Sunday, March 19, 2006
It's all about semantics...
Okay, so that's a pretty all-encompassing title, but what I was really thinking about is the power of words in erotic romance and the symbolic meaning behind different phrases and descriptions. I've been thinking of this since Geraldo's show about our books when he made a flip comment about "steaming love tunnels" or some such purple prose nonsense. After my first snort, I got to thinking about the way we use words in our stories, the fact that our more graphic language now is essentially what differentiates us from the typical "sweet" romances. All romances, no matter how sexy, are based on building sexual tension between the hero and heroine, but the language and graphic nature of where we go with that tension is what separates us. But (and it's a BIG but!) most of us started out reading romances filled with purple prose. We read those amazing euphemisms--their numbers are legion--but we knew exactly what the author meant when she referred to a "silken sheath, passionate glove, rampant pole or button of womanly delight," (yeah, I HAVE seen all of these...) but because the meaning was clear to us, we reacted as the author intended, experiencing the love and passion through our lusty heroine. Now, however, the language has changed. The descriptions are, in many cases, made up of words we once thought of as crude, vulgar or offensive, but now associate with intimate, loving and passionate scenes between our hero and heroine. So, what's the difference? Obviously, our sex scenes are more graphic and we push a lot of "morality buttons" for many readers, but aren't our graphic words in the same class as those much joked about euphemisms? We're going for the same response but the language has changed. We like to call it honesty, that we're giving our readers "real" language, but is it all that different from the purple prose of old? I'm curious about your opinions...language is, by its very nature, made up of symbolism and open to interpretation. Will our usage of graphic language, at some point, be looked on as the purple prose of the 21st Century? Tell me what you think.
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I think you ask a valid question, Kate. Will our 'new' style of presenting 'old' ideas become the mainstay, will it become the acceptable format, will it become the 'tried and true' path? I think these questions are the ones that will determine whether or not the change in wording, as erotica presents it, will become the purple prose of the 21st century.
If the more graphic style of erotica does indeed become the accepted format for the romance genre as a whole, then I think the answer to your question could most likely be yes. However, if the mainstream genre doesn't change their style, to better allign with ours, then I think the answer will be 'no'. IF the majority choose not to become more bold, daring, and graphic, then erotica will continue to have that quasi-taboo feel.
Emma Ray Garrett
www.freewebs.com/emma_ray_garrett
If the more graphic style of erotica does indeed become the accepted format for the romance genre as a whole, then I think the answer to your question could most likely be yes. However, if the mainstream genre doesn't change their style, to better allign with ours, then I think the answer will be 'no'. IF the majority choose not to become more bold, daring, and graphic, then erotica will continue to have that quasi-taboo feel.
Emma Ray Garrett
www.freewebs.com/emma_ray_garrett
Interesting point. Purple prose, of course, is overwritten to some extent. I know that four-letter words can certainly be problematic. You can see what I mean when watching movies in which every other word is "f***." The word ceases to mean anything -- it becomes numbing by repetition.
I think we as writers need to try to find new ways to say things, new ways to look at things. Our job is to make the reader EXPERIENCE that love scene in a very sensual way. So maybe four-letter words are not the best choice in the long run.
I think we as writers need to try to find new ways to say things, new ways to look at things. Our job is to make the reader EXPERIENCE that love scene in a very sensual way. So maybe four-letter words are not the best choice in the long run.
Thanks Emma and AK...I think what made me write this particular piece is the way I've seen my own approach to words I once thought of as vulgar, change...I know I've been desensitized to a lot of language merely, as Angela says, because of the repetative use of so many words once considered objectionable. We're seeing more graphic language in mainstream romances and in the population as a whole. I just find the constant ebb and flow of language to be a fascinating subject. Thanks for your replies!
I once had a conversation with someone who disliked the graphic language sometimes used when writing sex. I said it was more realistic. She said that she and her husband never spoke such words when engaged in sex.
Okay, I believe that, but I very much doubt they talked about her "button of womanly delight" or he asked her to suck on his "manpole" either, so maybe they didn't talk much in bed.
I would prefer that the characters talk naturally when in bed and if the words show up in the conversation, they should be there in the text as well. If the POV it the guy, the language will be that of a guy, in her POV her words should be used.
Cheers,
Janet/Cricket
Okay, I believe that, but I very much doubt they talked about her "button of womanly delight" or he asked her to suck on his "manpole" either, so maybe they didn't talk much in bed.
I would prefer that the characters talk naturally when in bed and if the words show up in the conversation, they should be there in the text as well. If the POV it the guy, the language will be that of a guy, in her POV her words should be used.
Cheers,
Janet/Cricket
I think when "those words" are overused, they lose impact. I actually do a search to see how many times I use certain words before I turn a story in and change or rewrite if it seems like too much. And not all characters talk alike, so I want to reflect that.
I love every comment I've gotten on the original post. Thank you guys so much for taking the time to share your views.
I hope that as I've grown older and more accepting and changed by views that the world in general (how's that for a big hope - lol) expands its viewpoint, but as was said...I hope it's more than that. I pray we all grow as writers and elevate our genre rather than just have it accepted more globally.
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