Porn vs. Eroticar_grayjoyJanuary 22 2008, 18:34:18 UTC
...but I never seem able to get a clear explanation as to what makes my work porn and someone else's erotica.
I might have a thought on that. Now, I'm not thinking of any work of yours in particular when I say this. This is just a generalization, and might or might not be a useful suggestion for you. Take it with a grain of salt.
In general, I think the difference is how much the writer is getting into the characters' headspaces. We think of "porn" as a work that focuses solely on the physical aspects of the sex act, and "erotica" as something that focuses more on the mental/psychological/emotional ones. That doesn't necessarily imply romance; a lot of us find a good old-fashioned grudgefuck or a bit of dub-con hot, too. ;)
A good rule of thumb that I've seen is that you should write at least as much description of what's going on in your character's head and what he or she is experiencing as description of the physical actions taking place. If you're writing primarily the actions, your piece is going to sound like a letter to Penthouse at best, a laundry list at worst.
I'd suggest taking a loook at other writers' stuff that you enjoy, and considering why it is you enjoy it, and what about it makes it appealing to you. Then ask yourself if you're doing those things with your own writing. It may sound absurd, but I honestly cannot begin to tell you how much my own writing has been improved by the simple process of reading other people's writing and thinking about what did and didn't work for me. I'm not suggesting that you mimic anyone else's style, of course, but there are some fairly universal elements to "good" writing.
I might have a thought on that. Now, I'm not thinking of any work of yours in particular when I say this. This is just a generalization, and might or might not be a useful suggestion for you. Take it with a grain of salt.
In general, I think the difference is how much the writer is getting into the characters' headspaces. We think of "porn" as a work that focuses solely on the physical aspects of the sex act, and "erotica" as something that focuses more on the mental/psychological/emotional ones. That doesn't necessarily imply romance; a lot of us find a good old-fashioned grudgefuck or a bit of dub-con hot, too. ;)
A good rule of thumb that I've seen is that you should write at least as much description of what's going on in your character's head and what he or she is experiencing as description of the physical actions taking place. If you're writing primarily the actions, your piece is going to sound like a letter to Penthouse at best, a laundry list at worst.
I'd suggest taking a loook at other writers' stuff that you enjoy, and considering why it is you enjoy it, and what about it makes it appealing to you. Then ask yourself if you're doing those things with your own writing. It may sound absurd, but I honestly cannot begin to tell you how much my own writing has been improved by the simple process of reading other people's writing and thinking about what did and didn't work for me. I'm not suggesting that you mimic anyone else's style, of course, but there are some fairly universal elements to "good" writing.
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