Erotic Novel question

[OnlyByMoonlight]

I'm working on an erotic novel/novella which I'm going to post here on lit. My question is how much erotic content do readers expect in an erotic novel/novella. I mean its going to end up at at least 25k words and it has a lot of plot (its a love story though it isn't centered around sex). I just don't want to dissapoint readers. Any thoughts?

 

[TE999]

I'm working on an erotic novel/novella which I'm going to post here on lit. My question is how much erotic content do readers expect in an erotic novel/novella. I mean its going to end up at at least 25k words and it has a lot of plot (its a love story though it isn't centered around sex). I just don't want to dissapoint readers. Any thoughts?

Three words: Write for yourself.

Do your best and the readers will like it. Not the ones who are looking for a stroker, but there are plenty of others who will appreciate a well written story regardless of the amount of sex in it. Trying to write to a particular taste within a category is chasing a chimera, period. Good luck.

 

[OnlyByMoonlight]

Three words: Write for yourself.

Do your best and the readers will like it. Not the ones who are looking for a stroker, but there are plenty of others who will appreciate a well written story regardless of the amount of sex in it. Trying to write to a particular taste within a category is chasing a chimera, period. Good luck.

I want to do that, I just think it would be misleading to call something and 'erotic novel(la)' when only 10 or 15% of it is erotic.

I'm not going to throw sex in there just to make it 'erotic', but I just want some kind of idea as to it.

 

[_Lynn_]

I want to do that, I just think it would be misleading to call something and 'erotic novel(la)' when only 10 or 15% of it is erotic.

I'm not going to throw sex in there just to make it 'erotic', but I just want some kind of idea as to it.

Then why call it an erotic novel(la)?

Split it into three/four chapters and put it into romance or non-erotic. No one says you have to write erotic stories here.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I'm working on an erotic novel/novella which I'm going to post here on lit. My question is how much erotic content do readers expect in an erotic novel/novella. I mean its going to end up at at least 25k words and it has a lot of plot (its a love story though it isn't centered around sex). I just don't want to dissapoint readers. Any thoughts?

I have attempted and given up on this. However, I have read some very successful erotic romances, and here's some rules of thumb that I think will make my next attempt more better;

The sex scenes must forward the plot or add to our understanding of the characters. It doesn't have to be huge-- but there has to be something.

And this, which seems so counter-intuitive, and has taken me forever to get-- and I am still not so great at implementing it;

You can use the sex as a cliffhanger. Bring your readers up to the point where your characters are hurrying off to the bedroom-- or just about to rip each other's clothes off in the alley. That's the end of the chapter. The next chapter starts with the promised sex, goes on to the plotty stuff, and begins the slow movement towards the next sex scene. You can use two or three chapters before you get to the next sex scene, but you want to remind your readers, at least once per chapter, of all the sexual tension that is humming between your lovers, even when there is no overt action.

Once more; Make them wait for the next chapter.

 

[sr71plt]

Where on the story board would it be called an erotic novel? The category name is "Novels and Novellas."

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Novellas - 12 Gang Bangs, at least one Wife Swapping Party, 2 threesomes and a gay marriage.

I'll let you figure out the Novel for yourself

 

[oggbashan]

The Literotica Category "Novels and Novellas" covers everything from continuous sexual gymnastics to non-erotic.

It doesn't matter as long as it is a good read.

Og

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

There are some excellent examples of eroticism hidden inside first-rate commercial writing: William Manchester depicts a young Marine hallucinating sex with Death in GOOD BYE DARKNESS; its brief and graphic and sticks in your head. Thomas Harris depicts Francis Dolarhyde copulating a corpse in RED DRAGON....very graphic and sticks with you. And William Styron, in SHADRACK, alludes sex with a pregnant girl when the protagonist travels with her in her daddy's car and discovers used condoms on the floor and under the seat.

Detonate an impressive bomb inside your story and you dont need to keep doing it.

 

[CMatthews]

Break it up into smaller stories

I have found that most people don't want to spend an hour wading through a long
story.

Break up your story into tantalizing short ones that point to the new one you are
going to submit next.

Just like on television, they leave you with a "cliff hanger" and you can't wait to tune
in next week to find out what is happening!

Start submitting "short" stories, one each every three or four days and you start a
following of fans that will "email" you.

Carolyn