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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