On Finding the Comfort Zone of Erotica by C.C.Cole June 6, 2011

Like I've stated in prior articles, I've been reading Bestseller mainstream books since my pre-teen years. My educator-family favored reading period, as long as it didn't go too far off the edge. Therefore, I read a lot that I really didn't understand until many years later. I found new words that I had to find out they were "bad words" the hard way. Because this is a sensitive subject to the parents out there, let me declare I'm using the term "erotic" meaning between adults in the novel read by adult readers.

So what is the "edge" of erotic scenes in novels? Is it an adult intimate scene between two people, three, or ten people? Do the acts express what we see in R-rated films or what is imagined in Penthouse Forum? What is the purpose of vivid sexual scenes in novels, which is almost a cornerstone for most adult fiction books for the past many years?

I don't get offended by much of what I read regarding sexual content. I read it, see it for what it is, and move on. While I don't gravitate to books centered around an erotic theme, I don't see the need as an adult to drop the book into flames and run down the street screaming. To me, adding these scenes to stories brings out a significant part of relationships between adults. If people are in love/lust it's understandable to have the physical part described. Some say adult scenes in adult novels make the story more realistic, so if emotions/relationships break down, the reader absorbs more by knowing the physical aspect of the relationship.

So what of us new authors and writing erotic scenes? I describe myself as reading like an adult and writing like a young adolescent. In the Gastar series, the closest I get to an erotic scene is the kidnapping of girls for the antagonist Zermon's evil plans, and an attempted "ravishing" of Shevata by Behemeth, Zermon's half-demon-half human son (for those who have not read my novellas, let's just say he chose his victim poorly).

So am I just a prude stuffed-shirt because I don't write heavy physical adult scenes? Perhaps. But every writer has his or her comfort zone in writing the material. For me, it's easier to read it than to write it. For others, some writers try it and find they have a talent in writing adult content and have big careers. Does writing this material reflect on the character in the writer? No. The same could be said for the bladed violence in my stories, writing violent material doesn't mean that I'm stalking the alleys for bad guys to slam a dagger into.

So, new authors, again, go forth and write in your comfort zone. Erotic? If it works with the story, it's up to you. Only the author can create the story, and only the audience can give feedback to the relevance of the content.