I think this is one of the most reoccurring discussions in the romance world. To me as a writer it’s crystal clear because there’s a huge difference in structure and well, Romance is a genre and every genre has rules that must be followed. Since I’ve weighed in so much on the subject already, I’m going to be lazy and repost.

Too often I think what makes a romance a romance gets overlooked in discussions on whether erotic romance is romance, erotica or porn. As in real life, the speculating on what the H&H could be doing, might be doing or shouldn’t be doing seems to have a high distractability for the participants drawing them away from the bottom line: The level of heat in a novel has absolutely nothing to do with the romance of a novel. They are two different components of story structure. A well done erotic romance can steal a reader’s breath the same way a sensual romance can because those breathless moments don’t come from the love scenes. They come from the characters and how they interact. And more importantly, from the author’s skill in handling that interaction.

Obviously, reader preference as to what heat level they prefer to have their breath stolen will vary, but there is no direct correlation between heat level of a novel and a novel’s breath stealing potential. That all takes place within that perfect dark moment when characterization, conflict and plot collide hopefully with enough emotional impact that the aftershocks linger in the readers minds long after they close the covers of the books.

In my opinion, erotic romance and erotica can be separated by content/structure. To me, as a writer, there’s a huge difference between erotic romance (which adheres to the rules of the romance genre) and erotica. This is not to say there can’t be a woman’s fiction book with erotica elements, or erotica with women fiction elements (blending genres is very common) but I’m just discussing the difference between straight erotica and erotic romance and not defining beyond those boundaries.

Erotic Romance- the book is 100 percent romance with all the elements, plot, pacing, conflict, characterization, dark moment, and the Happily ever after ending. The only difference is the loves scenes are more descriptive. Erotic romance still must conform to the genre rules of romance. Within the previous categories you will have the growth of each character, the growth of the relationship, revelation of the deeper conflicts, the expansion of the plot, and the steady pacing all building to the Dark moment which resolves into the Happily ever after. In an erotic romance, you could remove every love making scene and still have a kick butt story as the love scenes enhance the story
but are not the story. (the acid test)

Erotica- The love scenes are the story and convey whatever it is the author wants to say. There can be romantic elements within the story, but if you pulled out the love scenes, there would not be enough leftover material to make up a story. In Erotica, everything in the book is there to support the love scenes which are the thrust of the story. Characterization, plot development, etc are all minimal as they are restricted to boundaries of the message the author wants to get across. Everything that is not a love scene has been written to give the sex scene a reason to be, so if you take them out there will be very little left of the book, and that little bit would clearly be sitting there saying, “Bring my love scenes back so I have a reason to
be.” Does that makes sense? It can be well written and emotive, but it’s not genre romance. There does not have to be a happily ever after ending. The hero and heroine do not have to be heroic. The story arc does not follow the genre rules of romance.

Porn- Rarely any attempt at an emotional component. Pretty much slot A tab B sex without any embellishments beyond the imagination put into positions and situations.

Now what do I not understand? What is the difference in romance between urban fantasy. fantasy and paranormal subgenres.

Sarah