Is Sexier Always Better or Why Write Erotica?

So, if an author thinks erotica, but writes sweet, she'll probably find herself editing.  A lot.Is it really true, the sexier the better?  Stephen King was once asked why he writes such horrifying stories, and he responded, "Why do you assume I have a choice?"  I'm not certain that applies to all erotic romance writers, but I do know that an author's mind takes her down certain paths whether she truly wishes to travel them or not.  There's not really much of a choice.  She can force herself into taking a different path, and may even be successful at her redirection, but her mind will continually try to pull her back to the original path it wants to take whenever it can.

I love Disney.  I'd love to be able to write about furry bunnies, feisty princesses and noble princes who only have one kiss at the end of the book.  Unfortunately, my mind simply isn't wired that way.  I could force it to write sweet Disney-like stories for adults and children, but I know a story like that would leave my muse vastly unsatisfied.  I know because I've tried.  They aren't stories I've ever attempted to publish, nor are they of publishable quality.  Because no matter how much editing I tried to do, my mind and muse just weren't happy with the results.

Personally, I tend to write spicy over erotic.  I'm not really comfortable using certain four-letter words in sex scenes, no matter how realistic they may be.  Some four-letter words I don't even like reading, much less writing, but I'm not a priss.  I take readers right into the bedroom and let them experience first hand what my characters are doing.  I just leave out certain four-letter nouns in dialogue and description.  

And it is the nouns more than the verbs that bother me, although I even avoided the f-word until just recently.  And when I do use it, the word is meant as an insult rather than an activity.  For me, making love is just that, though I will let my characters occasionally refer to their more private activities as having sex, even though intimacy without emotion is not possible for them.  There is always great affection and caring between my hero and heroine when they are with each other. Even if the scene starts out with them angry and fighting, when they make love, they end up entwined in each other's arms.  Because I'm wired that way too.  I'm a hopeless romantic.  The happily ever after ending is a must for me, or the story is not complete.

That said, if someone asked me why I write such sexy stories, like Mr. King, I'd have to answer, "Why do you assume I have a choice?"

One of my favorite Disney Cartoons is Beauty and the Beast, and I love the musical even more.  I was surprised to learn that the cartoon was actually 50 years in the making.  

If you're interested in reading more, please visit http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/11/15/25-things-you-didnt-know-about-beauty-and-the-beast/?ncid=webmail2