How much erotica is acceptable in mainstream fiction?

[BellaIsabella]

I am writing a mainstream novel/memoir, but it covers my life as an escort and a little bit about me become a domme, so its got a lot to do with sex!

How much "erotica" can the general population take before it officially becomes classified as x-rated?

 

[Stella_Omega]

The X refers to explicitness. You can have all the implicit scenes you want, and be considered mainstream. Get explicit one time and you've got yourself an X-- although you may very well still be mainstream, plenty of pulp writers are.

Do you read many novels, yourself?

 

[Verdad]

Books have ratings?

 

[Pure]

the rule:

if the phrases "fuck me" or "granite hard" appear more often than once every 5 pages, it's 'x rated' (which you understand, is only a metaphor, for 'in the erotica/porn section, not the fiction/literature section of the bookstore').

 

[Firebrain]

Since you're writing on the topic of sex, a publisher will expect sex. I think there's actually an agent who is specifically interested in memoirs of sex workers -- might be Dianne Fox.

I'd read Belle de Jour etc as research, if you haven't already. I wouldn't worry about what the mainstream public can "take" since exceptions are always made for exceptional books, as Belle, Girl With A One Track Mind, Catherine M etc have shown. Whether or not your genre is now a bit outdated (it peaked a few years ago) remains to be seen.

 

[HeyAll]

Anne Rice has written erotic books which contain all sorts of sexual taboo's which would be considered illegal if they were made into film. So I wouldn't worry about your books getting an 'x-rating' or banned or whatever. It's just a story.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Anne Rice has written erotic books which contain all sorts of sexual taboo's which would be considered illegal if they were made into film. So I wouldn't worry about your books getting an 'x-rating' or banned or whatever. It's just a story.

One of them was made into a film--
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit_to_Eden

it's her red-haired stepchild. She completely ignored the production while she was making "Interview" and fawning all over Tom Cruise

The Beauty series is not considered mainstream, and Rice hates it that she ever wrote them.

 

[Firebrain]

One of them was made into a film--
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit_to_Eden

it's her red-haired stepchild. She completely ignored the production while she was making "Interview" and fawning all over Tom Cruise

The Beauty series is not considered mainstream, and Rice hates it that she ever wrote them.

Fantasy and horror also get away with a heck of a lot more sex than "mainstream" fiction. Richard Laymon and Jacqueline Carey, anyone...?

 

[R. Richard]

I would think that, 'The Happy Hooker' would serve you well as a guide for the type of thing that you want to write.

 

[MagicaPractica]

As a public librarian, I consider Laurel Hamilton mainstream. I've only read one of her books, in the Meredith Gentry series, and it was extremely graphic, read just like many of the stories here.

 

[stephen55]

At my local public library, one of the staff working there was wearing a tee-shirt that read...

There is Something in my Library to Offend Anyone

"Must be a good library," I thought.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I would think that, 'The Happy Hooker' would serve you well as a guide for the type of thing that you want to write.

You're showing your age-- so am I because I remember reading it back when it came out!

 

[Boxlicker101]

I may be mistaken, but I believe "X-rated" would never apply to written words or spoken words, only to photos or film, etc. Even my stories, which I consider the dirtiest on this site, would be rated "R" rather than "X."

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

On the other hand the the Brady's will shit speckled peace symbols if you tried to post ROMEO and JULIET or LOLITA here.

 

[mynameisben]

I am writing a mainstream novel/memoir, but it covers my life as an escort and a little bit about me become a domme, so its got a lot to do with sex!

How much "erotica" can the general population take before it officially becomes classified as x-rated?

I am not so sure your question makes sense. If a piece of literature officially becomes classified as x-rated, then the official classification guarantees the general population will not be the ones who will be reading it. And you can never know whether you have reached "just before" unless and until you cross the threshold. About all you can do is write your novel/memoir and put it out there. Then you'll know.

 

[Stella_Omega]

On the other hand the the Brady's will shit speckled peace symbols if you tried to post ROMEO and JULIET or LOLITA here.

Fat chance of you being either Shakespeare or Nabokov.

 

[lovecraft68]

Anne Rice has written erotic books which contain all sorts of sexual taboo's which would be considered illegal if they were made into film. So I wouldn't worry about your books getting an 'x-rating' or banned or whatever. It's just a story.

I would have preferred Rice to stick to erotica. As a fan of erotica I thought her work was pretty good. As a hardcore horror fan however, her vampires are the whiniest, whimpy-ist (not a word i know), most pathetic group of the undead i have ever witnessed they are no better than the Twilight crowd. At least her porn characters wanted to have sex. This group of pathetic immortals did nothing but whine and bemoan there fate. Sorry know I am in the minority but am a "Rice" hater. Don't get me started on the Mayfair Witches.

To answer the question at hand look no further than Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This is truly a genre transcending work. Hardcore BDSM that is required reading in book clubs.

 

[Firebrain]

Fat chance of you being either Shakespeare or Nabokov.

Bahaha.

 

[R. Richard]

You're showing your age-- so am I because I remember reading it back when it came out!

Actually, I read, 'The Story of O,' 'The Happy Hooker,' and (of course) 'Lust and Filth,' by Madame X in the process of writing my book, 'Anatomy of An Adult Film.'

 

[Stella_Omega]

Why "The story of O?" What does that have to do with the modern adult film industry?

 

[slave_]

To answer the question at hand look no further than Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This is truly a genre transcending work. Hardcore BDSM that is required reading in book clubs.

If you are referring to VERY abusive rape scenes in that book, that is NOT BDSM.

 

[sr71plt]

The mainstream looks for mainstream-quality writing, storyline--and meeting a large target audience interest--before they'd worry about how much sex is in it. Knock them out on those and you don't need to worry about whether there's too much sex (of course, in meeting the primary requirements, the sex needs to be appropriate in storyline and the level of intensity.)

 

[R. Richard]

Why "The story of O?" What does that have to do with the modern adult film industry?

Research for 'forced' sex and anal.