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Does Anyone Mix Erotica With Another Genre?

Thread starter Silver-Midnight
Start date Feb 17, 2012

Silver-Midnight

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Feb 17, 2012

#1

Does anyone here mix erotica with another genre? I'm trying to break into Urban Fantasy(UF), but I still want to write erotica. I'm trying to mix the two, but I'm having a bit of trouble doing. So, I was wondering if anyone here mixed erotica or erotic romance with another genre, and some tips that could help me out.

Thanks.

robjvargas

Rob J. Vargas

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Feb 17, 2012

#2

I'm not published, so I don't know if it counts, but the main characters in my WIP have... errr... moments.

Silver-Midnight

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Feb 17, 2012

#3

Haha; that's fine. Neither am I. I'm really trying to find a way to mix these two.

thethinker42

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Feb 17, 2012

#4

I write erotic suspense and erotic urban fantasy, if that's what you mean.

Where are you running into difficulty?

Silver-Midnight

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Feb 17, 2012

#5

Getting to the erotic part. >.< In my current WIP, my characters really have no time to have "moments" because they are trying to destroy some vampires. However, I want to put some of moments in from this point in WIP, and then when I do my re-write add more in if I can. Any advice between balancing between action and....um action?

I really want to try to write erotic urban fantasy.

thethinker42

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Feb 17, 2012

#6

Silver-Midnight said:
Getting to the erotic part. >.< In my current WIP, my characters really have no time to have "moments" because they are trying to destroy some vampires. However, I want to put some of moments in from this point in WIP, and then when I do my re-write add more in if I can. Any advice between balancing between action and....um action?

I really want to try to write erotic urban fantasy.

The main thing is, don't force it. If the characters don't have time or the inclination to get down and dirty, then it's probably not necessary for the story. The sex must be relevant, or it'll fall flat. If it doesn't develop the characters, develop their relationships, advance the plot, etc., then it shouldn't be there.

I know what you mean about the characters not having time for sex because they're busy with the rest of the plot. I have one vamp/were story out there where the characters are pursuing another vampire, trying to outrun some werewolves, etc., and are constantly fighting, on the move, fighting some more, running. There's plenty of sex, though, because they do have down time. Hiding out during the day, for example (vampires, sunlight, etc). Or recuperating after an escape. That sort of thing.

But there again, the sex must serve a purpose, or it's gratuitous, and won't do good things to your story. To use one of my own books as an example, my vampire and werewolf are cooped up waiting for the sun to go down, and have been sniping at each other constantly for the last several chapters. Things finally boil over, and it pretty much comes down to either fucking or killing each other. Naturally, they chose the less bloody option.

It broke some tension between them, and marked a significant turning point in how those two interacted from there on out.

In another, one character has just become a vampire. The change has a significant impact on all his senses, and the other vampire pretty much says "check this out..." because sex is way, WAY more intense this way than it was as a human. So it's part of his transition from human to vampire.

So there are plenty of ways for sex to happen in urban fantasy, but I can't emphasize enough: it needs to have a reason. It needs to do something. My suggestion? If your story is working just fine without the erotic element...don't add the erotic element.

Silver-Midnight

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Feb 17, 2012

#7

I mean I'm thinking my erotic element will come in soon, because it has shown up they just haven't "gone all of the way", if that phrase hasn't gotten too old. My FMC is about to the fight the subordinate of the subordinate while the MMC is recuperating in their hiding spot. I figured when she's done fighting and she goes back that maybe it can happen. Not immediately, but during just their down time. The only reason why I'm worried about it is because if I do plan to pub it, the places I send it may not want it because it's not erotic enough.

Silver-Midnight

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Feb 18, 2012

#8

I mean the only reason I asked is because I tend to write in the shorter fiction areas (novellas, novelettes, and short stories) and I'm worried about it flowing well. I want to mix both of these, but I want to mix both of them well. I just don't want a random sex scene.

scarletpeaches

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Feb 18, 2012

#9

Silver-Midnight said:
Does anyone here mix erotica with another genre? I'm trying to break into Urban Fantasy(UF), but I still want to write erotica. I'm trying to mix the two, but I'm having a bit of trouble doing. So, I was wondering if anyone here mixed erotica or erotic romance with another genre, and some tips that could help me out.

Thanks.

My advice would be to let your characters dictate what they want to do. Or not do as the case may be.

Don't forget, not having sex can still be helluva sexy. Think of all that tension building up...

I've written a couple of erotic UF romances, and when it comes to how often the characters have sex, where, when, who with...the circumstances pretty much dictated; an outline wouldn't have been able to force sex into the story where it didn't belong. (As it happens, both stories were pantsed.)

I have another project on the bubble that's not erotic romance/UF, but as you asked about mixing erotica with 'another genre', it still applies, right?

In this instance, I've thought, "Is this still erotic romance? Maybe erotica? Maybe it wants to be another genre, with a few steamy moments here and there."

What I'm going to do is just write it, and just as I play up the theme when I edit, I'll do likewise with the genre. Once I know what it is, I'll be able to tweak the manuscript accordingly.

That's probably very vague and no help at all, is it?

Silver-Midnight

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Feb 18, 2012

#10

scarletpeaches said:
My advice would be to let your characters dictate what they want to do. Or not do as the case may be.

Don't forget, not having sex can still be helluva sexy. Think of all that tension building up...

I've written a couple of erotic UF romances, and when it comes to how often the characters have sex, where, when, who with...the circumstances pretty much dictated; an outline wouldn't have been able to force sex into the story where it didn't belong. (As it happens, both stories were pantsed.)

I have another project on the bubble that's not erotic romance/UF, but as you asked about mixing erotica with 'another genre', it still applies, right?

In this instance, I've thought, "Is this still erotic romance? Maybe erotica? Maybe it wants to be another genre, with a few steamy moments here and there."

What I'm going to do is just write it, and just as I play up the theme when I edit, I'll do likewise with the genre. Once I know what it is, I'll be able to tweak the manuscript accordingly.

That's probably very vague and no help at all, is it?

Not entirely. What said about playing this theme and that theme and so on is how I actually kind of got this WIP. It was just like "Hmm. What if they were vampire hunters?" and the idea just kept bugging me and bugging me that I just relented and wrote it in. Then I started crafting all of this stuff around it. However, I know that I still want to write erotica; I don't know if I'll have a wealth of scenes because the MC's will probably be on some sort of battle/task, etc. (Crap, I said 'task', thought about Harry Potter, and came up with an idea for another WIP. :tongue

:tongue

I mean I'm happy but still.) I mean I want my novella, I'm thinking that's what it'll turn out to be, to be good and make sense but I also want it to be in a completely crazy genre classification. So if I do publish, I'm not having trouble explaining what I wrote(and probably writing).

scarletpeaches

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Feb 18, 2012

#11

The fact that you say you still want to write erotica suggests to me that deep down, you know your current WIP isn't erotica, or perhaps not as erotic as your other material.

If that's the case, don't try to force your book to be something it doesn't want to be.

Anjasa

Fantasy Smut? Yes please!

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Feb 18, 2012

#12

I write high fantasy erotica, but urban fantasy erotica is very popular at the moment, it seems.

However, as said above, if you're having trouble getting to the sex, it might just not fit. Or perhaps the characters aren't sexually interested or compatible? Are there no characters that have sexual tension that can't steal aside for a bit? Or does it just not fit in the story?

I'd rather read a natural story with heavy flirting and awkward tension than a random sex scene that seemed disjointed from the rest of the story.

I find it's best to just write what feels right and worry about labeling it after the fact

It's not like you can't write an urban fantasy erotica AFTER this one if the erotica doesn't happen.

Filigree

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Feb 18, 2012

#13

I write science fantasy disguised as epic fantasy, some urban fantasy, some near-future science fiction, and erotic space operas. When the plot calls for sex, I include it. Cheerfully. That's kept me from publishing with the Big Six, because I haven't wanted to water down my fiction.

The space opera needed sex as both plot and character-building devices: a sex slave running from his masters, a sexually-transmitted symbiont, brain chemicals released during sex as a way to break a location-shielding technology. Plus, it was just damned fun to write.

Some of my epic fantasy uses sexual and gender politics at very basic levels of worldbuilding, but not everyone is hopping into bed at all times. In fact, I'm rather pissed at one main character who is more prudish (she calls herself 'reserved') than I'd like. I know she's capable of a healthy sex life, and I know when she falls for someone she'll fall *hardcore*, but she's also got lots of cultural baggage holding her back.

The erotic fantasy I just sold to an anthology is set in that same universe. It was inspired by some really dark threads on this forum last summer: a captive chooses between his virginity and his soul, and a reluctant dom confronts the price of running from his destiny.

scarletpeaches

Banned

Feb 18, 2012

#14

Filigree said:
When the plot calls for sex, I include it. Cheerfully. That's kept me from publishing with the Big Six, because I haven't wanted to water down my fiction.

Big publishers also publish erotica. Sex doesn't mean you have to stick to epublishers or smaller traditional houses.

As I hope to be able to confirm soon.

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

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Feb 18, 2012

#15

Oh, Scarlet, I hope you do, and wish you well!

For me, it boils down to choosing a path. Since I can't get an agent to look at the science fantasy, and I don't want to wait three years of submission time to have the Big Six reject me, I have a better chance with the erotic space opera. But should all my fulls turn into rejections with the space opera, I'm prepared to switch gears and send the science fantasy out to Angry Robot's shindig in April.

scarletpeaches

Banned

Feb 18, 2012

#16

I know traditional publication takes longer than epublishing, but there's more money in it, and more recognition. As for three years? In some cases, trying halving that. It doesn't happen every time, but it can happen. That's what I'm banking on.

Even then, three years seems an awfully long time.

After all, I'm only in this game for the fame, fortune and groupies.

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

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Feb 18, 2012

#17

I'll spare everyone the long rant I had cued up about agents and publisher submission times. The short version is that I'll need to bootstrap my way toward print publication.

But I'm serious about my well-wishes, Scarlet. You're a great writer, and I hope this transition happens for you.

dangerousbill

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Feb 18, 2012

#18

Silver-Midnight said:
Does anyone here mix erotica with another genre? I'm trying to break into Urban Fantasy(UF), but I still want to write erotica.

Erotic romance is itself a mix of genres. There are stories out there that mix sex with suspense, mystery, horror, sf, etc. There are probably more mixed-genre erotica stories than pure erotica (which can get quite boring in large doses).

The amount and explicitness of erotic content determines whether it deserves the 'erotica' stamp of approval, and every publisher's criteria are probably quite different.

Boston Steve

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Feb 18, 2012

#19

scarletpeaches said:
After all, I'm only in this game for the fame, fortune and groupies.

There are groupies? Why was I not informed of this?

Silver-Midnight

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Feb 18, 2012

#20

dangerousbill said:
The amount and explicitness of erotic content determines whether it deserves the 'erotica' stamp of approval, and every publisher's criteria are probably quite different.

And that's the thing; I don't think this will have that much sex in it, and it probably won't even have that until the end. (I was originally going to try for the middle of the book, but that scene isn't flowing well. So, I'm going to build up the tension some more).

scarletpeaches said:
The fact that you say you still want to write erotica suggests to me that deep down, you know your current WIP isn't erotica, or perhaps not as erotic as your other material.

If that's the case, don't try to force your book to be something it doesn't want to be.

It's more so that it's not as erotic as my other stuff I think. I mean I'm at 1100 - 1200 words, and while there was some tension, my character still haven't gotten "there" yet.

Anjasa said:
I write high fantasy erotica, but urban fantasy erotica is very popular at the moment, it seems.

However, as said above, if you're having trouble getting to the sex, it might just not fit. Or perhaps the characters aren't sexually interested or compatible? Are there no characters that have sexual tension that can't steal aside for a bit? Or does it just not fit in the story?

I'd rather read a natural story with heavy flirting and awkward tension than a random sex scene that seemed disjointed from the rest of the story.

I find it's best to just write what feels right and worry about labeling it after the fact It's not like you can't write an urban fantasy erotica AFTER this one if the erotica doesn't happen.

I'm thinking the characters may not be into each other, or I have written them as into each other as I see them in my mind. I do plan to do a few rewrites. (I'm still on my first draft). So, I kind of figured anything that was sketchy, even their personalities and tension, I could fix, work on, and flesh out just a bit better. (I'm still going back and forth where I want to have my setting honestly; I'm really thinking of moving my setting from Japan to the U.S. because I'm a lot more familiar with the U.S. than Japan).

EDIT: I mean when you guys have done rewrites have the amount(or strength?) of sexual tension, sex scenes, and eroticism/erotic moments increased(or even decreased) from your first draft?

Last edited: Feb 18, 2012

thethinker42

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Feb 18, 2012

#21

Silver-Midnight said:
EDIT: I mean when you guys have done rewrites have the amount(or strength?) of sexual tension, sex scenes, and eroticism/erotic moments increased(or even decreased) from your first draft?

I try to ramp up the sexual tension a bit when I revise, but otherwise, it usually stays the same. I rarely delete sex scenes; usually I know they have no place in the story because when I try to write them, they fall flat, so they get cut from the outline before the draft is finished anyway. Unless I'm doing a massive overhaul/rewrite, I pretty much never add sex scenes either.

Silver-Midnight

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Feb 18, 2012

#22

dangerousbill said:
Erotic romance is itself a mix of genres. There are stories out there that mix sex with suspense, mystery, horror, sf, etc. There are probably more mixed-genre erotica stories than pure erotica (which can get quite boring in large doses).

I found out that was true, which is probably how I got interested in UF.

kuwisdelu

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Feb 18, 2012

#23

Boston Steve said:
There are groupies? Why was I not informed of this?

I had writing groupies in high school.

I miss that.

Silver-Midnight

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Feb 18, 2012

#24

Would you all suggest I do a rewrite before my WIP is finished? I want to change a few things about it, and I think rewriting would make it stronger. I mean I would still do a rewrite of that rewrite, but right now the whole piece, not just some of the romance/erotic parts, feel somewhat awkward.

thethinker42

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Feb 18, 2012

#25

If you're not happy with how it's going so far, there's no harm in rewriting it.

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