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  1. ∊η∊ηra

    ∊η∊ηra Smoke and Mirrors

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    Question Does ANY sexual content constitute "erotica"?

    Discussion in 'Support & Feedback' started by ∊η∊ηra, Feb 12, 2018.

    What is the general threshold for work submitted to the Workshop to be filed under "erotica"? Some of my writing contains sex scenes, but they're clearly in the PG-13/softcore realm. Nothing explicit, but definitely a bit...racy. I wanted a definitive guideline so that I didn't end up posting potentially "NSFW" content in an inappropriate subcategory.

    And also, so I don't have to make an unnecessary separate thread, would writing that has such softcore descriptions of sex between two high school students violate any rules? I know that the age of consent is different in every state in the US, and every country abroad, but the rules said "no depictions of sex acts involving children", so I didn't want to interpret the rules incorrectly.
     
  2. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    There's no way for me to give any sort of "definitive guideline" without actually reading the work in question. If it belongs in Erotica and isn't originally placed there, we just move it there. That's not a warning-worthy mistake to make. If it violates the rules of even the Erotica section, we will delete it. With that said, please know that I was the one who championed for allowing this kind of content (any sex used to be totally prohibited in earlier iterations of our forum), so I tend to look at the work in question with an eye toward legalities, not prudishness. All my work contains sex, if that tells you anything. ;)

    As regards kids in writing with sex... Do you need to tell us the people are of questionable age? I mean think about it; does your work contain some part wherein there's dialogue or narrative that tells me, explicitly, that Person A is of legal age and Person B is not? You may know the ages of these people, but in order for us to consider your writing - as writing, because that's what we're here for - is it somehow utterly crucial that we know someone is 12 years old? If the answer to that is yes, the work completely falls apart and loses cohesiveness if I don't specifically tell you this fact, then find a different forum to post it in. I want us to be able to have work that contains sex up for valid consideration, like any other writing, but I don't want the forum to get shut down for legal reasons. Just think about it that way.
     
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  3. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    another way of looking at it isthat the highest age of consent in the USA is 18 , so no one under 18 might be a good guideline (the highest in the world is Bahrain at 21 and then south korea at 20 - pretty much every where else is 18 or lower)
     
  4. ∊η∊ηra

    ∊η∊ηra Smoke and Mirrors

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    Thank you both for your prompt replies, I now consider myself informed.

    And for the record, the chapter in question is a flashback centering around the first time two now-adult characters met as teenagers. There is a line of dialogue when they first speak to each other where it is mentioned that the narrator is a sophomore and the female character is a junior. The line can be altered to make them both 18 years old, but I wanted to keep it historically accurate, if possible.

    I'm just glad that you guys seem to take a common sense approach toward the whole thing.
     
  5. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    We try our best. ;)
    And this would be a common sense approach. It would keep me from having to put on my Mod Hat and engage as staff, rather than just reading the work and giving you feedback, and it would also keep your thread from derailing into a heated discussion concerning age of consent, etc., which would seem not to be the focus, but you know the world we live in... I can start a thread about Hello Kitty in the lounge and two pages later it's about Trump and North Korea. .... le sigh. So, yeah. :)
     
  6. Kael Lugberg

    Kael Lugberg New Member

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    Hi.I write books with involved plots and great endings ,but also , my stories contain sex , which is what adults tend to get up to - sex. Would this mean my stories fall into the genre - erotica??
     
  7. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    Is the sex graphically described ? If so possibly, if not no.

    I say possibly because my stories tend to have two or three hot sex scenes but they are thrillers not erotica. To qualify as erotica in my opinion the focus is pretty much on the sex, but there's still a plot etc . If the plot is a flimsy excuse for as much sex as possible its porn
     
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  8. Laurin Kelly

    Laurin Kelly Contributor Contributor

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    I write romance with a fair amount of graphic sex, but I wouldn't categorize them as erotica or erotic romance. According to the Romance Writers of America. Erotic Romance are romance novels in which strong, often explicit, sexual interaction is an inherent part of the love story, character growth and relationship development and could not be removed without damaging the storyline.

    I think the bolded part is what's important; anything I write could absolutely stand on its own with vague or fade-to-black sex scenes. Like @big soft moose says above, if you take out all the sex and there's not much left in the way of plot, setting or characterization, you're likely reading or writing erotica.
     
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  9. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    I know the definition of Erotica, for me at least, is fairly rigid. Erotica is a piece written specifically to arouse the reader. Arousal is the purpose of the piece.

    Erotica is like Porn, but with a more acceptable/intellectual/fanciful/playful edge, and is much MUCH better-written, with more interesting characters and a more varied and literary approach to writing about the sex. Generating sexual arousal in the reader is still the purpose of the piece, however. Nothing wrong with that, by the way. In fact, I like reading Erotica. But I think I can tell the difference between a piece of well-written Erotica and well-written sex scenes that add a dimension to other stories.

    Written sex—even graphic sex—doesn't constitute Erotica for me. If the sex is realistically portrayed and is necessary (like any other aspect of portrayal) to gain reader understanding of particular characters and their condition, for the purpose of advancing the plot and theme, then it's not Erotica. In other words, it's not Erotica if you could remove the sex scenes and the story would more or less still move along, only with a curtain drawn over one important aspect of it.

    Take the sex out of a piece of Erotica, however, and you really don't have a story at all.

    I think too many people are starting to call anything with sexual content Erotica. This badly muddies the definition, in my opinion. It's like labeling any story where characters don't know something a Mystery. Or a story that's exciting to read a Thriller. Or a story that contains two characters who fall in love a Romance. Or any story where people run around a lot an Action-Hyphen-Something. Of course lines are blurred at times, but still. It's a good idea not to run off into the night, screaming EROTICA EROTICA every time a story contains a graphic sex scene. A sex scene can certainly be 'erotic' if it's well written, but any puzzle can be 'mysterious' or any edge-of-the-chair situation can be 'thrilling.'

    If 'Erotica' simply becomes a synonym for 'sex scene' and is used to describe any book that contains one, then it's kind of lost its purpose as a word and a category of fiction.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2018
  10. Some Guy

    Some Guy Manguage Langler Supporter Contributor

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    I need a genre called Erotic-Drama. The story is about being afraid of sex, and getting into visceral splattery nightmare scenarios, then developing sensual intimacy in the face of fear, but yeah, it's high school sex, with the guy as the victim...
     
  11. Alan Aspie

    Alan Aspie Banned Contributor

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    Maybe you could say that porn has aesthetics that is typical for it. Erotica has different kind of aesthetics.

    They do overlap, but there is still difference.
     
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  12. Alan Aspie

    Alan Aspie Banned Contributor

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    Words "genre called Erotic-Drama" made me think burlesque.

     

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