tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16743003.post1937935134294752558..comments2024-03-28T01:06:38.596-07:00Comments on Maya Reynolds: Is It Eroromance? (Part II)Maya Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12791278987339976101noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16743003.post-91315744165934900462007-02-28T16:53:00.000-08:002007-02-28T16:53:00.000-08:00Thanks for mentioning my post on covers, Maya. I'm...Thanks for mentioning my post on covers, Maya. I'm glad you liked it.<BR/><BR/><I>Writers are trained to remove any scene that does not further the plot. This stricture should apply to sex scenes, too.</I><BR/><BR/>I couldn't agree more. I have a feeling that one of the commentators on the thread at Romancing the Blog said that because sex is an important part of a romantic relationship, it must be shown. I'm not convinced. Eating and maintaining personal hygeine are important parts of life, but that doesn't mean they have to be shown in detail in every novel. In some novels, though, they may be crucial.<BR/><BR/>With regards to sex in romances, there are some couples, particularly in historicals, where it's quite plausible for the relationship to remain unconsummated until after marriage. Heyer and Austen manage fine without sex scenes. At the other end of the spectrum there are characters for whom sex is a very important way in which they communicate with their lover, in which case it has to be described or the story just won't work. In between, some stories may require more or less description, and may or may not need detailed sex scenes. Some stories may work fine with just an allusion to what's happened, others may need a lot more detail, but I do think it depends a lot on the plot and the characterisation. It's not such a great thing if, as Pat Rice suggests <A HREF="http://wordwenches.typepad.com/word_wenches/2007/02/sex_in_publishi.html" REL="nofollow">in a recent blog post</A> some authors are putting in sex scenes primarily because they know that more sex sells more books. At least, <I>I</I> don't think it's such a good thing. But presumably if it sells, then quite a lot of readers must prefer it. Or maybe there are some readers who will happily read any sex scene, even if it's a 'generic, cookie-cutter sex scene' while others just skip the sex scenes that don't engage their interest.Laura Vivancohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00906661869372622821noreply@blogger.com