Part 1, Part 2?

[Ruth2]

How do you know when you need to break your novel up into "Part 1, Part 2"?

In my WIP which I'm polishing now, I've got two distinct sections. The first is set in D.C,, the second in Europe (south of France and Milan). The female MC and the villain are consistently there but the male MC in the first section takes a backseat to a new male MC in the second section. It fits and it flows (I hope) but I wonder now if a) I should leave it as it is with each day being a new chapter, 2) designate the two sections as part 1 and Part 2, or c) make them into two separate books. The vast majority of sex occurs in the second section as well...

Anyone have this problem and if so, what did you do? Any ideas would be most welcome! Thanks y'all!

[Scott Cole]

I've seen books split into parts with no rhyme or reason. I'm sure you can split it if you want (or don't) and it won't really make any difference. If you're writing erotica and you cut the novel into two different books, will both still qualify as the same genre?

[Ruth2]

Good question. One would be erotic romance... and the other would be really erotic romance. ;)I guess whatever genre they're in, they'd both be in it. One is more heavily weighted in erotica than the other...

Thanks Jem...

[SFLP]

As a reader, I think a geographical/cast change like that is a good place to break into part 1 and part 2, either within a book, or in two books.

As a writer, if the heat level is very different between the two "parts", I might hesitate to put them into two different books. If someone loved the not-so-racy part one, they might be a little startled if part 2 was really out there, expecting something milder.

I guess for *me*, though, I'd be more disappointed if you started out really hot in book one, and I was expecting a continuation of that in book 2, but instead it as much...tamer.

J.

[Ruth2]

LOL! The first half is much tamer. Sex is foreshadowed and there's longing and teasing but that's about it. Once they're on their way to France the inhibitions go away-- and when my female MC meets the patriarch of the family.. that's it. Lots of sex. It's a wonder she gets to wear clothes..

Thanks SFLP...