erotica or erotic romance?

[yibala2]

I didn't set out to write romance.

But I know the romance market is huge, and I'm noticing some romantic elements in some of my stories. I'm curious about how other writers make the distinction, and particular, what they feel romance readers want, especially if you sell, or plan to sell your work.

Is there a difference in terminology? Like, I use 'cunt' a lot.

More substantively, the romance I have tends to be tragic. Lover dies at the end, or MC runs away from lover at the end. Not consciously - it just seems like where the characters led me.

Does tragic romance work in the romance market? What other distinctions would you say there are?

Thanks and happy writing!

Yib

My stories

 

[NotWise]

I didn't set out to write romance.

But I know the romance market is huge, and I'm noticing some romantic elements in some of my stories. I'm curious about how other writers make the distinction, and particular, what they feel romance readers want, especially if you sell, or plan to sell your work.

Is there a difference in terminology? Like, I use 'cunt' a lot.

More substantively, the romance I have tends to be tragic. Lover dies at the end, or MC runs away from lover at the end. Not consciously - it just seems like where the characters led me.

Does tragic romance work in the romance market? What other distinctions would you say there are?

If you're interested in writing commercial romance, then you should look at the Romance Writers of America website. Romances are nearly formulaic. A man and woman who don't know each other meet and develop a mutual interest. They struggle through barriers to build a relationship, and the story ends happily ever after.

The Romance category on Lit likes stories that fit that description, but they're open to variations.

Tragedies and Romances are different.

 

[KeithD]

erotic romance is just a subset of erotica.

 

[lovecraft68]

I didn't set out to write romance.

But I know the romance market is huge, and I'm noticing some romantic elements in some of my stories. I'm curious about how other writers make the distinction, and particular, what they feel romance readers want, especially if you sell, or plan to sell your work.

Is there a difference in terminology? Like, I use 'cunt' a lot.

More substantively, the romance I have tends to be tragic. Lover dies at the end, or MC runs away from lover at the end. Not consciously - it just seems like where the characters led me.

Does tragic romance work in the romance market? What other distinctions would you say there are?

Thanks and happy writing!

Yib

My stories

Its good you write the way your characters seem to want to be written. Fair warning, in the Romance section here, and genre in general, the crowd loves HEA and gets ticked off when they don't get it.

 

[Brutal_One]

Wise words

Its good you write the way your characters seem to want to be written. Fair warning, in the Romance section here, and genre in general, the crowd loves HEA and gets ticked off when they don't get it.

Wise words spoken by a man who clearly knows.

 

[yibala2]

Thanks!

Hmmm... it sounds like I am not writing Romance. That clears that up!

I'll just throw in the tag on Lit from time to time and leave it at that.

Yib

My stories

 

[jehoram]

erotic romance is just a subset of erotica.

I thought it was the other way around; erotica is a subset of erotic romance.

What's the distinction? If you want to know about how the characters feel about each other after their orgasms, it's erotic romance.

 

[KeithD]

I thought it was the other way around; erotica is a subset of erotic romance.

What's the distinction? If you want to know about how the characters feel about each other after their orgasms, it's erotic romance.

I see erotica as the umbrella term and romance as one section under it. It's not a distinction for me. Erotic romance is erotica, so there's no distinction to be made. Erotica isn't necessary romance, or romantic, though. It can be just lustful arousal. Erotica is sexual arousal.

 

[NotWise]

I think Erotic Romance is the overlap of Romance and Erotica.

 

[KeithD]

Sure, that's fine with me.

 

[PennameWombat]

If you're interested in writing commercial romance, then you should look at the Romance Writers of America website. Romances are nearly formulaic. A man and woman who don't know each other meet and develop a mutual interest. They struggle through barriers to build a relationship, and the story ends happily ever after.

The Romance category on Lit likes stories that fit that description, but they're open to variations.

Tragedies and Romances are different.

[Emphasis added to the quoted post.]

I was told one of my stories "could be in romance." It's in Fetish because my older female character loves to peg her younger boyfriend's ass (and well, he likes it too.) Now, they struggle against a number of things (familial disapproval, other things) but the fact they end up in bed having sex on the first date (and many subsequent times) seems to well, violate Romance 'rules.' She springs the pegging on him midway but well, she'd dropped hints and he'd guessed, just hadn't said anything.

It also ends on a cliff-hanger (yeah, a sequel is "in the works." ) Definitely not a clear HEA. Plenty of reasons to keep it out of Romance (I had thought about it. Mature was the other consideration. If the sequel ever gets written it will have a HEA...)

As part of my Audible subscription I get the Audible Originals and a few months back they offered a free short romance by someone who's apparently a well-regarded Romance author. I'd done some study on the genre even before my experience above so this was a chance to check it out directly at a supposedly 'pro' level of writing.

The level of contrived "oh, the fated couple JUST MISSED EACH OTHER AGAIN" scenes drove me in-fucking-sane. There's also plenty of PG-13 level innuendo but nothing explicit. In fact, it's only three hours in total and I still haven't made it to the end (I have plenty of more enjoyable stuff on my Audible queue) and there's zero sex at all so far. Oh, and the female main character thinks of herself as mousy and plain when... she is very definitely not. Sure, she's a mathematician but hey, she's tall with a great figure and fit and actually not socially awkward...

 

[gunhilltrain]

If you're interested in writing commercial romance, then you should look at the Romance Writers of America website. Romances are nearly formulaic. A man and woman who don't know each other meet and develop a mutual interest. They struggle through barriers to build a relationship, and the story ends happily ever after.

The Romance category on Lit likes stories that fit that description, but they're open to variations.

Tragedies and Romances are different.

That's a problem: where do you put the stories that are not quite tragic (that's a strong term) but are about the end of a relationship, the break-up? I'm tempted to put them in Romance, but sometimes in Non-erotic.

There is another site that has a lot more categories, but they don't solve the problem either.

 

[NotWise]

That's a problem: where do you put the stories that are not quite tragic (that's a strong term) but are about the end of a relationship, the break-up? I'm tempted to put them in Romance, but sometimes in Non-erotic.

There is another site that has a lot more categories, but they don't solve the problem either.

You refer to "other sites" all the time. Why don't you just take all your stuff out there, and stop complaining?

Here, they shouldn't go in Romance. If they aren't erotic, then put them in non-erotic.

 

[yibala2]

[Emphasis added to the quoted post.]

the fact they end up in bed having sex on the first date (and many subsequent times) seems to well, violate Romance 'rules.' She springs the pegging on him midway but well, she'd dropped hints and he'd guessed, just hadn't said anything.

It also ends on a cliff-hanger (yeah, a sequel is "in the works." ) Definitely not a clear HEA.

Wow, did commenters complain about the no sex on a first date rule? I'm just wondering where you heard that. Very strict.

I remember reading some of Bertrice Small's novels as a kid and they were as hot as any erotica or porn I could find. Her heroines had multiple sex partners (serial if not at once) and the sex was explicit. I guess maybe that and your story could be considered 'erotic romance'.

Yib

My stories

 

[NotWise]

[Emphasis added to the quoted post.]

I was told one of my stories "could be in romance." It's in Fetish because my older female character loves to peg her younger boyfriend's ass (and well, he likes it too.) Now, they struggle against a number of things (familial disapproval, other things) but the fact they end up in bed having sex on the first date (and many subsequent times) seems to well, violate Romance 'rules.' She springs the pegging on him midway but well, she'd dropped hints and he'd guessed, just hadn't said anything.

The comment that it "could be in romance" didn't come from a romance reader. I've had comments like that on I/T stories. Don't listen to your readers.

As part of my Audible subscription I get the Audible Originals and a few months back they offered a free short romance by someone who's apparently a well-regarded Romance author. I'd done some study on the genre even before my experience above so this was a chance to check it out directly at a supposedly 'pro' level of writing.

The level of contrived "oh, the fated couple JUST MISSED EACH OTHER AGAIN" scenes drove me in-fucking-sane. There's also plenty of PG-13 level innuendo but nothing explicit. In fact, it's only three hours in total and I still haven't made it to the end (I have plenty of more enjoyable stuff on my Audible queue) and there's zero sex at all so far. Oh, and the female main character thinks of herself as mousy and plain when... she is very definitely not. Sure, she's a mathematician but hey, she's tall with a great figure and fit and actually not socially awkward...

Main stream Romance can be sexy, but it isn't usually erotic. Here, your Romance story can be pretty explicitly erotic, but I think the readers still like to have a reason for the act other than "it feels good, so we did it." You know -- relationships and stuff.

I'm not a first-hand expert on the romance category. I posted one of my earliest stories to romance and the readers pummeled it. I thought it was a good story, and I pleaded with people on the Feedback forum to explain the problem. Some very respected authors told me what the problem was; my story wasn't a romance. It was actually kind of an anti-romance with a sentimental ending. Sentimental endings don't make a romance.

I think the category has been more accepting since then. There aren't many people writing romances, and the readers take what they can get. When I've written a real romance, which I've done twice, they've liked it.

 

[gunhilltrain]

You refer to "other sites" all the time. Why don't you just take all your stuff out there, and stop complaining?

Here, they shouldn't go in Romance. If they aren't erotic, then put them in non-erotic.

I will put them in Non-Erotic or Romance as needed.

You seem to be having a bad day about something.

 

[NotWise]

I will put them in Non-Erotic or Romance as needed.

You seem to be having a bad day about something.

Maybe I am. I put my new story away to rest for a while before its final read and edit, and I might be in withdrawal.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Maybe I am. I put my new story away to rest for a while before its final read and edit, and I might be in withdrawal.

Okay, I get it. I see you gave me some support for the chapter revision back in July, so I appreciate that. Bygones, okay, as someone said to me recently.

Relax? I've got four things going onto three different sites this week. It's not as important as compared to what I see going on every day here in New York.

 

[PennameWombat]

The comment that it "could be in romance" didn't come from a romance reader. I've had comments like that on I/T stories. Don't listen to your readers.

One of my first lessons when I arrived here was "appreciate your readers but don't expect they're experts." Yeah, my real effort was choosing between Fetish (pegging) or Mature (older woman), because I know plenty of straight men can be uncomfortable with that act I went with Fetish. I'm nowhere near a Romance genre expert but I knew enough about the ideals of the chase (or contrived near-misses) and the HEA (or at least Happily for Now) and it violated those. Badly.

Main stream Romance can be sexy, but it isn't usually erotic. Here, your Romance story can be pretty explicitly erotic, but I think the readers still like to have a reason for the act other than "it feels good, so we did it." You know -- relationships and stuff.

My couple had plenty of small-r romantic feelings, but then again, that's the case with huge numbers of stories here. Doesn't make them "Romances."

I'd hope that Literotica's Romance could be more explicit than mainstream. And my upcoming Summer Lovin story edges toward that category but right now I'm planning First Time for it. The 'chase' just isn't, quite, there...

But I still agree it would need to hew to the genre's expectations. Just like SF&F. It better have something that makes it science fiction or fantastical, not just hot, sweaty sex.

 

[yibala2]

But I still agree it would need to hew to the genre's expectations. Just like SF&F. It better have something that makes it science fiction or fantastical, not just hot, sweaty sex.

Speaking as a proud geek, SF&F requires certain elements to be in the story. I'd say most genres are similar. Romance seems to go beyond the expectation of elements to formula. The characters have to act in certain ways, and generally the story has to end a certain way.

I remember an instructor (who was a SF writer) once saying that while the genres of fiction can have all sorts of morals or messages, the message in a Romance story is always the same: (Romantic) Love Conquers All.

Which, I guess, answers my original question. But I wondered at the time if maybe she was just biased.

Yib

My stories

 

[SamScribble]

I have a sense that what one reader calls 'romance' another reader calls 'relationship erotica'. However, I also sense that both groups tend to like either a 'happy ever after' ending or at least the possibility that things might work out in the long run.