Sex, Love and All of the Above: Some Thoughts on Erotica and Romance by Gwyneth Bolton
By APOOO • Jun 8th, 2008 • Category: Articles •
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Sex, Love and All of the Above: Some Thoughts on Erotica and Romance by Gwyneth Bolton
It is a simple as the difference between love and sex and also as complex. It is the difference between senses and feelings and at the same time the way they are connected to one another. Sometimes they can exist separate from one another and other times they go hand in hand. The thing they share is when they are good they are really-really good and when they are bad–well, you get the point. So, enough with the philosophical musing…
On a basic level, the differences between erotica and romance are pretty clear, cut and dry. In an erotic novel the sex drives the story and the plot. In a romance novel the love drives the story. This is not to say that never the two shall meet. In fact, you can have a romance that is spicy, sexy and erotic. And you can have an erotic novel in which there is some attention to love and romance. But the key factor is if you take the sex away from an erotic novel, you no longer have an erotic novel. If you take the love and courtship away from a romance, you no longer have a romance. Sex informs the plot of an erotic novel. Love informs the plot of a romance. It seems so simple. And yet…
The key defining factor in how all of this plays out in a piece of fiction hinges on plot and characterization, at least for me. Let us take the erotic novel first. Even though sex is crucial to an erotic novel and you cannot have an erotic novel without it. The sex is not just about adding as many hot, juicy, steamy scenes as you can. Does it make sense to the plot? Does the sex move the story forward? What about the characters? Is the sex true to the characters you created? Does it make sense for them to be having sex when they have sex? You cannot take the sex lightly. In an erotic novel, you have to be serious about the sex. (I like saying that, be serious about the sex…anyway.) Even seemingly frivolous acts have to be treated with precision and care. A good erotic novel should highlight the character’s sexual journey& key word being journey. The idea of journey assumes character growth, movement and all the good stuff that happens when folks journey.
Ideally the sex will also take the reader somewhere and move things along in the novel. Even gratuitous sex should not feel like gratuitous sex to the reader. At no point should the reader say, ‘Why the heck are they having sex again? Sheesh!’ That is not good in an erotic novel.
And with romance, plot and characterization are also crucial, perhaps even more so. (And that is not just my uppity self-important romance writing side talking, honest…) Where we simply need to be able to believe that these people would really have sex with one another in an erotic novel, in a romance you need to make us believe that these two people have fallen in love. Love. Cannot have a romance with out it. You cannot have a satisfying romantic read if you do not buy into the happily-ever-after. And yes, you need the happily-ever-after in a romance novel. You really do. There is no way around it. None. You can have a romance novel with no sex but you cannot have a romance novel with no love. You can have a romance novel with lots of sex, even a highly erotic romance. But the sex is not driving the story. The relationship is. The journey to love is.
So to recap, the difference between erotica and romance is really as simple as the difference between sex and love. Sometimes they go hand in hand. And sometimes they exist all on their own. Just like in life, you can have really great sex without love. (But the romantic in me says that sex is always better when love is there.) And you can have love without sex. As a reader who appreciates both genres, I know you can get a great read in both. So here’s to lots of great books, love and sex. Maybe not always in that order but always all of the above.
Visit Gwyneth on the Web: www.gwynethbolton.com
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