This week: Comfort Levels in Story Content Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Romance/Love Newsletter by Dawn
For this newsletter we talk about comfort levels as writers and readers. Some are good to push against, to go out of the usual range in order to create something different. Others are good to respect as boundaries. What are your comfort levels? |
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We all have them: comfort levels. There are things we like and others that we would prefer to avoid. Some might make us uncomfortable and they don't always match those around us. The levels are also different when considering the concept as a reader versus a writer. With the content of our romance stories, there are a few different ways to look at comfort levels including whether to push against them or to respect the boundaries.
In romance and romance erotica, there are particular levels found within the genre sometimes referred to as heat. These can vary from "clean romance" to "spicy" or moves out of the romance into classifications of erotica. The amount of detail and physical contact along with the overall focus of the plot are influenced by these factors within the genre. Readers will even pick what they want to check out based in part of the levels that they enjoy.
As writers, the advice is often to try and step outside of your comfort zone. And for the most part, I agree. While now I'm known for running an erotica contest known as the Weekly Quickie, that doesn't mean it's something I've always found comfortable. In fact, I didn't create the contest. I first entered the erotica contest many years ago in an effort to step outside my comfort zone. It took me a few tries to get any level of spice into a piece of flash fiction. Many years late, I manage the contest and am judging most of the rounds while also working on a first draft of a novel that is romance/erotica.
The truth is, as a reader, I'm still not that comfortable with physical content in stories. That is part due to my own preference as a non-physical person. I usually don't even read romance but enjoy a romance plot within fantasy and contemporary young adult novels. And there are other comfort levels to consider both with reading and writing. I have written a few novels now, for example, that are gay male romance. My dad has asked to read one of my novels. It is definitely outside of his comfort zone to read the romance novels since his favorite author is Clive Cussler. And it's out of my comfort level to have any family member read the romance/erotica stories. Maybe one of the young adults is fine but I definitely have boundaries for which stories are shared.
Some readers might find a story we write to be uncomfortable. That doesn't mean we can't write it. I've had a review for a story that didn't like how I didn't have the fact it was gay characters in the description so they came upon that factor during the reading of the story. Aspects such as types of character along with the content such as the amount of description for physical scenes are things readers may or may not want to read. As a writer, we should be aware that some comments or reviews are influenced by a "cup of tea" type of reaction instead of it being something particularly wrong with the story. By that I mean, it just might not be that person's cup of tea (preference). Which is okay. And readers have the option to stop reading if a story involves characters or actions that they don't want to read.
There are some things most people won't be able to read and there are probably good reasons for it. There is at least one story I know of written by DeSade where not many people make it through. There are some stories that are on the edge (or over the line) in relation to obscenity that makes it very hard for many people to endure reading. Some discomfort can be okay but it's also understandable when someone might want to move back to something more comfortable.
As writers, we can both respect boundaries and also push against comfort levels. We can consider readers preferences but also write the story as we want. It's part a matter of perspective, part a creation of conflict and part the general nature of the beast. Consider your own comfort levels as both a reader and a writer while you work on your next story.
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Have you tried to push out of your writing comfort levels?
"Try new things, step out of your comfort zone, take risks, do things in ways you've never done them before, ask for help, surround yourself with self-actualized people, become obsessed with the fact that you have one go-round on this planet as the you that is you, and realize how precious and important it is not to squander that." - Jen Sincero
"And as a writer, one of the things that I've always been interested in doing is actually invading your comfort space. Because that's what we're supposed to do. Get under your skin, and make you react." - Stephen King
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Romance/Love: February 08, 2023 Issue [#11796]
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