Purple Prose OK for sex scenes?

I tripped over a site yesterday, after a general search for Dark Erotica.

TONS of writing info here (listed along the right hand side - although some links are only accessible from certain pages it seems - a bit confuzzling).

Anyway - this particular article struck me, because the author seems to be RECOMMENDING the use of what would ordinarily be called 'purple prose' - and the use (over-use?) of adverbs and adjectives.

QUOTE: "Use craploads of Adjectives to describe sensations. THIS is where you use all your purple prose. Make every adjective highly opinionated to get the reader right into the action as though THEY are feeling it. "

On another page from the site (which I can't lay hands this morning for some reason, though I was sure I bookmarked the darn thing *sigh*), she says pretty much the same thing about adverbs - all those 'ly' words we are always told to use sparingly - if at all.

Again, she said it (heavy use of adverbs) would add to the feeling of immediacy and bring the reader INTO the action, making them "feel" what the character is feeling, during that sex scene.

This gal makes her living writing erotica, so I suppose she must know what she's talking about (and has generously shared a TON of 'writing erotica advice' for the rest of us, as I said earlier), so I sure don't want to complain.

I'm curious though, what the rest of you think about this in particular - (ie: use of purple prose) - since it seems contrary to most other writing advice I've read.

IS there a time and place where 'purple prose' is not only OK - but necessary - such as writing sex scenes? Are there other rules that ONLY apply to writing erotica?

How do YOU handle this issue?

Thanks guys,
Sass

I agree with you Maryn - it surprised me to read those comments, especially when given specifically in 'writing advice' and 'how to' articles.

As always though - I take in what resonates and discard the rest.

I thought it was interesting that her advice would be so contrary to everything else we've learned about writing.

Never having been published (except for short stories, years ago) it made me wonder if there WERE specific rules - (that I've been blissfully unaware of, 'til now )- that you not only CAN - but - SHOULD break when writing erotica.

S

Here is the other quote (re: ADVERBS) that I couldn't find earlier:

The Not-So Dreaded -ly Words.
Every once in a while you will hear someone whine that "you shouldn't use words that end in -ly". The "No -ly words!" whiners are usually the same people that say: "Don't use Adjectives!" Think People! How the heck are you supposed to describe something without adjectives? You CAN'T.

The "No -ly Words" rule does not apply to Fiction.

This rule comes from Basic School Grammar - grammar that was intended for NON-fiction, such as Reports and other boring descriptionless education-related or business-related writing.

On the other hand, Fiction THRIVES on description!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This gal says she is a top-selling novelist for her publisher. I suppose it might boil down to: "To each his own.'

Just so everyone knows - I'm not advocating this as good advice - (I'll stick with the tried & true rules of fiction that we've all learned the hard way).

I just wondered what you thought, and if it was possible I was missing something really obvious about writing erotica.

Sass