----- Original Message -----
A quick question about romance...
I'm writing an adult story about a succubus who yearns to be with a
human and forms a loving attachment with him. The story was meant to
originally be kind of short and sweet, but has evolved into something
much longer. I'm now debating on breaking it up in two books, where the
first book ends before they formally get together. But I wanted some
advice from romance readers. Are you ok with the ultimate payoff
(the two characters getting together) taking a while to reach? Or do you
need that payoff before the end of the first arc of the story?
First:
-- Do you want this story to be ADULT?
or
-- Do you want this story to be ROMANCE?
Do you want to Write
Adult or Romance?
There IS a difference.
In fact, there's a huge difference. Romance and Adult are two completely different Genres. Each focuses on, and details, different things. They also have different Plot patterns.
Additionally, Adult fiction is split again into two different sub-genres. Erotica and Adult Adventure fiction, AKA: Erotic Romance.
Romance
While Romances can have Adult scenes, the Focus of the whole story is on Feelings and Emotions and DRAMA,
so those are what need the highest detailing in the story. Dramatic
secrets, angst, pining, misunderstandings, and Sexual Tension all need
to be lovingly Detailed for pages and pages.
Adult scenes in these stories can easily be cut down to mere kissing scenes, and still satisfy your Romance reading audience.
The Plot only needs to frame the two main leads, and give them
the occasional reason to Do things, like; show off for each other and
possibly the occasional rescue, or escape.
The Love Confession generally happens in the second to last
chapter, with the very last chapter being reserved for a wedding, a love
scene, or some other show of happiness and affection. The End.
Adult
Adult stories focus on Action. Sex Action specifically, so Describing everything is Paramount.
The flowing silks, the sweeping vistas, the glittering palaces, the
sweat dripping down her thigh... These scenes should appear in the
Readers' minds as clearly as a Motion Picture -- especially if you are
writing for a Female reading audience.
Erotica
Erotica is short and simple. The whole story focuses on the getting Sex, having Sex, then maybe a paragraph or two on what happened after Sex. The ending could even be as simple as: They fell asleep.
The Adult action scenes are loving detailed in cinematic style: what the characters look like, what they feel like, what they smell like, what they taste like, what they sound like. Everything else is Unimportant -- including names. Locations are merely stages for the characters to have sex.
Basic Erotica Plot:
They saw.
They conquered.
They came.
-- The End.
Adult Adventure AKA: Erotic Romance
If you're writing Adult Adventure fiction, the focus is on Action, but that Action is split
between the Adventure and the Adult. The very least being 60% Adventure
to 40% Adult.
And those Adult scenes need to be HOT, like Erotica --
and just as thoroughly Described.
Adult Scenes in these stories are ideally used to show the Progression of Affection as
it grows between the two main leads. In other words, the closer the
couple gets, the hotter and possibly kinkier, the Adult Scenes should be.
The PLOT in Adult Adventure fiction needs to be fully functional. As in, a real Plot for an actually full blown, fully realized Story.
Unlike a Romance, where the Plot is merely decoration and window-dressing to frame the two main leads, in Adult Adventure fiction, the PLOT is just as important as the Characters, and the Sex.
In fact...
The PLOT should be what compels the main leads to have Sex -- regularly.
Example:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A succubus and a scholarly mage are trapped in a closet.
The succubus has a crush on the mage, so she's been skipping meals
because no one else compares. However, she's gotten very hungry. The
mage rubbing up against her smells delicious.
The mage has a crush on the succubus. She's so pretty and has been very
attentive as his secretary with no hint of her...appetites. The
succubus rubbing up against him smells of sugar coated strawberries --
and sex. He's getting hard fast, and isn't sure what to do about it.
Also, his magic has been running a little low from all his work on a new
spell. He could really use some...input from a willing magical source.
The busty succubus blinked at the handsome mage holding her in his arms. "Um, Mr. Mage, why are we in the closet?"
The mage sighed and closed his eyes. "I
am so sorry, Ms. Succubus, but if I go out there, that Dark Scholar
will try to drag me off to their Tower. They want my latest spell, you
see." He lifted his chin and gazed into her eyes. "If I left you out there, they'd probably kidnap
you as a hostage and likely do...bad things to you." He took a deep breath. "And...I just can't let that happen to you."
Ms. Succubus gasped and tightened her arms around his shoulders. "I mean that much to you?"
"You're--" He swallowed hard.
"Your my secretary. Of course, I...care what happens to you."
He winced. "And...I'm a little low on magic at the moment. I haven't had
time to...recharge."
The succubus's stomach took that moment to grumble.
Cue: Sincere affectionate dialogue that leads to the succubus confessing her hunger, and the mage volunteering to assist her.
The main problem I see, is that
one of your main characters is a Succubus.
This implies to the Readers that the story is going to be Adult, because succubi appear almost exclusively in Adult stories.
If you decide that Adult is Not the way you want to go, then you may need to change the Succubus into something Less sexually-oriented.
Also...
Watch how you Label your story.
If you Label your story Adult, the Readers will Expect Sex.
Romance
often has Love Scenes, so that label is safe to use. Just make sure
you've got a heart-pounding angst-driven Drama for the Romance readers
because that is what they are looking for.
☕
