Thursday, March 3, 2011

A difference between porn and erotica?



Is there a difference between porn and erotica?
As a writer of fiction and non-fiction, I’ve come to appreciate how writing an erotic romance should really delve in to the character’s emotions and their reactions to the other characters in the story.
Porn, as I see it, shows a sexual act taking place but it may not go deeper than that. And yet there are the men and women in pornography who could be stronger as performers if the full range of their emotions were allowed to be shown and displayed.
Oh, sorry if this doesn’t make sense. There should be “intensity” and “connection” between characters. This should happen in an erotic story – short story, novella, or novel- and it often does not happen.
I believe it could happen more frequently than it does in what is considered pornography: a display of emotion and vulnerability, a dance between characters and desire that’s real.
That’s what captures readers and viewers – capturing our real responses to the situations in which we find ourselves. When this occurs, I think the line between erotica and pornography blends and crosses. Think Erica Lust or Zalman King.
My first short story, Layover, is being released by Breathless Press March 11. I had an excellent editor on the project.
My next story, Riding Shotgun, is in editing with Breathless and I’ll keep you posted on the release.
Both stories are quite different. Both stories have elements of BDSM and D/s and while the situations are different, there’s a certain quality in Riding Shotgun that sets it apart from Layover.
I’m working on an erotic romance novel and novella and will continue to create characters with the real emotions and real questions. Maybe the labels really don’t matter. What’s more important is if the readers appreciate and grasp the characters.

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