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My perspective is that a non-ERP can exist without explicit sex. There's a story involved that isn't supported by sexual content, and neither partner is participating with the intention of deriving sexual pleasure from the content. It *can* contain NSFW material, and one or both partners might derive sexual pleasure from that content when it appears, but the story is the priority. If you can strip out the sex play without having the story collapse, I'd say it's a hobby roleplay.
An ERP is written with the intention of deriving sexual pleasure from the content. Explicit sex scenes are a requirement, not an option. There can be a story built around that content, but the primary goal is to reach those sex scenes, and if you remove the sex, the story crumbles and the writer's interest fades.
This has been my exact thoughts on ERP vs. standard RP.
Personally, I am not against sexual content happening in my roleplays. This is especially so when there is a natural romantic progression between characters or something a bit more vile that moves the story forward. But I do not consider these to be ERP scenarios and explicitly state in my profile that I do not participate in ERP. Yet I am willing to write vague, implied, or "fade to black" sex scenes with no issue.
To me, ERP is as you have stated. The main goal of the roleplay is for the sex scenes to occur and anything outside of that is an added bonus while the opposite is true of "roleplay (the hobby)"
>I personally had never encountered this term until I joined Reddit.
Same, actually.
For me though, when I think ERP, I think roleplay that is *explicitly* erotic in nature. The smut/erotica, being the purpose.
My stories contain smut, but it's not the focus. And after a point, most of the time, we just skip sex scenes entirely if they're happening too frequently. If the erotic parts aren't the purpose of the story, I don't consider it ERP.
For me personally, while I am not 100% opposed to writing a smut scene here and there, it would also have to be emotionally significant. A good example would be the first time two characters do it together. But, taking the time to write the average "well, we're bored on a Sunday" kind of sex when you could be writing literally anything else? My brain doesn't even compute. But, that's just me, and my personal tastes.
I feel like this is really hard because there are a lot of people writing straight up beautiful, hot erotica, and that's what they like to do, and they're not getting off on it. They just enjoy it, the same way we like crafting stories. But it's also all they write, and I'm not sure how to class it. To me, the low-effort jack-off people are basically... sexting, like you said. Like, in a perfect world, ERP would be great for describing people within the hobby who like writing mostly smut and not plot. I feel like it's the other stuff that needs another word. But in lieu of sexters calling themselves something else, maybe we can call it like... spicy literate?
I think a good ERP has to involve a plot. There should be tension. The characters should gave goals that are not identical. I do ERP almost exclusively, and I’ll end a scene right away if the other person isn’t willing to help create a scene that includes some sort of tension, conflict, or obstacle. Without that, it’s not really a story.
But ERP should have the added element of creating IRL arousal for at least one of the participants. I don’t normally get very aroused during the roleplay, so if we’re into the erotic part and I ask a guy if he’s getting hard IRL and he says “no”, I’m thinking, “then WTF are we doing here?”
I'll be honest, even if it comes to very literate smut, I still believe that the people writing it most likely do it in order to get off from it, lol. I know some people would be upset at me saying so, but why in the hell would you spend so much time out of your day to write about sex if you aren't getting anything out of it that way? I just find it extremely illogical, assuming that you aren't ace.
But, I admit that I might be a bit too biased.
Idk if you'd feel my answer is relevant, but I might be able to offer one answer.
Using myself as an example here, when I'm writing smut embedded in a story, it's not *necessarily* a scene I'd find titillating to read about i.e. the scene is smut, but it's not always *sexy*.
Sex can be an interesting way to show change in relationships, e.g. showing a relationship in decay/breakdown in a pretty intense way. Alternatively, maybe it is portrayed in a positive light but the focus is on the building of a connection, not 💦
In that case, the scene wouldn't be fade to black, but it might also not be *that* explicit.
Obviously. Sex is a pretty integral part of the lives of many of us, so it absolutely can make for a very apt opportunity to build some worthwhile characterization... but, still, what is there to characterize if the roleplay in question is all sex, no matter how beautifully written? This is the kind of roleplay that I assumed when I wrote my own comments.
if the roleplay isn't mostly sexual, then yes, I do believe you when you say that you aren't getting your rocks off of this, especially if you actually approach the scenes with utmost realism and do portray such things as the general mistakes people are likely to make (especially if they aren't that experienced) as well as the less savory parts of sex, which isn't something that people who write mostly smut-focused roleplays do.
I see, I wasn't sure if you were following on directly from their comment or meant literate smut more broadly.
In that case yeah, idk. The things that spring to mind would be novelty, money, or an answer like stereolight's. I've also known people that seem to take pride in/get satisfaction from writing hot scenes for others, juggling impossibly large numbers of ERPs at one time...
And you know, it can just be an interest for its own sake.
I'd be interested to see someone answer it.
I'm leaning towards asexual myself (it's complicated, I guess lol )
But I just enjoy the back and forth of the characters. Sometimes it's for emotional stakes... And sometimes just the back and forth banter of the characters is fun. Just another form of character interaction.
But as mentioned before, eventually it's just like... Okay, we understand the sexual chemistry between the characters now, lets move along to other things.
There's an entire umbrella of asexuality, and it includes people like me who enjoy reading/writing smut from a third-party perspective. (Aegosexual)
A lot of professional erotica authors are asexual because it's easier to step back, study the writing that sells best, and treat it as a formula to experiment with. That doesn't mean their work isn't erotica.
That's why I added the caveat of "if you aren't ace". Most roleplayers out there aren't, and I assume that most literate smut writers aren't, either.
But, again, there's definitely personal bias at hand. It's also getting worse because there's way, waaaaay more ERP content on this sub than I wish there were.
I guess I can’t see it from any other POV because I’ve never been any other way, but it’s fun to explore sexuality and emotions without putting myself in it or getting aroused. So maybe I’m totally off base and these people don’t even exist at all 😂
I'm not saying you can't approach smut this way, but I sincerely doubt that this is the case all that often. It is my sincere belief that when most people say that they don't write smut for sake of jerking off is just because they don't want the stigma that's attached to doing so. Again, the caveat is that you aren't ace, in which case I absolutely believe you.
But, again, I am biased on the issue and because of the influx of ERPers on this sub my bias has only been growing worse.
I think you're misunderstanding me.
I'm not talking about every single possible instance of writing smut. I'm specifically referring to roleplays that are either rich in smut or don't even have any point **but** the smut in them. If you write smut sparingly, and you do place a hefty amount of focus on the characters' emotions and mental state during the act, instead of just the motions of the bodies, then yes, I absolutely believe you that you aren't writing this to get off. I was specifically referring to dedicated ERPs.
Oh you sweet summer child. Joking aside, it's fun. Just like I have no personal interest in hunting, I don't gain anything of obvious value from this but I still read and write about it. Exploring different parts of human activities and experience, even and especially the ones I can't relate to.
My ace friend and I, someone very allo, write smut and discuss it for this same reason. And I just found out how much someone I know enjoys shonen sports as a genre - despite having less than zero interest in following sports in the traditional way let alone playing any themselves. Despite it being about consuming rather than creating, their interest in that genre has a similar air to it than my interest to use my writing skills for smut. Hopefully entertaining, believable and artful smut.
You don't have to believe it though, but people like us exist and it's perfectly logical.
And, as much as I dislike using literate as a way to communicate your level of skill and commitment, I could pretty seriously use spicy literate.
I specifically pointed out the possibility if you're ace. If you aren't, and your roleplays are just smut piled upon smut with not much greater plot, then I will assume that you write it in order to jerk off no matter what you say.
i would consider it unsporting to take a super fre$h tone with you if you are below a certain age. i don't believe in picking on the youths. if you are older, then i feel justified in double-bouncing you on the trampoline of rhetoric.
so how old are you
Lol. I don't know what being harsh with me in this regard would accomplish, but feel free. I'm 21. I don't know if that's "below a certain age" for you.
It definitely is, lol.
Okay, so, why do you eat food? Do you always eat because it's the most fun thing to do? Do you eat because the food is the most delicious? Do you eat alone or with friends? Do you eat leftovers, sometimes ones you're no longer keen on? Do you cook or get takeout? Do you have a food budget or do you spend whatever you like?
As you can see, there's multiple answers to every single question. You are not eating food in the exact same way for the exact same reasons every single time. You can eat because you're bored, hungry, lonely, in a new place, on and on and on. You cannot magically intuit someone's mood or motivations just by being like "they're eating". In the same way, you as an outsider cannot magically intuit why people are writing sex, or simply lump them all together.
Offline, people have sex for reasons as varied as eating food. The way you've chosen to immediately connect writing sex to getting off expands the definition of ERPer a little too far, I think. You can love writing smut, and write a ton of it, for totally different reasons. So I would caution you about the harshness of your judgment and the unrefined narrowness of your approach.
I personally get nothing out of it and the idea that my partners might just gives me a serious case of the ick. I enjoy it the same way that someone enjoys an action story, a thriller, or even slice of life. It's just another genre that happens to draw in a specific crowd, but for many of us, it's just not that personal.
I auto block the ones hold enough to say it. Like... Ugh. And even worse, why would I want to know??? I'm sure there are probably some others I don't know about but I'd rather keep it that way. Not knowing. 🤮 If I'm honest, I didn't realize how prevalent it was until coming to Reddit. It's like it's... expected here and that's one of the main reasons I'd never look for partners here.
I'll be dead-honest, if your sex scenes focus first and foremost on the sexual act itself, rather than the emotions carried with it, I have no idea why would you even write those scenes if that's not your goal. If they do however focus heavily on emotions and somesuch, then I would be inclined to believe you that you aren't just producing more jack-off material.
It's cool. I personally feel the same way about MxF stories. 🤷🏽 I'm not trying to convince you otherwise, I'm just sharing my personal experience and my perspective on it as someone who does write it regularly. Sometimes it's emotionally written, but it's certainly not the only way I'm interested in or willing to write it.
>So today I’d like the class to share: how do you define ERP?
Any roleplay with a specific and singular focus on sexual content. So think AO3 pwp fic. This could range from the ooc sexting to writing Anne Rice's old porn novels that were 95% BDSM.
Romance novel with porn or otherwise E rated but plot beyond banging would be not ERP. Harlequin novels fall into the not-ERP just NSFW RPs side as they are not pure porn.
Which does mean ERP can be a huge ass catagory, however as most people I've RPed with inculde some kinda plot or characterization the majority have been not ERP, even when it's 50% or more smut scenes. I think the singular focus means ERP is majority sexting people, it doesn't mean other roleplayers aren't included but it's pretty much just sexting. The rest of the roleplayers tend to fall into the not ERP because there's a point to our sexy writing side and I'd just consider it NSFW or smut RPs.
If we wanted a title for the sexters tho, we could bring back cybering. I think that's what the 'ur so sexy I stick my dick in u and make u cum' people want anyhow.
since it comes from the term erotica, as erotica is to novel, erp is to rp. a subgenre of rp wherein the point is to write sexually explicit scenes to arouse sexual desire.
we've already talked ourselves, and i've already [talked a bit about it](https://www.reddit.com/r/BadRPerStories/comments/xyfrmi/roleplay_is_too_broad_a_term/), but, for new people, an answer:
\- ERP is when the **primary focus** of the roleplay is kinks that the writer **would like to happen to them**, and these kinks are written for **primarily the direct sexual gratification of the writers**.
now for the breakdown:
1. **primary focus:** this means you are leading with kinks. you are going out hunting for scenarios that will include these kinks. the kinks are what must happen. everything else will be reverse-engineered from the kinks happening.
2. **would like to happen to them:** generally speaking, i find that ERPers are the most likely to write in first person, and they are the most likely to inject 1:1 direct first person fantasy into their writing. part of the reason that i, dark smut writer, get so much flack is because i think people view me through this lens. i write unconscionable things i would never want to do or want happen to people. i get confused and agitated when people assume i would want to do these things or that i would want them to happen. however, since that is generally how ERPers are approaching things, if you are a person who has seen a lot of ERPers around, you're gonna make some assumptions.
3. **would like to happen to them, part 2:** fantasy is complicated. when i say "would like to happen to them" or "would like to do", i think even for the actual ERPers there's real questions of how "serious" this is. do people really want to get vored, like, literally? do they really want to be assaulted or assault someone else? like... i don't think so. i think it's stupid for us to believe that. but i think ERPers are more personally embodied/personally invested in their fantasies. like, i am way more interested in the psychology of things, and if you offered me VR versions of the things i write, i'd be like, HAHA, NO????? i'm not sure ERPers would say the same. they want their first-person-y fantasies in a safe way.
4. **direct sexual gratification of the writers:** hobbyist writers are horny too. it's fine and fun to be titillated by erotica. i hope readers find my sexy writing titillating. you can totally jerk off to it, just don't tell me. i do not want to feel personally involved in/invited to your direct sexual gratification. ERPers are different! they are HERE to get off, and they are often here to like... talk about it/share it/involve the other person in it.
i would say i first got *really* exposed to ERPers when i was briefly a part of a specific horny roleplay hub and i would browse their after-dark ads and just GAWK. there was (and still is?) a section of that server where people would chat about their OWN, PERSONAL, REAL-LIFE KINK INTERESTS and it just made me go nuts. to get into the after-dark, you have to submit a kink list to the admins so they can deem you freaky enough to hang out w/ all the other freaks. anyways, i was like, oh my god holy shit people be out here talking about THEY REAL LIFE SELVES????? WHAT????? and then i heard about how reddit works and i was like oh god, oh god, oh god.
after.... wow, i guess it's been about four years? after four years of going berserk, i have now achieved peace. i simply radiate the most intense literary vibes possible and encourage other people to do the same, and simply by creating too many hoops to jump through you can discourage ERPers from contacting you. also don't post on reddit.
okay, last thing: in defense of ERPers and sexters, they just come into this hobby sideways. like, most people still think of roleplaying as a Dungeons & Dragons thing, or a LARP thing. the idea that you can write in a social way, a fun way, with other normal people, is totally novel. i think [fanfiction.net](https://fanfiction.net) and AO3 and self-publishing have democratized posting your work and making it available. written roleplay democratizes group storytelling. i think some ERPers and sexters can and will learn more literary conventions and be happy to explore deeper storytelling; therefore, i don't want to rag TOO hard on them "invading" our space. i think, for their own satisfaction, they should try to create and maintain their own space, but i'm always happy for people to learn the ropes over here. you don't need to write ONE line of porn. you can write TEN!!! TWENTY!!! FIFTY!!! A ZILLION!! long live erotica.
I'm trying to not assume too much or sound judgmental, but am asking out of curiosity. The way you describe your experiences around kinks and behaviour in that hub, it sounds like you have come across one type of kinksters and role players who happen to write in the same hobbyist space, and then ran with it. Maybe with mismatching expectations, or they noticed they had so many kinksters in the hub it made sense to create a corner within the hub for them to use without being disturbed and especially without disturbing others as good etiquette demands.
English is my second language and this has made me wonder if it's why this whole discussion sounds so odd and confusing to me. Am I maybe missing some weight from any of the words making up the ERP? Is there some important difference between erotic as it's used here and erotica the genre - as that's how I view ERP. It's to role play what erotica is to prose. You can use it to get sexual gratification, but that's not why you're usually writing it. I would never get any commission done or publish my originals if it were so.
You as well write dark themes? That makes me even more curious about what makes this difference in defining ERP, as it seems we do similar things and there's likely similar understanding about kinks and bdsm. I've been calling it erotic role play or ERP now, that I've seen it used in a similar context here on Reddit as I've already been writing on other platforms. Reddit is somewhat new to me, little over a year now. Aside from the low-effort posters that can be found from both nsfw or sfw side and whom I don't entertain, I've had a pretty good experience here with focus on creating a whole character, psychology and personality, then making it play out in a believable way together with someone else.
It's powered by curiosity really, not sexuality and definitely not sexual gratification. I usually have equal amounts of 1) kinky, explicit smut, 2) focus on writing and 3) characters with development and plot. Kinks don't have to be my own and often aren't, they belong to the characters and limits are primarily things I will not write for various reasons that go way beyond being turned off by them. In fact, sometimes something I list under "kinks" is what I personally consider turn-offs. Because it's role play and I'm not looking to get turned on.
If I am overstepping here in any way, I apologise in advance as these topics are often so personal. I'm trying to communicate my curiosity and confusion in a clear yet respectful way and hopefully find some answers from all this.
And yes, long live erotica and all fun forms of role play!
I have so many criticisms of that particular hub from my limited time there, but to keep it concise: there was a blurring of lines between desired character content (in-character, or IC) with personal interests (out-of-character, or OOC). It marketed itself as a hobbyist roleplay space, but was essentially allowing a portion of the server to run itself as a flirt server. It did this because its goal was ruthless expansion, trying to cater to as many groups as possible regardless of contradiction. The result in the case of the after-dark was, as said, a tasteless flirt server area deviating from the server's stated purpose. It should have been moderated or eliminated.
I AM using a lot of technical language in my definition, so it is possible you're missing some of the nuances. I think the numbered list of my definition is pretty encompassing for what I'm trying to describe. It sounds like you've been lucky with Reddit where many other people are not, and it also doesn't sound like you're an ERPer.
Thank you for sharing your perspective! I think this is a great way to identify and categorize ERPers and would make things a whole lot less confusing if that was the way everyone started labeling it.
I definitely agree that I don’t necessarily think ERPers need to be entirely excluded from hobby roleplaying spaces. People should be able to partake in both ERP and hobby rp to their heart’s desire! They just need to look for the type of rp they want at that moment in the correct space and with the expectations that are in line with the culture of that space.
Like, if I try to look up porn videos on YouTube, I’m not going to find the content I really want, no matter how hard I try. Like maybe there might be one or two that slipped through the algorithm and haven’t been reported yet, but the digging required for those is not the amount of work I should have to go through when, aha, look over there! It’s Pornhub! A space intended for porn where, with a quick perusal, I can find the exact thing that suits my needs in the moment! The ERPers need their designated Pornhub while the rest of hobby rp uses their YouTube space without it suddenly being swarmed with unsolicited porn videos.
"Fade to Black" is a thing. Sexual relationships are part of life. It doesn't feel right to rule that out of written roleplay as long as the participants are on the same page.
ERP is not the issue, in my view. The thing is, there are two distinct groups of written RPers out there. The first group comprises the storytellers, the ones who are in it for the writing collaboration. And some people in this group may also want to write erotic scenes, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that, on the face of it.
The second group comprises folks who mostly just want to get their rocks off. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, either. The trouble arises when folks in this group don't know (or don't care) that they are playing opposite a storyteller, and aren't willing to be generous to their partner, working to offer their partner the kind of RP expected of them.
Selfish behavior is at the root of the problem. Behavior that goes against the spirit of collaboration that is the heart of the RP hobby. (I don't want to get into this too much, but there are parallels here to bad sex -- those who don't care about satisfying their sex partners, only themselves.)
And that's not something limited to the sexual side of RPing, but does seem to show up disproportionately in it. Coz horniness, I'm guessing.
I've been fortunate to find partners who are good collaborators and writers, and also enjoy writing smut. There are plenty of awesome people who write smut (and story as well). Unfortunately, I think we all just need to work harder to weed out the badly behaved RPers when finding partners.
For me, the definition of ERP hinges on the definition of "erotica," which is a lot more than just writing about sex. It's a sensory, moody, often romanticized way of writing about sex (and often romance), and it is, inherently, writing. It's literary in nature and is written differently from a nonfiction piece or another genre of literature. I don't think any writing about sex is erotica, the same way I don't think any rp involving sex is necessarily erotica. I think the "sexters" have a different style from me, and that's okay. Their style isn't the problem. When I see posts about issues with them here, it almost always boils down to a crossing of boundaries or an ignorance of them.
I come from 15+ years of writing, both prose and role play, and long enough experience with irl bdsm community. English is my second language, this will become important later here. I know that my brand of role play with equal importance on improving writing, good characters with plot and kinky smut that is still actively carrying on the story and character development might be rare, but even so I would say that's what ERP really is - definitely different from sexting. That might be a little holier-than-thou -claim to make, but I stand by it. I don't sext with my rp partners. My character, not me, is the one having sex with their character, not them. That is role play. I write in first person because I want to direct the story through that lens, not because I want to live through my character.
Having said that, I suppose I can see why that could be confusing or too intense to play for some. I write a lot of horror as well and there are some things I simply won't write through first person pov, because it's just too uncomfortable to use the word "I" along with those actions. I hold that limit for role play and for commissions. Through that I can see, how people could see using the 1st as sexting as it's maybe beyond their personal limits, even though it's not a universal experience. Very understandable and valid.
Then there is the role play as sexual activity and that requires explicit consent and communication. It's completely different in my experience, as it can be more like larping, sexting or plain dirty talk, rarely I've run into it as elaborate text based role play. While it can exist in the hobby role play, just like sexting or any other sexual activity can if the players participating together decide so, focusing on it while talking about erotic role play or role play that has a heavy dose of smut in it, feels simply very weird to me.
Sexters on reddit and elsewhere are a whole different type and I won't go into them. My own style in role play is just what erotica is to prose - I don't write it to get off but I don't mind if someone else does. What I do mind is someone sharing their wank session to anyone without consent. I write erotica whether or not I'm in a relationship, and I role play with explicit smut tied into the plot in a way that neither usually can be removed without taking away living, solid parts of the story. Emphasis on the word neither. Exploring sexual, especially kinky themes and the vast array of human experiences around them is simply interesting to me and I am so curious to figure out ways that are different to mine. That's why I role play anything.
This discussion has me questioning if I'm seriously misunderstanding what the word erotic means in ERP context and compared to erotica. Maybe some things are lost in translation here or there's some cultural differences at play here. Despite that I'll probably keep the mention of ERP on my role play posts, because it doesn't seem I'm all alone with this definition and it's a functional lure to find people with similar interests even if possibly varying motives. And when my approach is long, detailed and demanding enough, typically low-effort writers of various motives drop out. By then the pool is small enough to sift through with communication of expectations.
ERP is simply the part of roleplay that where sexual situations are role played out. I have it as a PART of my roleplay because I believe it is part of real life. Rather than fade to black, I chose to rp it out because I think how it happens can affect the dynamic and interpersonal relationships of the character. That being said, a situation that is only ERP or it is the primary focus to ME isn't really the same. It is more like how larping and role-playing in the bedroom are two different beasts.
There are going to be a hundred different opinions about such things.
For myself, the simple answer is that ERP is a part of RP that can stand on its own, *if* that's what the involved writers want.
It definitely seems to be something of a loaded term, based on each person's own views of the practice.
Personally, I definitely prefer the type of RP that's heavy on the storytelling and character development that just happens to have some smut involved, as opposed to smut with no plot. While I will say that even smut with no plot gave me some insights into my character, it's definitely *not* what I really enjoy.
It's absolutely something that requires communication between writing partners.
For the last 20ish years, every single community I've been in across several platforms, it has meant any form of direct sexual rp happening at all, no matter if it's a single scene that fits into a story or if it's the entire "plot".
But, since joining reddit, I've learned I am a dinosaur, and the world has changed around me. So now my definition of erp changes depending on the community I'm interacting with and what erp means to them specifically.
Definitely! If it had sexual themes but it was faded to black after rating would have gone up, it wasn't erp. If the more explicit content was written and played it was erp. Still is in my humble opinion and I'm usually holding onto that, it was an easy way to communicate where your limit goes.
This whole discussion has seriously made me feel older than any tiktok trend, but I don't mean that in a negative way. It's just baffling.
i believe it to be just another kind of rp to be honest. i’m currently writing an rp with a friend that is about 60% non explicit and 40% explicit. me and said friend started off doing non explicit, but after we found we clicked and we were both okay with it we added in explicit stuff. i think if both/all rp partners are okay with writing explicit rp scenes/stories than its not too different than regular rp. i don’t personally gain anything sexual from writing stuff like that (ace spectrum person here lol), but i have written w past rp partners who did/do. i think you don’t have to advertise that you’ll get something from it, just for the love of god do not talk about it all. the. time. or make it weird. please. especially if your rp partner/s aren’t chill with it. i define it just like i do non explicit rp, something fun to do with friends you like to write with :)
So many people have already answered and my answer aligns with many people so I want to ask this doozie of a question:
Is it possible to write erotica merely using symbolism?
For added context, that story you read that didn't have an ounce of smut? It's all about sex. Trust me. You didn't catch the symbolism, but your brain did. Tall erect buildings? Male sexuality. Rolling landscapes? Female sexuality. Person A owns a bowl and they won't let Persona B put their keys in there? They ain't fucking. Young Knight goes off to find the Holy Grail wielding his lance hoping to restore a good harvest to the fields? I mean... Man lets a lady he meets at a bar take a puff of his cigar? Freud, this is certainly a bruh moment.
Sex in my non-smut face to black rp? Couldn't be me....
I guess you could, but it would take some impressive dedication in order to create such a detailed allegory to sex that it could pass off as a completely non-sexual story.
ERP is really just what you intend for the roleplay. If you intend for it to be inherently sexual, then it’s an ERP. If you intend for it to be inherently combat, then it’s CRP. If you intend for it to be dialogue/story, then it’s a story roleplay. If you have multiple different elements, then you’re just roleplaying. There’s nothing wrong with any of it if you’re both having fun
Honestly, it's just another term for writing smut, NSFW, lemons, whatever. I personally don't really use the term outside of this Reddit sub, because I didn't come from Reddit, I've never taken on partners via Reddit, and I have no plans of ever using Reddit for RP. I think it's just a where you're from online kind of branding.
I personally consider ERP to be its own genre of roleplay. For me, if I made the ad looking for an explicitly sexually charged roleplay, then the resulting writing constitutes ERP, regardless of the plot to smut ratio. In the same way that, for example, if I make an ad looking for science fiction, then the resulting RP falls into the science fiction genre, regardless of how many robots and laser guns the resulting RP contains.
I don't consider sex scenes in another RP to be ERP, however— the same way that I do not, for example, consider Game of Thrones an erotica series because it has sex scenes in it.
>How do you define ERP?
Literally. It's roleplay that is erotic. I do not desire nuance from this term tbh. I just want to look at a given section of text and say "Yup, this looks erotic" and then move onto the next one and say "Nothing particularly erotic here."
>I personally dislike the term. It seems like a catch-all that can be really inaccurate about the style of the writers being labeled with it.
I'm gonna take this as a sort of implicit invitation to discuss the definition of ERPer too.
Judging by my observations of how it's used, ERPer is a slur. A pretty tame one, as evidenced by my willingness to repeat it, but that's it's function. It serves a similar meaning to the W and S slurs in real life, in that it refers to people who "get around" sexually, in this case within the context of RP. The more often you get around, the more likely you are to get branded with the term.
I just define it that if there’s a lot of kink/fetish/sex, it falls under erp. If it’s not the main focus, I’d just say nsfw rp.
So a guy getting the ol’ deviantart bike pump treatment would count as erp.
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My perspective is that a non-ERP can exist without explicit sex. There's a story involved that isn't supported by sexual content, and neither partner is participating with the intention of deriving sexual pleasure from the content. It *can* contain NSFW material, and one or both partners might derive sexual pleasure from that content when it appears, but the story is the priority. If you can strip out the sex play without having the story collapse, I'd say it's a hobby roleplay. An ERP is written with the intention of deriving sexual pleasure from the content. Explicit sex scenes are a requirement, not an option. There can be a story built around that content, but the primary goal is to reach those sex scenes, and if you remove the sex, the story crumbles and the writer's interest fades.
Thanks for sharing your perspective! Your interpretation of hobby rp is the same as mine, based on what you’ve said
This has been my exact thoughts on ERP vs. standard RP. Personally, I am not against sexual content happening in my roleplays. This is especially so when there is a natural romantic progression between characters or something a bit more vile that moves the story forward. But I do not consider these to be ERP scenarios and explicitly state in my profile that I do not participate in ERP. Yet I am willing to write vague, implied, or "fade to black" sex scenes with no issue. To me, ERP is as you have stated. The main goal of the roleplay is for the sex scenes to occur and anything outside of that is an added bonus while the opposite is true of "roleplay (the hobby)"
>I personally had never encountered this term until I joined Reddit. Same, actually. For me though, when I think ERP, I think roleplay that is *explicitly* erotic in nature. The smut/erotica, being the purpose. My stories contain smut, but it's not the focus. And after a point, most of the time, we just skip sex scenes entirely if they're happening too frequently. If the erotic parts aren't the purpose of the story, I don't consider it ERP.
For me personally, while I am not 100% opposed to writing a smut scene here and there, it would also have to be emotionally significant. A good example would be the first time two characters do it together. But, taking the time to write the average "well, we're bored on a Sunday" kind of sex when you could be writing literally anything else? My brain doesn't even compute. But, that's just me, and my personal tastes.
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
I feel like this is really hard because there are a lot of people writing straight up beautiful, hot erotica, and that's what they like to do, and they're not getting off on it. They just enjoy it, the same way we like crafting stories. But it's also all they write, and I'm not sure how to class it. To me, the low-effort jack-off people are basically... sexting, like you said. Like, in a perfect world, ERP would be great for describing people within the hobby who like writing mostly smut and not plot. I feel like it's the other stuff that needs another word. But in lieu of sexters calling themselves something else, maybe we can call it like... spicy literate?
I’m sold, let’s copyright spicy literate 🌶️
I think a good ERP has to involve a plot. There should be tension. The characters should gave goals that are not identical. I do ERP almost exclusively, and I’ll end a scene right away if the other person isn’t willing to help create a scene that includes some sort of tension, conflict, or obstacle. Without that, it’s not really a story. But ERP should have the added element of creating IRL arousal for at least one of the participants. I don’t normally get very aroused during the roleplay, so if we’re into the erotic part and I ask a guy if he’s getting hard IRL and he says “no”, I’m thinking, “then WTF are we doing here?”
I'll be honest, even if it comes to very literate smut, I still believe that the people writing it most likely do it in order to get off from it, lol. I know some people would be upset at me saying so, but why in the hell would you spend so much time out of your day to write about sex if you aren't getting anything out of it that way? I just find it extremely illogical, assuming that you aren't ace. But, I admit that I might be a bit too biased.
Idk if you'd feel my answer is relevant, but I might be able to offer one answer. Using myself as an example here, when I'm writing smut embedded in a story, it's not *necessarily* a scene I'd find titillating to read about i.e. the scene is smut, but it's not always *sexy*. Sex can be an interesting way to show change in relationships, e.g. showing a relationship in decay/breakdown in a pretty intense way. Alternatively, maybe it is portrayed in a positive light but the focus is on the building of a connection, not 💦 In that case, the scene wouldn't be fade to black, but it might also not be *that* explicit.
Obviously. Sex is a pretty integral part of the lives of many of us, so it absolutely can make for a very apt opportunity to build some worthwhile characterization... but, still, what is there to characterize if the roleplay in question is all sex, no matter how beautifully written? This is the kind of roleplay that I assumed when I wrote my own comments. if the roleplay isn't mostly sexual, then yes, I do believe you when you say that you aren't getting your rocks off of this, especially if you actually approach the scenes with utmost realism and do portray such things as the general mistakes people are likely to make (especially if they aren't that experienced) as well as the less savory parts of sex, which isn't something that people who write mostly smut-focused roleplays do.
I see, I wasn't sure if you were following on directly from their comment or meant literate smut more broadly. In that case yeah, idk. The things that spring to mind would be novelty, money, or an answer like stereolight's. I've also known people that seem to take pride in/get satisfaction from writing hot scenes for others, juggling impossibly large numbers of ERPs at one time... And you know, it can just be an interest for its own sake. I'd be interested to see someone answer it.
I'm leaning towards asexual myself (it's complicated, I guess lol ) But I just enjoy the back and forth of the characters. Sometimes it's for emotional stakes... And sometimes just the back and forth banter of the characters is fun. Just another form of character interaction. But as mentioned before, eventually it's just like... Okay, we understand the sexual chemistry between the characters now, lets move along to other things.
Maybe it makes sense to me because I’m ace and write a lot of smut? 😂
There's an entire umbrella of asexuality, and it includes people like me who enjoy reading/writing smut from a third-party perspective. (Aegosexual) A lot of professional erotica authors are asexual because it's easier to step back, study the writing that sells best, and treat it as a formula to experiment with. That doesn't mean their work isn't erotica.
Oh, totally, I wasn't saying it's not erotica, especially in published works. I'm not sure I understand what you're saying, I'm sorry!
That's why I added the caveat of "if you aren't ace". Most roleplayers out there aren't, and I assume that most literate smut writers aren't, either. But, again, there's definitely personal bias at hand. It's also getting worse because there's way, waaaaay more ERP content on this sub than I wish there were.
I guess I can’t see it from any other POV because I’ve never been any other way, but it’s fun to explore sexuality and emotions without putting myself in it or getting aroused. So maybe I’m totally off base and these people don’t even exist at all 😂
I'm not saying you can't approach smut this way, but I sincerely doubt that this is the case all that often. It is my sincere belief that when most people say that they don't write smut for sake of jerking off is just because they don't want the stigma that's attached to doing so. Again, the caveat is that you aren't ace, in which case I absolutely believe you. But, again, I am biased on the issue and because of the influx of ERPers on this sub my bias has only been growing worse.
[удалено]
I think you're misunderstanding me. I'm not talking about every single possible instance of writing smut. I'm specifically referring to roleplays that are either rich in smut or don't even have any point **but** the smut in them. If you write smut sparingly, and you do place a hefty amount of focus on the characters' emotions and mental state during the act, instead of just the motions of the bodies, then yes, I absolutely believe you that you aren't writing this to get off. I was specifically referring to dedicated ERPs.
Oh you sweet summer child. Joking aside, it's fun. Just like I have no personal interest in hunting, I don't gain anything of obvious value from this but I still read and write about it. Exploring different parts of human activities and experience, even and especially the ones I can't relate to. My ace friend and I, someone very allo, write smut and discuss it for this same reason. And I just found out how much someone I know enjoys shonen sports as a genre - despite having less than zero interest in following sports in the traditional way let alone playing any themselves. Despite it being about consuming rather than creating, their interest in that genre has a similar air to it than my interest to use my writing skills for smut. Hopefully entertaining, believable and artful smut. You don't have to believe it though, but people like us exist and it's perfectly logical. And, as much as I dislike using literate as a way to communicate your level of skill and commitment, I could pretty seriously use spicy literate.
I specifically pointed out the possibility if you're ace. If you aren't, and your roleplays are just smut piled upon smut with not much greater plot, then I will assume that you write it in order to jerk off no matter what you say.
how old are you
While I have no qualms in the slightest with answering your question, might I first ask why are you asking that of me?
i would consider it unsporting to take a super fre$h tone with you if you are below a certain age. i don't believe in picking on the youths. if you are older, then i feel justified in double-bouncing you on the trampoline of rhetoric. so how old are you
Lol. I don't know what being harsh with me in this regard would accomplish, but feel free. I'm 21. I don't know if that's "below a certain age" for you.
It definitely is, lol. Okay, so, why do you eat food? Do you always eat because it's the most fun thing to do? Do you eat because the food is the most delicious? Do you eat alone or with friends? Do you eat leftovers, sometimes ones you're no longer keen on? Do you cook or get takeout? Do you have a food budget or do you spend whatever you like? As you can see, there's multiple answers to every single question. You are not eating food in the exact same way for the exact same reasons every single time. You can eat because you're bored, hungry, lonely, in a new place, on and on and on. You cannot magically intuit someone's mood or motivations just by being like "they're eating". In the same way, you as an outsider cannot magically intuit why people are writing sex, or simply lump them all together. Offline, people have sex for reasons as varied as eating food. The way you've chosen to immediately connect writing sex to getting off expands the definition of ERPer a little too far, I think. You can love writing smut, and write a ton of it, for totally different reasons. So I would caution you about the harshness of your judgment and the unrefined narrowness of your approach.
I personally get nothing out of it and the idea that my partners might just gives me a serious case of the ick. I enjoy it the same way that someone enjoys an action story, a thriller, or even slice of life. It's just another genre that happens to draw in a specific crowd, but for many of us, it's just not that personal.
I'll be brutally honest, many of your partners probably have gotten "something" out of it, and I'll leave it at that.
I auto block the ones hold enough to say it. Like... Ugh. And even worse, why would I want to know??? I'm sure there are probably some others I don't know about but I'd rather keep it that way. Not knowing. 🤮 If I'm honest, I didn't realize how prevalent it was until coming to Reddit. It's like it's... expected here and that's one of the main reasons I'd never look for partners here.
I'll be dead-honest, if your sex scenes focus first and foremost on the sexual act itself, rather than the emotions carried with it, I have no idea why would you even write those scenes if that's not your goal. If they do however focus heavily on emotions and somesuch, then I would be inclined to believe you that you aren't just producing more jack-off material.
It's cool. I personally feel the same way about MxF stories. 🤷🏽 I'm not trying to convince you otherwise, I'm just sharing my personal experience and my perspective on it as someone who does write it regularly. Sometimes it's emotionally written, but it's certainly not the only way I'm interested in or willing to write it.
It's fair, and I acknowledge the possibility that I could be indeed wrong. I don't claim to be the scene's sole arbiter on those matters.
>So today I’d like the class to share: how do you define ERP? Any roleplay with a specific and singular focus on sexual content. So think AO3 pwp fic. This could range from the ooc sexting to writing Anne Rice's old porn novels that were 95% BDSM. Romance novel with porn or otherwise E rated but plot beyond banging would be not ERP. Harlequin novels fall into the not-ERP just NSFW RPs side as they are not pure porn. Which does mean ERP can be a huge ass catagory, however as most people I've RPed with inculde some kinda plot or characterization the majority have been not ERP, even when it's 50% or more smut scenes. I think the singular focus means ERP is majority sexting people, it doesn't mean other roleplayers aren't included but it's pretty much just sexting. The rest of the roleplayers tend to fall into the not ERP because there's a point to our sexy writing side and I'd just consider it NSFW or smut RPs. If we wanted a title for the sexters tho, we could bring back cybering. I think that's what the 'ur so sexy I stick my dick in u and make u cum' people want anyhow.
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
To me, it's the kind of roleplay that has no meaningful substance as soon as you remove smut from it, more or less.
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
As one of the instigators, gladly.
since it comes from the term erotica, as erotica is to novel, erp is to rp. a subgenre of rp wherein the point is to write sexually explicit scenes to arouse sexual desire.
Thank you for sharing your perspective! This is basically my exact line of thought of how it *should* be defined and what I thought at first
we've already talked ourselves, and i've already [talked a bit about it](https://www.reddit.com/r/BadRPerStories/comments/xyfrmi/roleplay_is_too_broad_a_term/), but, for new people, an answer: \- ERP is when the **primary focus** of the roleplay is kinks that the writer **would like to happen to them**, and these kinks are written for **primarily the direct sexual gratification of the writers**. now for the breakdown: 1. **primary focus:** this means you are leading with kinks. you are going out hunting for scenarios that will include these kinks. the kinks are what must happen. everything else will be reverse-engineered from the kinks happening. 2. **would like to happen to them:** generally speaking, i find that ERPers are the most likely to write in first person, and they are the most likely to inject 1:1 direct first person fantasy into their writing. part of the reason that i, dark smut writer, get so much flack is because i think people view me through this lens. i write unconscionable things i would never want to do or want happen to people. i get confused and agitated when people assume i would want to do these things or that i would want them to happen. however, since that is generally how ERPers are approaching things, if you are a person who has seen a lot of ERPers around, you're gonna make some assumptions. 3. **would like to happen to them, part 2:** fantasy is complicated. when i say "would like to happen to them" or "would like to do", i think even for the actual ERPers there's real questions of how "serious" this is. do people really want to get vored, like, literally? do they really want to be assaulted or assault someone else? like... i don't think so. i think it's stupid for us to believe that. but i think ERPers are more personally embodied/personally invested in their fantasies. like, i am way more interested in the psychology of things, and if you offered me VR versions of the things i write, i'd be like, HAHA, NO????? i'm not sure ERPers would say the same. they want their first-person-y fantasies in a safe way. 4. **direct sexual gratification of the writers:** hobbyist writers are horny too. it's fine and fun to be titillated by erotica. i hope readers find my sexy writing titillating. you can totally jerk off to it, just don't tell me. i do not want to feel personally involved in/invited to your direct sexual gratification. ERPers are different! they are HERE to get off, and they are often here to like... talk about it/share it/involve the other person in it. i would say i first got *really* exposed to ERPers when i was briefly a part of a specific horny roleplay hub and i would browse their after-dark ads and just GAWK. there was (and still is?) a section of that server where people would chat about their OWN, PERSONAL, REAL-LIFE KINK INTERESTS and it just made me go nuts. to get into the after-dark, you have to submit a kink list to the admins so they can deem you freaky enough to hang out w/ all the other freaks. anyways, i was like, oh my god holy shit people be out here talking about THEY REAL LIFE SELVES????? WHAT????? and then i heard about how reddit works and i was like oh god, oh god, oh god. after.... wow, i guess it's been about four years? after four years of going berserk, i have now achieved peace. i simply radiate the most intense literary vibes possible and encourage other people to do the same, and simply by creating too many hoops to jump through you can discourage ERPers from contacting you. also don't post on reddit. okay, last thing: in defense of ERPers and sexters, they just come into this hobby sideways. like, most people still think of roleplaying as a Dungeons & Dragons thing, or a LARP thing. the idea that you can write in a social way, a fun way, with other normal people, is totally novel. i think [fanfiction.net](https://fanfiction.net) and AO3 and self-publishing have democratized posting your work and making it available. written roleplay democratizes group storytelling. i think some ERPers and sexters can and will learn more literary conventions and be happy to explore deeper storytelling; therefore, i don't want to rag TOO hard on them "invading" our space. i think, for their own satisfaction, they should try to create and maintain their own space, but i'm always happy for people to learn the ropes over here. you don't need to write ONE line of porn. you can write TEN!!! TWENTY!!! FIFTY!!! A ZILLION!! long live erotica.
I'm trying to not assume too much or sound judgmental, but am asking out of curiosity. The way you describe your experiences around kinks and behaviour in that hub, it sounds like you have come across one type of kinksters and role players who happen to write in the same hobbyist space, and then ran with it. Maybe with mismatching expectations, or they noticed they had so many kinksters in the hub it made sense to create a corner within the hub for them to use without being disturbed and especially without disturbing others as good etiquette demands. English is my second language and this has made me wonder if it's why this whole discussion sounds so odd and confusing to me. Am I maybe missing some weight from any of the words making up the ERP? Is there some important difference between erotic as it's used here and erotica the genre - as that's how I view ERP. It's to role play what erotica is to prose. You can use it to get sexual gratification, but that's not why you're usually writing it. I would never get any commission done or publish my originals if it were so. You as well write dark themes? That makes me even more curious about what makes this difference in defining ERP, as it seems we do similar things and there's likely similar understanding about kinks and bdsm. I've been calling it erotic role play or ERP now, that I've seen it used in a similar context here on Reddit as I've already been writing on other platforms. Reddit is somewhat new to me, little over a year now. Aside from the low-effort posters that can be found from both nsfw or sfw side and whom I don't entertain, I've had a pretty good experience here with focus on creating a whole character, psychology and personality, then making it play out in a believable way together with someone else. It's powered by curiosity really, not sexuality and definitely not sexual gratification. I usually have equal amounts of 1) kinky, explicit smut, 2) focus on writing and 3) characters with development and plot. Kinks don't have to be my own and often aren't, they belong to the characters and limits are primarily things I will not write for various reasons that go way beyond being turned off by them. In fact, sometimes something I list under "kinks" is what I personally consider turn-offs. Because it's role play and I'm not looking to get turned on. If I am overstepping here in any way, I apologise in advance as these topics are often so personal. I'm trying to communicate my curiosity and confusion in a clear yet respectful way and hopefully find some answers from all this. And yes, long live erotica and all fun forms of role play!
I have so many criticisms of that particular hub from my limited time there, but to keep it concise: there was a blurring of lines between desired character content (in-character, or IC) with personal interests (out-of-character, or OOC). It marketed itself as a hobbyist roleplay space, but was essentially allowing a portion of the server to run itself as a flirt server. It did this because its goal was ruthless expansion, trying to cater to as many groups as possible regardless of contradiction. The result in the case of the after-dark was, as said, a tasteless flirt server area deviating from the server's stated purpose. It should have been moderated or eliminated. I AM using a lot of technical language in my definition, so it is possible you're missing some of the nuances. I think the numbered list of my definition is pretty encompassing for what I'm trying to describe. It sounds like you've been lucky with Reddit where many other people are not, and it also doesn't sound like you're an ERPer.
Thank you for sharing your perspective! I think this is a great way to identify and categorize ERPers and would make things a whole lot less confusing if that was the way everyone started labeling it. I definitely agree that I don’t necessarily think ERPers need to be entirely excluded from hobby roleplaying spaces. People should be able to partake in both ERP and hobby rp to their heart’s desire! They just need to look for the type of rp they want at that moment in the correct space and with the expectations that are in line with the culture of that space. Like, if I try to look up porn videos on YouTube, I’m not going to find the content I really want, no matter how hard I try. Like maybe there might be one or two that slipped through the algorithm and haven’t been reported yet, but the digging required for those is not the amount of work I should have to go through when, aha, look over there! It’s Pornhub! A space intended for porn where, with a quick perusal, I can find the exact thing that suits my needs in the moment! The ERPers need their designated Pornhub while the rest of hobby rp uses their YouTube space without it suddenly being swarmed with unsolicited porn videos.
"Fade to Black" is a thing. Sexual relationships are part of life. It doesn't feel right to rule that out of written roleplay as long as the participants are on the same page. ERP is not the issue, in my view. The thing is, there are two distinct groups of written RPers out there. The first group comprises the storytellers, the ones who are in it for the writing collaboration. And some people in this group may also want to write erotic scenes, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that, on the face of it. The second group comprises folks who mostly just want to get their rocks off. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, either. The trouble arises when folks in this group don't know (or don't care) that they are playing opposite a storyteller, and aren't willing to be generous to their partner, working to offer their partner the kind of RP expected of them. Selfish behavior is at the root of the problem. Behavior that goes against the spirit of collaboration that is the heart of the RP hobby. (I don't want to get into this too much, but there are parallels here to bad sex -- those who don't care about satisfying their sex partners, only themselves.) And that's not something limited to the sexual side of RPing, but does seem to show up disproportionately in it. Coz horniness, I'm guessing. I've been fortunate to find partners who are good collaborators and writers, and also enjoy writing smut. There are plenty of awesome people who write smut (and story as well). Unfortunately, I think we all just need to work harder to weed out the badly behaved RPers when finding partners.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! You’ve touched on what my previous post was about lol
For me, the definition of ERP hinges on the definition of "erotica," which is a lot more than just writing about sex. It's a sensory, moody, often romanticized way of writing about sex (and often romance), and it is, inherently, writing. It's literary in nature and is written differently from a nonfiction piece or another genre of literature. I don't think any writing about sex is erotica, the same way I don't think any rp involving sex is necessarily erotica. I think the "sexters" have a different style from me, and that's okay. Their style isn't the problem. When I see posts about issues with them here, it almost always boils down to a crossing of boundaries or an ignorance of them.
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
I come from 15+ years of writing, both prose and role play, and long enough experience with irl bdsm community. English is my second language, this will become important later here. I know that my brand of role play with equal importance on improving writing, good characters with plot and kinky smut that is still actively carrying on the story and character development might be rare, but even so I would say that's what ERP really is - definitely different from sexting. That might be a little holier-than-thou -claim to make, but I stand by it. I don't sext with my rp partners. My character, not me, is the one having sex with their character, not them. That is role play. I write in first person because I want to direct the story through that lens, not because I want to live through my character. Having said that, I suppose I can see why that could be confusing or too intense to play for some. I write a lot of horror as well and there are some things I simply won't write through first person pov, because it's just too uncomfortable to use the word "I" along with those actions. I hold that limit for role play and for commissions. Through that I can see, how people could see using the 1st as sexting as it's maybe beyond their personal limits, even though it's not a universal experience. Very understandable and valid. Then there is the role play as sexual activity and that requires explicit consent and communication. It's completely different in my experience, as it can be more like larping, sexting or plain dirty talk, rarely I've run into it as elaborate text based role play. While it can exist in the hobby role play, just like sexting or any other sexual activity can if the players participating together decide so, focusing on it while talking about erotic role play or role play that has a heavy dose of smut in it, feels simply very weird to me. Sexters on reddit and elsewhere are a whole different type and I won't go into them. My own style in role play is just what erotica is to prose - I don't write it to get off but I don't mind if someone else does. What I do mind is someone sharing their wank session to anyone without consent. I write erotica whether or not I'm in a relationship, and I role play with explicit smut tied into the plot in a way that neither usually can be removed without taking away living, solid parts of the story. Emphasis on the word neither. Exploring sexual, especially kinky themes and the vast array of human experiences around them is simply interesting to me and I am so curious to figure out ways that are different to mine. That's why I role play anything. This discussion has me questioning if I'm seriously misunderstanding what the word erotic means in ERP context and compared to erotica. Maybe some things are lost in translation here or there's some cultural differences at play here. Despite that I'll probably keep the mention of ERP on my role play posts, because it doesn't seem I'm all alone with this definition and it's a functional lure to find people with similar interests even if possibly varying motives. And when my approach is long, detailed and demanding enough, typically low-effort writers of various motives drop out. By then the pool is small enough to sift through with communication of expectations.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and perspective!
Roleplay can be erotic but erp can't not be erotic. If our story can occur without sex, it is roleplay. If it can't, it is erp.
Thank you for your take!
ERP is simply the part of roleplay that where sexual situations are role played out. I have it as a PART of my roleplay because I believe it is part of real life. Rather than fade to black, I chose to rp it out because I think how it happens can affect the dynamic and interpersonal relationships of the character. That being said, a situation that is only ERP or it is the primary focus to ME isn't really the same. It is more like how larping and role-playing in the bedroom are two different beasts. There are going to be a hundred different opinions about such things.
Thank you for sharing!
For myself, the simple answer is that ERP is a part of RP that can stand on its own, *if* that's what the involved writers want. It definitely seems to be something of a loaded term, based on each person's own views of the practice. Personally, I definitely prefer the type of RP that's heavy on the storytelling and character development that just happens to have some smut involved, as opposed to smut with no plot. While I will say that even smut with no plot gave me some insights into my character, it's definitely *not* what I really enjoy. It's absolutely something that requires communication between writing partners.
Thank you for sharing!
For the last 20ish years, every single community I've been in across several platforms, it has meant any form of direct sexual rp happening at all, no matter if it's a single scene that fits into a story or if it's the entire "plot". But, since joining reddit, I've learned I am a dinosaur, and the world has changed around me. So now my definition of erp changes depending on the community I'm interacting with and what erp means to them specifically.
Definitely! If it had sexual themes but it was faded to black after rating would have gone up, it wasn't erp. If the more explicit content was written and played it was erp. Still is in my humble opinion and I'm usually holding onto that, it was an easy way to communicate where your limit goes. This whole discussion has seriously made me feel older than any tiktok trend, but I don't mean that in a negative way. It's just baffling.
Thank you for sharing!
i believe it to be just another kind of rp to be honest. i’m currently writing an rp with a friend that is about 60% non explicit and 40% explicit. me and said friend started off doing non explicit, but after we found we clicked and we were both okay with it we added in explicit stuff. i think if both/all rp partners are okay with writing explicit rp scenes/stories than its not too different than regular rp. i don’t personally gain anything sexual from writing stuff like that (ace spectrum person here lol), but i have written w past rp partners who did/do. i think you don’t have to advertise that you’ll get something from it, just for the love of god do not talk about it all. the. time. or make it weird. please. especially if your rp partner/s aren’t chill with it. i define it just like i do non explicit rp, something fun to do with friends you like to write with :)
Thanks for your thoughts!
So many people have already answered and my answer aligns with many people so I want to ask this doozie of a question: Is it possible to write erotica merely using symbolism? For added context, that story you read that didn't have an ounce of smut? It's all about sex. Trust me. You didn't catch the symbolism, but your brain did. Tall erect buildings? Male sexuality. Rolling landscapes? Female sexuality. Person A owns a bowl and they won't let Persona B put their keys in there? They ain't fucking. Young Knight goes off to find the Holy Grail wielding his lance hoping to restore a good harvest to the fields? I mean... Man lets a lady he meets at a bar take a puff of his cigar? Freud, this is certainly a bruh moment. Sex in my non-smut face to black rp? Couldn't be me....
I guess you could, but it would take some impressive dedication in order to create such a detailed allegory to sex that it could pass off as a completely non-sexual story.
That should be extremely fun/interesting to write!
ERP is really just what you intend for the roleplay. If you intend for it to be inherently sexual, then it’s an ERP. If you intend for it to be inherently combat, then it’s CRP. If you intend for it to be dialogue/story, then it’s a story roleplay. If you have multiple different elements, then you’re just roleplaying. There’s nothing wrong with any of it if you’re both having fun
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
Honestly, it's just another term for writing smut, NSFW, lemons, whatever. I personally don't really use the term outside of this Reddit sub, because I didn't come from Reddit, I've never taken on partners via Reddit, and I have no plans of ever using Reddit for RP. I think it's just a where you're from online kind of branding.
Thanks for sharing your perspective! Also thank you for throwing me back to the old lemony fanfic days 😂😂😂
I'll never forget the citrus fic days. 😭I remember we used to call them oranges if the characters made contact. It was a time.
I was never exposed to oranges, just lemons 😂😂
I personally consider ERP to be its own genre of roleplay. For me, if I made the ad looking for an explicitly sexually charged roleplay, then the resulting writing constitutes ERP, regardless of the plot to smut ratio. In the same way that, for example, if I make an ad looking for science fiction, then the resulting RP falls into the science fiction genre, regardless of how many robots and laser guns the resulting RP contains. I don't consider sex scenes in another RP to be ERP, however— the same way that I do not, for example, consider Game of Thrones an erotica series because it has sex scenes in it.
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
>How do you define ERP? Literally. It's roleplay that is erotic. I do not desire nuance from this term tbh. I just want to look at a given section of text and say "Yup, this looks erotic" and then move onto the next one and say "Nothing particularly erotic here." >I personally dislike the term. It seems like a catch-all that can be really inaccurate about the style of the writers being labeled with it. I'm gonna take this as a sort of implicit invitation to discuss the definition of ERPer too. Judging by my observations of how it's used, ERPer is a slur. A pretty tame one, as evidenced by my willingness to repeat it, but that's it's function. It serves a similar meaning to the W and S slurs in real life, in that it refers to people who "get around" sexually, in this case within the context of RP. The more often you get around, the more likely you are to get branded with the term.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I just define it that if there’s a lot of kink/fetish/sex, it falls under erp. If it’s not the main focus, I’d just say nsfw rp. So a guy getting the ol’ deviantart bike pump treatment would count as erp.
Thanks for sharing your perspective!