Motivation behind incest - not feeling it

If i may add my own two cents to this thread i haver writtern my fair share of incest stories and for me my motivation is this.

The leading man is disabled in some way shape or form and the leading lady feels compassion for the leading man and she decides to have sex with him out of compassion.
 
In the case of our story - an accident which involves the siblings doing it, initially without knowing it. Later however they find a latent sexual attraction for one another.

I believe the motivation behind incest is individual and up to each person. Some person have an attraction to a sibling or a parent - or an offspring (that much as been proven, after all) but very few choose to act upon it.

Still, it's a common taboo theme. I'd be lying if i said that it didn't appeal to me.
 
If I may add my thoughts,, I think we're forgetting a main concept: there is a HUGE difference between real incest and incest erotica/pornography.

I myself enjoy reading incest stories, but in real life...ewwwwwwwwww. I've never felt the urge and I think it is kind of gross. One of my best friends dated his step-sister back in high school. We still 15 years later, think it's weird.

However, like most people who read incest erotica, that's the appeal of it. That it is so forbidden. I'm not sure why, but sometimes I get bored with regular sex in terms of erotica and pornography. I just need a change of pace. like all humans I think we never get over how naughty it feels the first times we're doing anything sexual.

As such I think when we look for truly exciting erotica, we look to the forbidden.

I myself am struggling to write my first incest story now. I've tried time and time again. This time it's going better because I'm using this trick: I pretend that that the characters are just role-playing to enjoy a forbidden fantasy, and at the end this will be revealed. Once I get through it it should be easy to just forget that ending.

I'm not sure if that helps, but I think that's they key: remember that it is just a fantasy, and what titillates us most is the forbidden. Incest is the ONLY worldwide taboo which means it is universally appealing in the fact that it is sex flying in the face of convention.

Also, I think most people like it because familial love is already in place, creating an emotional bond that makes it plausible two people can carry through on this forbidden act.

Good luck!
 
I've posted a two part oedipal story on here. Anyhow, here is the skinny on the whole incest phenomena:

1) Most of the writers in this genre probably never experienced an attraction to a family member. The phrase "like kissing your sister" applies to most families. But most of the writers stumbled on some kind of incest story or movie at some point and were aroused by it. No, they did not turn around and attempt to seduce a family member. They were aroused by some imaginary scenario.

For me it was the movie La Luna, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and staring Jill Clayburgh. In this R rated feature Jill Clayburgh has a sexual relationship with her teenage son after her husband dies while they are living in Italy.

2) I think the attraction to these stories is threefold. First, there is the whole taboo aspect of it and the fact that the relationship must be kept secret. Second, the sexual tension is intensified due to the close proximity of the characters and goes well beyond their ability to control it. The sexual tension takes on a life of its own without the characters realizing what is happening. Eventually they are overpowered by it and just give in. Third, the principle characters already know each other intimately. Love is present as well as the ability to push each other's buttons. The potential for complex but intense emotions early on in the sexual relationship is there. In the hands of a skilled author this adds another dimension to the story.

3) If you have "never gone there" in your fantasies I have a suggestion. Imagine a neighbor, boss, teacher or friend you were attracted to growing up, someone who you would have never acted upon the fantasy with. Fantasize that the two of you are sharing a house or apartment and the sexual tension becomes overwhelming.

Most of the characters I use are based on women I have known and/or dated. I imagine how an incest scenario might have played out given a different set of circumstances.

4) For me plot is secondary to character development. Sometimes I read psychological articles and case studies to help me write the sort of characters who would become involved in an incestuous relationship. What are the scenarios? Is there a difference in the dynamic between cases of abuse and so-called consensual incest.

5) One thing I stay away from is complete fantasy, happily ever after type of stories. There is a psychological cost for consumating a relationship with a first degree relative. For me, pretending that there isn't is not only dishonest but deprives the reader of one of the more intriguing aspects of a taboo relationship: why a couple would continue such a relationship if it is not healthy for them? Other writers disagree with me here and my lit ratings have suffered because I am not writing a complete fantasy stroke story. But the psychological dimensions interest me far more than a "hot" sex scene.

Here is a link to a story series I am working on. So far I have only written two parts. It is slow going because the story is not told from the point of view of the two principle characters but from neighbors and family members who knew and witnessed the incestuous relationship between a mother and her grown son.

http://www.literotica.com/s/our-town

You are spot on. Every point on your list are prevalent in my experience as well. The reason why Incest stories are near the top on this site is due to the level of presupposed intimacy of the characters. It is a connection that precedes the sexual but powerfully surges it.
 
Would I bang my sister? Not at all! But would I get off on two sisters going at it? Hells yes! Remember, you're writing about other people's relatives, not your own... unless, of course, you really want to bang your sister. Or mother, or whoever.
 
I've posted a two part oedipal story on here. Anyhow, here is the skinny on the whole incest phenomena:

1) Most of the writers in this genre probably never experienced an attraction to a family member. The phrase "like kissing your sister" applies to most families. But most of the writers stumbled on some kind of incest story or movie at some point and were aroused by it. No, they did not turn around and attempt to seduce a family member. They were aroused by some imaginary scenario.

For me it was the movie La Luna, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and staring Jill Clayburgh. In this R rated feature Jill Clayburgh has a sexual relationship with her teenage son after her husband dies while they are living in Italy.

2) I think the attraction to these stories is threefold. First, there is the whole taboo aspect of it and the fact that the relationship must be kept secret. Second, the sexual tension is intensified due to the close proximity of the characters and goes well beyond their ability to control it. The sexual tension takes on a life of its own without the characters realizing what is happening. Eventually they are overpowered by it and just give in. Third, the principle characters already know each other intimately. Love is present as well as the ability to push each other's buttons. The potential for complex but intense emotions early on in the sexual relationship is there. In the hands of a skilled author this adds another dimension to the story.

3) If you have "never gone there" in your fantasies I have a suggestion. Imagine a neighbor, boss, teacher or friend you were attracted to growing up, someone who you would have never acted upon the fantasy with. Fantasize that the two of you are sharing a house or apartment and the sexual tension becomes overwhelming.

Most of the characters I use are based on women I have known and/or dated. I imagine how an incest scenario might have played out given a different set of circumstances.

4) For me plot is secondary to character development. Sometimes I read psychological articles and case studies to help me write the sort of characters who would become involved in an incestuous relationship. What are the scenarios? Is there a difference in the dynamic between cases of abuse and so-called consensual incest.

5) One thing I stay away from is complete fantasy, happily ever after type of stories. There is a psychological cost for consumating a relationship with a first degree relative. For me, pretending that there isn't is not only dishonest but deprives the reader of one of the more intriguing aspects of a taboo relationship: why a couple would continue such a relationship if it is not healthy for them? Other writers disagree with me here and my lit ratings have suffered because I am not writing a complete fantasy stroke story. But the psychological dimensions interest me far more than a "hot" sex scene.

Here is a link to a story series I am working on. So far I have only written two parts. It is slow going because the story is not told from the point of view of the two principle characters but from neighbors and family members who knew and witnessed the incestuous relationship between a mother and her grown son.

http://www.literotica.com/s/our-town

This is a constructive and useful analysis. I was particularly drawn to references 4. and 5. on the 'psychological dimensions' of incest. In exploring and writing on this theme the analysis of inner thought is a way of showing rather than telling how genetic sexual attraction can and does arise between some family members. It is the difference between thoughtful erotic writing and pornography.

The distinction between the erotic and the pornographic is likely to trouble many writers and the above final paragraph explains how this might be overcome by distancing the protagonists, i.e., a mother and son, by telling the story from the perspective of neighbours and family members who knew of the incestual relationship. It should be possible, however, to tell the story directly, by employing the inner thoughts of the mother and her son, with the story ending at the point where they accept their decision to take that final and irretrievable step from which there is no return. In cinematic terms, the ending to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid where the scene froze into a sepia, still image as the two outlaws stepped out, guns drawn, to their demise, was a very effective way of drawing the film to a close, i.e., by showing, not telling.
 
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Most of the threads on lit don't make the distinction between porn and erotic writing, though just because we don't doesn't mean that the distinction doesn't exist. Instead, stories tend to be classified as "quick stroke" versus "slow build", the "slow build" focusing more on characters and plot. I think there is great writing and hackneyed writing in both categories.

My own definition of "porn" is that it is primarily visual and focused primarily on the sexual action. Erotic writing takes the emotional aspects into account. To me this is more interesting. I do believe that there is a distinction between erotic photography, film, etc... and porn.

Though I am not a porn fan I do find it useful for writing. If I want to describe how a person or couple with a specific body type move during sex I might go to a porn video, especially the amateur ones. (Porn "stars" tend to have perfect bodies which deprive us of idiosyncratic detail. Idiosyncratic detail is what makes a character come alive.) But for one story I posted here I found an online catalogue of Ruebans paintings that I used to describe a voluptous woman on the receiving end of a massage.
 
Not only that, but it doesn't take any explanation. An affair or some other risky partner needs an explanation, if you fancy your sister you don't need to say any more than who she is for it to be understood.


I think it is the outrageous shock of the whole thing that makes it exciting. It is such an obvious fantasy that it is enjoyable without feeling guilty.

Mary
 
I think it is the outrageous shock of the whole thing that makes it exciting. It is such an obvious fantasy that it is enjoyable without feeling guilty.

Mary
Actually it is much, much more common than you may think, even in the suburbs of the UK. Generally you only hear about bad incest that goes public, rape incest or incest involving underage children, the relationships that work go un noticed because, as you put it people believe that 'no one would actually do it". Spring/autumn couples are everywhere, I am 12 years older than my partner, and how would you tell that Mr & Mrs Smith are bro and sis... driving licences or passports just confirm that they have the same name not their martital or familial status.

Sorry if this is going to make you look suspiciously at all the couples that you are aquainted with or grown up single children living at home but you probably already know somebody in an incestous relationship but they are not likely to tell you about...are they?

I posted this same answer to somebodyelse's comment some time back and another reader added a little story about having known a young couple for several years only to find out much later that they were not married but brother and sister, but the real clincher for me was being told recently in a post berreavment interview, by a distraught work collegue that he had lived happily as man and wife with his mother for over twenty years until she passed away a few days previously. They had relocated to another part of the country and nobody ever knew or guessed.
 
"4) For me plot is secondary to character development. Sometimes I read psychological articles and case studies to help me write the sort of characters who would become involved in an incestuous relationship. What are the scenarios? Is there a difference in the dynamic between cases of abuse and so-called consensual incest"

Of course there is a major, major difference between cases of abuse and consensual incest. Like Maria says, incest is much more common than you might think; I have never been involved in incest myself (in some families it would be unimaginable), but have known quite a few people who were. You cannot generalize, in some cases, especially where young girls were abused by their fathers it can be very traumatic and leave scars, in other cases it can be fine. I would guess that if it is consensual among family members who are old enough to know what they are doing then it is OK, otherwise it is not.
 
Being an only child, I've always viewed incest stories as a curiosity (and related erotica as a guilty pleasure). I've done the research, and I understand more or less how it can happen, but it sometimes feels like erotic lit is flooded with the theme. What I underestimated, however, was the demand for its consumption. Perhaps I should take the leap into this category...ideas have been swimming in my head for years, and the last thing I wrote was lacking in the romance I normally like to have.

A theme that lends itself to twisting the characters minds and emotions into pretzels while still allowing room for romance is pretty appealing for me as a writer, now that I take the time to consider it.
 
Speaking for myself and my beauty pagent winning sister, "not a fucking chance in hell". Even though I could admit that she had gotten the looks in the family, and most other people's families as well, she would invariably open her mouth and spoil any appreciation I might have had. Even though I was occassionally "hard up for female companionship", being the far less attractive one (imagine an Ewok with mange), I would have a hard time functioning with that bitch sexually.

However... in my misspent youthful career, I studied human sexuality with the seriousness of a nuclear physicist and an eye to being a family counselor/sex therapist. It has been a long time, but as my spotty memory recalls, a good quarter of the national population admitted to being involved in an consensual incestuous relationship, climbing as high as half in rural and sparsely populated areas. Not all of them admitted to consumation, that is to say actual intercourse. But, there was a great deal of, what some might call "inappropriate", desire and/or physical exploration.

Interestingly enough, the ones who admitted to an consensual affair with a close relative who were old enough to have formed a significant relationship with someone (i.e., marriage) scored higher on their relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction indices respectively.

Just thought I'd toss that out there. Don't take my word for it though. Consult about ten independant sources and "make up your own damned mind". ;)
 
What a strange heading for a thread: 'Motivation behind incest - not feeling it'. If you don't feel it, why bother writing about it?

People seem to be pussy-footing around this subject. We know that consensual incest does go on; there have been media reports, and court reports on this which most of us have come across at some time, I am sure, and a good number of confessions (some true, some pure fantasy, who knows?) on sites such as Literotica. A psychologist, Hani Miletski (Google her) wrote a short book on the subject of mother and son incest, based on her work in this field, which is further evidence of professional involvement with people who have experienced incest.

The great majority, if not all, stories of incest on Literotica are fantasies, and take little or no account of the different emotional and psychological impacts that incest has on women and men who go down this route. Discussing incest fantasy is fine; it is fantasy and nothing else; but if people want to discuss real, consensual incest the point is not to dismiss it, but to seek understanding of the deeper meaning that this has for those who enter into an incestuous relationship with another family member.
 
Well it *is* tempting to pick a theme based on the largest audience available...and that audience in this case happens to be readers of incest stories. You could also look at it as an interesting subject for research, where it may be nothing you have/would ever consider doing, but it makes a good topic for study.

I'm kind of in-between camps...no desire for parental incest...no siblings to consider...but as I've found in the last few weeks, it *is* an interesting topic to research and can really open up some interesting literal possibilities that other romances just don't have. For me, the psychological aspects of it are absolutely fascinating and provide for a lot of the "twisted" elements I like introducing late in my works. It can be a loving, ideal relationship with great romantic scenes while still by its own right causing turmoil and suffering to the lovers with either direct or indirect judgement by societal norms.

As a secretive relationship, it has an entirely different dynamic from "cheating" that doesn't damage the reputation of the characters the same way that working outside of a committed relationship does. There is no betrayal except the potential betrayal of other family members by keeping it secret, or the potential for family to betray them when it is no longer a secret.

I am particularly focused right now on the "sibling strangers" angle, where a pair of siblings were never raised together, so they never developed that natural "resistance" towards sexual attraction to a sibling. It may not imply the same kind of closeness that typical erotica siblings have, but there is still a force of "should be" that forces them to try to "act" like family, so they become artificially close too quickly, and by the time they realize they are attracted to each other, they've already crossed quite a few boundaries.

For anyone in an incestuous relationship that is offended by how I choose to admire the struggle, don't take it any differently from someone who glorifies acts of murder in their writing. It is an entertainment device and hopefully a successful one.
 
Somebody school me, how can you get a scene to take off based on more than sexual heat? What are the keys to the dad/daughter or mom/son relationship that will launch characters into scheming, plotting, hoping, feeling?

Incest is relative.
 
What got me over the squicky feeling of writing incest was when I was watching a rather generic, b-movie where the actors playing brother-sister had a bit too much synergy on screen. That got me over the hump of imaging brother-sister incest. Once I wrote a couple (and I've only written a couple), I found it fun. There's the entire backstory of knowing each other so well that makes it fun. But then again, most of what I write most would consider stroke stories.
 
Usually helps if they didn't grow up together. The attraction is there if say... you lived as kids, moved away for college or whatever for a good 12 years, and then see each other again at some family reunion surprised that she is now a sexy full grown woman. You weren't there to see her grow up, so you don't have that 'ewww she's my sister' vibe. Especially if you guys meet and talk without knowing each other.
 
I've posted a two part oedipal story on here. Anyhow, here is the skinny on the whole incest phenomena:

1) Most of the writers in this genre probably never experienced an attraction to a family member. The phrase "like kissing your sister" applies to most families. But most of the writers stumbled on some kind of incest story or movie at some point and were aroused by it. No, they did not turn around and attempt to seduce a family member. They were aroused by some imaginary scenario.

For me it was the movie La Luna, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and staring Jill Clayburgh. In this R rated feature Jill Clayburgh has a sexual relationship with her teenage son after her husband dies while they are living in Italy.

2) I think the attraction to these stories is threefold. First, there is the whole taboo aspect of it and the fact that the relationship must be kept secret. Second, the sexual tension is intensified due to the close proximity of the characters and goes well beyond their ability to control it. The sexual tension takes on a life of its own without the characters realizing what is happening. Eventually they are overpowered by it and just give in. Third, the principle characters already know each other intimately. Love is present as well as the ability to push each other's buttons. The potential for complex but intense emotions early on in the sexual relationship is there. In the hands of a skilled author this adds another dimension to the story.

3) If you have "never gone there" in your fantasies I have a suggestion. Imagine a neighbor, boss, teacher or friend you were attracted to growing up, someone who you would have never acted upon the fantasy with. Fantasize that the two of you are sharing a house or apartment and the sexual tension becomes overwhelming.

Most of the characters I use are based on women I have known and/or dated. I imagine how an incest scenario might have played out given a different set of circumstances.

4) For me plot is secondary to character development. Sometimes I read psychological articles and case studies to help me write the sort of characters who would become involved in an incestuous relationship. What are the scenarios? Is there a difference in the dynamic between cases of abuse and so-called consensual incest.

5) One thing I stay away from is complete fantasy, happily ever after type of stories. There is a psychological cost for consumating a relationship with a first degree relative. For me, pretending that there isn't is not only dishonest but deprives the reader of one of the more intriguing aspects of a taboo relationship: why a couple would continue such a relationship if it is not healthy for them? Other writers disagree with me here and my lit ratings have suffered because I am not writing a complete fantasy stroke story. But the psychological dimensions interest me far more than a "hot" sex scene.

Here is a link to a story series I am working on. So far I have only written two parts. It is slow going because the story is not told from the point of view of the two principle characters but from neighbors and family members who knew and witnessed the incestuous relationship between a mother and her grown son.

http://www.literotica.com/s/our-town

Although I dont really understand everything you said I really agree with your general thoughts.

Most women wouldnt want to get involved in real life incest but in fantasy, the intense taboo parts and the outrageousness of the situation with the power thing. Also the embarassment is in itself so juicy.

It can be ridiculously exciting to read or werite such episodes.

Mary
 
New here to the forums but I've been a reader here for quite some time. To address the OP's statement in where/how to write those types of stories, I guess it comes from a simple curiosity: "How could they? Why would they?"

I recall once reading one such story that was very, very well written. It was a very short story but the character development was perfect and it drew you in - and you never had a clue as to what the family (in that case, mother and son) were going to do. It ws that story that got me interested in the subject.
 
Incest stories are a curious thing.

I am the oldest of three kids in my family. In the 24 years that my sister has been around, I have never, not even once, felt any kind of physical attraction to her. And if I ever discovered that there was any kind of incest or line-crossing going on in other (non-related or otherwise) families that I am close to, I would be weirded out to the point of sickness and lost sleep.

But in the world of erotica, it's a different story. When the characters and the families involved in are fictional, suddenly it becomes a hot fantasy for me. I can totally stroke it to two sisters hooking up, even mothers and daughters (while at the same time finding the real-world "Sexxxtons" repugnant). I'm less enthused about male/female incest couples but I've gotten off on reading about that before as well.

I'm also planning on submitting fiction of my own to Lit, way down the line, where two twin sisters end up in bed together. Then maybe I'll pen another one with cousins.

Why though? For me, I guess part of it has to do with the nastiness/taboo factor. It's exploring a corner that every society on the planet gets grossed out about, which makes it more daring. The other part is that I love lesbianism, and anytime lesbianism is brought in any squeamish feelings I might have had go sailing out the door. Call me crazy.

As far as writing about it goes, I don't think it requires any real world experience with incest, just interest in the subject and a willingness to have a filthy mind. I've never been to an orgy, but I can picture it in my head. I've never been in an open relationship or cheated, but I can write about that too. And I write about what turns me on, so if two (fictional) sisters unleashing animalistic passions on each on in the shower gets me hard, then I can easily put it to paper.

But like others here have said, exploring the psychological aspects/consequences can be helpful too. Not every ending has to be happy.
 
There are two or three scenarios that lend themselves to incest.

The first involves no history tween the people involved. Like Oedipus and his mother. He sees a female, she sees a male. There was no previous contact. Momma puts her first born up for adoption, 20 years later he meets his sister, the 2nd child, and they have a relationship, oblivious to the blood kinship.

Cousin sex. Incest with a blood partner you have limited contact with.

Sometimes the parent confuses the child with the other, missing. parent.

And garden variety horndogs who see the world as sexual opportunities.
 
Oh my body, what are you doing?

I am the oldest of three kids in my family. In the 24 years that my sister has been around, I have never, not even once, felt any kind of physical attraction to her. And if I ever discovered that there was any kind of incest or line-crossing going on in other (non-related or otherwise) families that I am close to, I would be weirded out to the point of sickness and lost sleep.

[but]... unleashing animalistic passions on each on in the shower gets me hard, then I can easily put it to paper.

Some people feel it others apparently do not but the very close presence of another adult human being often affects people in strange ways.
When the clothes touch, brushing in passing, that is one thing. When the skin meets and stays in contact the temperature changes.

Now your mind asks your body what is going on and this puts all of your body on alert. Yes, you will lose sleep.
 
But in the world of erotica, it's a different story. When the characters and the families involved in are fictional, suddenly it becomes a hot fantasy for me. I can totally stroke it to two sisters hooking up, even mothers and daughters (while at the same time finding the real-world "Sexxxtons" repugnant). I'm less enthused about male/female incest couples but I've gotten off on reading about that before as well.

I'm also planning on submitting fiction of my own to Lit, way down the line, where two twin sisters end up in bed together. Then maybe I'll pen another one with cousins.


Lesbian incest is sadly incredibly underrated.

Those stories are rarely ever popular unfortunately. I especially love the idea of a mother & daughter bonding together, and seeing each other naked and forming a sexual relationship. It's also very hot thinking about two sisters who are best friends, and maybe one of them goes of to college and they share an intimate moment before she leaves.

Good luck with your story.
 
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