• Home
  • About
  • Author Sites
  • Contest Disclaimer

Vamps and Scamps

Vamps, Cowboys, Books…The Good Stuff in Life

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Spring has sprung…
Morning »

Where’s the line?

May 6, 2008 by shilohwalker

Over at Dear Author, there’s a big discussion going on about stuff happening at RT. Nah, I’m not going to go into it-that topic has been done, done and redone. I have nothing new to add to it and since I can’t offer some brilliant new solution to make all peoples everywhere happy, I’ll save my brilliance for more things. 😉 Like talking. I’m very good at that when I want to be.

But there were a few comments made along the lines that people wanted erotic romance to be embraced so they shouldn’t be surprised if tacky and tawdry make an appearance.

Pretty much, I disagree with that idea. Am I offended? Nah. These comments came from people who are entitled to their opinions just as we all are.

I don’t think I write porn-somebody else may, and that’s their opinion. At one time, did I care more if somebody assumed what I wrote was porn without bothering to read it? Yeah. Do I now? Not so much.

Here’s why.

It’s a matter of personal opinion. Personal taste. Personal likes and dislikes. I’ve read mainstream books with sex so pathetically gratuitous, I couldn’t believe it was considered romantic by anybody’s standards. On the flip side, I’ve read erotic romances so hauntingly beautiful, it’s a frickin’ shame more people don’t give the genre a fair try-because trust me, the books they are missing out? For a romance lover, they are books not to be missed.

People referred to making the ‘lines between erotic romance and romance’ more defined.

Me, I have to wonder if it’s possible to make a hard, clear, defined line. Because it breaks down to personal opinion.

Erotic romance is going to have more explicit, blunt language and the sex isn’t ‘hidden’ behind a closed door.

Romance may or may not have sex scenes that may or may not be hidden behind closed doors.

The kicker, though, each of them have a romantic relationship that is supposed to take front and center-that romance is supposed to be the driving force. Erotic romance and romance, the intimate scenes should advance the plot.

They shouldn’t just be there to titillate.

I imagine we’ve all read books where the sex is just thrown in, almost as filler or because it seemed the sex needed to happen by page XXX or there needed to be soooooo many sexual situations in a book with this particular word count.

The shocking, blunt language that bothers so many doesn’t bother others-some consider it too graphic, too crude-but words have as much or little power as a person lets them have.

An example, back in the 1700s (I think-not entirely sure of my period references) the word f*ck wasn’t really considered a vulgar word, just one used to describe two people having sex.

Although, since I can’t be easy, that yucky C word does bother me and it bothers me enough that if I see it, I may just stop reading the book. Hate that word.

Others, don’t care. Others that write or read erotic romance don’t care. Others that don’t write or read erotic romance probably don’t care.

It’s a ll a matter of taste. All opinion.

Trying to put a clear and focused definition on something that can very so widely from one person to another just isn’t going to work. There are some people who’d be absolutely shocked at the level of heat found in any given romance-those who’d prefer nothing more than a peck on the cheek. That being the case, would we then need another clear cut line…well other than the genre lines themselves, inspirational versus non-inspirational, etc.

Trying to take erotic romance out of the romance genre just isn’t going to happen. It came in riding on one huge wave. Maybe the wave has leveled out, maybe not, but one thing I think *is* certain is that erotic romance isn’t going to disappear. Like any trend, it will be on top for a while, then gradually level off. But disappear altogether? I don’t see it happening.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in Shiloh | Tagged erotic romance, opinions, Romance | 8 Comments

8 Responses

  1. on May 7, 2008 at 6:02 pm azteclady

    Personally, I would hate if erotic romance was considered a separate entity as much as I hate the idea of equating romance and erotic romance with porn, and just as much as I hate the idea of anyone setting boundaries for what kind of loving relationship consenting adults of any stripe, sex, color, size, religion, or height can have.


  2. on May 7, 2008 at 8:47 pm Lisa Freeman

    That brings up the question of how the book sellers know where to shelve the books. Sometimes I’ll find an author in the romance section, sometimes in the erotic section, and even sometimes in the general fiction setting.


  3. on May 8, 2008 at 12:09 am Today’s uber thought-provoking post is over at V&S « Trivial Pursuits

    […] uber thought-provoking post is over at V&S Posted on May 8, 2008 by shilohwalker Found […]


  4. on May 8, 2008 at 12:48 am Ann M.

    Interesting topic. I flirt with reading erotic romance. Not all of it is my cup of tea. But I never say never since I never thought I’d become a reader of paranormal and moving into the Urban Fantasy realm with no HEA at the end.

    I do not think erotic romance is porn.. porn is porn. You are right … there is a reason for the sexual scenes in the story. It isn’t gratuitous.

    Interesting post.


  5. on May 8, 2008 at 1:44 pm KCfla

    I agree with the notion that ER is NOT porn. But as you say, each person’s *comfort levels* will be different. And what I choose to read is indeed much different than what I would like to be subjected to in real life. ( with the possible exception of my own bedroom with my DH!)

    For me, it’s kind-of like Steven King’s stuff. Oh, I love to read his books, but I CAN NOT watch the movies. I can turn down/adjust the *gore/creepy/scary* aspects in my mind while reading, but on the screen- not a chance! In a way it’s like that with ER. I can read it with no problems. But to see it “acted out” in front of me? In a crowd? In PUBLIC?
    Nothankyouverymuch!

    Oh, and the historian in me must back you on the F*ck reference. It was actually Queen Victoria that thought the word was “crass” and proclaimed it “evil/vile/derogatory”. Up until her reign, it was a perfectly acceptable term for teh sex.


  6. on May 8, 2008 at 5:34 pm shilohwalker

    Oh, and the historian in me must back you on the F*ck reference. It was actually Queen Victoria that thought the word was “crass” and proclaimed it “evil/vile/derogatory”. Up until her reign, it was a perfectly acceptable term for teh sex.

    *G* See what happens when you research for writing a historical romance? 😉 I learned that while reading up on the Rev. War period for Hunter’s Mercy.


  7. on May 8, 2008 at 10:36 pm JaimeK

    Shiloh: you may have listed them before, but for someone (not myself), who looks at erotic romance askance do you have a list of really super good favorites that you would recommend?


  8. on May 9, 2008 at 12:35 pm Marissa

    I have to agree with you on this. It is personal taste and personal opinion. I don’t think you write porn either. My definition of porn varies greatly from others’ definitions, so on this topic, I’ve kept my opinions to myself. 🙂



Comments are closed.

  • Vamps and Scamps Blog

    Discussions on books, romance, vampires, cowboys... you know, the finer things in life.

    Visit often to find out about contests, author interviews and upcoming books.

    You can visit the group website here or check out our individual sites.

    Thanks for dropping by!

  • Pages

    • About
    • Author Sites
    • Contest Disclaimer
  • Recent Posts

    • Veil of Shadows
    • New releases & surprises…
    • The Missing… Random Snippets
    • Book Run…
    • No Longer Mine… Reissue… (contest coming up)
  • Recent Comments

    Shiloh Walker on Top Ten Scary Places in A…
    N. Logsdon on Top Ten Scary Places in A…
    Heather Hann on What books would you go to jai…
    Heather Hann on New releases & surprises…
    Heather Hann on Veil of Shadows
  • Top Posts

    • Veil of Shadows
    • New releases & surprises...
    • The Missing... Random Snippets
    • Book Run...
    • No Longer Mine... Reissue... (contest coming up)
    • this, that, some books, and some ramblings...
    • No Longer Mine...being reissued
    • Spring!
    • Author...writer...
    • Would you like to win a Nook...?
  • Categories

    • Author Interviews
    • Books
    • Booksignings and Event
    • Contests
    • Covers
    • Dianne
    • Excerpts
    • Guest Blogs
    • interviews
    • Karen
    • Lynn Viehl
    • Meljean Brook
    • New Release
    • PBW
    • Romance
    • Shiloh
    • This and That
    • Thoughts
    • Thursday Thirteen
    • Uncategorized
    • Winners
    • Writing
  • Archives

    • August 2010
    • July 2010
    • June 2010
    • May 2010
    • April 2010
    • March 2010
    • February 2010
    • January 2010
    • December 2009
    • November 2009
    • October 2009
    • September 2009
    • August 2009
    • July 2009
    • June 2009
    • May 2009
    • April 2009
    • March 2009
    • February 2009
    • January 2009
    • December 2008
    • November 2008
    • October 2008
    • September 2008
    • August 2008
    • July 2008
    • June 2008
    • May 2008
    • April 2008
    • March 2008
    • February 2008
    • January 2008
    • December 2007
    • November 2007
    • October 2007
    • September 2007
    • August 2007
    • July 2007
    • June 2007
    • May 2007
    • April 2007
    • March 2007
    • February 2007
    • January 2007
    • December 2006
    • November 2006
    • October 2006
    • September 2006
    • August 2006
    • July 2006
    • June 2006
    • May 2006
    • April 2006
    • March 2006
    • February 2006
    • January 2006
    • December 2005
    • November 2005
    • October 2005
    • September 2005
  • Blog Stats

    • 55,485 hits

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


  • Follow Following
    • Vamps and Scamps
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Vamps and Scamps
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
%d bloggers like this: