Should Literotica Authors All Be Writing Strokers?

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Aaaaand drink

Should Literotica Authors All Be Drinking Cinnamon Schnapps?

 

[StillStunned]

Aaaaand drink

Perhaps we should turn this into something more productive than a drinking game. How about everyone has to write 250 words instead of taking a drink?

 

[NightPorter]

10% Plot/ 90% Sex - Stroker
50% Plot/ 50% Sex - Balanced
90% Plot/ 10% Sex - Story driven.

 

[AwkwardMD]

Perhaps we should turn this into something more productive than a drinking game. How about everyone has to write 250 words instead of taking a drink?

Do you have any idea how many stories we'll finish?!

 

[NuclearFairy]

Should Literotica Authors All Be Drinking Cinnamon Schnapps?

But some of us have a hard time drinking alcohol without killing everyone around them with laughter as is.

 

[StillStunned]

Do you have any idea how many stories we'll finish?!

If it's even a fraction of the bottles of wine I get through, I'll be happy.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

But some of us have a hard time drinking alcohol without killing everyone around them with laughter as is.

Virgin Long Islands it is.

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Do you have any idea how many stories we'll finish?!

How many shots before you can't count to 250?

 

[Bramblethorn]

I’m reminded of an interview with the Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, in which he spoke about his own dilemma: choosing between making the kind of films people want — films he considers shallow, lacking in artistic value — and making the kind of films he wants to do, which often end up as flops. I suppose my question is: how do you navigate that same dilemma?

For writing, I think "do something popular or do something I believe in?" is largely a false dilemma.

For one, because writing is such a terrible way to make a living that there's not really much "I'll do some trash so I can afford to do the ones I believe in". Even the popular trash doesn't pay well enough to make that viable; you'd get more by mowing lawns or whatever. There's no point in selling out when there's nothing to sell out for.

For another, because enthusiasm is a huge asset to a story. I've read and enjoyed pieces that were in many ways junk, because the author's love for what they were writing about just shone through. If I try writing something that my heart's not in, just because some focus group told me this genre is popular, I'll be at a big disadvantage relative to writing something that makes me have big feelings; even if the genre is popular, that doesn't mean I'll be successful in that genre.

For a third, because both the "supply" and the "demand" sides of things are important. Yes, there are probably more readers for stroke than for introspective thinky stories, but there are also a ton more authors supplying that demand. Writing for a niche genre whose readers don't get enough stories can be just as viable as trying to compete in a popular genre where readers already have a ton of options.

 

[IUsed2BaWriter]

Some thoughtful answers here. My subjective two cents:

As a reader, I look for stories with plot and character development. If I click on a story with less than a few thousand words, I usually move on. To me, the intrigue comes from having characters, who feel real, have hopes, fears, quirks, anxieties. Ideally, at some point through the story, there is a conflict or challenge that forces the character(s) to learn, grow, change. And I feel like sex scenes are most effective when they can help those characters learn about themselves and grow and change.

I've only published four stories (though No. 5 is in editing), and I definitely strive to accomplish this in my stories. None of my stories are less than 12K words, my longest is 20.4K but the one I'm working on is shaping up to be 25K. That's not to say satisfying stories cannot be told in fewer words (maybe I'm just wordy -- spoiler alert: I am). But as a reader, I like reading well-crafted, interesting stories about interesting people. And I just can't get there as a writer, or a reader, in 2,000 words.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Well said! There is no contention at all about how enjoyable it is for us authors to write stories that are rich in plot and go beyond just sex. I myself enjoy getting to know my characters slowly over a long time by putting them through different situations and also exploring their world with them. My concern has only ever been about whether my indulgence might be in the way of me becoming a good erotica author. But the rest of your response—along with many others’—convinces me that we should not be limited to just strokers.

If the goal is to become a better writer, approaching it in a manner that makes writing less enjoyable would seem counter productive.

 

[TheNovelist2000]

If you focus on quality, check out the concept of simple erotica, and then let us know here when you've published one. It's my preference in erotica.

I read your thread about renaming "strokers" to "pure erotica," but I think the term strokers already perfectly captures the intention behind these stories — they’re crafted specifically for the purpose of stroking. And the connotations are appropriate, because even the best strokers tend to feel shallow when compared to mainstream fantasy or literature. But that’s never been their aim. They aren’t meant to be rich in plot, character, or setup. Their sole purpose is to get you to stroke — and if a story achieves that, then it’s a good stroker.

That said, I completely agree with your point: not all strokers are effective. That’s why most people end up hopping from story to story, looking for that one good piece to suit the session.

 

[TheNovelist2000]

For one, because writing is such a terrible way to make a living that there's not really much "I'll do some trash so I can afford to do the ones I believe in"

One of the good things about being an amateur writer is that you don’t have to make a living from it. There’s no pressure to please an audience just to put food on the table. And yet, despite that freedom, we often find ourselves measuring our work by how popular it is or how much others seem to value it. We look at the most successful stories and convince ourselves that we should be doing what those authors do — even when their tastes don’t align with our own. That's where this dilemma arises for me, at least—not necessarily from financial gain.

 

[UncleJunior]

I'll write both.

Most requests are strokers by nature and I'll often write one to play around in a new genre. While most contemporary erotica ends up ends up with a price tag on it, a few recent contests have inspired deeper narratives for Lit.

Okay, one recent contest has inspired something that's slightly more than a stroker but I'm sure it will happen again.

I'm not particularly interested in elevating the art form. Horror hooked me on writing and that's another genre where the line between shlock and art is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[SimonDoom]

This place would get boring fast if everybody did that. One of the best features of this place is the variety of stories, along with the number. People explore sexuality in countless ways. I may not share all their kinks but I like the opportunity to peek in their windows from time to time.

 

[big_cane_sugar]

I've been trying to write a pure stroker lately but it's a struggle. I keep wanting the backstory and emotions. I need to think more about the physical sensations....

 

[UncleJunior]

This place would get boring fast if everybody did that. One of the best features of this place is the variety of stories, along with the number.

I dunno, dabbling in each genre is an advantage I think all writers here should take advantage of. What's stopping any of us from writing a series in erotic haiku? Why should the readers be the only ones to enjoy the variety of the site?

That could only increase the number and variety of stories.

 

[SimonDoom]

I dunno, dabbling in each genre is an advantage I think all writers here should take advantage of. What's stopping any of us from writing a series in erotic haiku? Why should the readers be the only ones to enjoy the variety of the site?

That could only increase the number and variety of stories.

I agree with that. I like trying different kinds of stories.

 

[AlexIce]

I write the occasional stroker, but even then, I will still follow my own rule of having a solid plot to supplement the action.

As much as I enjoy writing the sexy bits, I really enjoy the world building aspect of my stories.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Think like a man, walk like a man, sing like a woman, write both ways! What song is that from?

I've been trying to write a pure stroker lately but it's a struggle. I keep wanting the backstory and emotions. I need to think more about the physical sensations....

 

[BobbyBrandt]

Should Literotica Authors All Be Writing Strokers?​

Yes, immediately after Literotica readers all start reading only strokers

 

[Five_Inch_Heels]

Wait, wait which came first? The reader or the writer?

 

[Britva415]

Wait, wait which came first? The reader or the writer?

I'd like to see the reader try.

"I read your stroker"
"... How?"

 

[Writer61]

The answers make me feel very hopeful. (Since I wouldn’t want to be limited to just one type of story.) The thought that we should all be writing strokers came from my own experience as a reader. As much as I enjoy stories rich in plot and filled with compelling characters — which I often find in mainstream books — I’ve realised that whenever I visit Literotica, I usually end up searching for that one good stroker to get off to. And that made me question whether it’s even meaningful to write the kind of stories (non-strokers) people might not be actively looking for. But as you mentioned, the readership here truly varies, an argument against writing only strokers.

In other words, we should all be writing strokers because that's what you like to read … you know what to do.

 

[JohnBJohn]

Some of my favorite recurring series, I follow for the plot and sometimes the sex scenes get in the way. I find myself skimming through them to get back to the plot. One of my favorite series, The Tattooed Woman, has almost no sex scenes. I avidly devour each new chapter as it's published.

That said, there's times I'm in the mood for something lighter.

I've written a couple of light-on-the-plot strokers and some more plot heavy pieces (that do have some sexy scenes because I do enjoy writing them.)