Monday, October 24, 2011

Too much sex?

No such thing - says my husband. Ha ha.
But when I'm writing, the balance of how much sex should be in the book is a tricky one. I write erotic romances, I can't NOT have lots of sex in my stories but there is nothing I dislike more than gratuitous sex. Well, there are things I dislike more - like Brussels sprouts for example, but you know what I mean.
I've realised too that my plots aren't very sensual. My stories are about how XX meets XY and maybe another XY gets involved but the plot is less about their sexual exploits and more about the external forces that want to drive them apart. So when someone tells me - my story worked without the sex, I'm really happy.
I'm not a great reader of erotic romance - is that a surprise? Though I've noticed more and more of the so-called straight romances have sexual scenes that are just as highly charged and detailed as those in my books - there are just less of them. And - hides head when I admit this - I skip those sexy sections.
Maybe I'm suffering from a surfeit of sex.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! shouts husband.

2 comments:

karla said...

I find that you deliver the right balance of sex and plot in your books. The sex is never smutty, by that I mean, mindless. I don't know if that makes sense. It's always tasteful, sensual, sometimes healing and always HOT! Just keep doing what you're doing.

Arlene said...

ditto to what kparks said.