July 14th, 2007 | by jodi |
Conflict in erotic romance is a truly interesting thing. In most any other genre, a healthy dose of both internal and external conflict is a must. But with erotic romance, I often see where one or the other is getting away as a stand alone. For example, a story might be based on the internal conflict (those internal issues each struggles with) keeping the primary characters apart solely. Or it might be that the primaries are separated by external conflict (those external forces at work to keep them apart) and there is no real internal conflict. In particular, I see this a lot with the shorter story, the novella.
As I embark on writing my next Aphrodisia, I am left wondering about this whole conflict deal. Is erotic romance different in that both internal and external conflict really aren’t needed, particularly in the case of the shorter story? Or does the average reader still prefer to see strong conflicts of both kind at the heart of the plot? And in keeping with this theme, is a heavier plot preferred in a shorter story over a more sexual one? Or when reading erotic romance, are the internal (or external) conflicts and the hot sex that derive from them truly the nature of the beast?
Just exactly how rocky do you want the conflict in your novels?
I try to put both internal and external conflict in all my work, be it novellas or novels. I even attempted (don’t know how successfully) to put it into the vignettes that made up the ghost stories in Midnight Confessions.
I think it makes for a more involving story and reveals character.
When I’m reading I like the subtlety of internal conflict. It’s an important part of the reading experience for me.
Great post, Jodi…I like being made to think…about writing and what I like to read. (g)
by Bonnie Edwards · July 14th, 2007 at 12:40 pmI want IC and EC (the real stuff) but I think in a novella the lenght naturally lends itself to a different, lighter, maybe even more sexually oriented conflict, if that makes sense.
by Amie Stuart · July 15th, 2007 at 12:20 pmI’m with Bonnie and Amie–the more of both, the better. I use it for my secondary characters and my tertiary one. I use both in my novellas.
And I think the quality of writing in the erotic romance genre has reached a point where both kinds of conflict are definitely necessary. That’s how Susan Lyons and Kate Douglas won with their erotic romance novels in non-erotic categories.
The bar is now set high.
by Lucinda Betts · July 15th, 2007 at 1:07 pmWell darn, I was really hoping to get some input from readers, not just authors, but it doesn’t appear that will be happening. FWIW, I agree on wanting, or preferring both IC/EC, though I do think that with the shorter story there isn’t always as much room for it, so there is a need to be extra creative. Thanks for the input, ladies!
by Jodi Lynn Copeland · July 15th, 2007 at 3:33 pmI agree with Bonnie and Amie too.
by Celia May Hart · July 18th, 2007 at 10:37 am