I've seen stories around here tagged with Romance and Sex, but not tagged with Porn. It got me to thinking: is that just a personal preference (sounds stupid, I know, but still), or is it about how much detail is used to describe the sex?

Let's say a couple is making love. Like the sex is intimate with caressing and fingers laced, deep gazes into each other's eyes, that sort of thing. Could that still be considered porn, but with romance?

Now let's say another couple's just absolutely banging each other's brains out. No love. Just pure, unadulterated lust. That's sex and porn, but can it really be considered romance?

I guess I just want some insight here. (Also posted this to Clopfics to get perspectives from both sides, so to speak)

7526820 Sometimes people use the sex tag, not because there is actual detailed sex but due to suggestive themes and innuendos.

7526820
The difference is all about goals.

Romance and Sex are about romance and sex being elements towards the end goal of telling a story.

Porn is when a story is used as an excuse for the end goal of showing explicit sex for its own sake.

7526851
That makes sense to me.

7526851

That's how I have done it. Romance and Sex is for a story about developing the romance, but which may have some sex/sexual themes. Sex and Porn is as much about sex as possible.

7526820
It's basically what 7526851 says but I think it's worth a bit more detail.

All of the genre tags are just that. Genres, not content. When you put the comedy tag on a story it's not because you told one funny joke somewhere in chapter five. You're assuring the readers that what they will get inside is (at least) your best attempt to give them a chuckle. When you put the romance tag on a story, you're assuring the readers that the plot/conflicts of the story will center on love and relationships. Obviously sex can be an important part of several kinds of relationships.

The sex tag is a content tag that, along with the rating tag, warns the user about what kind of stuff they may encounter in your story. In case they're uncomfortable reading about cartoon ponies from a kids' show going any further than we see in that cartoon.

The porn tag is a genre tag. While there can be plot, it's often vestigial at best. Porn stories seek to present a spectacle. The goal, as Winston mentioned, is different. Where a romance story includes sex to show a relationship, a porn story includes a relationship to show sex.

It's up to you as an author to figure out what your goals are and what expectations you are trying to communicate to your readers. There's no definitive line between them that you can cross or avoid.

7527936
Ooh, that's good insight! Color me impressed. As stated before, I'll keep that all in mind for future stories.

Thanks for the input!