That's interesting, because I've written a lot of stories about prostitution, often from the point of view of a particular woman, and she explains it as being totally about money, not sex per se. She also details the toll it takes on her and the delusions of the clients. The terms she uses are business metaphors (car dealerships are one) without any erotic content. And she only does it for two ten-month part-time stints, and she's totally drained both times. She fears pimps, the police, and her own customers who could harm her and get away with it.
There's two ways to handle these scenarios.
Right, and for a site like Lit, the "Oh my God, I love fucking, and getting paid for it!" is the way to go.
I have something like that in a folder I haven't submitted yet.
I wasn't inferring anything was negative, just pointing out that this site is more aligned for erotic fantasy than depressing reality.
I didn't intend to write a diatribe, I'd guess you'd call it. Most of it started from a single story about a guy patronizing a prostitute and the surprising result. I don't think I've ever met a hooker, but streetwalkers used to be common in New York thirty to fifty years ago. Then the situation mostly went on-line until the influx of migrants brought in a new generation of streetwalkers.There's two ways to handle these scenarios.
The first is the much more widely erotic device that they enjoy what they do. The porn shoot stories I've done, they were anxious going in, but found themselves getting into it. But I also used some things in the hcracters background and motivations that made that seem more plausible. The escort story, her first encounter was spur of the moment where someone knew she was hard up and offered to buy her something she needed and add some cash to have sex with her.
She struggled to go through with it, the guy was kind of a dick to her, but afterwards, she looked up escort sites he'd suggested to her "After all, you're a pro now" was the snotty remark when they were done, and she found the idea of men paying her for sex arousing. But she studied up on the game, set her rules and moving forward she felt much more in control and the average guy looking to do this is decent and just want time with a hot woman, I kept the disdain out of it going with the GFE being her sex life and intimacy because she wasn't going to date while doing this.
Implausible? Yes and no, I've talked to a few escorts over time both former and current (a couple a long time ago when I did use those services) and some more recent in the former group. That disdain exists, the bitterness they are doing it, and some shame in what they do, but for whatever reason they have no other options for that type of money, and of course some have bad habits. But these are things we don't want to use if the story is meant to just be 'hot' and fun.
I've done the other way around where the woman had no other options, was good at it and highly requested (Dominatrix) but always felt empty and used, and no regard for the men paying her, especially the ones who didn't even bother to take the wedding band off. I've had characters in the present describe being a stripper or sex worker in the past and how ashamed they were of it, and how seedy, and dangerous it can be at times. But those stories were meant to shape the character in the present, and create reasons why they are who they now are, and meant to be more depressing and desperate than a turn on.
Both work as long as the rest of the tone of the story fits. Women who do it out of need and feel stuck in it, are not suddenly going to meet that guy that's so awesome she comes four times.
Yes, I've heard that said a number of times before. But people can write what suits them. We don't necessarily have to align with the site; I hope the site aligns with us. I wouldn't have stayed here so long if at least some of my stories weren't well-received, including the more downbeat ones about prostitution.
Then you surely don't want to read my real-life essays about taxi driving. But the four in the series so far have mostly done pretty well. I am considering a fifth installment if I ever have time to do it.
Wow, your stories sound intense and really grounded in realism. It’s refreshing to see prostitution portrayed from such a pragmatic, non-romanticized perspective focusing on the financial and emotional toll rather than glamorizing it. The business metaphors and the protagonist’s clear disdain for the clients add a unique layer of authenticity. It’s also interesting how you highlight her fear and the power dynamics at play, which often get glossed over in more sensationalized portrayals.
You’ve clearly put a lot of thought into these portrayals, and it shows! Both approaches, whether it’s the eroticized version or the gritty, realistic one can work, as long as they’re consistent with the tone and purpose of the story. It’s cool how you’ve balanced the erotic elements with deeper character motivations and real-world consequences. The key, like you said, is making sure the rest of the story aligns with the character’s experience. Whether it’s meant to be hot or harrowing, authenticity is what makes it compelling.There's two ways to handle these scenarios.
The first is the much more widely erotic device that they enjoy what they do. The porn shoot stories I've done, they were anxious going in, but found themselves getting into it. But I also used some things in the hcracters background and motivations that made that seem more plausible. The escort story, her first encounter was spur of the moment where someone knew she was hard up and offered to buy her something she needed and add some cash to have sex with her.
She struggled to go through with it, the guy was kind of a dick to her, but afterwards, she looked up escort sites he'd suggested to her "After all, you're a pro now" was the snotty remark when they were done, and she found the idea of men paying her for sex arousing. But she studied up on the game, set her rules and moving forward she felt much more in control and the average guy looking to do this is decent and just want time with a hot woman, I kept the disdain out of it going with the GFE being her sex life and intimacy because she wasn't going to date while doing this.
Implausible? Yes and no, I've talked to a few escorts over time both former and current (a couple a long time ago when I did use those services) and some more recent in the former group. That disdain exists, the bitterness they are doing it, and some shame in what they do, but for whatever reason they have no other options for that type of money, and of course some have bad habits. But these are things we don't want to use if the story is meant to just be 'hot' and fun.
I've done the other way around where the woman had no other options, was good at it and highly requested (Dominatrix) but always felt empty and used, and no regard for the men paying her, especially the ones who didn't even bother to take the wedding band off. I've had characters in the present describe being a stripper or sex worker in the past and how ashamed they were of it, and how seedy, and dangerous it can be at times. But those stories were meant to shape the character in the present, and create reasons why they are who they now are, and meant to be more depressing and desperate than a turn on.
Both work as long as the rest of the tone of the story fits. Women who do it out of need and feel stuck in it, are not suddenly going to meet that guy that's so awesome she comes four times.
Thanks! I didn't do any particular research on it, but I certain saw streetwalkers a lot in the 1970s. Like that corner in Taxi Driver at 13th and Third Avenue really was one of the locations for them. Thus most of the stories are set in the 1970s before online prostitution existed. Now, I guess with new migrants to the city, street prostitution has returned in a big way.
I hope they don't sell their bodies by the kilo.
I wasn't aware of the on-line crackdown. Also, I'm not familiar with what's going on in other cities. I would guess that they were absent from the streets for about two decades beginning early in this century. Also, they seem to be in different neighborhoods than previously, more in Brooklyn and Queens than the earlier locations in Manhattan.
If you're ever in New York, stop by Roosevelt Avenue and find out. It's easy to get to on the #7 train.
Yeah, the 70s vibe definitely had that gritty, raw energy Taxi Driver nailed it. It’s wild how things cycle back, though; street prostitution’s resurgence feels like a weird throwback. “Market of Sweethearts” is such a darkly ironic name, too. Times change, but some things just… don’t. Crazy how history repeats itself in different ways.
New York, like most major cities (except places like Zurich) has been a tough place from the beginning. I love watching '70s movies because they did so much location filming here. What looked contemporary when first released has now passed into history. Gene Hackman in Brooklyn:
Oh, totally! There’s something so raw and real about '70s NYC in films, it’s like a time capsule of the city’s grit and character. That Gene Hackman shot in Brooklyn is iconic, and it’s wild how much the city has changed since then. Those movies really captured a moment in time that feels almost mythical now.
I lived through that, and it wasn't so great. I wasn't comfortable being on the street or subway in many places.
That may be true. Perceptions based on what politicians and the media offer can be misleading.
