Lust or Love

[Mac98]

Hey I have a question. I've written two stories so far (and I didn't start this thread to promote them like some may think). All I wanted to know was what stories attract you the most. Stories based purely on a moment of lust or a story that builds a strong, intimate, emotional connection between characters.

What's draws a reader more: Love or Lust?


Cuz I've written 2 stories, one on Love and the other based purely on Lust. The Love one got 3000 views the first day, the other based on lust got 10,000 the first day... I thought it was surprising, but is it possibly because of other reasons or is it because people really prefer Lust over Love?

 

[CWatson]

Personally, I'm for the romance stories. But, of the [howevermany] people who visit this site each day, a fair majority of them are here for the lust stories instead of the love ones. It's just demographics. *shrug*

 

[jim1kp]

I agree with Cwatson. Most people, me included come here for lust I reckon, not necessiarly love! Still, 3000 views for a romantic story is not too bad!

 

[LoveIsAllYouNeed]

Love is good

Generally speaking (and keeping in mind I am not the only exception to the rule), I think most men come for the lust, most women for the romance.

A one-to-three ratio of women to men sounds about right.

In other words, writing lust will attract men and result in the most hits.

Writing romance will attract women and thus fewer visits.

This can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The more stories aiming for the greatest number of hits, the fewer romance stories there would be for women. As women reach a point of assuming literotica is dedicated to lust, they stop visiting, thus reducing the audience for romantic material, thus encouraging writers to turn to lust-based stories ...

 

[SevenOfSpade]

Lust

I would rather prefer lust more compared to love. But IMO I prefer love for the development and lust for the sexual parts. I desired a story with a good development with a good mix with lust and love. But I just can't seem to find this kind of stories. Anyone who can find this kind of stories pls tell me. Thx in adv. So in short, I prefer lust

 

[sr71plt]

My experience is that lust receives more readers/better ratings on this Web site.

 

[Mac98]

Well actually, ratings-wise my Romance-story is better rated than my Lust-story. But the number of views is not even comparable anymore. I still think my more romantic story is the better one, but I guess that's just one person's opinion.

But I agree with Seven, maybe a combo could be interesting lol.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Hi, Mac, and welcome. I don't know why you don't want to promote your stories - all writers do that. Publicity is all. Why not put a link in your byline?

It's a bit more subtle than love or lust here. Category usually has the biggest effect on number of clicks (reads are not measurable). Scores are different.

Incest seems the most popular cat, with Loving Wives and Erotic Couplings some way behind. The more specialized areas like Fetish, Anal and TS get less attention - even though they are still 'lust'.

Novels/novellas will get a low attention - whether they are love or lust - it's just length, I guess.

The same goes for votes. The most popular categories attract the most number of votes. 100 votes in Incest probably equates to 10 votes in Romance or 1 in Reviews - horses for courses.

From my experience, readers on lit want a bit of classic story - some tension followed by a denouement - coupled with some well expressed (dialogue, thought rather than description) sex.

Lust and love fly very close. Do you mean romance and stroke?

 

[sr71plt]

Well actually, ratings-wise my Romance-story is better rated than my Lust-story. But the number of views is not even comparable anymore. I still think my more romantic story is the better one, but I guess that's just one person's opinion.

But I agree with Seven, maybe a combo could be interesting lol.

My nonerotic Christmas stories posted here are pretty much at the top of my rating pile. Go figure.

 

[Mac98]

My nonerotic Christmas stories posted here are pretty much at the top of my rating pile. Go figure.

That's because Christmas is just so damn kickass! lol


And elfin, I undestand that Lust and Love is putting it vaguely, but I just meant it as: Is it better to have a story that builds no connection between characters but gets right to the point (sexual intercourse) where the characters "fuck" rather than make love or is it better to create a bond, an emotional attachment and connection between characters before getting to the hotter scenes where the characters don't as much "fuck" as they do "make love". You understand what I'm saying?

But of course I understand that it's relative and Lust and Love do, in many ways, fall hand in hand, but I just wanted to see for myself.

In any case, I enjoy building connections between characters. I don't want my story to memorable for the sex, I want it to be an all-around good story.

...And what's a byline?

 

[sr71plt]

Oh, with that definition, my love ones get the best comments and most votes. My lust ones get the most reads.

 

[Mac98]

Well see my lust one get more votes, comments and reads. Yet my love one gets better ratings.

 

[_Lynn_]

Generally speaking (and keeping in mind I am not the only exception to the rule), I think most men come for the lust, most women for the romance.

A one-to-three ratio of women to men sounds about right.

In other words, writing lust will attract men and result in the most hits.

Writing romance will attract women and thus fewer visits.

This can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The more stories aiming for the greatest number of hits, the fewer romance stories there would be for women. As women reach a point of assuming literotica is dedicated to lust, they stop visiting, thus reducing the audience for romantic material, thus encouraging writers to turn to lust-based stories ...

I'm not sure I agree with that. Of the feedback/PC's I receive on anything I have in the romance cat, very few are from women. Men have a soft spot for a happy ending too.

Writing a story in a specific cat just for more hits/votes? Nope, that's not me at all.

 

[LoveIsAllYouNeed]

Lynn, perhaps the gender of those leaving comments has something to do with the gender of the writer?

Just a thought.

 

[_Lynn_]

Lynn, perhaps the gender of those leaving comments has something to do with the gender of the writer?

Just a thought.

I doubt it, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Mac98]

Well I've noticed, at least for all the stories I've read, most comments seem to come from men, no matter what type of story it is...

 

[LoveIsAllYouNeed]

I've posted my story to other forums over the past year, and the vast majority of comments have come from women.

I respect that others have had different experiences.

 

[sr71plt]

Well I've noticed, at least for all the stories I've read, most comments seem to come from men, no matter what type of story it is...

Most of my comments come from women. And most of my stories are GM. Go figure (although I know why--it's not a GM "thing" to either comment or vote).

 

[elfin_odalisque]

That's because Christmas is just so damn kickass! lol


And elfin, I undestand that Lust and Love is putting it vaguely, but I just meant it as: Is it better to have a story that builds no connection between characters but gets right to the point (sexual intercourse) where the characters "fuck" rather than make love or is it better to create a bond, an emotional attachment and connection between characters before getting to the hotter scenes where the characters don't as much "fuck" as they do "make love". You understand what I'm saying?

But of course I understand that it's relative and Lust and Love do, in many ways, fall hand in hand, but I just wanted to see for myself.

In any case, I enjoy building connections between characters. I don't want my story to memorable for the sex, I want it to be an all-around good story.

...And what's a byline?

Thanks mac. First, a 'byline' is a fixed bit you put on your member's page that always appears when you post. I've got 'Elfin's Emissions' that takes you to my stories page, sr has links to his published work and others just add comments. You can do this by editing your member's page. PM if you need any more.

The reason I flagged up categories is that they really influence the type of story that is well received. I've found here that even staight stroke needs more story than you ever get in porn vids. Lust, passion, sex abounds here but there are nuances. Most cats demand a good, taut story with strong connections/emotions between protag and antag but the level of slippery detail varies.

I've just read your incest story, which I liked, but I think it doesn't quite fit the genre - a bit too serious.

I agree with you; a good story where the sex is proportionate to the plot is what we all try for.

 

[Mac98]

Yeah, I really think I'll stick to what I'm best at writing. I won't be a sell-out

Thanks everyone for the comments.

 

[CWatson]

Naked Came the Stranger was a novel written as an experiment by a set of journalists. They set out to write a novel that was both 1) erotic, and 2) badly-written, to see how well it did.

It topped the New York Times Bestseller List for a week.

Love is harder to write. Lust moves way more product.

Welcome to fiction.

 

[LoveIsAllYouNeed]

"Love is harder to write"

For some, I suppose.

I find porn much harder to write.

Runs completely against the grain for me.

 

[LoveIsAllYouNeed]

"Lust moves way more product."

26 votes with a 4.96 average rating in one day.

Were it not for the exposure the story gets being on a top list, and the good it does being thus exposed, I'd say to hell with it.

Having my story compared with wanking material (and compared unfavourably) is about as degrading as it gets for this writer.

 

[_Lynn_]

Naked Came the Stranger was a novel written as an experiment by a set of journalists. They set out to write a novel that was both 1) erotic, and 2) badly-written, to see how well it did.

It topped the New York Times Bestseller List for a week.

Love is harder to write. Lust moves way more product.

Welcome to fiction.

I disagree. For me, writing romance/love is far easier than erotica/porn. My words flow faster and more natural in this category.

Lust might move more product, but I can't force a story to feel right either.