? Where is this p---s located in 3-D space?)
For me, writing an intimate scene comes down to the intimacy between the characters at the moment. How are they connecting and what does the sex (or pre-sex or post-sex) say about where they are in their arc? In other words, how does this scene stoke the fire of the already fiery romance? Every scene (and paragraph and sentence) should have a purpose. For me, the spiciest writing I do will evolve out of the sweetest moments of connection between my characters.
By the end of the RWA conference I had definitely changed my designation. Spicy, yes. Erotica? IDK. It depends on what you are looking for. My scenes do “go all the way” with a wide-open door, but if you are looking for monsters, message me, I have some great recs. 😅
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