Miss Lisa Jones, a very fine addition to Literotica, published a story entitled “The Garage,” that posted today, 4/11 (or 11/4, as they have it in the UK). I extensively quibbled it, as is my wont, because the characters, the plot and the local color (sorry, colour) were all very good. Miss Lisa Jones, having had a bad day, at first took my quibbles in bad part, and e-mailed me, among other things, that if I didn’t like her story I should write my own.
I did like her story very much, and said so in the Public Comments section. And I do write my own, not as good as Miss Lisa Jones and others, but I do. And I’ll take whatever praise and bombs as they come. The only time I’ll slam a commentator is when she or he hides behind “Anonymous”.
I’ve said again and again, in e-mails and on the AH and SF boards, I wouldn’t waste my time quibbling if a story wasn’t good and if the writer didn’t have talent. If a story is junk, I’m gone by the end of the first paragraph.
And that’s the point. I just now had an exchange of e-mails with Miss Lisa Jones, and after undoing a misunderstanding, I wrote the following, which sums up my view of Literotica, and indeed of our whole function as writers of erotica: “The only thing in your e-mail that hurt was your calling your work "porn"--it's too good to be just "porn". If we who write erotica denigrate our own work, we have no complaint when the Wowsers and the Bible-thumpers try to shut us down, claiming we're just trashmongers. We just gave them an own-goal.”
Fellow authors, your work is too good to be called “porn.” We shouldn’t be hanging our heads as if we were doing something wrong, because we aren’t. We should use every measure of skill we have, exert every effort, to write the best story we can, every time. And if someone has an orgasm from what one of us wrote, all the better. But our only aim should be to write something really good.
And I’ll go on quibbling. And go on writing. Regardless. Because I have to.
I did like her story very much, and said so in the Public Comments section. And I do write my own, not as good as Miss Lisa Jones and others, but I do. And I’ll take whatever praise and bombs as they come. The only time I’ll slam a commentator is when she or he hides behind “Anonymous”.
I’ve said again and again, in e-mails and on the AH and SF boards, I wouldn’t waste my time quibbling if a story wasn’t good and if the writer didn’t have talent. If a story is junk, I’m gone by the end of the first paragraph.
And that’s the point. I just now had an exchange of e-mails with Miss Lisa Jones, and after undoing a misunderstanding, I wrote the following, which sums up my view of Literotica, and indeed of our whole function as writers of erotica: “The only thing in your e-mail that hurt was your calling your work "porn"--it's too good to be just "porn". If we who write erotica denigrate our own work, we have no complaint when the Wowsers and the Bible-thumpers try to shut us down, claiming we're just trashmongers. We just gave them an own-goal.”
Fellow authors, your work is too good to be called “porn.” We shouldn’t be hanging our heads as if we were doing something wrong, because we aren’t. We should use every measure of skill we have, exert every effort, to write the best story we can, every time. And if someone has an orgasm from what one of us wrote, all the better. But our only aim should be to write something really good.
And I’ll go on quibbling. And go on writing. Regardless. Because I have to.