tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post6869965845881269569..comments2023-05-30T08:29:42.770-04:00Comments on The Erotica Readers & Writers Association Blog: Measuring EroticismCroco Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417265522875605547noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-68678862082511390092014-08-26T15:15:03.616-04:002014-08-26T15:15:03.616-04:00This describes my experience as well. Which I thin...This describes my experience as well. Which I think supports Lisabet's excellent argument about the dangers of slapping labels of both "quality" and "quantity" on a story.<br />No better way to take all the magic out of it.Donnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13615190390845433428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-15238190347032683082014-08-25T13:30:26.007-04:002014-08-25T13:30:26.007-04:00I did enter a comment, but apparently it was not p...I did enter a comment, but apparently it was not posted. :-(The Moosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15546047410391741181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-76758271786433849652014-08-25T02:02:37.696-04:002014-08-25T02:02:37.696-04:00Exactly, Fiona! The characters, the theme, the poi...Exactly, Fiona! The characters, the theme, the point - that is what determines how much, or how little, sex a story needs.Lisabet Saraihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05162514190572269660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-89096050506731277992014-08-25T02:01:04.675-04:002014-08-25T02:01:04.675-04:00Well, you're not really in the romance genre ;...Well, you're not really in the romance genre ;^)<br /><br />Things are still a bit better in erotica, I believe.Lisabet Saraihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05162514190572269660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-13831853562060407822014-08-23T20:25:57.096-04:002014-08-23T20:25:57.096-04:00I write each story the way the characters want it ...I write each story the way the characters want it told. For most there are only a few sex scenes, some hotter than others. For my most recent book, since the heroine is a biker queen who regularly has sex with all the men in her gang, the hero had to use a whole lotta hot sex to convince her that, as the title goes, "Only One Man Will Do", and it had to be him. None of my friends have complained, but my husband, of all people, said he couldn't get past the 3rd chapter because of all the sex scenes! EX-CUUSE me! Everyone's a critic!<br /><br />And I agree that sexy differs from reader to reader, and from story to story. The ratings systems are ridiculous!Fiona McGierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13495707848048468428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-8240096110233418012014-08-22T13:02:13.281-04:002014-08-22T13:02:13.281-04:00"I've flipped pages, half-bored, through ..."I've flipped pages, half-bored, through multiple-partner anal sex scenes but been utterly riveted by a single kiss."<br /><br />YES! THIS!Remittance Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07902713020074243375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-77768376355873617112014-08-22T13:01:37.707-04:002014-08-22T13:01:37.707-04:00What a great post, Lisabet. I have to say, I find ...What a great post, Lisabet. I have to say, I find this so depressing it makes me want to cry. One of what I consider to be my very best stories has no sex in it at all, just the very tense run-up to it. <br /><br />I'm unutterably sad. I don't think I want to be in this genre anymore. Remittance Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07902713020074243375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-81123190757229756552014-08-22T09:04:09.395-04:002014-08-22T09:04:09.395-04:00Exactly, Annabeth. It's pretty impossible to c...Exactly, Annabeth. It's pretty impossible to capture the essence of eroticism in any sort of objective metric. Lisabet Saraihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05162514190572269660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-59088804559771526962014-08-22T09:03:19.713-04:002014-08-22T09:03:19.713-04:00From what I've observed, romance readers tend ...From what I've observed, romance readers tend to be a bit timid. They want to be sure they won't be offended or upset by the book's content. <br /><br />Don't get me started about the "warnings" publishers add. My new book? <br /><br />"Reader Advisory: This book contains female dominance and submission, anal sex, public sex, ethnic slurs, threats of violence and a scene of attempted rape."<br /><br />The ethnic slurs? My villain calls the heroine a "chink". Yes, there is an attempted rape, but by the villain. And heaven help us if we run into unexpected anal sex!<br /><br />To be fair, I don't know if readers pay any attention to these warnings. I was disappointed that they removed my addition, "chopsticks used as instruments of torture"....Lisabet Saraihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05162514190572269660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-51790523193360739852014-08-21T18:31:00.177-04:002014-08-21T18:31:00.177-04:00As both of you have said, I see the need for some ...As both of you have said, I see the need for some type of labeling. However, I've flipped pages, half-bored, through multiple-partner anal sex scenes but been utterly riveted by a single kiss. There's a lot to how something's written that's hard to convey in a rating system. Annabeth Leonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07455191827664110878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-56771661529824791972014-08-21T18:26:04.887-04:002014-08-21T18:26:04.887-04:00Well-expressed, Lisabet! I've often had vaguel...Well-expressed, Lisabet! I've often had vaguely similar thoughts about publishers' "heat ratings," but I've never expressed my concerns this clearly. I can understand why publishers want to put labels on their "product" as a way of attracting the right target audience(s), but the best books tend to transcend labels.Jean Robertahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08805088081675965859noreply@blogger.com