Writer's question

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:48 pm

OK, for you writers out there I'm sure you've all faced this question.

When you write erotica do you think that the plot and characters should be equal to, greater than, or less than the graphic sexual descriptions?

What if you're limited to 3500 words per story and your audience is a bunch of 18-21 y/o college students with high libido's and little life experience?

And as a side note, is there a web site listing all the euphemisms for human...parts?

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 2:12 pm

Oh, come on. On the internetweb? That's for p*rn? Of course there is.
Don't ask me where, though.

You could try checking out "Clean Sheets". I'm not posting a link. You'll find it.

Plot? Characters? He speaketh in riddles.

If you find the graphic descriptions difficult, you could try getting the characters themselves to recount them. Oh, hell, I can't resist:

If it gets too hard, try putting it in the mouth of one of the characters.

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 2:52 pm

Pr0n, even when you spell it 'e-r-o-t-i-c-a', is extremely difficult to combine with literature, as in art-writing. The demands of each are very nearly contradictory.

In particular, the characters are almost invariably two dimensional. As far I've observed, the only character in the entire corpus who occassionaly breaks through into the third D is O, the POV character in The Story of O, and even there all the other characters in the book are flatter than flat.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 2:59 pm

I don't care how you label it, a story populated with cardboard-cut-out characters and no real plot will only hold anyone's interest for so long.

--James

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 2:59 pm

Flyingcursor wrote:When you write erotica do you think that the plot and characters should be equal to, greater than, or less than the graphic sexual descriptions?

<snerk!>

I believe the PC to GSD ratio varies somewhat depending on the intended audience. Men prefer predominantly GSD, while women prefer a bit more PC development. The women's GSD needs to be from a female perspective, too.

What if you're limited to 3500 words per story

Be concise.

and your audience is a bunch of 18-21 y/o college students with high libido's and little life experience?

You don't want them breaking up into hysterics. Besides, isn't kiddie lichen illegal? Best check the legal ages in your state first . . . and make sure there are no precocious 15-year-olds in the class.

Seriously, I'd go for intricate and elegant, yet relatively tame situations, rather than something . . . err . . . more prurient.

You might even want to make it humorous. Female English major discovers just how handy geeky computer engineers can be, for instance, when her business major boyfriend and her hard drive dump her at the same time.

Oooh, yes! Lots of potential there! Yum! You can go on for almost the whole thing using computer repair to foreshadow what will happen, then end with her slooooowly removing . . . one by one . . . millimeter by millimeter . . . all the multicolored pens in his pocket protector . . . while he . . . explains . . . just . . . how . . . a slide rule . . . works . . .

See? Isn't that excellent? Chiffettes everywhere are going into happy mode.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:00 pm

peeplj wrote:I don't care how you label it, a story populated with cardboard-cut-out characters and no real plot will only hold anyone's interest for so long.

--James

It only takes about 10 minutes.

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:01 pm

peeplj wrote:I don't care how you label it, a story populated with cardboard-cut-out characters and no real plot will only hold anyone's interest for so long.

Just long enough, no doubt.

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:03 pm

Jack wrote:
peeplj wrote:I don't care how you label it, a story populated with cardboard-cut-out characters and no real plot will only hold anyone's interest for so long.

--James
It only takes about 10 minutes.

Good thing you're gay, then.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:23 pm

It's a very good thing.

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:33 pm

Jack wrote:It's a very good thing.

Women think so, yes. They have to worry about one less jackrabbit.

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:33 pm

will the story involve mermaids?

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:46 pm

Lambchop wrote:... then end with her slooooowly removing . . . one by one . . . millimeter by millimeter . . . all the multicolored pens in his pocket protector . . . while he . . . explains . . . just . . . how . . . a slide rule . . . works . . .

See? Isn't that excellent? Chiffettes everywhere are going into happy mode.

That is excellent.

djm · Post by **djm** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:22 pm

Dear Prurience, won't you come out to play.

- Almost Lennon

djm

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 7:56 pm

Flyingcursor wrote: You might even want to make it humorous. Female English major discovers just how handy geeky computer engineers can be, for instance, when her business major boyfriend and her hard drive dump her at the same time.
.

No doubt her business major boyfriend only had a floppy disk, and only 3.5" at that...

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 8:29 pm

I always think that character trumps everything else, but I'm a snob. Considering the audience and the wordcount, you should use familiar (read: cliche) characters so you don't have to develop them too much, and lots of action, both hot and non hot. I also happen to think that less is more in erotica, in that too graphic is a turn off. Your audience will be to impatient for subtle, but try to strike a balance.

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