For our first Extra this year, we are going to delve into the murky world of romance writing…not that romance is murky…just the jargon that is used to keep the stories in their proper categories. If you are new to the speciality of romance, you’d best be aware of the way stories are ranked as far as heat or sexuality. The challenge here is consistency…amongst readers and publishers. What one thinks is too hot may be just right for someone else and vice versa. Disappointing a reader who is expecting more (or less) is frustrating, but until the industry can agree on set standards, we just have to try our best to fit into the scale as it exists.
Because there are variations at the publishing level, if a reader moves to a new author or imprint, what used to be just right for them may no longer fit their needs. It’s similar to finding just the right spice level at a restaurant…then trying a new one across town. What was good at your favourite may not be even close at the next, so every time you expand your horizons, you have to experiment to find the right level…either that or never try anything new.
Then there are personal preferences…just because someone recommends a book to you doesn’t mean it will be to your liking…though if it is a friend’s suggestion, they should know you well enough to anticipate your tastes. The lack of consistency is annoying, but there are a few clues to get you at least close to what may satisfy you.
Light Heat
Wholesome, sometimes called Mild or Closed Door, is rather mild. It would rate only one chili pepper on the heat scale or a PG rating in the movies. Think of a Hallmark movie…no explicit sex, though there may be scenes or situation that imply something is going on, but it never appears on the page. You know it happened, but you don’t read about it. Hand holding is fine, and a chaste kiss at the end is expected…hopefully one to rank in the five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This level of heat is appropriate for Amish and Inspirational romances as well as many Regency or Historical.
Also considered light heat is the category of Sweet or Medium. This one is worth two chili peppers or a PG13 in the theatre and has a bit of sizzle in it. Although we now know that the main characters have sex, there is still no description of the act. Any physical intimacy scenes are described from an emotional aspect…no body parts involved. A lot of kissing, a lot of touching…more than would be in a Wholesome romance. A bit of undressing may occur but nothing that would make you uncomfortable.
Heavier Heat
Now we get to the middle of the scale: Sensual Romance, also called Hot or Steamy. Here we have three peppers or an R…and maybe a Parental Advisory, too. The majority of romance writing falls in this rather broad group and includes love scenes that are an essential part of the story. Action packed sex moves the story along but is still not the main focus…that comes in later levels. You may find words included that don’t come up in daily conversation, but the attention will be on the emotional facets of love.
You won’t feel as though you’ve been left out…instead of closing the door, you’ll follow them right into the bedroom…and into the bed. There is no ‘fade to black’, instead you get to go along for the ride, and hang on…it may be a rough ride…but enjoyable.
Heaviest Heat
Near the top end of the heat scale is Sexy, aka Explicit or Carnal. This one is a scorcher! A four out of five peppers or NC-17 and definitely an Advisory. Graphic sex, impolite language, detailed portrayals of the sex act all drive the story along. Also included may be mild kinkiness such as sex toys and new ideas you hadn’t considered before. In addition to blunt language in the bedroom, there may be gratuitous profanity in the rest of the story. A wealth of sexual tension throughout and multiple love scenes are a feature of this type of story.
Usually the relationships still end in monogamy, and expectations are good for an HEA (Happily Ever After—yet another term specific to the Romance genre) at the end, but you’ll want to keep the paperback version out of the reach of children (anyone under the age of 18!). These stories are just one step short of the next level.
The final level outdoes all the others: Erotic. This one gets all five peppers, earning an X at the movies and top shelf status at the store. Just to be clear, this is not Erotica, which stresses the sex over any plot…here there is still an emotional passage…just portrayed by the sexual encounters. Here the sex is part of the story and can’t be removed or it will break the narrative. In fact, the volatile attraction is paramount to the main characters’ relationship. Pushing boundaries, these stories contain multiple, explicit sex scenes that may include BDSM, anal sex, and multiple partners, but because this is still romance, you can hope for the expected HEA, though in the most radical instances it may not happen.
More Heat
Beyond romance, there are stories that seem to fall just past the end of this scale. They are full blown Erotica where the whole purpose of the story is the sex, no real plot or character development needed. The only limitations to these stories are often set in publisher’s guidelines where illegal or taboo subjects are specified.
In Conclusion
No matter what level of heat you desire in your reading…or in your writing…there is a market for it. Just be certain to properly identify what your readers can expect from you…or you risk bad reviews from miscommunicated expectations.