I’m reading Stephen King’s memoir On Writing and what stands out so far is the line above – It’s all about the language. That little gem of wisdom got me thinking about how language can make or break a story, it can turn a ‘slice of life vignette’ into a richly drawn novel on the human condition [not my cup of tea, mind you, but it can be done.] Language can also turn an inspired plot into something insipid.
A book I read recently proved that point. I won’t mention names here because over all the story was wonderful, the plot was compelling, the characters ranging from tolerable to lovable, but the language tarnished what, in my opinion, would have otherwise been a true keeper.
Erotica and erotic romance are tough genres to write. I’m finding that out. Since I wrote Hunter’s Moon, basically on a dare or a whim – or maybe a whare – I’ve discovered that how a writer uses language can make a sexy story embarrassingly, eye-rollingly explicit, or can turn a very simple scene into something that sizzles.
There are numerous debates about what language is appropriate to use in erotica and erotica romance, where the line should be drawn between one and the other and between erotica, e-rom and ‘porn.’ [The porn debate is something I’ll tackle another time.]
I’d just like to weigh in and say that I feel it’s not what you say but HOW you say it that makes or breaks a story. Over the top, sexually charged language, doesn’t make a story erotic. I’m not talking about the old standbys like ‘thrusting’ and ‘rock hard,’ ‘taut,’ ‘pert’ or even ‘heaving .’ I’m talking about the stuff you get off the bathroom wall at Arby’s. [No offense to Arby’s by the way.] I also mean, to a lesser extent, the old standbys like ‘turgid’, ‘throbbing’ and ‘juices.’
Base language doesn’t equal erotic. That’s my opinion. I write my stories with that in mind. That’s not to say there isn’t a huge market for turgid throbbing juices, but my feeling is, if I stop mid-sentence while reading to roll my eyes and say, “Pul-ease!” the author has lost me. How do we draw the line between sexy and 'give me a break?' I'm not sure, but I know it when I see it. I just hope I can recognize it in my own writing.
2 comments:
Interesting that we ended up reading the same book without planning it. I remember that section of the book. So far the most memorible is when he said his son was taking saxaphone lessons and quit after a few months because he only did what he had to do to pass, but if you're doing something that you love you over do it. I get that way, where I can't stop. Other times I'm in think mode though. LOL. Not really writer's block, but not meeting my own goals. So what he said made me think. I basically agree, yet at the same time I think writer's don't have to be sitting behind a computer to be writing. It's late, I'm not trying to be profound! :)
I agree with you, Laine. The emotion of the scene makes it sexy for me, though aparently there's a big audience for explicit descriptions. I think writers like us who want to use some restraint do have a place, even though it seems discouraging sometimes.
Annalee, you're reading faster than me! They key is to not forget that we ARE doing something we love and not get caught up in just trying to produce whatever sells best.
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