So, I'm new to this NaNoWriMo thing, and I'm just wondering: does "Mainstream Fiction" apply to the sort of 'realistic' writing, i.e. a story about a road trip with a bunch of teenagers, or a story about someone's life that's very modern and up-to-date, or something along those lines? Just making sure.
Also, where does one draw the line between choosing "Erotica" or choosing any other genre? My novel will probably have erotic scenes in it, but if that is not the focus of the story, should it still be placed in the Erotica genre?
Wow, that's a lot of questions!
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Where words leave off, music begins.
62,056 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2007 - 05 28
I have a friend who writes (and publishes) erotica. I always thought that meant the really nasty books (I know, sex isn't "nasty" and I don't mean it is -- I mean stuff that is WAY OUT THERE).
She was telling me how romance novels are basically erotica and I told her some examples of erotica books friends gave me and she was shocked. So... Maybe what people consider erotica means graphic sex scenes (now) instead of what I was referring to, which was hard-core stuff that I wouldn't see in porn -- that's "special" porn.
It seems to me that if your story is there to provide a backdrop for graphic sex scenes, it's erotica. If the plot stands on its own as a story and sex is involved, it's mainstream. People have sex -- that's normal enough. If you have a sex scene or more each chapter, it may be erotica.
This is my experience with reading and conversations with an erotica writer. I'm sure others have differing opinions : )
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05 Nano: (finished as a lurker)
06 Nano: "And She Was" - winner
07 Script Frenzy: "Complicated Shadows" - winner
07 Nano: "ASW 3.0" - winner
08 Script Frenzy: "Squeek Goes to School" - FAIL
11,220 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2007 - 06 53
"Mainstream", as I understand it, is what you find on the shelves of your local bookstore. Obviously that makes the field pretty wide. I think it's meant for anybody who doesn't consider their work to be "genre", but who thinks "literary fiction" sounds pretentious.
As you know, a lot (the majority?) of what's in your local bookstore has erotic scenes in it, so that certainly doesn't stop it from being mainstream. "Erotica" as a genre really means a novel about two or more people doing sexual things. If sex is not the focus of the story, it is not erotica. It's still worthwhile visiting the "erotica" forum. There's a lot of lively discussion going on there that may help you write your erotic bits better.
Finally, don't get too hung up on where to "place" your novel. Writing it is the only thing that matters - that and having fun!