Explicit Language in Historicals?
Just finished reading the newest book from one of my all-time favorite authors. Like some of the historical authors I know, this author has also recently branched out into writing contemporaries as well.
One thing that I noticed in this book (her newest release) is her use of explicit words that hasn’t been used before in her previous books. More to the point, it was the “c” word for the male appendage, if you know what I mean. That word took me by surprise and was disturbing enough to jerk me out of the story.
Don’t get me wrong. I have no problem with that word. It’s just that it’s not something I’d expected to see in a historical romance. A regency, at that. A contemporary, most likely. And erotica, you bet! But not a historical. Especially not a regency.
Also, while this author has always written very sexy books, I felt that the love scenes in this book were too graphic for my taste for what a historical romance book should be that isn’t marketed as an erotica.
Am I wrong to think this? I know that sexy books are in right now, but if you’re already writing sexy and have a solid readership base and are a NY Times Bestseller, why change the formula?
I suppose my biggest issue with this is that it doesn’t (to me) fit in with what (my perception of) a historical romance should be. Unless it’s marketed as an erotica.
But maybe — and this is something that has become a problem with me recently — it’s because of her switch to contemporaries. Maybe it’s her contemporary voice carrying through to her historical books.
Recently, because I’ve been reading so many eroticas, I find myself having difficulty writing the love scenes in my books because I find myself wanting to write sexier and edgier. I have to make an effort to rein in my words and remember to use “manhood” versus the “c” word.
Maybe that’s what happened with this author.
Or maybe it’s because she just changed publishers, and this is something that this publisher requires.
There are a lot of things that factor in. However, despite the cause, more importantly, you have to bear in mind the effect. In historicals, you are constrained to certain (unspoken) rules that you have to follow. Historical readers read historical romances because they expect certain things from it, one of which being that the love scene stays true to the time period and genre in terms of language. And using the male “c” word, in my humble opinion, is going a little extreme with the language.
I know a handful of historical romance readers who don’t like to read erotica because of the explicit language. This will most likely turn those readers off.
Thoughts on this, anyone?
Tags: Eroticas, Historicals, Language, Market Trends, Musings
October 5th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I write historical erotic romance and I think I’m the exception to the rule in my genre because I try not to use the most explicit language and I think you can have even the sexiest of stories without it.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:20 am
This is interesting! I just read Tribute by Nora Roberts and I noticed she doesn’t use specific words — not even euphemisms — while the characters are making love, yet she writes very sexy scenes.
The whole time I read your blog I was trying to think what writer it was. lol As far as the language, I think it depends on the character. Some characters use it more.
For my own taste, explicit language doesn’t offend me. I’d rather a blunt body part name than irritating euphemisms.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Noelle, you ARE the exception to the rule, lol. And you’re absolutely right. Sexy is about emotion and tension, not explicitness or which body part goes where.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Hi Edie! Welcome to my blog. I won’t say who it is. And yes, it does depend on the character. But it also should depend on the time period and the subgenre as well. I don’t have a problem with reading regency eroticas with explicit language. But for a book that isn’t an erotica, I think it may hurt the author because it’ll turn off the readers who enjoy historicals but don’t like eroticas.
October 6th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Mai, this was too funny coming from you! All I can say is, you know me, I always go for the shock factor. Personally, I’d like to see the regency era all shook up. It’s too stilted for me. Too many dang rules to follow. I say it’s way past time we liberate those women stuck in the oppression of the times in which they were born. I can see the horror on the men’s faces already. And I am SO laughing my head off!
October 6th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Hey Mai!
Good topic. I write erotic historical romance, and use explicit language heavily in my books. But, as you pointed out, my books are marketed and sold as erotic romance, so the language comes as no surprise to anyone. I think the trend toward hotter, more explicit sex and language in mainstream romance is a direct result of the growing popularity of erotic romance.
A lot of publishers don’t make the distinction between mainstream and erotic. They simply see that erotic romance is selling well, and require their mainstream authors to ramp up the heat. This completely ignores the mainstream audience, who still want books that are not erotic. The two–historical romance, and erotic historical romance–are different genres, and need to be marketed as such.
I can’t comment on the possibility that contemporary writing is rubbing off in the historical books. Perhaps. But I think, not knowing who the writer is, that it’s more about spicing up mainstream books to appeal to the erotic romance audience.
One specific thing I’d like to comment on was your statement that the author’s use of the “c” word startled you and pulled you out of the story. I think that says it all. In an erotic romance that word wouldn’t have come as a shock, not just because you knew it was erotic, but because the characters and situation called for that language. Sex and sexuality in any romance need to fit the characters, character development, and plot. If they don’t, they will pull you unpleasantly out of the story.
Samantha Kanes last blog post..Serenity NOW!
October 6th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Interesting thoughts there, Mai.
I write very sexy contemporary stories and stumble over c* words. I just don’t like using them.
I read quite a lot of erotica and c* words are perfect in that “world”. Expectations are different.
But in a romance story, scene can be very sexy without the usage of blunt words or flowery prose. Just simple direct words can create quite a hot scene.
So, like you, in a historical, unless under the erotica label, c* words would pull me out. And in contemporary, one or two in the entire book that fits the character is fine, more can be very distracting and lose its effect.
Let’s try to be a bit more imaginative whithout being corny! A challenge to authors LOL.
October 6th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Hey Mai!
Good topic. I am assuming I know which ‘c’ word we’re referring to here, i.e. his.
Speaking to that particular word, as a reader, I don’t mind it at all. If we’re in his POV, I find it quite likely that’s how he might refer to himself. And I much prefer it over goofy, wordy euphamisms.
In historicals, I personally always give at least 100 yrs leeway, in terms of when the word can be proven to have been in existence, via showing up in texts, and when people were actually using the word in daily life.
For medievals, I might give *hundrdeds* of years. LOL
But, as you say, there’s also the question of personal taste. Which is the reason I say, for the genre in general: yes, it’s okay to go all explicit on us.
In general, I’m with Diane. (Hi Diane. Nice to meet you. ) Mix it up.
If the explicit nature isn’t for someone, then they will just not read that author again. But there’s so many books that DO fit the current rules, I give people who like Regencies (and everything else) something else to explore.
Should there be a little signal to the reader that, hey, this is *really* explicit? Eek. (Not that you suggested this, but it came to mind.)
Maybe. But that could go SO the other way that I think I’d rather suffer the risk of reading something that offends me or my historical sensibilities, than risk all the other things that could come from such ‘labelling.’
All that being said…I do think the ‘explicitness’ limits are being pushed right now. I expect there will a period of time where lots of boundaries get pushed, & we see what readers are wanting right now (it’ll be different in another few years), and then there will be a sorting out. Sub-genres will develop or erode, authors will establish themselves as this or that. And then, probably, change over time.
Great topic, Mai! Thanks.
Kris
October 6th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Mai,
I’m with you. That said, certain words coming from the mouths of certain characters fit. Men are more likely to use the “c” word when referring to that particular appendage. If it came from a regency heroine’s mouth, that would put the book in the trash.
October 6th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
HI Mai,
I’m glad you brought this up. here is a site on the origins of words.
http://www.decimation.com/markw/2007/07/17/origin-of-curse-words/
Regardless of whether or not they were around since the 13th century I find I like historical because of the more elegant, polite language. Unless the character is low class or a woodsman never around polite society, I say don’t use it.
Even when I watch ww2 movies i get annoyed by the use of modern slang. profanity was not accepted, it is part of the raunch culture of today.
so please, tell me I haunt your dreams not that i make your cock hard.
ick.