Note: This post uses adult language. If you are under the age of eighteen years old or are sensitive to erotic language, please do not read this post.
How many sex scenes should an erotic romance have?
Newer writers ask me this question all the time. “My story is 25,000 words (100 pages) and has 3 sex scenes. Is it an erotic romance?”
Ummm… maybe?
Determining whether or not a story is an erotic romance isn’t as easy as counting the sex scenes. I’ve read some over-the-top sexy erotic romances with NO sex scenes in them. The hero doesn’t even undo his pants. I’ve read some stories with 20 sex scenes that weren’t erotic at all. They were as steamy as the sex entry in Wikipedia.
IMHO (and other writers/readers/reviewers have different opinions), writing erotic is all about tone, word choice, and character arc.
Tone
A great erotic writer can take a simple glance across the room and make it the steamiest, hottest encounter a reader could wish for. Many newer writers think the action makes the scene erotic. Nope. It isn’t the reaction of the other character either. Though both of these components are necessary. It is the emotional reaction that turns a scene from okay to erotic (the always fabulous Christine d’Abo taught me this early in my career – hugs Christine). The character has to feel for readers to feel.
A random example would be
“Nate glances upward, our gazes lock and hold, and I forget to breathe, to think, to move.”
There’s action – Nate glances upward
There’s reaction – Our gazes lock and hold
And there’s emotional reaction – I forget to breathe, to think, to move
Without the last part, the scene is flat, non-erotic.
Erotic romances have this highly sensual tone throughout most of the story. The writing is very touchy feely with the emphasis on feely.
Word Choice
Highly sensual tone in romance has existed for years. What divided erotic romance from other romances is word choice. We call body parts by their street names. There are no purple helmeted warriors. Our heroes have cocks. There are no blossoming flowers. Our heroines have pussies. Our characters don’t have sex. They fuck. The bedroom door is wide open and the words used there are uncensored.
Character Arc
You have a scene using everyday words with a highly sensual tone. What else do you need?
Need is the key word. The scene should be needed.
Characters in erotic romances must grow and change through their sexual experiences. If a writer can remove a sex scene and the characters don’t change, the sex scene shouldn’t be there. Adding sex scenes to increase word count or for titillation irritates readers and gives erotic romance a bad name. Erotic romance isn’t about the sex. It is about great storytelling.
What makes a story erotic to you?
Henley, the head of cyber security at Blaine Technologies, is a man no one crosses. He watches employees constantly using his network of cameras and enforces his rules by any means possible. Rumors of his violent past, his scarred hands and huge size have resulted in him being feared by everyone… almost everyone.
Katalina, the new intern, worries about the revelation of her most painful secret much more than she fears her sexy boss’s wrath. She sees the loneliness in his dark eyes, feels the gentleness in his marred fingers, tastes the need in his kisses, and she knows he watches her. His silly rules about not stripping for the cameras and no sex at the office are destined to be broken.
Kat likes to be watched. Henley can’t look away. Will this beauty be able to tame her beastly boss?
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-Me-Novella-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00F2I2GXO
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-flashesofme-1411711-149.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flashes-of-me-cynthia-sax/1117322925
As many as is fitting in the course of the story. I think a writer should know when and how much the story calls for…..lolol…maybe a thousand if it’s deemed necessary.
And should use the tone and words that the story calls for also.