Monday 16 July 2012

Let's talk about sex...


Love it or hate it, Fifty Shades of Grey is changing the way women read, and talk about reading, sex. Suddenly we’re openly reading erotica on the commute to work and discussing it at barbeques. I don’t think I’m alone in wondering what impact this is going to have on the whole romance genre.

At the moment I’m working on revises to my first novel (currently nicknamed Hollywood) and I’m just about at the part where all the sex starts. But before I make any changes, I really want to try and gauge whether the success of Fifty has already changed what women want, sex-wise, in romance novels, and how (and if) I should reflect this in my love scenes. It seems as if there has been a huge shift in public opinion – or what women are willing to say publicly about their opinions – over the past few months, and I want to make sure I’m taking this into account when I’m writing.

So my question is this: Has Fifty changed what you look for in a romance – in either direction – do you select steamier reads these days, or has it made you realise you’re from the ‘less is more’ school of literary sex? Or are your predilections much as before? Share your thoughts below.

Ellie
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4 comments:

  1. I think it doesn't change what women want in sex novels, women like to be wooed, so I think 50 shades has changed the way women view and talk about sex... It seems its ok to talk about sex now in the check out queue in the supermarket etc :-) I don't want steamier reads these days, I think more romance is the order of the day. Im a sucker for romance...

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    1. Hi Pamela, thanks for your comment. I think you're absolutely right, romance always has to come first :)

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  2. Definitely! All women want it I think! We all want a mr darcy.

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  3. What I loved about Fifty Shades was that it actually got women reading! For the first time ever, I came into work with people talking about books, which was a strange scenario. I don't think the sex scenes made Fifty Shades the successful book that it is, I think it was more about the romance side of things, Mr Grey literally sweeping Ana off her feet. All I hear are women talking about how they wish their partners were just like Mr Grey, not because of the sex, but because of all of the other things.

    I think Mr Grey may be the modern day Mr Darcy...

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